What if you could take only one camera and two lenses with you on a trip around the world. What camera body and two lenses would you take?

I would take my Nikon D300 camera, plus my Nikkor DX 17-55mm f/2.8 and Nikkor DX 12-24mm f/4 lenses. As you can see from the image at the left, I would also take my trusty Thin Tank Change Up bag.

Once I change over to FX bodies and lenses this whole set-up will of course change but for now I find this to be my most flexible traveling kit. I usually carry a few more lenses and an Nikon SB800 flash with me of course, but when I need to go absolute minimal, this is the outfit that I know will do the job.

Nikon 17-55mm f/2.8G ED IF Autofocus DX Nikkor Zoom Lens…

Nikon 12-24mm f/4G ED IF Autofocus DX Nikkor Zoom Lens…

I think that most photo journalists, travel and wedding photographers (who use Nikon DX cameras & lenses) would agree that their number one lens is the AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED, which was first released in 2004. The higher speed of f/2.8 across the entire zoom range is of course a big advantage over the slower normal zoom range DX lenses, but the extremely good image quality and weather proofing also contributes to the lense’s unbeatable reputation. This kind of quality does not come cheaply though, the DX Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 sells for around US$ 1,500. retail.

The second most important (DX) lens (to me and I assume a few other photographers) is the AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 12-24mm f/4G IF-ED. With a 35mm equivalent zoom range of 18-36mm and better image quality than almost any prime lens in that range, this is a lens that has to be in your camera bag for all those occasions where wide angle is either absolutely necessary or enhances the scene in some other fashion. Like the 17-55mm f2.8 lens above the 12-24mm f/4 is not inexpensive, but it is well worth the average street price of US$ 1,000.

Nikon cameras and lenses at Amazon: