Advise On Wide Angle Lens For Group Photos Of More Than 100 People

[Sito82]

I am a canon user with 6D and 1D Mark IV.
I am tasked to take a group photos of around 150 paxs from a distance but is afraid that my current lens of 24-70 is not wide enough on the actual day and there may not be enough room for me or the subjects to move back.

Which wide angle lens is suitable for this task? I don't need a fast len, something with F4 or higher is sufficient.
Minimum distortion at the sides preferred.

It can be canon or 3rd party lens such as Tamron

 

[Rashkae]

I am a canon user with 6D and 1D Mark IV.
I am tasked to take a group photos of around 150 paxs from a distance but is afraid that my current lens of 24-70 is not wide enough on the actual day and there may not be enough room for me or the subjects to move back.

Which wide angle lens is suitable for this task? I don't need a fast len, something with F4 or higher is sufficient.
Minimum distortion at the sides preferred.

It can be canon or 3rd party lens such as Tamron

Have you searched for "recommend uwa" and read the many many previous threads? Have you looked at the websites like photozone.de and read the reviews on uwa lenses?

Please do some research first.

 

[UncleFai]

I am a canon user with 6D and 1D Mark IV.
I am tasked to take a group photos of around 150 paxs from a distance but is afraid that my current lens of 24-70 is not wide enough on the actual day and there may not be enough room for me or the subjects to move back.

Which wide angle lens is suitable for this task? I don't need a fast len, something with F4 or higher is sufficient.
Minimum distortion at the sides preferred.

It can be canon or 3rd party lens such as Tamron

Suggest you try making many shots then stitch them together in Photoshop. Using too wide a lens results in distortions especially in the corners that makes humans look weird.

 

[kei1309]

get a 16-35mm just in case you don't have much room to back up into. and perhaps a ladder or balcony can help to get a majority of people in the frame.

and..also... i would actually expect someone who owns such high-end gear to understand their equipment.

oh and... BTW... you need to consider your lighting as well.

 

[kei1309]

Suggest you try making many shots then stitch them together in Photoshop. Using too wide a lens results in distortions especially in the corners that makes humans look weird.

good suggestion.. but unless TS has the time to set-up that shot...

 

[Sito82]

Have you searched for "recommend uwa" and read the many many previous threads? Have you looked at the websites like photozone.de and read the reviews on uwa lenses?

Please do some research first.

oh thanks, i only searched the technical discussion and canon page in clubsnap.
Never though of keyword UWA and haven't heard of photozone.de

Thanks for the recommendations

 

[Sito82]

I will be located at the 2nd or 3rd floor to take the shot but just afraid still not wide enough.
So far, my 24-70 and 70-200 has been good for me. Never have the need to go wide than this.[
Therefore now trying to ask for some recommendations on wide angles as I never had a chance to try them yet.
Lighting wise is covered since it will be outdoor around 1pm

QUOTE=kei1309;8410823]get a 16-35mm just in case you don't have much room to back up into. and perhaps a ladder or balcony can help to get a majority of people in the frame.

and..also... i would actually expect someone who owns such high-end gear to understand their equipment.

oh and... BTW... you need to consider your lighting as well.[/QUOTE]

 

[kei1309]

I will be located at the 2nd or 3rd floor to take the shot but just afraid still not wide enough.
So far, my 24-70 and 70-200 has been good for me. Never have the need to go wide than this.[
Therefore now trying to ask for some recommendations on wide angles as I never had a chance to try them yet.
Lighting wise is covered since it will be outdoor around 1pm

QUOTE=kei1309;8410823]get a 16-35mm just in case you don't have much room to back up into. and perhaps a ladder or balcony can help to get a majority of people in the frame.

and..also... i would actually expect someone who owns such high-end gear to understand their equipment.

oh and... BTW... you need to consider your lighting as well.

[/QUOTE]

hmm have you considered the direction they're facing, shadows, fill-in lighting and the like? i suppose your 24-70 could be sufficient. but grab a 16-35 as a backup if the need arises.

 

[Sito82]

It worries me alittle if the sun is behind them but it shouldn't happen since it is 1pm and not later.
I will be at higher ground than them so they will be facing up at me where the sunlight will light up their faces.
I will ask them to form 5 or 6 rows for this group photo and look at me where I be at 2 or 3 floor.

