I am going to shoot an evening parade with Christmas trees and Santa and the like. Do you have any helpful tips?

I have a 50 1.2 and an 85 1.2 , 70-200mm 2.8 and a wide angle which I am going to bring. I have other lenses.

  • KidElder@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    Keep it simple as you’re in a low light situation.

    Go manual with auto ISO, setting what your high limit will be for ISO.

    This is a parade so there is going to be constant movement. It’s at walking speed so try 1/125 shutter speed. Or try walking backwards with the subject and using a slower shutter speed.

    Aperture between f2 to 5.6 depending on depth of field needed as well as available light. It’s night time so accept some noise in your images and fix latter. Idea is to get the shot. Better one with some noise vs missing the shot.

    Narrow your lens choices down two lens for low light usage and use your feet to make them work. Carry both on you, maybe one in a jacket pocket so you can switch easily. Too many lens, too many choices to make and too many missed shots.

    You didn’t say what the wide angle was but I’d test it at the parade time and the location to see how it looks. 24mm or 35mm will work for close up shots, just use your feet to frame how you want.

    Other lens might be the 85mm for portrait type shots. Forget the 50mm. 24/35mm & 85mm should have you covered for the distances involved.

    Try to have fun!

    • LightpointSoftware@alien.topOPBEnglish
      1·
      10 months ago

      Interesting. Some people are saying use the 1.2s wide open.

      I added that the wide lens is a 14-24mm 2.8 Sigma with an FTZ converter.

      You think it will be too dark for the 70-200mm 2.8?

      1/125 sounds reasonable. I can hand hold that easily enough and is slow enough to gather light. I will try that tonight when I test the event site. Thanks.

      • KidElder@alien.topBEnglish
        1·
        10 months ago

        Too dark for the 70-200 f2.8? No, just too heavy and bulky. The event is not going to wait for you so you need to change lenses quickly so I was thinking light and can fit in a jacket pocket. Unless you have some way to be comfortable working with it. Or were you going on a second camera?

        My other thought with this lens are lots of people and you may be close to them most of the time so you likely won’t get the benefit of most of the focal range of this lens. So all the weight for little use. Confirm it when scooping out of site imagining folks all over the place.

        Sigma should be good between 20-24mm, probably 24 will get the most use as you don’t want folks looking too small.

        • LightpointSoftware@alien.topOPBEnglish
          1·
          10 months ago

          I have used the 70-200mm 2.8 for several events for hours at a time and I am comfortable using it.

          I will use the 14-24mm for establishing shots. I have used it for wide group shots, but I am not doing that for this venture.

          I am happy with the pictures I have taken wide open with the 1.2s. I don’t think that will be a problem