I travel a lot and do many workshops and classes on the road. One question that I get at every event is “if you could only carry one camera and two lenses, what would they be”? Well, a couple of years ago that would have been a tough answer, but now not so much. To me it is easy, the Tamron 16-300mm Di-II VC PZD lens and the Tamron SP 150-600mm Di VC USD lens. This allows me to get wide angle, macro and decent telephoto with the Tamron 16-300mm Di-II VC PZD lens and long telephoto for wildlife with the Tamron SP 150-600mm Di VC USD lens.

I shoot both Nikon and Canon bodies, I know I have issues, but both the systems perform fantastically with the lenses. I shoot the Nikon D7200 and the Canon 7Dii. I like the low noise/hi ISO capabilities of the Nikon while the frame rate of the Canon is very appealing. Both systems achieve extremely fast and accurate focus with the Tamron lenses as well.

The idea that I can carry either system and get 1:3 Macro, about 24mm on the wide side all the way up to about 1000mm on the long end with just 2 lenses is fantastic. Both lenses have the VC, Vibration Compensation, feature and if needed will allow me to handhold for images. If my pack and back can handle a small tripod, even the weight of the long lens will allow for a fairly small tripod to be used vs. having to rely on a huge tripod. I choose to use an APS-C sensor camera body when traveling because of the extra “reach” I can get.

For the next few days you can take advantage of some great rebates as well on the 2 lenses. The Tamron 16-300mm Di-II VC PZD lens has a $80 rebate with an additional bonus rebate of $50 until December 24, 2015 for a total of $130. The Tamron SP 150-600mm Di VC USD lens has a rebate of $70 with an additional bonus rebate of $50 until December 24, 2015 as well for a total of $120. So hurry and give Mark or Joel a call up at Camera Land and get yours ordered today. If you are looking to lighten your load and reduce the number of lenses you carry, here is your chance.

The below images were made using either the Tamron 16-300mm Di-II VC PZD or the Tamron SP 150-600mm Di VC USD lenses.

Your post got me to thinking what two-lens choice I would make. I primarily shoot landscapes and my bag always has a D810, Nikon 14-24, Tamron 24-70 and Nikon 70-200 f/4. I suppose one could limit to 24-70 and 70-200 and stitch to get a wider angle when needed.

If I know I am going to be mainly shooting landscapes and I am not hiking, I will carry my D800, Tamron SP15-30mm Di VC USD lens, Tamron SP 24-70mm Di VC USD lens and the Tamron SP 70-200mm Di VC USD lens. That combination like yours, is great but can be heavy.