Community Project Trips/"Mission Trips" - what lens?

[andretheng]

I may be going on such a trip later on this year (e.g. visiting rural areas, slums, schools, orphanages (i.e. children) etc) - I would like to ask if anyone has been on such trips with your school/church/company, what lenses (i.e. focal lengths) have you found most useful? I am a Canon 400D user.

Thanks in advance!

 

[senray]

just take kit lens and external flash..good enough

 

[Agent Jx]

some standard zoom lens is good enough.. ya.. + flash also.. diffuser/bounce is up to you.

 

[hetfieldpaul]

general purpose lens for me, eg 24-70 17-55, or the tamron 17-50

 

[Octarine]

Somehow I get the impression all the lens listing according focal length is useless. Instead the lenses should be sorted as wedding lens, concert lens, weekend trip lens, Europe lens, birthday lens ... :bsmilie:

 

[Complex13717421]

I think you should consider what you'll be doing more there. I guess for community project, you'll be more busy working than taking photos. And you won't have much time to be shooting. Furthermore, you also need to carry around your equipment a lot and bringing too much stuff is troublesome.

Also if you're working with children, they will come up close and personal with you. and poke your lens haha (but u got filter la). I'd recommend a 35 f/1.8 or 1.4. depends what u have. Keep 1 lens on and that's it.

But you're call also.

 

[vdaddy]

well when I was in an orphanage in a refugee camp in early jan, i went only with a 50/1.8 and it was ok.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=72588&id=656605932&op=18

then in June I was in Sichuan and I only brought my 30/1.4. And it was ok too.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=106766&id=656605932&op=6

essentially it is working with what you have and i think i was greedy on bokeh and i worked with it and it wasnt too bad then.

Now i would bring my 28-70 zoom plus 30/1.4 (for night) coz I do appreciate some versatility. So with different lenses you would different ways of expressing what you see through different perspectives (50 vs 30 for me).

So bring something that you are comfortable shooting with, and easy to travel with and don't think of the kinds of shots you could have taken with some other lens. Work with what you have and have fun serving the people/community through your lens! :thumbsup:

 

[vdaddy]

I think you should consider what you'll be doing more there. I guess for community project, you'll be more busy working than taking photos. And you won't have much time to be shooting. Furthermore, you also need to carry around your equipment a lot and bringing too much stuff is troublesome.

Also if you're working with children, they will come up close and personal with you. and poke your lens haha (but u got filter la). I'd recommend a 35 f/1.8 or 1.4. depends what u have. Keep 1 lens on and that's it.

But you're call also.

hahahaha..so true!! my filter always kena fingerprints! so yeah, that is something to beware too! great point bro! ;p

 

[diver-hloc]

Err TS.... how about telling us what Lens/Lenses you already have and we start from there. No point for use to list down a range of Lenses that you might need but don't have.... :sweat:

 

[Lomographer]

Err TS.... how about telling us what Lens/Lenses you already have and we start from there. No point for use to list down a range of Lenses that you might need but don't have.... :sweat:

quite true,

the list goes on and on, never ends!

and anw, if you have a 18-200,

it would be best i guess, very convenient and not heavy.

 

[andretheng]

Hi everyone, thanks all for the replies.

Well the reason I didn't list down lenses is that I have access to a variety of lenses, and I figured that if I really wanted a certain lens I could rent it or borrow or something.

Personally I do like primes, but so far have only got access to 50mm 1.8, 1.4. I'll see if I can get hold of something wider. (Like a 35 or 28 prime).

On the other hand, yes the 18-200 sounds like a good choice - there's one I can use and I can couple this with a prime for portraits and such.


That's an interesting point about children poking the lens! never thought about that.

 

[diver-hloc]

quite true,

the list goes on and on, never ends!

and anw, if you have a 18-200,

it would be best i guess, very convenient and not heavy.

While I, myself, don't like those 18-XXXmm, one lens do all range lenses..... I totally agree that a 18-XXXmm lens (Canon, Sigma, Tammy) would be a good lens to bring. Remember TS.... you are going to some rural areas, bringing/carrying a whole range of lens just isn't always a good idea.

If it was me... I would bring -

1x UWA (Sigma 10-20mm, Canon 10-22mm etc) = Large group photos, view of village/Slum/Schools... etc
1x Gerenal Purpose (Canon 17-55mm f2.8, 18-200mm, Tammy 17-50mm f2.8...) = Gerenal use.... with f2.8.... can take photo inside rooms (Rooms in Village/Slum aren't known to be brightly lit)
1x Prime (Canon 50mm f1.8/f1.4, 85mmf1.8, Sigma 50mm f1.4... etc) = lowlight, good portraits... etc.

My 2-Cents worth.... :sweat: