Best size for candids in NYC?

[Ogrt48]

Well in early Aug I'm going to go visit in NYC. When walking around whats the best to have for candids and maybe some animals. 200mm, 300, etc? I might be able to get a new lens with my bday money this month.. if so I'm gonna have to cheap it cheap for now <$200.. yes I know its not going to be great.
I like my kit lens, it just doesn't zoom far enough in.

[piku]

i ask around in a diff. post for walkarounds, the top two that are best in their price range and quality came out to be the tamron 28-75 (~$300+), and canon 28-135 IS (~$400+). just search around these forums for those, and you'll get some insight if you end up making those as one of your top 2 picks.

good luck.

[Ogrt48]

Do those zoom far enough for candids though, they sound kinda short.. Sorry I don't know how to measure this distance stuff with lens yet lol

[piku]

a post on some sample shots w/ the tamron ... http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=37035

here's the tamron vs canon lenses post ... http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=36363&highlight=tamron

[Ogrt48]

Does this lens look good?
Quantaray - 100-300mm F4.5-6.7 zoom lens for Canon AF
http://www.cameraworld.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10151&catalogId=10001&langI d=-1&productId=76513&topCategory=1004&cat1=1022&cat2= 914962

[robertwgross]

Do those zoom far enough for candids though, they sound kinda short.. Sorry I don't know how to measure this distance stuff with lens yet lol

What kind of candid are you trying to shoot?

(1) A full body shot of a person on the other side of the sidewalk?:
--or--
(2) A face shot of a person on the other side of the street?

---Bob Gross---

[Ogrt48]

Mainly the 2nd option I think. The kind where people really don't even see me take their photos.. hehe ^_^

[rick barclay]

I have a Canon EF 24mm 2.8. It's pretty well thought of in the reviews I've read. I bought it because in my research I came across a review
by some bloke who said the 24mm was a great lens for candids, because
it's a very small lens and has such a wide angle that you don't have to
point it directly at someone to get them into the picture. Now, that's candid! It's also pretty cheap--under $300 retail. I bought mine on ebay for $185. I only got it today, but I've taken some pictures and so far so good.

[robertwgross]

Mainly the 2nd option I think. The kind where people really don't even see me take their photos.. hehe ^_^

Then you'll likely need a Canon EF 600mm f/4 IS USM with Extender EF 1.4x II.

When you wake up from that dream, you can try more practical subjects.

---Bob Gross---

[Ogrt48]

When you wake up from that dream, you can try more practical subjects.
Wow, sorry for even asking. :roll:

[rick barclay]

For about $1200, you can get a 100-400mm with IS and hide behind a tree.
That would work.

[nosquare2003]

How about the new 70-300 DO IS lens? It is small and people may not take notice on it.

[Ogrt48]

Thank you nosquare2003 for not being a jerk like the other 2. I'll look into this lens. Thanks again.

[nosquare2003]

Sorry, I haven't read your first post clearly. The DO lens is expensive...

[Ogrt48]

Yes, I just noticed that in a review lol. Thanks for trying though.

[jyrgen]

Any 70(75)-300 (Canon, Tamron, Sigma) will do decent job starting from f/8, so in daylight you can get your "candids". Many of them I believe can be bought for less than $200. I'm not sure though whether 300mm is enough for crossing NYC streets :oops:

[msvadi]

Canon 75-300. It fits your budget and it's, probably, better than any other consumer telephoto zoom. However, most reports on the web say that quality is quite poor at 200-300mm. But it's a good lens for the money.

For $300 you can find a used copy of 100-300 f/5.6L

Did you consider primes? They are going to be more expensive than $200, but for $300-$400 there are excellent primes: 85mm 1.8, 100mm 2.0, 135 2.8.

Finally, did you think about getting closer to your subjects? ;) I like to take candid shots too, and NY seems to be a perfect place for that. People actually are quite happy to cooperate. All you need is a good location. Washington Square and the Central Parks are classic spots for candid shots.

Two weeks ago I spent the whole Sunday in NY taking pictures. I had 100-300mm f/5.6L with me, but it spent most of the time in the bag. Instead, I used 50mm 1.8, because of its low light capabilities, and because 100mm was just TOO long. Sometimes, even 50mm was too long. This week I bought Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 exactly for that purpose.

most pictures posted in the following two threads were taken with 50mm 1.8 at Washington Square:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=36522&highlight=
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=36187&highlight=

[robertwgross]

Thank you nosquare2003 for not being a jerk like the other 2. I'll look into this lens. Thanks again.

There was absolutely no disrespect there. It is a very simple matter. If you want to shoot a candid face shot from across the street, then you will need a lens on the order of 1000mm focal length or better. That, of course, is simply not practical for ordinary mortals.

---Bob Gross---

[Ogrt48]

Well can I get some opinions on this lens? http://www.ritzcamera.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&langI d=-1&productId=76513&topCategory=&cat1=1022&cat2=9149 62
Thanks

[msvadi]

you really will be better off with canon 75-300. it was around $170 last time I checked.

[robertwgross]

I think you will find that nearly all Quantaray lenses are thought to be distinctly inferior to Canon or Sigma or anything else. Among other factors, they are slow.

---Bob Gross---

[Ogrt48]

Ok, I also just called my ritz camera. He claims that quantary are sigma lenses. Does seem kinda slow though I'll keep looking for that canon around here.

[robertwgross]

What I am about to state may not be 100% true, but it is at least 99% true.

You get what you pay for.

I did a lot of photography using a $100 lens on my camera. Then I got a $250 lens on it, and I said "wow!" Then I got a $450 lens on it, and I said "WOW!!!" The story goes on and on.

---Bob Gross---

[Volatile]

Since you will be in NYC, you could go to one of the fine camera stores located there. Take your camera with you, and try a few lenses on for size.

I avoid Ritzcamera, they are way overpriced, and because the sales people don't know the equipment well enough, they have a tendency to tell you what you want to hear in order to make a sale.

One last thing: the ability of people to notice someone with a camera seems to increase dramatically as the size of the lens increases. Thus, small & close-up versus big & far-away seems to be about a break even proposition. That said, I would recommend a good quality small lens such as the Tamron for $300. I think you will be happier with the quality of the pictures.

IMHO, Bill

[Ogrt48]

Ok, that sounds like a good idea too. Here in Cleveland Ohio we only have Dodd Camera which is really really bad and ofcourse ritzcamera.. can't go down a street without seeing a Ritz Camera. Whats a good camera store in NYC besides Adorama.. They are evil liars.. ^_^

[scottbergerphoto]

New Yorkers reespect big lenses. They think you must be a pro. Just don't get in their face or you'll feel the error of your ways. The 100-400 is what I use in NYC all the time.
http://www.pbase.com/scottbergerphoto/faces_in_the_park
http://www.pbase.com/scottbergerphoto/east_village_wigfest_2003

http://www.pbase.com/image/20614863/large.jpg

Pardon the stubble!
Regards,
Scott

[Ogrt48]

I really love the picture of the first girl in the washington park gallery.. She's so amazing. RAWR

[Ogrt48]

Er oh yea.. thanks for the lens info :lol: :twisted: