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[travelin n scrappin sara]

I need some advice about the next lense to get for my DSLR. The body came with the 18-55mm, I also have the 75-300mm. I tried both lenses for the fireworks at WDW, taking the shots from the balcony of the train station. I have not printed any of the photo's yet, however, there were several that are a total blur..... I noticed several of the other people using DSLR's had a larger lense (diameter wise) and I am assuming it was a long zoom if they were just getting the castle and the fireworks. (yes I am still in the learning phase with this camera) I have not had a chance to check out other lenses in person yet, I just thought I would ask for suggestions here first....
? Wide angle a good choice? Is there such a thing as a wide angle with a long zoom?

On other occasions the 18-55 was not enough, and the 75-300 was too much, when I was at the Finding Nemo at AK. I realize the two situations are very different. Suggestions?
I appreciate any advice, tips etc...
Sara

[Tonichelle]

you need a FAST lens... more than a LONGER lens... meaning - look at the "shutter speed"

[LizardCop]

Originally Posted by travelin n scrappin sara

I need some advice about the next lense to get for my DSLR. The body came with the 18-55mm, I also have the 75-300mm.

I don't remember which camera you have, but they sound like good lenses. I'm using Olympus E-Volt cameras, I have the E-500 and the E-520. Fortunately, my "kit" lenses overlapped a little, so I have full coverage from wide angle to telephoto. My "add-on" lenses were bought to expand the range, and overlap so I could reduce the number of lenses I carry.

My "kit" lenses were the Zuiko;
14-45mm (28-90mm 35mm equivalent) F3.5-5.6
40-150mm (80-300mm 35mm equivalent) F3.5-4.5

My add-on lenses were also Zuiko;
18-180mm (36-360mm 35mm equivalent) F3.5-6.3
70-300mm (140-600mm 35mm equivalent) F4-5.6

My current carry configuration is for each body to have one of the new lenses on it and I carry the 40-150 as a back-up. The 14-45 is usually left at the house unless I am on vacation somewhere, then it gets put in the camera bag.

I tried both lenses for the fireworks at WDW, taking the shots from the balcony of the train station. I have not printed any of the photo's yet, however, there were several that are a total blur.....

I'm going to stick my neck out here and say this isn't a lens issue. I say this because good fireworks photos can be taken pretty much regardless of lens. The only advantage a zoom lens gives you is the ability to zoom in and get rid of distractions, people, buildings, etc...

Camera stability is the key to good fireworks photos. People that have been doing this for a long time have learned to turn their body into a tripod. There are also many, many other options to stabilize your camera. This article explains some of the things you can do to take better fireworks photos. Taking Great Fireworks Photos

Here is a photo I took this past Thursday night (8/6/09) at a local fireworks show (unedited, only resized);



Here's the technical info;

Hand held, body set in tripod stance and easy/smooth trigger press
18-180 lens set at about 23mm
1/15@F3.9, focus manually set
Using the Olympus E-520 body and for this set I had Image Stabilization on, only because I forgot to turn it off. I don't use IS on fireworks normally...

As you can see by the buildings and signs, the camera is being held pretty steady, the slight blurring is from the fireworks themselves. I could have zoomed in a little closer and got rid of the distracting building pieces in the upper right corner of the picture, but I decided to leave it set as I had it, I can crop out later. The real key here is to manually set your camera where you can comfortably hold it and get your picture. A faster lens would have allowed me to maybe use a slightly faster shutter speed, as would a higher ISO setting (I set this one to 100 manually). And with the body position I use, along with controlled breathing, I can sucessfully hand hold the camera with this lens down to 1/4 second at the wide angle setting, though I do get a few more blurred pictures at that speed. As you zoom in, camera shake shows up much faster. A general rule of thumb is to set your shutter speed no lower than the reciprocal of the lens, a 100mm lens should have a shutter speed no lower than 1/100.

I noticed several of the other people using DSLR's had a larger lense (diameter wise) and I am assuming it was a long zoom if they were just getting the castle and the fireworks. (yes I am still in the learning phase with this camera) I have not had a chance to check out other lenses in person yet, I just thought I would ask for suggestions here first....

