Lens suggestion for speakers at conferences

Hi,

I own a Canon 80D and I want to use it for shooting speaker photos and sometimes videos at conferences. So it is an indoor low light situation, but not awfully low. And speakers are moving (walking, gestures) but not as much as indoor sports.

What would you recommend for new lenses?

Currently I have the following:

• Canon EF-S 18-135mm 3.5-5.6 IS STM (nice general purpose, e.g. for video)
• Canon EF 50mm 1.8 II (sharp only stopped down to 2.8)
• Canon EF-S 60mm 2.8 Makro (never used it in low light)
• Canon EF-S 24mm 2.8 (great for wider shots, fast and sharp)

I am quite new to this kind of shooting, I am doing it for my company (but I am not a professional photgrapher). I have a budget for about 2.000 EUR/USD for lenses...

I have read many posts here and reviews from the-digital-picture.

I would say I need:

• fast lenses to stop motion
• IS might help for longer focal lengths (but not really on shorter focal lengths).
• Currently the sharpness of my pictures are diminished because of high ISO values, and not because of low lens quality. I even sometimes get better results with the 50mm wide open at 1.8 than stopped down to 2.8 (and increased sensor noise).
• Nice bokeh / background blur is important to show the speaker and not the stage behind

Would you agree with my list of requirements?

I have though of the following two lenses:

• Canon EF-S 17-55mm 2.8 IS USM
• Canon EF 70-200mm 4.0 L IS USM

And maybe some faster prime lenses for the most important focal lengths. I checked my best shots so far. There are many with 55mm, 80mm, and some great portraits with 100 or 150mm. So maybe on of the following make sense:

• Canon EF 85mm 1.8 USM
• Canon EF 100mm 2.0 USM
• Canon EF 135mm 2.0 L USM

They would be a good addition to the two zooms lenses, wouldn't they?

Or would you recommend the Canon EF 70-200mm 2.8 L IS II USM instead? It is definitely more versatile, but quite expensive and heavy compared to the others...

Thanks a lot!

Peter

Focal length is usually dictated by how close you are from the speaker. That means the size of the venue. You should not be front center and block the views of the audience. So, it is either from the sides near the front or in the center rear.

Will most of the speech take place in your company conference rooms or convention centers else where? Do you know how bright the light will be? Will the speech be accompanied by power point projection? Do you want to see the speaker in front of his/her slides? These will determine how much light you have and what ISO, f-stop you can use.

Talking heads are pretty boring, especially when you have only one camera. Will you edit them and insert power point slides? If so, you can plan ahead and change framing/position after inserting a slide. Use zoom only when it does not draw attention. Go with the flow of the speech. Zoom in when the subject becomes intimate, or the speaker is about to demonstrate something small. The best time to zoom is when the speaker is moving, because you can change framing and zoom at the same time while the viewer is focused on the speaker's move.

As you can see, I would recommend a zoom lens like the 18-135 if the light is sufficient. Using a prime wide open can get you some artsy shots if you move around. But this may not be appropriate for serious corporate video.

Pepege said:

Hi,

I own a Canon 80D and I want to use it for shooting speaker photos and sometimes videos at conferences. So it is an indoor low light situation, but not awfully low. And speakers are moving (walking, gestures) but not as much as indoor sports.

What would you recommend for new lenses?

Currently I have the following:

• Canon EF-S 18-135mm 3.5-5.6 IS STM (nice general purpose, e.g. for video)
• Canon EF 50mm 1.8 II (sharp only stopped down to 2.8)
• Canon EF-S 60mm 2.8 Makro (never used it in low light)
• Canon EF-S 24mm 2.8 (great for wider shots, fast and sharp)

I am quite new to this kind of shooting, I am doing it for my company (but I am not a professional photgrapher). I have a budget for about 2.000 EUR/USD for lenses...

I have read many posts here and reviews from the-digital-picture.

I would say I need:

• fast lenses to stop motion
• IS might help for longer focal lengths (but not really on shorter focal lengths).
• Currently the sharpness of my pictures are diminished because of high ISO values, and not because of low lens quality. I even sometimes get better results with the 50mm wide open at 1.8 than stopped down to 2.8 (and increased sensor noise).
• Nice bokeh / background blur is important to show the speaker and not the stage behind

Would you agree with my list of requirements?

