Shooting Spectro---Lens Question for UWA Owners

[annnewjerz]

I'm planning to watch Spectro all the way through for the first time on my upcoming trip in a few weeks and needed some advice on which lens to use.

Obviously, I know I want to shoot with something fast. I plan on camping out well in advance to get a spot around the hub (hopefully) and am worried that the Sigma 30 will give me shots that are a litttttle too tight for my liking.

Instead, I'd like to shoot wider and have the ability to crop out some dead space. So, my only other option is my Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 at 16mm. I, admittedly, have not taken many shots with this lens yet but was wondering if any of you UWA lens owners thought that 16mm would provide too much (if any) distortion and make the pictures look a little off.

I'll have both lenses with me and will probably try both out, but I figured I would ask all you UWA owners about any distortion you have seen, since reviewing on my LCD after taking a shot probably won't give me the best idea of what a shot really looks like.

Thoughts?

Thanks!
Ann

 

[ukcatfan]

FWIW, 50mm seemed just a little too tight for me. I would think 30mm would be perfect. I also think you will really miss those two stops. I personally do not believe that f/2.8 is enough unless you are willing to go ISO 3200 or higher. Even at the wider angle, you are going to have to keep a decent shutter speed to prevent subject motion blur.

 

[Groucho]

I agree with Kevin... I have a 16-50 lens which would give the same 16mm focal length and I can't see shooting Spectro that wide, unless you really are after more "spacious" feel - it really is quite wide. Somewhere around 30 is probably about right, maybe slightly wider.

Also, ditto on the lens speed issue - Spectro at F2.8 is even more of a challenge. The difference between F2.8 and F1.4 is 1/15th of a second vs 1/60th.

 

[YesDear]

Ann:

I went and looked back at Susan's Spectro pic she recently posted at the circle. It was shot at 36mm full frame. Your 30 ie 45mm at crop factor would be very close to the same. That may give you some insight.

 

[Steve's Girl]

I don't think 2.8 would be quite fast enough either. I prefer to shoot Spectro at f1.4 to f2.0. Now, if you have FF with excellent high ISO capabilities, 2.8 would be fine. Otherwise, I think you will want a faster lens.

 

[annnewjerz]

Thanks everyone. I think I'll try both lenses just for the heck of it, but I'm sure I'll end up sticking with the 30mm when all is said and done. As far as the ISO is concerned, I was looking back on Susan's recent Spectro shot, just like John, and it looked like she used ISO 1250 with the lens at f/2.8 and got a 1/60 shutter speed.

Now granted, she has a D3 and I only have a D90 but the higher ISO capabilities on the D90 have impressed me so far---so shooting with the lens stopped down a bit and at a higher ISO might be acceptable.

I guess it'll all be trial and error. Like I said, it'll be my first time even watching Spectro all the way through and from the curb (hopefully) so it'd be silly not to take the advice of people who have probably shot the parade multiple times.

Thanks again, all. Only 10 more days!

 

[WDWFigment]

30mm should be wide enough for Spectro, but if not, f/2.8 on the D90 should put you around 1/80-100 and ISO 1600 or so. That's more than workable in my opinion. I'd shoot burst though, because with the characters moving around, you will get some unpleasant blur at 1/80 in some shots.

 

[pjacobi]

Ultrawide lens require careful compositions. You need an object in the foreground as a point of interest.

For example, if you are shooting a mountain vista with an ultrawide you would need a nice rock or other object in the foreground.

For a clear view of the mountains on the horizon, I would use use a lens close to normal focal lengths. With ultrawide lens, the mountain will look too far away.

For a clear shot of fireworks, use a normal focal length lens.

You might use an ultrawide and flash to highlight objects or people in foreground with fireworks in the background.


-Paul