what kind of lens for group photo?

[spoon2003]

Hi,
I just got a Rebel with kit lens and having alot of fun practicing. My grandmother's 100 birthday is this August and I want to get a lens for the birthday banquet. So I need a lens for indoor and can take group pictures of approx 40 people (4 rows of ten, kids can sit on floor). How wide shoudl I go? I don't want to spend alot of money as I don't think I'll be using this lens alot but do want to capture this special day for my grandmother. I may check local photography shop to see if they rent lenses but I need to know what size I need first. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Sue

 

[Kelly Grannell]

The kit lens should suffice.

When taking the picture, take it several times. It's hard to take a group pic without one or two people making weird faces or blinked or whatever.

 

[Geoff_M]

A word of advice on group photos... Make sure you use an f-stop that'll give you enough depth of field to ensure that row 1 is as in-focus as row 4. That'll also have the added advantage of fact that most lenses are near their sharpest stopped down a couple of stops from their maximum aperture.

 

[Kelly Grannell]

Geoff M is absolutely correct. Try to use something like f/8 or f/12, even f/16 if possible so everybody will be in focus.

My ideal setting is f/8, lens at around 35mm, flash facing forward with diffuser (you can use rice paper in front of your flash to do the same. I boost the ISO to 400 or 800 depending on the situation.

 

[spoon2003]

Thank you both for the detail explanation!

 

[manning]

Are you going to use an external flash?

 

[spoon2003]

I have the Sunpak 383 with diffuser? (that white cap thing)from my Fuji S7000. I've tried it with the Rebel and it works.

Sue