In the event that the lighting is really poor due to clouds or whatever, I can get two helpers to point my two flashes with triggers at them? But if the distance is more than 20 metres, I don't think my flash will be off any use right?

What do you think on this arrangement?

hmm have you considered the direction they're facing, shadows, fill-in lighting and the like? i suppose your 24-70 could be sufficient. but grab a 16-35 as a backup if the need arises.[/QUOTE]

 

[Edwin Francis]

you could go with a 16-35 or 17-40. And you could rent it.

But I'd be wary of anamorphic distortions with such a wide lens for group shots. Unless you know how to correct for it:

Volume anamorphosis correction

Generally, I'd go 28mm (or equivalent) for group shots, maybe 24 (with some care!)

 

[Sito82]

Just wondering if Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM is suitable for the group photo that I have mentioned?

 

[Sito82]

Thanks alot for the advice, I was planning to use lightroom lens correction to fix this.

you could go with a 16-35 or 17-40. And you could rent it.

But I'd be wary of anamorphic distortions with such a wide lens for group shots. Unless you know how to correct for it:

Volume anamorphosis correction

Generally, I'd go 28mm (or equivalent) for group shots, maybe 24 (with some care!)

 

[SoundOfSilence]

Just wondering if Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM is suitable for the group photo that I have mentioned?

Its a lens designed for crop sensor 1.6x, its 35mm equivalent is 16-35, which would suffice for you if you have a 1.6x camera

However, its image field is not big enough to cover your FF/1.3x sensors

 

[dodgethis]

Just wondering if Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM is suitable for the group photo that I have mentioned?

As a person doing this sort of thing professionally, you should know that this lens is not something you should not even be considering, given your equipment.

Also, have you considered going down to the site before the actual shoot and doing some testing with the lenses you have to gauge what you will need?

 

[Edwin Francis]

Eh, that's an EF-S lens, made specifically for APS-C bodies. Good lens on crop Canon DSLRs.

Some EF-S lenses CAN be made to fit FF bodies, but you'd never get their full focal length range without sever vignetting. Stick to the EF lenses.

Just wondering if Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM is suitable for the group photo that I have mentioned?

 

[Sito82]

thanks .. i am not really into lens such as which model can fit on which body but time for me to learn
So I need to take note of the EF series.
I only know I need to look at the red color line on the lens to tell if the lens can fit on my body.
Learnt something new today

Eh, that's an EF-S lens, made specifically for APS-C bodies. Good lens on crop Canon DSLRs.

Some EF-S lenses CAN be made to fit FF bodies, but you'd never get their full focal length range without sever vignetting. Stick to the EF lenses.

 

[Octarine]

Also, have you considered going down to the site before the actual shoot and doing some testing with the lenses you have to gauge what you will need?

Second that.
TS: Spend some time on actual location. You could put some markings on the floor where you expect people to stand, then check from shooting locations whether they all fit in or which arrangements you need to make to have them all fitting in nicely. Do keep in mind the mentioned distortions.

 

[Sito82]

I have tried to get the info from organiser but she doesn't have the info. I will be making a trip down myself to take a look

As a person doing this sort of thing professionally, you should know that this lens is not something you should not even be considering, given your equipment.

Also, have you considered going down to the site before the actual shoot and doing some testing with the lenses you have to gauge what you will need?

 

[nedy77]

thanks .. i am not really into lens such as which model can fit on which body but time for me to learn
So I need to take note of the EF series.
I only know I need to look at the red color line on the lens to tell if the lens can fit on my body.

the red color line on the lens is to symbolise that the lens is a "L" series lens. "L" lenses fit all cameras

one easy way to remember is that:
EF-S lenses fits only APS-C & APS-H cameras (non full frame)
EF lenses fits all cameras

 

[Sito82]

Thanks alot for the information. So I only need to remember EF

the red color line on the lens is to symbolise that the lens is a "L" series lens. "L" lenses fit all cameras

one easy way to remember is that:
EF-S lenses fits only APS-C cameras
EF lenses fits all cameras