KarenAylwood
<font color=red>It wouldn't be the holidays withou
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2005
- Messages
- 3,590
I'll be posting pictures later because I just got back last night (I think I took about 12-16 GB of pics, I can't even remember how many memory cards I used!). I wanted to thank you all for your advice and tell you some things that really did come in handy!
I have the Canon XSi, and have had it about a year. I got it two weeks before our last September trip- and boy does it pay to know your camera! There was a huge difference between this year and last!!
The best tip I got from this board... was to buy the Sigma 30mm f/1.4. Now, I knew this was a great lens because I had played around with it before, but WOW is it good at WDW!!
I had so much fun taking shots indoors, on dark rides and of merchandise! It was really a fun lens, and I think I used it 50% of the time. I had originally thought of getting the 50mm f/1.8 but there were a good number of times that I thought to myself that the 50mm wouldn't be wide enough (same for f/1.8).
Other great tip was to compliment this with my 18-200mm lens. It was great to catch Fantasmic- I got some really great shots there. As well as some good ones of the castle show at MK, parades (closeups of characters) and of course, animals at AK.
Crumpler 5MDH- I bought this from recommendations here as well, and it was surprisingly easy to carry all my stuff all day with it! Everyday I carried my camera w/ my 18-200mm, 30mm f/1.4 and memory card holder, remote shutter release, extra battery and lens cloth. Two days I attached my gorillapod to the side.
Shooting dark ride thread- ISO 1600, f 1.6 and 1/50 sec shutter speed pretty much hit it most times. I usually took a few practice shots to see if it'd over or under expose and adjusted the shutter speed a little.
Shooting fireworks thread- I got some great shots just knowing when certain moments were coming up (this is from trying to get wishes a few times over the years). A 2 or 3 second shutter speed and a tripod was great- although definitely stake out a spot early- I had a nerve wracking experience with my tripod setup in a bad spot and spent most of the show worried someone would knock it over!
Stopping down my 30mm f/1.4 for some great starburst shots (thanks Gdad!)!! I got some awesome ones at downtown Disney and AK after dark (another great idea from here- I think also from Gdad).
Bring your extra lenses! I never used my kit but brought it just in case. It was actually nice to have a backup, and I brought it along towards the end when the 18-200 was too heavy in my bag (I ran into a nasty case of heat exhaustion that lasted two days at the end of our trip).
I know there was some other stuff I wanted to write but can't remember. The main thing I wanted to say was Sigma 30mm, Sigma 30mm, SIGMA 30mm!!!!! Awesome lens for WDW!!
Thanks guys!
I'm excited to start going through my pictures. I didn't get home until 10pm last night and had to get right back into work this morning 
I have the Canon XSi, and have had it about a year. I got it two weeks before our last September trip- and boy does it pay to know your camera! There was a huge difference between this year and last!!
The best tip I got from this board... was to buy the Sigma 30mm f/1.4. Now, I knew this was a great lens because I had played around with it before, but WOW is it good at WDW!!
I had so much fun taking shots indoors, on dark rides and of merchandise! It was really a fun lens, and I think I used it 50% of the time. I had originally thought of getting the 50mm f/1.8 but there were a good number of times that I thought to myself that the 50mm wouldn't be wide enough (same for f/1.8).Other great tip was to compliment this with my 18-200mm lens. It was great to catch Fantasmic- I got some really great shots there. As well as some good ones of the castle show at MK, parades (closeups of characters) and of course, animals at AK.
Crumpler 5MDH- I bought this from recommendations here as well, and it was surprisingly easy to carry all my stuff all day with it! Everyday I carried my camera w/ my 18-200mm, 30mm f/1.4 and memory card holder, remote shutter release, extra battery and lens cloth. Two days I attached my gorillapod to the side.
Shooting dark ride thread- ISO 1600, f 1.6 and 1/50 sec shutter speed pretty much hit it most times. I usually took a few practice shots to see if it'd over or under expose and adjusted the shutter speed a little.
Shooting fireworks thread- I got some great shots just knowing when certain moments were coming up (this is from trying to get wishes a few times over the years). A 2 or 3 second shutter speed and a tripod was great- although definitely stake out a spot early- I had a nerve wracking experience with my tripod setup in a bad spot and spent most of the show worried someone would knock it over!
Stopping down my 30mm f/1.4 for some great starburst shots (thanks Gdad!)!! I got some awesome ones at downtown Disney and AK after dark (another great idea from here- I think also from Gdad).
Bring your extra lenses! I never used my kit but brought it just in case. It was actually nice to have a backup, and I brought it along towards the end when the 18-200 was too heavy in my bag (I ran into a nasty case of heat exhaustion that lasted two days at the end of our trip).
I know there was some other stuff I wanted to write but can't remember. The main thing I wanted to say was Sigma 30mm, Sigma 30mm, SIGMA 30mm!!!!! Awesome lens for WDW!!
Thanks guys!
I'm excited to start going through my pictures. I didn't get home until 10pm last night and had to get right back into work this morning 