I have though of the following two lenses:

• Canon EF-S 17-55mm 2.8 IS USM
• Canon EF 70-200mm 4.0 L IS USM

And maybe some faster prime lenses for the most important focal lengths. I checked my best shots so far. There are many with 55mm, 80mm, and some great portraits with 100 or 150mm. So maybe on of the following make sense:

• Canon EF 85mm 1.8 USM
• Canon EF 100mm 2.0 USM
• Canon EF 135mm 2.0 L USM

They would be a good addition to the two zooms lenses, wouldn't they?

Or would you recommend the Canon EF 70-200mm 2.8 L IS II USM instead? It is definitely more versatile, but quite expensive and heavy compared to the others...

Thanks a lot!

Peter

Click to expand...

I would say that most people who do this kind of shooting probably are using the 70-200 f2.8L II like you said. That would probably be the first choice. If that one was too much you could go with the Tamron 70-200 vc if you wanted the IS, or you could go with the 70-200 f2.8 non-is as well. You will need to keep shutter speeds at 1/200th or higher at the long end, but if people are moving around, you will probably be at 1/125th or higher anyway.

The other ones you could consider are the Sigma 50-150 f2.8 OS, which covers all your most frequently used focal lengths with great iq and IS. Another option is the Sigma 50-100 f1.8 ART which has a much wider max aperture, but a smaller focal length.

diness said:

Pepege said:

Hi,

I own a Canon 80D and I want to use it for shooting speaker photos and sometimes videos at conferences. So it is an indoor low light situation, but not awfully low. And speakers are moving (walking, gestures) but not as much as indoor sports.

What would you recommend for new lenses?

Currently I have the following:

• Canon EF-S 18-135mm 3.5-5.6 IS STM (nice general purpose, e.g. for video)
• Canon EF 50mm 1.8 II (sharp only stopped down to 2.8)
• Canon EF-S 60mm 2.8 Makro (never used it in low light)
• Canon EF-S 24mm 2.8 (great for wider shots, fast and sharp)

I am quite new to this kind of shooting, I am doing it for my company (but I am not a professional photgrapher). I have a budget for about 2.000 EUR/USD for lenses...

I have read many posts here and reviews from the-digital-picture.

I would say I need:

• fast lenses to stop motion
• IS might help for longer focal lengths (but not really on shorter focal lengths).
• Currently the sharpness of my pictures are diminished because of high ISO values, and not because of low lens quality. I even sometimes get better results with the 50mm wide open at 1.8 than stopped down to 2.8 (and increased sensor noise).
• Nice bokeh / background blur is important to show the speaker and not the stage behind

Would you agree with my list of requirements?

I have though of the following two lenses:

• Canon EF-S 17-55mm 2.8 IS USM
• Canon EF 70-200mm 4.0 L IS USM

And maybe some faster prime lenses for the most important focal lengths. I checked my best shots so far. There are many with 55mm, 80mm, and some great portraits with 100 or 150mm. So maybe on of the following make sense:

• Canon EF 85mm 1.8 USM
• Canon EF 100mm 2.0 USM
• Canon EF 135mm 2.0 L USM

They would be a good addition to the two zooms lenses, wouldn't they?

Or would you recommend the Canon EF 70-200mm 2.8 L IS II USM instead? It is definitely more versatile, but quite expensive and heavy compared to the others...

Thanks a lot!

Peter

Click to expand...

I would say that most people who do this kind of shooting probably are using the 70-200 f2.8L II like you said. That would probably be the first choice. If that one was too much you could go with the Tamron 70-200 vc if you wanted the IS, or you could go with the 70-200 f2.8 non-is as well. You will need to keep shutter speeds at 1/200th or higher at the long end, but if people are moving around, you will probably be at 1/125th or higher anyway.

Click to expand...

correction: Forgot you were on a crop sensor and you will probably need to be more around 1/320th or higher to prevent hand shake.

diness said:

I would say that most people who do this kind of shooting probably are using the 70-200 f2.8L II like you said. That would probably be the first choice. If that one was too much you could go with the Tamron 70-200 vc if you wanted the IS, or you could go with the 70-200 f2.8 non-is as well. You will need to keep shutter speeds at 1/200th or higher at the long end, but if people are moving around, you will probably be at 1/125th or higher anyway.

correction: Forgot you were on a crop sensor and you will probably need to be more around 1/320th or higher to prevent hand shake.

