FotLK - Which lens?

[Ratpack]

This year I plan to get some good photos of my wife's favorite show - FotLK. In the past I have usually had a general walk around lens (18-105)on the camera (D7000) which doesn't do well in the lower lighting. This year I am a little better equipped (I think). My choices are 17-50 F2.8, 50 F1.8 or 70-200 F2.8. Anyone used any these for the show and have recommendations? My gut says the 70-200 F2.8, but it is a huge lens and heavy.

 

[mom2rtk]

My lens choice would depend heavily on how close I was sitting. I like shooting shows with a zoom (although I'm sure others enjoy using a prime).

Are you not planning on bringing the 70-200 for some animal shots elsewhere in the park that day? If not, I would try to go early and get a close spot to sit and use the 17-50.

 

[Ratpack]

I have a 70-300 F3.5-5.6 that I plan to use for animal shots since they are usually well lit. We have FP for FotLK so I may bring the 70-200 F2.8 since I won't have to carry it all day. We plan to be there at opening and then go back to resort for a break and then come back in the evening for our FP's. I can then switch out the 70-300 for the 70-200 as we also plan to do the evening safari.

How's this sound for a plan since we are splitting the park into day and evening. Bring the 18-105 and 70-300, both F3.5-5.6 for the morning and late afternoon and then bring the 17-50 and 70-200, both F2.8 for the evening and night activities.

 

[mom2rtk]

I have a 70-300 F3.5-5.6 that I plan to use for animal shots since they are usually well lit. We have FP for FotLK so I may bring the 70-200 F2.8 since I won't have to carry it all day. We plan to be there at opening and then go back to resort for a break and then come back in the evening for our FP's. I can then switch out the 70-300 for the 70-200 as we also plan to do the evening safari.

How's this sound for a plan since we are splitting the park into day and evening. Bring the 18-105 and 70-300, both F3.5-5.6 for the morning and late afternoon and then bring the 17-50 and 70-200, both F2.8 for the evening and night activities.

That seems like a good plan. Mid-day breaks are a great way to swap around lenses based on what you're doing. We don't tend to leave mid-day, so I either make hard decisions or use a locker for a couple lenses.

 

[boBQuincy]

I agree with mom2rtk, it depends on where you are sitting (and how tight you want the photos to be). My usual lens for FotLK is a 35-100 f/2.8 which is the micro 4:3 equivalent of the ubiquitous 70-200 for full frame. This works well for photos of individual performers and small groups but for scenes like the grand finale I sometimes switch to a wider lens.

 

[elmoandzoey]

Another vote for "it depends on where you sit". A couple years ago I sat further back and had the nifty fifty on and found that not to be ideal for me.... it was too wide. This year I put the 70-200 f2.8 on from the start but immediately changed to the 17-50 f2.8 because I was sitting in the front.

I have a 70-300 F3.5-5.6 that I plan to use for animal shots since they are usually well lit.

Uhm.... I used that lens on the safari and the trails in the past and heck was I glad I used the 70-200 f.28 this time around. Some areas may be well lit BUT... yes, there had to be a but First, while the safari is well lit in some areas, the safari truck bounces you around so much that even in bright light, you will need a very fast shutter that I was never really able to achieve with the 70-300 unless I upped the ISO quite high or the truck stopped (which as I have encountered on our last trip and 7 rides on the safari, they don't tend to do as often anymore as they used to). Often, the animals will hide in the shade as well, so again, large aperture and fast shutter to get that. Secondly, some of the animal trails are still very dark since there is quite a lot of vegetation (for example the gorilla area). They have two hyperactive baby gorillas at the moment that if you want to catch them, you will need a fast shutter in that poorly lit area. Even my f2.8 with ISO 1600 was cutting it really close at times with those two. If I were you, I'd just leave that lens behind. Will you miss the extra reach? I am quite honest with you. I was really, really fretting over losing the extra 100mm since I had gotten the 70-300 just for that purpose. I just knew I was gonna miss it, even before I had made the switch. But once I had seen what the 70-200 can do and that when I crop those pics, they still are better than most of the ones I had taken @300mm with the other lens.... I haven't touched the 70-300mm since. Just something to think about. I've also used the 70-200 on shows like Frozen, Nemo, Beauty and the Beast, Indy, Halls of President, etc. Again something I wouldn't have been able to do with the 70-300.

 

[mcraige]

When we went last month, I took my 50-150 2.8. Even at f/2.8 and ISO 3200, I was limited to a shutter speed of 1/250, which wasn't enough to freeze the motion. As a result, I didn't get many keepers.


DSC02753 by mcraigelliott, on Flickr

 

[boBQuincy]

A wide photo of the finale.

 

[katt789]

I always use my 50mm 1.8 for FOTLK or any nighttime parades, although I MUCH prefer to shoot with a zoom, esp at FOLK, so if you have the option of going back to the hotel to drop the lens off, or even renting a locker to drop it off in, or if you can carry it around all day, I'd use the 70-200!

I've gotten some great shots using my 50mm for FOLK, but they're usually more when I'm much closer to the front, and that being said, the lighting is just SO hard to shoot around sometimes that I still end up with barely anything lol