Which lens(es) should I take to the party?

[rovhazman]

Hi,

Tonight I am going to a party at a friend's house and I would like to bring my camera with me. I wonder which set up to use. I don't know the lighting in his house, but I can assume that it will be low light situation. I prefer to not use the flash because usually people are annoyed from the flash. I would like to get some wide-angle images, to show the party atmosphere, as well as some close-ups to get some faces and expressions.

In previous party I used the combination of Tamron 17-50mm 2.8 and the Beercan. It worked nice without the flash, although many images were blurry. Another disadvantage of this set up is that I missed few scenes when I was with the Beercan on, but I needed the wide range. Moreover, lately I discovered few dust spots on my sensor so I prefer to minimize the lenses exchange.

Another option is to go with the Sony 18-200mm f3.5-6.3. But in this set-up I will have to use the flash to get useable images, and the IQ is not as nice.

I can also give up the zoom option and take the Minolta 50mm f1.7. It is a great lens for low-light, but again - no zoom.

What would you get? Any recommendations? Maybe new lenses that I should get (it is too late for this party, but there will be more in the future. Hopefully...)?

 

[JonAdkins]

I'd personally leave the 50/1.7 on the camera and use your feet as the zoom mechanism.

 

[liquid stereo]

I would bring the 17-50/2.8 zoom. That's ideal for indoor shots. Especially with ISO 1600 (or greater) and this noise removal scheme:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/techniques/chrom-noise.shtml

Enjoy!!

--
Direct your eye right inward, and you'll find a thousand
regions in your mind Yet undiscovered. Travel them, and
be Expert in home-cosmography.
-H.D. Thoreau

 

[rovhazman]

OK, so the decision is:
Sony 18-200mm.

I don't believe that I chose it, but I don't like the Tamron colors, and I realized that there will be no problem with flash.

However, I am also carrying the Minolta 50mm f1.7 and the Beercan - just in case...

Thanks for the advices. I am going to have fun...

 

[cyainparadise]

I would have gone with the 17-50mm f/2.8, not the 18-200mm. Unless you're in a big room, the 200mm is not going to be of much use. And the 50mm f/1.7 is only a little faste than the f/2.8. In addition with the extra lens to lug around, you have to keep your eye on it and worry about dust getting on the sensor when you change lens.

I hope you after the party you check back with us and let us know how much you used the longer end of the zoom, and even if you changed lenses.

 

[rovhazman]

Thank you for your reply.

The main reason I chose the Sony 18-200 is not only the range (I could managed with 17-50mm range), but also the colors. I always feel that the images from the Tamron lens are too harsh, while the Sony (like all other Minolta's lenses) gives softer images (not in the bad meaning - the colors are softer). And I also realized that the combination of the Tamron with flash is even worse!

So I went with the Sony 18-200mm (I also have the Minolta 50mm f1.7 and the Beercan in my bag, but didn't use it). At the end of the evening there were 282 pictures (most of them I took, but some of them were taken by others).

41.5% of the images are in focal length larger than 50mm. Around 15% are in focal length larger than 100mm.

The room is not that big, but I do like to focus on people faces when they don't notice the camera. With the 50mm range I need to come close and I miss the spontaneous moment.

BTW - it was a nice party...

 

[milna]

For the party candids, the Planar 85 f/1,4 must be just the best thing. I have 135mm f/2.8 and it is tooo long for inhouse.

Anyway will you post some pictures from the party?

 

[rovhazman]

I think 85mm (and of course 135mm) is too long. It can be nice to get close-ups, but you cannot get the whole party atmosphere. For that you need a wider lens.

I am not going to post pictures from the party because I don't feel comfortable to post pictures of people. Moreover, I believe it is boring - the point of most of the pictures is just to keep memories. Almost no artistic elements. Most of the pictures are really boring if you don't know the people.

 

[Frederico Maranhao]

Sorry I am too late...

I have been using for these occasions the 35mm f/1.4 G and the 85mm f/1.4 CZ. I don't mind changing lenses. I usually attach the LowePro LC-1W in my belt to have both lens at hand (yeah, the CZ fits a bit snugly, but it's ok).

--
Fred Maranhao

'All constants are variables.' - Murphy's Law of Mathematics
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fredmaranhao/