Travel Equipment

I have been traveling all over the world with the following:
Nikon D70 and D200
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G - for those great shots
Nikkor 18-70 mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED - for the all day shots
Nikkor AF Zoom-Nikkor 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6G - for tele shots in dangerous areas
Nikon TC-17 E-2 Tele Converter

I am now planning another 4 month trip through places like the Middle East and Iran, and I really want to lower the weight and size of my bag.

Would this be wise (or totally stupid) to replace all these lenses with the Nikkor AF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G (the latter I still need to buy).

Do you think the Nikkor AF-S 18-200mm is a great replacement...or will I later be so sorry that I left my good stuff at home. Please kindly let me know your thoughts.

I travelled through Europe with a Canon & Nikon setup, the latter including the D70, and Nikon lenses : 18-200mm VR, 12-24mm DX, 18-70mm DX. The 18-200mm performed so well that there was no need to use any of the other lenses. You can see some examples on my pbase website http://www.pbase.com/kahkityoong/root In particular the Toscana & Umbria folders have a few travel shots taken with the D70 and the 18-200mm. Also the botanic folder to see some close-up shots. Might be still a good idea to bring the cheap & light 18-70mm as back-up.

I too like to travel light. You might consider: Tokina 12-24mm f4, Nikon 18-200mm VR, Nikon 50mm f1.8. Here's my reasoning. The 18-200mm VR is an excellent general purpose lens. I'm an ultrawide fanatic and would want something like the 12-24mm and the Tokina is small/compact and f4. Toss in the inexpensive but VERY sharp 50mm f1.8 for shots in low light and you have a very compact and versatile system. Sigma makes a 30mm f1.4 if you want something wider than the 50mm.


Kent in SD

"If I could carry only one lens and body" is a game my wife and I play frequently, and for both of us it would be the D80 and an 18-200. After that it boils down to individual needs and tastes. The D80 would never replace my D2X in day-to-day use, but for a prolonged trip it's small size and light weight would be a fair tradeoff for the loss of a few features. Similarly, the 18-200 covers the range I use most of the time while elminating lens changes. I'd probably sneak in my Nikkor 12-24 if my wife wasn't looking, or at least if I promised to share.

We just returned from a 10-day shoot and carried a mind-boggling array of gear, then rented a large set of lighting equipment at our destination. After that experience, a simple pocket digicam looks awfully good!

Thanks for the comments so far. I always carry my Tokina 12-24mm f4 with me but didnt list it above as the lense in question (Nikon 18-200mm VR) would not replace the Tokina. I'm very happy with the Tokina 12-24mm f4.

I have heard good things abt 18-200VR.
I personally like my 18-70 and 50mm for travel. Tokina 12-24 is for sure interesting lense. I try not to take many lenses when I travel but since you are going for a "long" trip it is a good idea to carry backup equipment. Have fun!!