Click to expand...

Okay, thanks, this helps... But in this case IS would still make sense to reduce hand shake at the long end. Altough 1/125 is need to stop motion, right?

diness said:

The other ones you could consider are the Sigma 50-150 f2.8 OS, which covers all your most frequently used focal lengths with great iq and IS. Another option is the Sigma 50-100 f1.8 ART which has a much wider max aperture, but a smaller focal length.

Click to expand...

I didn't had those on my list. I will have a look!

Thanks a lot!

Peter Kwok said:

Focal length is usually dictated by how close you are from the speaker. That means the size of the venue. You should not be front center and block the views of the audience. So, it is either from the sides near the front or in the center rear.

Will most of the speech take place in your company conference rooms or convention centers else where? Do you know how bright the light will be? Will the speech be accompanied by power point projection? Do you want to see the speaker in front of his/her slides? These will determine how much light you have and what ISO, f-stop you can use.

Click to expand...

Thanks for your advice!

It will be used more at conventions centers. And no way to influence light.

So longer focal length I guess. And the powerpoint, I did not thought about this one. Hmm, I suppose mostly with powerpoint, but I want to focuse more on the speaker than on the slides in the background.

Peter Kwok said:

Talking heads are pretty boring, especially when you have only one camera. Will you edit them and insert power point slides? If so, you can plan ahead and change framing/position after inserting a slide. Use zoom only when it does not draw attention. Go with the flow of the speech. Zoom in when the subject becomes intimate, or the speaker is about to demonstrate something small. The best time to zoom is when the speaker is moving, because you can change framing and zoom at the same time while the viewer is focused on the speaker's move.

As you can see, I would recommend a zoom lens like the 18-135 if the light is sufficient. Using a prime wide open can get you some artsy shots if you move around. But this may not be appropriate for serious corporate video.

Click to expand...

Thanks for these tipps. I dont't have much experience with video yet, this is definitely helpful!

Sorry, I misread your original post. I thought you will be shooting primary video. Still shots are easier.

I can handhold my 70-200 f4 IS at 1/30s. I get too tired holding a heavier f2.8 lens to wait for the right moment.

The problem is catching the speaker with no motion blur. 1/60s can freeze facial motion about half of the time. You need to capture peak action, not mid sentence. It is easier for me, since I shoot singers and I know their music. Get to know the speakers and you can anticipate their moves. Hand motions are hard to freeze, unless you have enough lights to shoot 1/250s. I like the blur when it adds to the character.

Some speakers are more photogenic than others. On average, it takes 10 shots (not a burst of 10 virtually identical shots, but single shots) to get one with no facial blur, shut eyes, or funny non-professional looks. Then walk to the other side of the hall and repeat the process. You don't know which way the speaker faces will fit the layout of the publication better.

Check your exposure, especially in locations that have spot lights on the lectern. You can't fix blown highlight on the forehead in post. Experiment then settle into manual if the speaker is not walking away from the spot lights.

Pepege said:

Peter Kwok said:

Focal length is usually dictated by how close you are from the speaker. That means the size of the venue. You should not be front center and block the views of the audience. So, it is either from the sides near the front or in the center rear.

Will most of the speech take place in your company conference rooms or convention centers else where? Do you know how bright the light will be? Will the speech be accompanied by power point projection? Do you want to see the speaker in front of his/her slides? These will determine how much light you have and what ISO, f-stop you can use.

Click to expand...

Thanks for your advice!

It will be used more at conventions centers. And no way to influence light.

So longer focal length I guess. And the powerpoint, I did not thought about this one. Hmm, I suppose mostly with powerpoint, but I want to focuse more on the speaker than on the slides in the background.

Click to expand...

The purpose of the PowerPoint background is not to show its content, but to add impact. Picture Steve Jobs in front of a slightly blur huge image of an iPhone. For that, you need a tele-zoom lens and shoot from sitting on the ground. Pick your front row seat before the start. BTW, wear black, not because you want to look like Jobs, but to be inconspicuous.

