Best Nikon Lens For Large Group Photography

[beth6173]

Hi, I wondered if if anyone might be able to lend some advice.
My wide angle lens looks to have finally given up the ghost. I have been looking to replace but finding a lot of conflicting reviews for the 17-35mm and 16-35mm (I currenty shoot with the Nikon D3s). I shoot alot of school groups which can be up to 250 pupils on staging obviously sharpness & quality are important. Does anyone have any experience with these lenses or any other recommendations for a good lens for shooting these sort of groups?

 

[PenPix]

Have you looked into repairing your lens? If it was a good lens, it may be worth the money to fix it.

Since you are shooting large groups (presumably a few rows deep), you will NOT be shooting at f/2.8 nor f/4. Check what f-stop you were using in previous photos to get everyone in focus... I think you would be at f/5.6 to f/8, which will be within the sweet spot for maximum sharpness for either lens. The difference between the two may not be noticeable at all in a print.

 

[Ido Scharf]

What lens were you using up 'til now?

As for other options, consider the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 and Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8. Not that you'll use them at f/2.8—they are both excellent lenses that are even wider than the two you mentioned, so they may be better options if you work in tight spaces.

 

[barrym1966]

Hi, I wondered if if anyone might be able to lend some advice.
My wide angle lens looks to have finally given up the ghost. I have been looking to replace but finding a lot of conflicting reviews for the 17-35mm and 16-35mm (I currenty shoot with the Nikon D3s). I shoot alot of school groups which can be up to 250 pupils on staging obviously sharpness & quality are important. Does anyone have any experience with these lenses or any other recommendations for a good lens for shooting these sort of groups?

I recently did a 250 group shot with my 24-70 you will need a few rows though but it worked quite well, I also this weekend did a 150 group shot with it at about 30mm from an elevated angle all in focus and sharp