Which Lens to use in Auto Show?

Hi I will be attending an auto show (indoor in a convention center) this weekend and I would like to know which lens to use?
Also do I need to use any of the lens filter like the UV, FLD, CPL? which setting is best to use?
Last time ( I had just purchased the DSLR by then) I had take some snaps for the Auto show & wasn't very pleased. I don't remember how all the pictures were... but I do remember it was mostly very bright and had to spend lots of time in LR4 to correct it. This time want to get good shots. I was thinking to use AV (Aperture Priority AE).
This is just a hobby and not making any money out of it..
Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Are you trying to get pictures of the cars, models, friends or all of the above?

I'd just bring the kit lens and maybe the 50/1.8 for candids of friends/strangers. As for settings, it really depends on the scene. Learn to understand how your metering works and how to read your histogram, it'll make life much easier for you in all of your photography. Av and evaluative metering should be good enough for getting the basic exposure right.

Heya,

I wouldn't use AV. It will be hard to use in-doors, due to light, and I'm going to bet you will need lower shutter times.

Take a tripod.
Use Manual mode, ISO 100 and leave it there.
Stop down aperture based on depth of field you want.
Learn to meter so you know to do with your shutter time, to get the right exposure for your aperture.

The 18-55 would do this fine, giving you options to go wide or get in close for a singled out shot.

Take the pancake (40mm) for portraits, or thin depth of field shots.

Very best,

MalVeauX wrote in post #16703442
Heya,

I wouldn't use AV. It will be hard to use in-doors, due to light, and I'm going to bet you will need lower shutter times.

Take a tripod.
Use Manual mode, ISO 100 and leave it there.
Stop down aperture based on depth of field you want.
Learn to meter so you know to do with your shutter time, to get the right exposure for your aperture.

The 18-55 would do this fine, giving you options to go wide or get in close for a singled out shot.

Take the pancake (40mm) for portraits, or thin depth of field shots.

Very best,

For optimal results, this is true, but OP already made it fairly clear that he's pretty new to understanding his exposure settings.

Also, I've literally never seen anyone bring a tripod into a convention center auto show and I attend at least one a year... there's usually a lot of people in there and it'd be a massive hassle to set up a tripod for every shot, plus there's no way you wouldn't have people walking in front of your camera.

Just take the kit lens and enjoy the show, Av should work fine, or if the lighting is indeed low (as it can be in many areas in those convention centers) set your camera in M with your desired minimum shutter speed (1/15s should be fast enough if you're only shooting the cars and your hands are fairly steady, the IS on the kit lens is pretty decent from my experience, or use 1/30 to play it safe) and max aperture then leave auto ISO on, adjust your aperture/shutter speed as needed, though honestly even wide open you'll probably have enough DOF for most things you'd be interested in shooting with your kit lens and thus you'd be better off just keeping an eye on your shutter speed.

Just my $0.02. Most importantly, enjoy the show! The new Mustang took the show at this years Washington Auto Show... so sweet

robienyshe wrote in post #16703329
Hi I will be attending an auto show (indoor in a convention center) this weekend and I would like to know which lens to use?
Also do I need to use any of the lens filter like the UV, FLD, CPL? which setting is best to use?
Last time ( I had just purchased the DSLR by then) I had take some snaps for the Auto show & wasn't very pleased. I don't remember how all the pictures were... but I do remember it was mostly very bright and had to spend lots of time in LR4 to correct it. This time want to get good shots. I was thinking to use AV (Aperture Priority AE).
This is just a hobby and not making any money out of it..
Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Car show images from a Canon 18-55mm image stabilizer lens often bundled with camera bodies as a "kit lens."

DC Fan wrote in post #16703633
Car show images from a Canon 18-55mm image stabilizer lens often bundled with camera bodies as a "kit lens."

The images came from a Canon T2i hand-held, using Live View framing and set to Program AE autoexposure. There was no trouble in creating the images and a tripod was not needed. No filter.

Wow this was taken in hand-held.. u got very steady hands..thanks for the info..

MalVeauX wrote in post #16703442
Heya,

I wouldn't use AV. It will be hard to use in-doors, due to light, and I'm going to bet you will need lower shutter times.

Take a tripod.
Use Manual mode, ISO 100 and leave it there.
Stop down aperture based on depth of field you want.
Learn to meter so you know to do with your shutter time, to get the right exposure for your aperture.

The 18-55 would do this fine, giving you options to go wide or get in close for a singled out shot.

Take the pancake (40mm) for portraits, or thin depth of field shots.

Very best,

Hi.. Tripod wouldn't be possible as I remember the last time I had visited the auto show, I didn't get proper chance to get the car's pic alone without anyone stepping in front of the camera. There were lots of people. Could probably being Weekend makes the crowd lot more than weekdays..
But anyway I planned to take the kit lens and the 40mm.

Just my $0.02. Most importantly, enjoy the show! The new Mustang took the show at this years Washington Auto Show... so sweet [/QUOTE]


Yeah I will enjoy the show..

I like to have fun, and for autos, I really get a kick out of the perspective distortion with a fisheye or UWA. Most importantly, have fun!

robienyshe wrote in post #16703780
Wow this was taken in hand-held.. u got very steady hands..thanks for the info..

Steady hands, along with the advantage of using a stabilized lens. The stabilized versions of the Canon 18-55mm EF-S lens are very good and versatile units.

I shot a street show this fall with an 11-16mm Tokina. That allowed me to get in tight in front of a LOT of people milling about. There was no room to stand back and shoot with a 40 or 50mm.

I obtained a press pass for the NYAS last year and I shot everything with a 60D and a Tamron 17-50 lens. Shot primarily in AV mode no tripod no flash

Canon 17-55:

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/61744772@N06/9​743533992/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/61744772@N06/8​332065784/

My main setup at WekFest was my 70D with the Sigma 35mm and a circular polarizer. This kinda-of wide lens helped me get full-length car shots, though my main concern were details of the cars (rims, calipers, emblems, decals, etc.). I needed this faster lens as the lighting conditions were bad and I hadn't brought my flash.

Since it was my first event with this setup I played around with the polarizer on and off the lens. Though I stayed in Manual mode, I tinkered with exposure and aperture, but kept my ISO under 5xx. I was messing with the white balance when I realized I had Lightroom to make the universal change later (haha). I wished I hadn't changed the WB setting after every few shots!

Because there were models, I slapped my friend's Sigma 70-200 for a bit and snapped away. It was helpful for the times when fans were all around them and I couldn't get any closer.

All in all, it was a great event for me. I took about 750 pictures and I was happy with my return rate of 10%. I got likes from friends and family and encouragement to keep going. My tip: be different with your shooting angles. Shoot the details that nobody usually thinks of. Don't forget to share as praise and criticism will surely help.

I would not bother with a CPL if the event is indoors. It won't work and will just rob you of about one full stop of light.