Just remember, the more you zoom in, the higher the chance of camera/shutter shake. If the camera is mounted on a sturdy tripod, or braced on/against a fixed object, then yes, the longer lens would let you zoom in and get only what you wanted. The larger diameter lenses "might" be the really expensive, lower F-stop, lenses. They'll allow more light in, allowing you to take the photo at a slight faster shutter speed, but it's "usually" only one step faster (1/60 instead of 1/30).

? Wide angle a good choice? Is there such a thing as a wide angle with a long zoom?

They make wide to zoom lenses, that is basically what my 18-180 is.. I was reading last night where Tamron has come out with the "Ultimate All-In-One Zoom", 18-270MM. Pretty neat lens, they don't make it for my camera though

On other occasions the 18-55 was not enough, and the 75-300 was too much, when I was at the Finding Nemo at AK. I realize the two situations are very different. Suggestions?

You can check around for a good "all-in-one" lens, but they really don't make one for every occasion. Super wide, low light, great zoom, that's a lot to ask for a lens. I have found that when in the parks, I usually carry my E-520 with the 18-180MM lens, and a good 10 or 12MP point and shoot. I use the P&S for those inside shots where I can't get the DSLR wide enough to get what I want. We also have our 3 year old granddaughter with us when we go, so I really don't want to lug around the camera bag (in my case backpack) as well as her stuff and stroller, though her stuff is getting lighter as she grows...

Before you go on your next trip, take your camera out and experiment. Go downtown at night, take pictures of the buildings, streets, try different shutter/f-stop combinations. Go to manual mode and play. Increase the ISO and see how your camera handles that, is the increase in the noise so bad you can't use it, or will it allow you to get the photo you want without using a flash or a tripod. ISO 800 and 1600 on many cameras is very noisy, but how often do you really print out a full size photo. That noise isn't as visible in a 4x6 or a 5x7, especially if your original photo will print out a 24x36+ like my cameras will...

As with everything else in life, practice, practice, practice and you will get more comfortable and better....

[Tonichelle]

^ I would have said all of that had I not been sick the day I replied...



that's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

[LizardCop]

Originally Posted by Tonichelle

^ I would have said all of that had I not been sick the day I replied...



that's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

Hope you're feeling better now, Toni....

Nice Fish!!!!

[travelin n scrappin sara]

Thanks, great info and advice is well taken. Yes, I am still learning this camera.... Rebel Xti (I think) I don't want to go dig it out of the bag from the cabinet right now! I had not considered the 'faster' option for a lense. Not all of the fireworks pics are bad, but enough that I know I was not doing something correctly.

As far as lugging the equipment around, I am never taking the bag I bought for this camera on a Disney trip again. While it did a wonderful job of protecting the camera, it felt like I was lugging a 10x10 box around on my side. Granted I don't normally have to carry a bag, it is usually on the back of the stroller We have the park bag down to a workable level finally.

[modisney]

Practice, practice, practice is the option here. Maybe check out a couple of photography classes. I think a tripod is necessary for fireworks and I've decided that while I'd love get some of those shots, it's just not worth it to lug the gear around. I'm happy to enjoy the fireworks without taking the shots myself, enjoy everyone's else's shots and be silently jealous.

[pixie08]

You really need two things for fireworks...

1. a low light lens

2. a tripod...invaluable. It is extremely hard to get as steady as you need to be when you aperture is getting that low.

What kind of camera do you have? I know canon makes a nice low light lens called the nifty fifty. I is a litle light in body but takes good night photos because of the f 1.8 and it is under $100. Now they make other low light lenses but they are a lot of $$$.

Here is a nice article on lenses..
Canon EF 50mm f1.8 f1.4 f1.2 - PhotoAficionado

I am sure other cameras nikon etc make similar lenses but I am only familiar with canons. HTH!

[travelin n scrappin sara]

thanks, I asked at the camera store and had a slight sticker shock.... your recommendation is a great idea.
S

[Tonichelle]

you can also rent lenses if you just want the lens for Disney trips to see if you even like it

[travelin n scrappin sara]

I had not thought of renting, thanks for the idea I thought 1500.00 was a little high for the lense that I attempted to describe to the camera store guy....