Pepege said:

Pepege said:

Talking heads are pretty boring, especially when you have only one camera. Will you edit them and insert power point slides? If so, you can plan ahead and change framing/position after inserting a slide. Use zoom only when it does not draw attention. Go with the flow of the speech. Zoom in when the subject becomes intimate, or the speaker is about to demonstrate something small. The best time to zoom is when the speaker is moving, because you can change framing and zoom at the same time while the viewer is focused on the speaker's move.

As you can see, I would recommend a zoom lens like the 18-135 if the light is sufficient. Using a prime wide open can get you some artsy shots if you move around. But this may not be appropriate for serious corporate video.

Click to expand...

Thanks for these tipps. I dont't have much experience with video yet, this is definitely helpful!

Click to expand...

Pepege said:

I own a Canon 80D and I want to use it for shooting speaker photos and sometimes videos at conferences. So it is an indoor low light situation, but not awfully low. And speakers are moving (walking, gestures) but not as much as indoor sports.

What would you recommend for new lenses?

. . .

Or would you recommend the Canon EF 70-200mm 2.8 L IS II USM instead? It is definitely more versatile, but quite expensive and heavy compared to the others...

Click to expand...

I have taken photographs of speakers at conferences, in large lecture halls that are lit rather well so that the attendees can take notes comfortably. The most recent opportunity was October 2016. Like you, I use an 80D (with an old 7D as backup).

In general, you will be at a distance from the speakers and you will be on the move.

I strongly recommend the EF 70-200/2.8L IS II USM and a monopod. That is your most versatile and productive weapon. Never mind the fact that this lens is heavy -- well, you can always use a super-zoom P&S, can't you? Also, consider rent/hire the lens.

I use AI Servo (back button AF) and Continuous. One frame means zero choice.

I also bring with me an EF 1.4x III and a flash. The former has been needed twice. The latter has never been needed.

Forget about primes and slower zooms.

Pepege said:

Pepege said:

diness wrote:

I would say that most people who do this kind of shooting probably are using the 70-200 f2.8L II like you said. That would probably be the first choice. If that one was too much you could go with the Tamron 70-200 vc if you wanted the IS, or you could go with the 70-200 f2.8 non-is as well. You will need to keep shutter speeds at 1/200th or higher at the long end, but if people are moving around, you will probably be at 1/125th or higher anyway.
correction: Forgot you were on a crop sensor and you will probably need to be more around 1/320th or higher to prevent hand shake.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Pepege said:

Okay, thanks, this helps... But in this case IS would still make sense to reduce hand shake at the long end. Altough 1/125 is need to stop motion, right?

Pepege said:

The other ones you could consider are the Sigma 50-150 f2.8 OS, which covers all your most frequently used focal lengths with great iq and IS. Another option is the Sigma 50-100 f1.8 ART which has a much wider max aperture, but a smaller focal length.

Click to expand...

I didn't had those on my list. I will have a look!

Thanks a lot!

Click to expand...

Hi, I spent the night reading reviews of the suggested lenses. I had the best feeling with the Sigma 50-100 1.8 I went into the next shop and bought it. The aperture is just awesome. The focal length is much smaller, but 90% of my best shots so far during keynotes have been always between 50-100mm.

Thanks to all replies, it was really helpful for me. I am still considering a 70-200 2.8 for the future, but currently I am more than happy. 1.8 rulez

Here is a shot of my dog I did directly in the shop.




My 14 year old Golden Retriever. Sigma 50-100mm 1.8

I've been photographing conferences for about 5 years, 2/year. For the last 2 years, I rented the EF 70-200mm 2.8 L IS II to use on my 70D. For me at these events it is now a must have lens. For this lens and my 100-400II, which are about the same size, I also rely on a hand strap to carry these around in comfort on the 70D.

I wanted to suggest the sigma 50-100 1.8 but just saw that diness did and that you already bought it!! I guess it's a wonderful lens, post some more photos if you can!

Have fun

They let you bring your dog in to the shop?!

Pepege said:

Hi,

I own a Canon 80D and I want to use it for shooting speaker photos and sometimes videos at conferences. So it is an indoor low light situation, but not awfully low. And speakers are moving (walking, gestures) but not as much as indoor sports.

What would you recommend for new lenses?

Currently I have the following:

• Canon EF-S 18-135mm 3.5-5.6 IS STM (nice general purpose, e.g. for video)
• Canon EF 50mm 1.8 II (sharp only stopped down to 2.8)
• Canon EF-S 60mm 2.8 Makro (never used it in low light)
• Canon EF-S 24mm 2.8 (great for wider shots, fast and sharp)

I am quite new to this kind of shooting, I am doing it for my company (but I am not a professional photgrapher). I have a budget for about 2.000 EUR/USD for lenses...

