One lens for beach photos, what is it?

[tarboroheel1]

I am going to do some family photos over the weekend on the east coast. I have a 50D, 17-55 2.8 and 70-200 2.8 IS. What lens would you use in beach photos? I guess what I am asking is what lens would be perfect for this situation on my 50D? It doesn't have to be one I own. I may rent one if I need to.

 

[Lemming51]

volleyball, family, surfing, birds, ships, kites, sunrise/sets, ...?

 

[tarboroheel1]

Family photos, no sports on the beach. No birds, no ships.

volleyball, family, surfing, birds, ships, kites, sunrise/sets, ...?

 

[Lemming51]

volleyball, family, surfing, birds, ships, kites, sunrise/sets, ...?

 

[Danny Dukes]

I am partial to primes, so I would say sigma 30mm 1.4 or EF equivalent (24mml or 35mml)

 

[HavenSkye]

I don't think you'll need f/1.4 at the beach....
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If you want to get pictures of sand castles, group family shots, landscape... then the 17-55 is perfect... If it's a good beach day then you won't spend much time w/ a wide open aperature.

If you want to get a little more candid and don't have too many people to fit into the frame... the 70-200 will do.

I would bring both if you can.

 

[Joe Photo Lover]

I am going to do some family photos over the weekend on the east
coast. I have a 50D, 17-55 2.8 and 70-200 2.8 IS. What lens would you
use in beach photos? I guess what I am asking is what lens would be
perfect for this situation on my 50D? It doesn't have to be one I
own. I may rent one if I need to.

I wouldn't use the Canon 17-55mm f2.8 IS as enough people complain about dust without taking it to the beach. I would use the cheapest or most easily replaceable lens I own unless of course it's a paying job. Perhaps my old kit lens.

On second thought, for expressly family beach photos, I would use my old Canon Pro90 IS with its equivalent of 37mm to 370mm focal range non-interchangeable lens.

 

[Danny Dukes]

I love 1.4 at the beach, helps blur the distraction of all the other people... When I do family portaits I still use a fast prime, becasue I like the sunset/ golden hour look.. Just my taste I guess.. most of these are EOS3 & 50 1.8

 

[BAK]

It's nice of you to remind us that we are so smart, and that Canon scientists are so specialized, that we can determine not only what lens is best for a beach -- as, I guess, compared to a park or a backyard or a mountain valley.

East coast beaches require small-glass lenses, until noon. A small glass lens, accompanied by a lens hood, permits flare minimization while placing water in the backgrtound of a photograph.

Therefore, a lens such as the 17-55 mm zoom with a 77 mm front filter will not permit photography befor about noon, when the sun should be straight above.

For morning pictures you'll need a 35mm f2 and a 50mm f1.8 lens, both with lens hoods. And you will need flash fill or a big reflector in order to place the water int he background.

Note that if you go to a beach in a bay, circumstances wll change and it may be necessary to us west coast beach lenses.

BAK

BAK

 

[Joe Photo Lover]

I love 1.4 at the beach, helps blur the distraction of all the other
people... When I do family portaits I still use a fast prime, becasue
I like the sunset/ golden hour look.. Just my taste I guess.. most
of these are EOS3 & 50 1.8

Nice work Danny! I wouldn't have considered a 1.4 for the beach but your pictures make a nice argument.

 

[El Puma]

To me, this is the most versitile lens. I have an older 28-70mm which is on my camera most of the time. I've used it on the beach with excellent results.

Don't forget the polarizer!

Sam T.

 

[strat60]

It's hard to beat the 24-105 as a general purpose lens. I think it is the best "vacation" lens you can get. I use it on either the 5D or the 40D, and love it.

I don't think you need the 2.8 of the 24-70. But the extra reach of the 24-105 would be more important at the beach. Good for landscape to portrait. I think it would be more versatile than the 70-200, and more so than a 17-55 because you get so much more reach, and I don't know that you'd miss the wide if you're in such a big place anyway.

That's my vote. It's a very nice lens for lots of uses.

--

I don't know anything about photography. I just like to press the shutter button and hear that sound.

 

[mnelsf]

I would say the best beach lens would be one with great versatility, fast focus, and sharpness. The 70-300 DO fits that description. The zoom range is perfect and the reach is good for surfer shots. This is a highly underrated lens that is one of my favorites. Here are some samples:







Michael

 

[Anastigmat]

I am going to do some family photos over the weekend on the east
coast. I have a 50D, 17-55 2.8 and 70-200 2.8 IS. What lens would you
use in beach photos? I guess what I am asking is what lens would be
perfect for this situation on my 50D? It doesn't have to be one I
own. I may rent one if I need to.

400mm would be good. You can photograph the birds on the beach with this lens. You can also photographer surfers and water skiers with a 400mm.

 

[Steve Balcombe]

I wouldn't use the Canon 17-55mm f2.8 IS as enough people complain
about dust without taking it to the beach.

The dust claims seem to be a bit controversial but the consensus seems to be that if dust gets in anywhere it is at the front, so a clear protection filter should prevent any problems. While I am normally strictly no-filter, this is one situation where I would use one.

 

[Mark-B]

I am going to do some family photos over the weekend on the east
coast. I have a 50D, 17-55 2.8 and 70-200 2.8 IS. What lens would you
use in beach photos?

Those lenses are fine. There shouldn't be much in the way of family photos or individual portraits that you can't capture with those lenses. You could consider a 10-22 if you want some sweeping beachscapes or family shots with a different perspective.

An external flash is what you will really need. Beach portraits at sunset and sunrise are really nice when you can expose for the sky and use flash for fill on your subject.

This shot was taken shortly after sunrise. The sun as a main light and a Canon 430EX bounced into an umbrella was my fill light. The flash was on camera right.



This shot was exposed for the sky and the same 430EX and umbrella were used as the main light.



Both of those images were taken with the Canon 35mm f/2. I used that one because it was my best lens at the time. I now have the 17-55 and 70-200 and those will do nicely for my next trip.

--
Mark-B
http://www.msbphoto.com/

 

[JstarImaging]

Don't worry about sand - use common sence. Keep lens changes to a min. Hide the camera inside you jacket until you need to use it. Use a flash as stated above. Clean all your gear down when you get home.

A short tele lens will give you flexibility, a med. tele will pic out the subject and a fast prime 35L, etc will get you the arty / different short and force you to think about your composition. (This paragraph is a bit of a generalisation I know).

James

 

[mike bustad]

--
Tanglefoot47
Tulalip Wa.