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Lower quality zoom lens or cropping higher quality wide angle?

Started Dec 28, 2012 | Questions thread
Freneticburn Regular Member • Posts: 200
Re: Lower quality zoom lens or cropping higher quality wide angle?

Using a remote and bulb is THE only way to photograph fireworks.  I've only gone twice with my DSLR but both times I used a Canon 50mm 1.4 (speed doesn't matter since I think I only used f/11 anyway) on a tripod with a remote and bulb mode.  I think opening the shutter right before the fireworks explode and closing about half way through the expansion created some of my cooler looking fireworks photos.  Opening up for the launch just makes your photos look like trees made of light which can look cool but not when every photograph looks that way.  Going too long and trying to get too many in one photograph gets too busy and the smoke starts to show.  In my opinion your choice in lenses isn't going to matter.  Just your timing of capturing the light.  You're overthinking it.  Even if you crop that loss in resolution isn't going to matter much when you're going for streaks of light.  I personally would like to go wider angle and get closer the next time I try it.  Here's a few from my 50mm 1.4 here:



 Freneticburn's gear list:Freneticburn's gear list
Canon PowerShot SX260 HS Canon EOS 550D Canon EOS 6D Canon EF 50mm F1.4 USM Canon EF 135mm F2L USM +3 more
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