bought some new lenses today...

Yowza. May I be the first to welcome you to the 70-200F4L club. No doubt you're aware of its reputation as the best bargain in L lenses.. bargain in price, not in performance.

The first year in Disney World that I had my 70-200 I kept it on my camera most of the time and ended up missing a lot of stuff because it was just not practical for normal park shooting. I had a field day in Animal Kingdom, of course, and I was staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, so I could literally shoot animals from my room. But I just could not bring myself to put the kit lens back on after the luxrurious L experience. Hmm.. let me try that again.. the luxurious L experience.

Yet it was that trip where I found out about my next lens. This was during Mousefest, and I was waiting at the Kilimanjaro Safari to do the Mousefest group ride, and while waiting I struck up a conversation with another Canon shooter. He mentioned that he'd just picked up a Tamron 28-75 F2.8, and although he hadn't checked out the results from it yet, it had a reputation for being nearly L quality for less than half the price. So I did some research on it, the word on the web seemed to be that it WAS excellent, if a little prone to producing bad copies.. I picked one up, and it is indeed excellent. 28mm usually never feels restrictive to me, except when I'm at Disney World. It's too long for fireworks. So I still bring the kit lens.

 

hey dan, i'll bet that canon shooter was me, i'm ecstatic over this lens, it's the one that probably 65% of my shots are taken with, it's a mainstay of my travel kit, canon 10-22, tamron 28-75, canon 79-200 f4L, plus canon 1.4 ext, a half dozen batteries, charger, and a card wallet with 6 kingston 2g cards and i'm set to travel
this lens took all of the pics i've posted so far and if i remember right it was the only lens used at mousefest 2005, i didn't have the 10-22 yet, i got that in late spring
TIM, you are going to be overjoyed with iq of 70-200, this is one great lens, i just wish IS had been available when i purchased, i would have coughed up the bigger bucks in a heartbeat
i too may be selling 28-135, i just don't use it anymore, although the only photo contest i ever won was with this lens
gary

 

Congrats on the purchase!!

 

I only have the 70-200F4L, but I've never been hassled for that at WDW. I have to think that if anything they'd have more of a problem with monstrous lenses, just because you risk getting in other people's way, especially at a show where they pack everyone together like cattle. And perhaps telescoping lenses like the 100-400 IS or the Bigma might sneak through a bit more because they can collapse to a much shorter length for transport.
Anyway I'm guessing that it's not the color of the lens that they'd react to, but the size.

 

What am I missing here - why would Disney care what kind of lens you have?

 

Are they really making a big deal out of white lens at the parks? I won't be going to the parks anytime soon but I'm planning for my next trip (if I ever go again) to bring my 70-200 f/2.8L IS (white) together with my regular 17-55 f/2.8 IS attached to two bodies with grip. If they actually will hassle me for that, I don't want to bring extra lens and body overseas just to be denied at the parks.

OTOH, on several ocassions last year (November '05) I saw a couple each carrying their own tripod, 3 camera bodies dangling around their necks, literally TWO bagful of lenses entered the park with the only question asked by the security was "so I take it you're a photographer?" ;D

 

I think Disney's lawyers would be much more effective @ stopping people than the staff at the parks

 

but seriously, do you get stopped from entering the park with your white lens?

 

I have personally never been stopped for bringing in a white lens. Last time I went to Animal Kingdom I took my 300mm f4 and 70-200 f4 with me, both are white, and no one said a word to me. In fact one time at the bag search area in the magic kingdom the security guard complimented me on my equipment.

 

I guess it's more of a regional cultural thing. In Canada, white lens = no-no; in Hong Kong as in Singapore concert halls, any camera gears except for tipods are welcome; in Japan, white lens = ushered to media area; in Indonesia, any SLR virtuall anywhere = no-no; in Australia any camera gears are welcome (minus the concert halls).

 

my apology for my ignorance. What is the Sailing Ship Columbia tragedy?

 

It was an accident that happened at Disney land. From Wikipedia "In 1998 the ship was involved in a tragic accident when an improperly placed docking line tore a cleat loose from the dock, killing one man and injuring his wife".