I have read many posts here and reviews from the-digital-picture.

I would say I need:

• fast lenses to stop motion
• IS might help for longer focal lengths (but not really on shorter focal lengths).
• Currently the sharpness of my pictures are diminished because of high ISO values, and not because of low lens quality. I even sometimes get better results with the 50mm wide open at 1.8 than stopped down to 2.8 (and increased sensor noise).
• Nice bokeh / background blur is important to show the speaker and not the stage behind

Would you agree with my list of requirements?

I have though of the following two lenses:

• Canon EF-S 17-55mm 2.8 IS USM
• Canon EF 70-200mm 4.0 L IS USM

Click to expand...

both are too slow for indoors in conference rooms

Pepege said:

And maybe some faster prime lenses for the most important focal lengths. I checked my best shots so far. There are many with 55mm, 80mm, and some great portraits with 100 or 150mm. So maybe on of the following make sense:

• Canon EF 85mm 1.8 USM
• Canon EF 100mm 2.0 USM

Click to expand...

eithervwill work

Pepege said:

• Canon EF 135mm 2.0 L USM

Click to expand...

probably too long for aps-c indoors

Pepege said:

They would be a good addition to the two zooms lenses, wouldn't they?

Or would you recommend the Canon EF 70-200mm 2.8 L IS II USM instead? It is definitely more versatile, but quite expensive and heavy compared to the others...

Thanks a lot!

Peter

Click to expand...

You didn't mention external flash. They are great if ceiling is near white for bounce flash

Pepege said:

I had the best feeling with the Sigma 50-100 1.8. I went into the next shop and bought it. The aperture is just awesome. The focal length is much smaller, but 90% of my best shots so far during keynotes have been always between 50-100mm.

Click to expand...

Enjoy your new Sigma 50-100mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art.

Case closed.

I photographed conferences for some time, and leaving the lens choice to one side - and I think you have made an investment in that already - I strongly recommend looking at a monopod. It will offer three advantages:

1. It takes the weight of the camera and lens from you when you are sitting at the ready for perhaps hours on end, by reducing fatigue it is more likely you will get a steady shot and the camera is at the right height all the time.

2. It will vastly reduce the chances of camera shake. There will be times when you want a narrow DoF, so a low f-stop, but there will be times when you want to have more in focus - perhaps for a group of people on the podium. That is when you need to up the f-stop and accept a slower shutter speed.

3. If you decide to take video, the camera will not be inclined to jerk around so much, especially if you avoid the newbies error of moving too fast, producing motion sickness in your audience!

A monopod is more manoeuvrable than a tripod, and less conspicuous.

One last thought... rather than purchase any more gear, consider renting a good video camera on a tripod for a static position shot of the speaker and their presentation. We did this for each speaker and many people were able to review the bits that they had missed. Of course, speakers may well make their presentations available afterwards, but the static video captures the interaction between the speaker and their material. If you are going to do that, make sure you have a good uni-directional microphone, or you will get the buzz from the audience.

Tronhar said:

I strongly recommend looking at a monopod.

Click to expand...

This.

A monopod was part of my recommendation, posted earlier.

Kaso said:

Tronhar said:

I strongly recommend looking at a monopod.

Click to expand...

This.

A monopod was part of my recommendation, posted earlier.

Click to expand...

Is it an issue for you that I did not specifically reference your statement? :-O

It's good that we are both singing from the same song book. If I had expressed a contrary view to yours, that would have undermined your excellent advice rather than augment it as I did.

my favorite lens for this kind of work is the EF 135mm f/2L

Tronhar said:

Kaso said:

Tronhar said:

I strongly recommend looking at a monopod.

Click to expand...

This.

A monopod was part of my recommendation, posted earlier.

Click to expand...

Is it an issue for you that I did not specifically reference your statement? :-O

Click to expand...

Life is too short and precious to "take issue" with forum posts.

I was highlighting a point of agreement. I was not attacking you. On the contrary, I was doing "thumbs up." Oh well...

If you really have the budget, 70-200 f2.8 II, no looking back from this one.