My wife and I spent two weeks in Italy - Venice, Florence and Rome.  I took a Canon D300 6.5MP with an 18-55mm and a 75-300mm.  

1st, no telephoto lens is needed.  I took 3 shots with the long zoom and didn't really need it.  

2nd, wide angle is badly needed.  The first thing I did when I got home was order a 10-22mm Canon lens.  When you're shooting the big plazas or the Coliseum from the inside, a wide lens is essential.  

3rd, a 4 gig flash card is needed.  I took over 750 shots and still had room for 600+.  Be sure to back up your flash card to your computer every night.  Then back that up to a pin drive.  

More later.  Gotta go.

yeah i spent a month in rome and a week in a town called ascoli piceno, i definately agree with the wide angle. there is some amazing stuff on side streets but with an 18-55 lens its hard to get it all into the photo, there were some streets so small that i could stretch my arms from side to side and almost touch with fingertips

Funny you would say that, just got back from Italy. Couldn't agree with you more

I went down there with a Nikon 16-35 on a full frame  ( 16 mm is ultra wide on a FX camera ...would be like 10mm on DX )

I couldn't believe all the times that my travel companions kept walking further back behind me to "get it all in"

An ultra wide is essential for aking pictures ( interior and exterior ) of all the churches

Having the VRII was also benificial because many of the churches do not allow tripods . Very few of my 1/15sec hand held pictures had to be scrapped

Only time I used my telephoto was for candids while sitting around a square waiting for my wife. After she caught me a few times I quite doing it

Also took a fast 50 1.4 with polarizer for anticipated museum shots...turns out most of them won't let you take pictures anyways

I see no low primes on your list. Much better in low light and a telephoto is always a must. I missed out on a ton of shots today by leaving the lens on the table and not in my pack.

THE wide angle to get for the APS-C sized cameras is the Tokina 11-16mm f2.8



It is the BALLS.

Price ($600 @ B&H) isn't bad at all, either. I will have to take a hard look at that one.

I've ordered so many times from B&H, and gotten such terrific service from them, that I'll spend the extra few bucks to know that the transaction will be worry-free.

Not so much afford, as willing to sacrifice for.

Seriously though, B&H has been so reliable that to use an old cliche, it really is a pleasure doing business with them.

edit to fix numerous typos (damned hooves!)

My 10-22mm was the most used lens when I was in the Netherlands and Belgium.

I have tons of photos, but this will illustrate the need for a good wide or ultrawide in European towns with narrow streets and packed together buildings.

In Brugge(Bruges), Belgium
10mm  Able to look through the tower and up to its 250ft top.


Brussels, Belgium


Bruges, BE

this is why i have my nikon 10.5mm fisheye. i find myself always having to get closer to things to get pictures rather than step back.