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[luminosity]

If I were going to an event like Comic-con, I'd take my D300, 17-55 2.8 and 85mm 1.8. Those two lenses would probably cover the vast majority of what I needed. I'd most likely live at around 800-1600 ISO, except while I was outdoors.

For a Nikon shooter, the 17-55 and 24-70 are the workhorse event lenses, along with older iterations of same. An indoor event is where something like a D700/5D Mark II earns its keep, particularly when paired with good glass.

But, pro-level glass is only the beginning. You have to know how to capture the images, or else all you're holding in your hand is a fine piece of craftsmanship and not much else.

 

[peskaa]

Good job, way to be helpful. I find it funny how when people buy an XSi or something else that is "entry level", some people ASSume that you will only get worthless photos from it. Sure it isnt going to have the pixel density as a IDSMKIII or a 5D MKII, but it will be as good as any crop sensor. Sure it wont shoot 7 fps or have lightning fast AF, but 4 fps is decent, it will have MLU, probably atleast 10 CF's (custom functions), etc etc.

I shoot professionally (full time) and make no qualms about the fact that there is a 1000D sitting in my kit bag as a backup to the 1D3 and 5D2. The 1000D, despite being at the bottom of Canon's dSLR range, still takes nice photos and is very competent. Sure, it isn't as well-specified as the other cameras, but ultimately its using the same underlying technology. I've had to use my 1000D on several occasions, and although it may look ridiculous hanging off the end of a 400mm IS lens, it does the job.




To the OP, I'd really recommend getting competent and comfortable with flash. An external flash gun (430EXII) and the off-camera cord will work wonders for you, as well as allow you to stick with the kit lens and reduce your expenditure massively. Simply dial down the power on the flash so you get fill-in rather than white-out, and move it off the lens axis to stop the flat light look. Hell, you could even get a cheap diffuser.

 

[compuwar]

Get a good-sized external flash and cable and put it on a bracket off the lens axis, learn to drag the shutter. You can learn it in the time allotted, and you're likely to get better pictures than 90% of those who bring $1500 lenses and no light.

 

[gkarris]

Get a good-sized external flash and cable and put it on a bracket off the lens axis, learn to drag the shutter. You can learn it in the time allotted, and you're likely to get better pictures than 90% of those who bring $1500 lenses and no light.

Samples?

I'm no flash fan myself, but I remember taking great flash pics with a Nikon FM and some big honkin' Vivitar unit that mounted on the camera's tripod mount and you held the flash unit in your right hand...

 

[HBOC]

Get a good-sized external flash and cable and put it on a bracket off the lens axis, learn to drag the shutter. You can learn it in the time allotted, and you're likely to get better pictures than 90% of those who bring $1500 lenses and no light.

yeah, but with the added cost of a slower lens and a decent flash, you could almost get a fast lens.

Also, with a flash, you are going to get shadows. You can tell the difference between a shot taken with a flash and one without on a lens that is fast.
Yes, i know you can use a diffuser and bounce the flash, but that takes practice, as it is an art in itself.

 

[gkarris]

yeah, but with the added cost of a slower lens and a decent flash, you could almost get a fast lens.

Also, with a flash, you are going to get shadows...

as well as those "hot spots"...

Flash Photo is definitely a complex art in itself...

 

[airfrancisco]

Wow, been gone awhile and didn't know this thread still active. Anyway, I'm learning a lot using my kit and 50mm f/1.8 lens and I'm getting to the point where I'm confident on how to capture nice pictures.

For those with advices, thanks for your help!

For those who going, I'll be going all 5 days, including Preview Night. I seriously can't wait!

 

[gkarris]

Wow, been gone awhile and didn't know this thread still active. Anyway, I'm learning a lot using my kit and 50mm f/1.8 lens and I'm getting to the point where I'm confident on how to capture nice pictures.

For those with advices, thanks for your help!

For those who going, I'll be going all 5 days, including Preview Night. I seriously can't wait!

Can you post some pics when you get them? I'd like to see how the 50mm works out - I have one and will bring that along to the Stargate Con...

 

[gkarris]

Can you post some pics when you get them? I'd like to see how the 50mm works out - I have one and will bring that along to the Stargate Con...

Anybody?

Which lens did you take with? Stargate Con in 2 weeks!

