What Lenses for NDP lighting situation?

[airconvent]

Managed to get a ticket to the NDP this weekend (hope it does not rain!).
Any recommendations on which lenses to use? I likely will be sitting all the way back from the action.

From last year's NPD preview, the sitting areas are very tight and with the goody bag, you practically have no space for anything and the ushers simply refused to let you choose the corner seats where you can use the stairs space. Would need the tripod although I am trying not to bring it along. Again the space constraints. Worse case scenario is my small camera bag, the K7, the 18-250, Da21mm and probably 1 more lens.

Sigma 600mm : Thought of bringing this along but need a bigger bag and tripod.

DA 21mm : Good for wide view but a little too slow when the situation becomes dark.
FA50 f/1.4, DA70mm : Not wide enough and not enough zoom? Would probably be useful for the fireworks though. But may need to bring the manual trigger along.

18-250mm : Probably the best choice but need a tripod. I used this last year handheld without a tripod in P mode and the shots were all blurred. I am trying manual this time round. Need advice from all of you what typical settings should I use 1) handheld and 2) on tripod.

Thanks

 

[woefulwabbit]

No need to think. Go to your favourite shop and get a DA* 200mm f/2.8

 

[flowerpot]

give me ur tickets... i shoot for u... no shake one :bsmilie:

 

[scorpioh]

I went to one of the rehearsal. I could set up my tripod with two legs on the ground and one in between the sits. DA21 is not wide enuff to capture the whole view. If you intend to take pics of the performers, you'll need a 600mm. For planes, probably 200-300mm. My advice is enjoy the show and not be too bothered with taking pics - viewing through the view-finder is very different from enjoying the show with your bare eyes.

 

[flowerpot]

watch from TV best... oh... i think i dun even bother watching on TV... :bsmilie:

 

[Reportage]

do you even have space to deploy a tripod?

anyway, my tip is if possible to get the 70-200 f2.8 and then set for sport shooting. Ideally the larger aperture setting will offset the faster shutter you will need. Take Raw so that no need to mess with the exposure settings or anything else that you can do at home.

when you are all the way at the back....the 50mm f1.8 is actually pretty wide.

 

[creampuff]

Go there and have fun... just bring your 18-250mm superzoom and a small monopod.
You'll be lucky to shoot without being blocked or obscured by other people.

What Do You See... such an appropriate theme for the NDP this year.
The best song by far imo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0I2inJdaT8

 

[hamustar]

in view of space constraints, I think a monopod would suffice for 1/6 and faster shots.

 

[istDeS]

Bring your K7 with 18-250 and your Fuji F200EXR. Can shoot just shoot, cannot shoot just join in the celebration and have fun.

 

[P3ntx]

Was that k7 it sounds, I saw green lights before shutters?

 

[Reportage]

Bring your K7 with 18-250 and your Fuji F200EXR. Can shoot just shoot, cannot shoot just join in the celebration and have fun.

not enjoyable if the photographer near you not so understanding and still deploy tripod which either hit your leg or your back. even worse if the one affected is your kid or the wife holding the kid. I wonder if the management have set up a help line during the parade for such cases so that the ushers can diffuse the situation before it escalates. With the recession and worse, a lot of people are simply walking bombs with very short fuses.

The last thing anyone wants is to get hit on the head by a tele lens of someone panning but not paying attention..though the ensuing "argument" is bound to get lots of hits on youtube and stomp.

 

[nik34]

For me 10-20 or 12-24 / fisheye / 70-200.
aim to catch some joyful moments & candid shots from the audience.
all this picture can take part in future competition like ( Singapore my home 2010 ):bsmilie:
when the night fall sit back relax & enjoy the show.

 

[airconvent]

Thanks for the tips,all. As we need to go there earlier at 5pm, there is alot of waiting, hence would probably bring the 18-250 and perhaps the DA70mm for those personal expression portrait shots. Just got a monopod for my birthday this year and was wondering what to do with it...now I know. But somehow I thought the monopod would be not very stable ? I wonder why people did not invent the dual-pod when there is space constraints for a tripod but still need the stability of a GPMG! And yes, the 200EXR as backup would be nice although I usually bring it for the movies which is not needed since the K7 can do movies now (Partial HD vs the VGA mode on the 200EXR).
If only I was in the working party like a few years back. Then can bring full gear as I have freedom to walk around...

BTW, what kind of settings is ideal for the jet flypast? Would you normally leave it at "P" mode or simply some setting good enough to catch the action like 1/125sec?

cheers

 

[Gengh]

Well, do you know what you want to shoot? If not sure, or everything also want, then just bring your 18-250 and make do....

I was there in 2007, and I find that there's just enough space in front of yourself to partially set up a tripod, just don't extend the legs fully. You'll need it if you're going to shoot at the tele end of the lens. If you set it up properly, it shouldn't get in the way of other people.

And I wouldn't suggest using M mode, since the lighting condition is constantly changing. I'd say set the ISO to 1600 (or lower before dusk), and use Av mode. Based on 2007's stage lighting, you should still be able to get around 1/20s shutter speed at f8 after night has fallen and the show has started.

 

[CY_OH]

You can start using DA 18-250, opening the aperture and increasing ISO until what you feel noise is acceptable. Use shorter focal lengths as light drops can allow the use of slower speeds, eg. 1/60s at 250mm, 1/30s at 100mm depending on individual handholding skills. When max ISO/aperture limit reached, can switch to faster lenses, eg. 50mm f1.4, 70mm f2.4. Set back to lower ISO and smaller aperture when putting back on tripod.

Taken on 8 July / 9 August 2006.

f/5.6, 1/80s, 75mm, ISO 400, 7.24pm

f/11, 8s, 24mm, ISO 100, 7.33pm, with tripod.

f/2.8, 1/125s, 75mm, ISO 1600, 8.14pm

 

[airconvent]

Gee..thanks everyone for the tips!
I'll try and remember them...so that they can be put to good use during the hectic periods..

 

[p0633318]

went to the rehersal, and i think for aperture wise u should use something with 2.8.

 

[dnaxe]

All the best for your shoot

 

[fengwei]

I was there a couple of weeks ago, brought 80-200/2.8 and 16-50/2.8. Better take more photos before the show. You can walk around and shoot the audience. When the show starts, just sit back and enjoy.

 

[darrrrrrrrrr]

i've seen some members of the audience with 300/2.8 L lens on tripod at the aisle seats over the last couple of weeks, so i guess it can be done.. here's a photo of a guy that was preparing for the fireworks, remote and all.

don't bother about the F16 bomb burst.. there's no smoke trail or anything just 3 tiny F16s on afterburner.. every week i try but can't get an interesting shot, unlike last year's black knights performance.

should try to get some photos of the total defence segment, that's pretty interesting.