Thinking ahead (B-day party at Chuck E Cheese)

My wife's cousin is having a birthday party for their 3 year old daughter. And of all places they have to pick Chuck E. Cheese...

My wife wants us to take our camera to get pictures for them so I am trying to plan this out in my head.

My gear is listed in my signature. I know lighting is going to suck so I plan on using my 580EX II on my cameras hot shoe, and bounced off of the ceiling. If I need to use more than one flash I can set up another one with my yn-622c triggers.

Now here is where I really need help. Deciding which lenses I should be using and when.
18-200 - For some more wide angle shots of their daughter with friends
50 1.8 - Probably try and use this lens the most. For general use since it has a wide aperture.
80 1.8 - Thinking of using this when my main focus will be on their daughter. For example, when she is opening up presents.

Does this seem like a good idea? I know that the 50 1.8 is not up to the quality of the 1.4 usm but it still focuses almost as fast (according to test videos I have watched). My only main concern with the 50 1.8 is the noise when focusing. I do not want to be drawing attention from the noise. I am thinking that maybe if I am just focusing normally and not trying to find focus from infinity it wont be that bad.

Any ideas or input that may help me? Thank you!

Also... It is Chuck E Cheese... so at least my equipment is insured :P I brought up getting a waterproof housing (as a joke) and my wife died haha.

I think you got it planned pretty well. You may not even need to use much flash with the 1.8s.

I wouldn't worry about drawing attention to your noisy lens, it's going to be so loud in there you won't be able to hear yourself think!

Good luck! :P

TacCPhotography wrote in post #15689927
Good luck! :P

Thanks! I'm going to need it

Jack up the ISO as high as it will go and still give you acceptable images, shoot RAW, and use the 50 1.8 with the widest aperture you can use and still keep the DOF you need. You can crop after the fact. The chuck e cheeses I've been to don't have great light. Kids will be running around, there is no way you will be able to set up a second flash with triggers, and it will be noisy, so I wouldn't worry about the camera noise. If you MUST use the flash, you can bounce it, but I'd leave it home if you are worried about drawing attention to yourself.

I wouldn't set up a flash on a trigger on a stand in a Chuck E Cheese...you're just asking for your flash to be knocked over a destroyed.

Get a diffuser on your flash head and use that. Bump up the ISO, open up the aperature, and speed up your shutter.