 

[Tao50]

A little late to the thread but I'll toss my 2 cents in for gkarris. I'll have to second the advice that ocabj and luminosity provided.

About 6 months after I started with DSLRs, I went to Comic Con 2008 with a 50mm f/1.4 and the kit 18-55mm lens. Ended up using the kit lens the most. The wide angle was more useful for taking pictures of things in the exhibition and pics of people. Would've been much better if the zoom was a faster f/2.8 but that's all I had.

Many of the areas are fairly crowded such as the exhibition halls and such. A wide angle lens is very helpful for taking full figure shots in close quarters. A telephoto is useful if you plan on taking pics of speakers at discussion panels.

Here are some pics that I took at the 2008 Comic Con. I was mostly interested in toys and any cosplayers that I ran into. You can take a look at the exif data. I used onboard flash fairly often because of the slow kit lens. There's even a few SG related pics.

Have fun at the Stargate Con!

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sred...34097&authkey=Gv1sRgCJuj7orq7vqeXw&feat=email

 

[gkarris]

^^^^

Thanks.

At the Stargate Con, it's mostly being in the room where the guests appear and trying to takes pics there. I don't like flash and it's inside, so I'm going to take my 20D. I'm thinking of renting:

Canon EF 28-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS

or

Cann EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM

I guess the question would be the longer, slightly faster lens, or the shorter, slower "L" one...

(the rental price difference is only $7 over the weekend)

 

[jampat]

^^^^

Thanks.

At the Stargate Con, it's mostly being in the room where the guests appear and trying to takes pics there. I don't like flash and it's inside, so I'm going to take my 20D. I'm thinking of renting:

Canon EF 28-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS

or

Cann EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM

I guess the question would be the longer, slightly faster lens, or the shorter, slower "L" one...

(the rental price difference is only $7 over the weekend)

The 28-135 will only be faster to less than 50mm, anywhere past that it will be slower than the 24-105 (and your onboard flash will have trouble helping you out at the long end). Go with the 24-105, it is a really nice lens.

 

[soLoredd]

A little late to the thread but I'll toss my 2 cents in for gkarris. I'll have to second the advice that ocabj and luminosity provided.

About 6 months after I started with DSLRs, I went to Comic Con 2008 with a 50mm f/1.4 and the kit 18-55mm lens. Ended up using the kit lens the most. The wide angle was more useful for taking pictures of things in the exhibition and pics of people. Would've been much better if the zoom was a faster f/2.8 but that's all I had.

Many of the areas are fairly crowded such as the exhibition halls and such. A wide angle lens is very helpful for taking full figure shots in close quarters. A telephoto is useful if you plan on taking pics of speakers at discussion panels.

Here are some pics that I took at the 2008 Comic Con. I was mostly interested in toys and any cosplayers that I ran into. You can take a look at the exif data. I used onboard flash fairly often because of the slow kit lens. There's even a few SG related pics.

Have fun at the Stargate Con!

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sred...34097&authkey=Gv1sRgCJuj7orq7vqeXw&feat=email

Those turned out very good. My untrained eye couldn't even tell it was on-board flash. How did you set your flash settings? I'm sure you didn't just pop up the flash and fire.

And that 'Watchmen' aircraft is super sick. Great picture.

 

[gkarris]

^^^^

Thanks.

At the Stargate Con, it's mostly being in the room where the guests appear and trying to takes pics there. I don't like flash and it's inside, so I'm going to take my 20D. I'm thinking of renting:

Canon EF 28-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS

or

Cann EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM

I guess the question would be the longer, slightly faster lens, or the shorter, slower "L" one...

(the rental price difference is only $7 over the weekend)

Well, the local Calumet doesn't have the 28-135, and the 24-105L is out. They have the:

EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM

available. How is it?

The Canon long white lenses are too much to carry around at the Con...

 

[Tao50]

Those turned out very good. My untrained eye couldn't even tell it was on-board flash. How did you set your flash settings? I'm sure you didn't just pop up the flash and fire.

And that 'Watchmen' aircraft is super sick. Great picture.

Thanks for the kind words. That full sized Watchmen Owl ship blew me away when I saw it.

The flash settings were mostly trial and error . If I was lucky, the first shot metered fine. In the tricker lighting situations, I tried to fiddle with the manual settings or I might have used a external flash like the Sunpak 383 (sometimes I had my camera bag and sometime not). I have tons of poorly exposed pics to go along with the few that came out right.

