Lens for upcoming Auto show

[lilmsmaggie]

Thought I'd try my hand at photographing cars. Just wondering what what be a good combination to photograph an outdoor classic car show coming up next weekend. The widest lens I have for a crop-body is the EF-S 17-55 f2.8 and for FF: 24-105 f4. There may be some open-house events where cars will be on display inside custom auto shops but this will be my first time attending this event, I'm not really sure. If the event goes until say 8 pm in the evening, then the 17-55 might be the best way to go.

I was thinking maybe renting the 24-70 2.8 II and go FF for the better IQ. If I rent, I'll need to have the lens by this coming Thursday, May 2nd.

Suggestions are welcome:

 

[Don Haines]

Just leave the camera in the "AUTO" setting and you should be fine

Seriously though, whatever lens you choose, a polarizing filter will be a must. Lots of reflections off shiny surfaces and glass....

 

[lilmsmaggie]

Yes. Thanks for pointing that out. A lot of shiny chrome on those cars 8) And its at the beach too!

I have a .77mm polarizer so no problems with the 17-55 or 24-105.

I need to play around and see if 27-28 is wide enough to fill the frame with the whole car?

Thanx 4 mentioning the CPL.

Just leave the camera in the "AUTO" setting and you should be fine

Seriously though, whatever lens you choose, a polarizing filter will be a must. Lots of reflections off shiny surfaces and glass....

 

[sevvo]

Just leave the camera in the "AUTO" setting and you should be fine

Seriously though, whatever lens you choose, a polarizing filter will be a must. Lots of reflections off shiny surfaces and glass....

A CPL indoors ... that blew my mind. I'm so glad that whenever I visit this forum, I always leave with out-of-the-box solutions!

 

[Hobby Shooter]

Wouldn't you want to go UWA for this?

 

[Schultzie]

If it were me I'd also bring a macro lens. There are a lot of great little details on older cars that get lost when you go "wide".

 

[distant.star]

Wouldn't you want to go UWA for this?

That's my thought for this. The dramatic car shots come from UWA.

If you're going to rent a UWA lens, get the 17-40 as it takes the 77mm cpl you already have. The 16-35 is nice, but will cost more to rent and uses the 82mm filter.

If possible, ask the organizers to let you in before the event begins -- crowds of people can be your biggest problem once it's underway. Also, don't be afraid to ask owners to close hoods, etc. if needed for a good shot.

 

[Inspiron41]

don't forget about your ultra wide lens for beautiful interior shots. i'm sure custom auto shops put a lot of work on the interior as well.

my go-to fun lens for that is my 8-15L F4
otherwise it'll be my 16-35L II F2.8

 

[friedmud]

I've only shot a car show with a DSLR once... But I primarily shot with my 17-55 f/2.8 and thought it did a great job. You can see some the results here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/friedmud/6229346027/#in/set-72157627857315028/

 

[tomscott]

The 17-55mm is perfect for car photography used it for years myself.

 

[distant.star]

.
You may also want to go over this thread -- we've got some people around here who know how to get pictures of cars!

http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=776.0

 

[lilmsmaggie]

I given some thought to all the comments before posting e.g. 17-40, CPL, macro lens, interior shots, etc. and realizing that I'd just have to take both bodies. Having both FF and crop bodies would keep lens changes to a minimum while giving me more flexibility.

I just returned from a local car wash (need to get the car washed from recent road-trip along the coast).
I observed how the light is hitting chrome trim and glass from different angles, reflections and such. CPL outside in the sun should really help.

Either later today or tomorrow, I'll visit a nearby auto mall and ask the dealership sales staff if I can photograph the cars on the lot and inside the showroom to get some practice.

Excellent! CR is a really good place to get the photographic juices flowing.

 

[kennephoto]

When I go to cars and coffee I like to utilize some shallow depth of field! 5d2 with 50L

 

[Dylan777]

Back in 2008, I started with a used combo 40D + 17-55...It's an awesome lens.

If you rent a FF, try out 16-35 II. At 16mm, this lens does give a cool effect.

Here are some photos I took with 5D III + 16-35 f2.8 II. First 8 photos were taken with 16-35.

My 2011 Ducati 848 EVO.
http://albums.phanfare.com/isolated/OU34G5tR/1/5991989

 

[alexanderferdinand]

As mentioned before: a Polarizer would be helpful.