Oh heck 230 people, what lens ?

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Ian
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I don't think anything in my line up will get it, it is most likely going to be inside at night aswell, wedding night do you see.......

Any suggestions would be great, other than go AWAL :)

How do I get myself into these scrapes, lol !
 
Blimey!!

reckon something like a 10-20 wide angle?:shrug:
 
Hmmm. 230 people probably means some sort of wide-angle. Indoors means you'll need a fast lens. How about something like a 24mm f/1.4?

If you can tell us a bit about the location (how far front-to-back, how wide, etc.) we'll be able to give you some more specific suggestions.
 
What's your budget?

16-35 f/2.8 L is good for that. Excellent build and image quality and very wide. Expensive though.

Even more expensive is the 14 f/2.8 L which is the widest non EFS lens you can get. Costs about a grand ***.
 
I reckon it's height you're going to need. There isn't going to be a way too shoot that many people in a tight space in a flattering way, so it's going to be all about getting them in.

15 rows of 15 peeps with the odds thrown on somewhere won't have a huge footprint but you still need to be far enough up to get all the faces and far enough back to throw a DoF net over the whole lot.

A really wide lens might seem like a good idea but the distortion is going to do some nasty alien facewarp stuff.

Any which way you look at it..... rather you than me. :D;)
 
How about something like a 24mm f/1.4?

I'd be surprised if any group that big is going to be shot lower than f8 or 11, so a fast lens isn't going to save the day on this one. A camera plate bolted to a big ladder would be useful though. ;)
 
Yeah you could also try using a flash or two, try and get them away from the camera positioned at each side high up...low apature isn't such a big deal then and you can shoot higher.
 
How about one of them twirlling-round cameras with everyone in a semi-circle like at school!!!
 
My vote goes to the 14L....114 deg AOV on a 5D. If you've got big ears you need to stay close to the viewfinder to leep them out of shot. The front element is looks like a glass tennis ball stuck in tea cup and needs a special lens cap that fits on the permanent hood.

I tried some indoor shots and, standing back in a corner, could still frame the walls that I was leaning against.

Go for it.....

Bob
 
I'm assuming your using canon, so, if you were intending on buying a lens for the purpose, why not just hire two or three for the week from our resident hirer outer (stewartR) and cover all bases?, if it were me, i'd go for the 16-35 F/2.8L as one of them.
 
I'm assuming your using canon, so, if you were intending on buying a lens for the purpose, why not just hire two or three for the week from our resident hirer outer (stewartR) and cover all bases?, if it were me, i'd go for the 16-35 F/2.8L as one of them.
I think that's a good idea. :D

We don't have the 14mm f/2.8 yet, but we do have the other lenses mentioned.
 
I'd be surprised if any group that big is going to be shot lower than f8 or 11, so a fast lens isn't going to save the day on this one.
Good point, dazza. The 24mm f/1.4 has a hyperfocal distance of 21m wide open, which isn't going to be much use. At f/8 to f/11 the hyperfocal distance is around 3m, which is much more useable.

So if a fast lens won't save the day, then it looks like lighting is going to be critical. How do you light a group of 230 people if the available light isn't good enough to shoot at f/8?
 
Wow, some good stuff coming through, can't help thinking you are all laughing at the thought of me 'winging it' though, lol !
It is going to be a fantastic wedding, 2 Country Manors, Aston Martin, Skydiving and assault course, 230 guests and me with the camera - :eek:
 
Sounds like an excellent photo opportunity!

Bet you can get tons of awesome shots :D
 
Well the time has nearly come, gear all packed, batteries charged, cards formatted x 24 gb - I only have 1 battery for the 1d but will take the car charger for between venues. 2x attached to the 100-400 for the Skydiver shot. Lots of AA's for the flash, studio lights packed, white umbrella packed in case of rain, confetti in the bag, kirby grips just in case of bridal hair failure, gaffa tape on the tripod leg in case of, well anything I need gaffa tape for, shirt ironed.

Umm - thinks thats it, gonna be a long one though, I will be there at 8am, taxi back at 1am !

Oh and its 250 people now !
 
250? is that all??

good luck, hope it goes well
 
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