 

[xparaparafreakx]

I hate how the pictures on point and shoot camera's preview looks clear, but when uploaded to iPhoto, it's all blurry and can't take another picture again.

In the right hands, a Canon G10 can kill wannabe using a dSLR.

I do not know much about lens but when I saw what you said about P&S cameras, I had to say something.

 

[peskaa]

Well, the local Calumet doesn't have the 28-135, and the 24-105L is out. They have the:

EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM

available. How is it?

The Canon long white lenses are too much to carry around at the Con...

Crap.
Slow apertures, and a loss of contrast due to the DO optics. Yes it's smaller than a "normal" 70-300, but at over double the price of the 75-300 IS it is way too expensive. I'd rather get the 70-200 f/4L IS for less, or even the 70-200 f/2.8L.

 

[dmb70]

Well, the local Calumet doesn't have the 28-135, and the 24-105L is out. They have the:

EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM

available. How is it?

The Canon long white lenses are too much to carry around at the Con...

Just rent online & get what you actually need. Just my 2 cents.

 

[gkarris]

Crap.
Slow apertures, and a loss of contrast due to the DO optics. Yes it's smaller than a "normal" 70-300, but at over double the price of the 75-300 IS it is way too expensive. I'd rather get the 70-200 f/4L IS for less, or even the 70-200 f/2.8L.

Just rent online & get what you actually need. Just my 2 cents.

Thanks.

I just realized that if I rent from Calumet - where I work now I won't be able to return the lens until Monday night (I need the lens Sunday night after they close), which would cost double just to have the lens sit around for a day.

Also, where I work, I can't take packages - so that rules out renting online which requires a signature upon delivery.

I was at a LFS earlier, and this one has really nice and helpful people (not a chain either). They always spend a lot of time with my many questions when I go there.

They had a Sigma 75-300 DL Nikon-F AF used for $159 in excellent condition (looks like it was hardly used). I decided to go with that rather than not have anything (I do have my Olympus 40-150, but wanted something to use on my 20D also).

It's very light and compact. I just tried a couple of shots on my Olympus E-420 and it feels really nice on it. It's an equivalent of 150-600mm!

Anyone know of it?

Here's some online samples:

http://www.treklens.com/photos.php?offset=1&cat=lens&id=1851

I also just tried a couple of shots on my 20D - works great on that too!

I'll take it out tomorrow to practice with it. The Con is this weekend... will post some pics!

 

[dmb70]

Thanks.


Also, where I work, I can't take packages - so that rules out renting online which requires a signature upon delivery.

Fed ex will leave a tag at you door, you can then call them, have them hold the package & go pick it up after work or the next day.

 

[gkarris]

Thanks.

I just realized that if I rent from Calumet - where I work now I won't be able to return the lens until Monday night (I need the lens Sunday night after they close), which would cost double just to have the lens sit around for a day.

Also, where I work, I can't take packages - so that rules out renting online which requires a signature upon delivery.

I was at a LFS earlier, and this one has really nice and helpful people (not a chain either). They always spend a lot of time with my many questions when I go there.

They had a Sigma 75-300 DL Nikon-F AF used for $159 in excellent condition (looks like it was hardly used). I decided to go with that rather than not have anything (I do have my Olympus 40-150, but wanted something to use on my 20D also).

It's very light and compact. I just tried a couple of shots on my Olympus E-420 and it feels really nice on it. It's an equivalent of 150-600mm!

Anyone know of it?

Here's some online samples:

http://www.treklens.com/photos.php?offset=1&cat=lens&id=1851

I also just tried a couple of shots on my 20D - works great on that too!

I'll take it out tomorrow to practice with it. The Con is this weekend... will post some pics!

Well, I guess this lens is a "gem" - most on the 'net say that this Sigma lens has great IQ for its size, weight, and focal length. I've seen it used on the Internet for $94.

Here's a shot I just took this evening. And for posting on the Web sake, this isn't even my best/clearest shot!

Glad I own this lens!

Connor Trinneer ("Star Trek: Enterprise" and "Stargate: Atlantis") at Chicago Stargate Con 2009.

Canon 20D, Sigma 75-300 DL (Nikon-F Mount) at 300mm (480mm equiv), f5.6, 1/40, ISO1600, Fotodiox Nikon-F to EOS Adapter