hello, Nancy here from Michigan. I own a Nikon D7500, Tokina 11-16mm, Nikon 16-80mm and 70-300mm. Went to WDW last month and the 16-80mm was my main lens with the exception of AK Sarfari, where I used the 70-300mm. Never took my tripod(Prima Photo Small Travel), wished I would have. I used a Lowepro Hatchback 22L as my bag. I also have a Lowepro Fastpack 250 Backpack. Heading to Universal Studios in Orlando in May and staying at Cabana and have park to park(not doing the water park). I’m thinking about the purchase of a Nikon DX 35mm f1.8(for dark rides at WDW) and Nikon 18-200mm(even though it’s not a fast lens and the all-in-ones aren’t popular). As far as Universal Studios, this will be my first visit, I’m thinking the 11-16mm might be the best lens or maybe the 16-80(but not sure if it’s wide enough)? Any thoughts on the 35mm f1.8 at Universal Studios? Also, for the parks, I’m thinking about going with a non-camera type backpack, like an Osprey Daylite Plus Or Patagonia Atom 18L and if I bring another lens, use a lens case, because my camera is usually around my neck? Any other lens recommendations for DX? Thank you
The Nikon 35 1.8 is a nice lens; everyone should have a fast "normal" lens like that. My main walkaround lens is the NIkon 18-200, though sometimes I use the full-frame 28-300 for a little longer reach. I just purchased a used Nikon 17-55 2.8 which I will be trying out Real Soon Now. (That's the DX equivalent of a 24-70.) The 11-16 is great for fireworks. Don't be afraid to look at other major brand lenses such as Sigma and Tamron. They both have lenses that are very good and less expensive. Check out reviews from reputable web sites and don't be afraid to rent before you buy. (A word of warning about Sigma zoom lenses: their zoom works the opposite direction of Nikon lenses; it drives me crazy.) For Universal, the situation is pretty much the same as Disney. Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade have some areas where a wide angle is useful to take it all in, and Knockturn Alley is so dark that even with a tripod you're stretching your camera's limits. Note that you really can't take on-ride photos at Universal because most rides require you to put your belongings in a locker before you even head for the queue. My best advice is to look around at the photos here. In many cases, if you click on the photo, it will take you to another site like Flickr where you can look at the EXIF data to see the equipment and exposure used. You always have to take that with a grain of salt, thanks to all of the editing tools we all use. Welcome to the forums. Let's see what others have to add.
ddindy, thank you. Is the 18-200mm sharp at 200mm and the 28-300mm sharp at 300mm? I like to buy used if I can find one. I’ll look at Sigma and Tamron, in fact I’ll was looking at an 18-270 Tamron.
They are both decently sharp. I haven't noticed any problems. Here are a couple of examples from the 28-300, one from a D300 and one from a D700: Petr and the Pagoda Penthouse Living When I want an honest opinion about gear, I go to LensRentals.com and look up the piece of equipment that I'm interested in. The section called "Roger's Take" provides the company owner's honest opinion based on detailed tests that they give each piece of gear that they rent.
Thank you. Looks like a nice sharp lens. I’ll check out that section, I’ve looked on there for rental prices, but that’s about all I’ve looked at on there,
