The Heavy Lens Debate
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efore each photography tour I lead, I send out a pdf format eBooklet with information about the tour, and I include a list of recommended camera equipment. If the tour is largely focused on bird or wildlife photography, long lenses are obviously ideal. But so often, clients will still ask if they should bring their heavy glass -- usually a 500mm f/4 or a 600mm f/4. I know exactly what they are saying. They really don’t want the burden of carrying such a big lens and dealing with the weight, the hassle of airport security. and hoping there is enough space in the overhead compartment on the
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plane for their gear. The nightmare for photographers when traveling is that airline personnel could insist on checking in this heavy, expensive equipment. On the other hand, these lenses are super expensive. What was the point of paying all that money and not using them? So, when I’m asked whether the client should bring a large lens, I feel like I’m between a rock and a hard place. It’s hard for me to give an intelligent answer since every photographer thinks and shoots differently. For this article, though, I thought I would summarize my