lens choices for museum/planetarium trip tomorrow

I am going to the Museum of Natural History in NYC tomorrow and the adjoining Hayden Planterium.

I plan on bringing my 24-70L f2.8 for my 5DM2 and was wondering if it would be worth the effort to bring my 70-200 f2.8L IS? If so, how would I best make use of it at these venues?

I'd have to bring my backpack if I were to bring both of those lenses. Otherwise with one lens its just my ThinkTank holster bag and Black Rapid Sport strap.

How is the lighting inside? Do I need my 600EX or can I shoot all ambient?

Most museums do not allow flash photography. That said, I used my nifty fifty at f1.8 1/80 and the ISO fluctuated from 100 to 2000, so you really don't need flash. This was not the Museum of Natural history but the Metropolitan.

IMAGE LINK: http://s37.photobucket​.com …s/IMG_5985g1024​a.jpg.html

Just bring your 24-70 and enjoy the trip with whoever you're going with.

Staszek wrote in post #16455251
Just bring your 24-70 and enjoy the trip with whoever you're going with.

My three kids and a bunch of their cousins, none of the aforementioned older than 9 years of age. Probably the better choice since the 70-200 will just end up weighing me down. Thanks for the 2 cents.

How about just bring the 50? I hate the idea of lugging around the brick for actual shoots, much less a leisure excursion.

LostArk wrote in post #16455456
How about just bring the 50? I hate the idea of lugging around the brick for actual shoots, much less a leisure excursion.

When I had my 40D I used to do that. Once I sold it and went FF with the 5D I've gotten used to the brick as my walkaround lens.

This is interesting, because before switching to a 5dmk2, and then later 6d, I had a 50d.
I was at the shed aquarium with a 24-105 and almost every shot was out of focus or blurry at f4... at high iso the shots were unusable. Of course with the 6d it's fine.
At museum of science and the field museum I'd prefer wide angle and a 50mm... At ripley's I used a sigma 30mm 1.4 and some of the shots were just awesome at 1.4

I agree, 70-200 would be a waste, as most items are within walking distance.

Might be able to do it with just the 50 1.4, just different type of shots. Leave the 70-200 at home, definitely take the 50( and 24-70).

eddie3dfx wrote in post #16455669
This is interesting, because before switching to a 5dmk2, and then later 6d, I had a 50d.
I was at the shed aquarium with a 24-105 and almost every shot was out of focus or blurry at f4... at high iso the shots were unusable. Of course with the 6d it's fine.
At museum of science and the field museum I'd prefer wide angle and a 50mm... At ripley's I used a sigma 30mm 1.4 and some of the shots were just awesome at 1.4

I agree, 70-200 would be a waste, as most items are within walking distance.

I consider my workflow pretty good for low light/high ISO shots. My trip to the local aquarium was a debacle... I had better luck in lower light in the public library. It must be the aquarium lighting...

Aquarium shots, all 50mm

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/charlie617/9696​276559/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/charlie617/9696​275923/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/charlie617/9699​509618/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/charlie617/9699​508962/

I have been to many museums with various success. I think IS is more important then aperture since you need some DOF in museums and should not have too much bluriness.

My canon 15-85 typically is more useful then my sigma 30 due to the IS.
However I recently got the sigma 17-50 os and that is the best for museums! F2.8 with 3 stop is really what you need for static low light objects!!!

Lexar wrote in post #16456104
I have been to many museums with various success. I think IS is more important then aperture since you need some DOF in museums and should not have too much bluriness.

My canon 15-85 typically is more useful then my sigma 30 due to the IS.
However I recently got the sigma 17-50 os and that is the best for museums! F2.8 with 3 stop is really what you need for static low light objects!!!

This!

Lexar wrote in post #16456104
I have been to many museums with various success. I think IS is more important then aperture since you need some DOF in museums and should not have too much bluriness.

My canon 15-85 typically is more useful then my sigma 30 due to the IS.
However I recently got the sigma 17-50 os and that is the best for museums! F2.8 with 3 stop is really what you need for static low light objects!!!

I almost always use a large aperture prime (without IS) in museums, Sigma 30 1.4, 50mm 1.8 or the Tamron 17-50 2.8 non-vc.
But I suppose everyone is different in their need for IS

I know the OP has a full frame and this wouldn't apply but what the heck, I'll post a random museum shot

XSi/ 450D
Tamron 17-50 2.8 non-vc
all pics are f2.8 ISO 1600 - 2200

coeng wrote in post #16455053
I am going to the Museum of Natural History in NYC tomorrow and the adjoining Hayden Planterium.

I plan on bringing my 24-70L f2.8 for my 5DM2 and was wondering if it would be worth the effort to bring my 70-200 f2.8L IS? If so, how would I best make use of it at these venues?

I'd have to bring my backpack if I were to bring both of those lenses. Otherwise with one lens its just my ThinkTank holster bag and Black Rapid Sport strap.

How is the lighting inside? Do I need my 600EX or can I shoot all ambient?

I would go for for the 24-70 as well. I think in that environment wide will be much more useful then long. However, my greater concern is the ambient light. When in a museum I generally use my Sigma 30mm f/1.4. In most museum galleries I can generally get good shots at around f/2.5 to f/2.8 with a decent shutter speed around 1/50 and ISO between 200 and 800. But in a number of galleries, I often have to use apertures wider than f/2.0 and ISO well above 1000, and sometimes as high as 3200. With no IS on your 24-70, and a maximum aperture of f/2.8 you may have some difficultly in darker galleries. I haven't been to the Museum of Natural History in a few years but my recollection is the lighting there can be a bit more muted than in other venues like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Philadelphia Museum. I would definitely bring the 50mm f/1.4 along with the 24-70mm. I find 30mm on a crop (35mm equivalent of 48mm) almost a perfect focal length in a museum setting. You may also find the 50mm on your 5DII is a better choice in that environment.

Museum of Natural History varies with its' lighting depending on the exhibit...some are dark, some are bright. When I went over the summer, I mostly used my Sigma 10-20mm and kept my 40mm pancake in my pocket. The wide angle was able to get most of the shots just fine, I averaged around an 800 ISO at the largest aperture (4-5.6) and was able to get lots of neat shots of the dinosaurs. I'll post later.