Graduation and Concert coming up which lenses to rent?

[JonB8305]

Graduation ceremony will be in a large college basketball stadium, so distance and low light will be needed.


The concert is going to be dark but it'll be in the floor area, so possibly can get some good close shots. Low light will take priority here.

Was thinking 70-200 2.8L II for the graduation and the 135L for the concert.

 

[dgatwood]

What lenses do you own? What body?

My first inclination would be to suggest a 70-300L for the graduation. My gut says that lighting at a graduation ceremony is not likely to be low enough for the difference between f/2.8 and f/4–f/5.6 to matter unless your camera is pretty old, but the extra reach is likely to be a big win.

 

[lion rock]

Went to New York Poly this May for a grad ceremony inside an arena in Brooklyn. Brought 5D3, 70-200 f/2.8 II. Bumped up ISO to 3200 and reach was OK. Added a X2 II, made much better. If possible, bring tripod or at least a monopod.
-r

 

[Dylan777]

70-200 on FF is not that long. You might need 300mm f2.8 IS II for graduation.

For concert, if you can get close 50L is wonderfull in extreme low light. This lens shines at f1.2 - f1.4

 

[JonB8305]

I have a 6D with a 24-70 II

Maybe a 200-400 might be needed for the graduation.

Not sure if I'll be close enough for the 50L to shine.

 

[JPAZ]

U of A Graduation last year in the basketball gym. Sat directly even with the stage on the lower bowl about halfway up. 100-400 on 5diii worked pretty well at higher iso despite the speed of the lens. The ceremony on the stage is pretty well lit. Were I to do it again, I might rent a 300 f/2.8 but you'd lose the versatility of the zoom....it is just such a wonderful and fast lens.

 

[takesome1]

I would go with the 300mm f/2.8L II.
I have taken shots at two graduations in the last few years.
I would suggest two bodies, one with a long lens and one with a zoom like the 24-70mm II.

All of the graduations I have attended were open seating and first come first to sit.
What is more important than the lens is to have your spot staked out early.

 

[Eldar]

I don´t know the lighting conditions and what distance(s) you will be shooting at, but a 70-200 f2.8L IS II should work well from most positions and gives you good low light performance. You can also crop a bit, if need be. And if you throw in a 1.4xIII or 2xIII extender, you have lots of flexibility.

 

[cayenne]

Graduation ceremony will be in a large college basketball stadium, so distance and low light will be needed.


The concert is going to be dark but it'll be in the floor area, so possibly can get some good close shots. Low light will take priority here.

Was thinking 70-200 2.8L II for the graduation and the 135L for the concert.

First...NOTHING slower than f/2.8

A few weeks ago, I shot at Voodoo Fest in New Orleans....3x days of concerts and I had credentials for full access to pits and even backstage. Concerts in day and night.

My 70-200 f/2.8 L II was the workhorse....but in some of the stages it wasn't too high and I was right up close, I had rented the 85mm f/1/2 to play with, and I got decent shots with it...but I found I was switching between my 70-200, and mostly during the day...my 17-40 f/4 I own, but it was a bit slow at night. I ended up getting some interesting shots (again, on stages I was very close on) with my cheap-o Rokinon 14mm f/2.8.

And even on some stages that were higher, I could set that thing up (manual lens) and just hold the camera up high as I could and shoot...and I got some good keepers with that.

If you're renting two of the lenses, I'd say #1 for sure, get the 70-200 f/2.8. You might look into either the 16-35mm L f/2.8 too if you want to have a spread between wide and tele....or in lieu of the wide zoom, maybe also rent the 24-70L f/2.8 II lens.

Those two should cover you pretty nicely....they worked for me and this was my first real concert shoot I'd ever done.

HTH,

cayenne