Aquarium - which lens?

I tried to do a search, but Im not all that savvy at it.
Anyway I plan on heading to the Atlanta Aquarium later on and would like some suggestions on what lens to use:
50mm 1.4, 17-40 f4, 24-105 f/4, 70-200 2.8
I'm thinking the 50mm, what would you guys recommend??

I'd say the fastest, shortest MFD lens you have. Last time I went I took the 28-135 and it wouldn't allow me to focus very well....

50mm F1.4 should be good.

silvrbullet wrote in post #11691935
I'd say the fastest, shortest MFD lens you have. Last time I went I took the 28-135 and it wouldn't allow me to focus very well....

Yes, aperture and MFD are the big things for me...

Aperture is important because the lights are kept pretty low in most aquariums, and you may not want to (and may not be allowed to) use a flash. From my experience you don't want anything slower than f/2.8 in typical aquarium lighting, which means a prime or a fast zoom.

Minimum focusing distance is important because you have to get up close to the glass to avoid glare and reflections. And if the subject is too close to focus on, there's nothing you can really do about that.

i might make a fool out of myself but here we go..

I just went to the dallas aquarium with my kidos and found reflections to be the primary source of frustration... (enter weird idea)... i thought if i go back to take a polarizing filter with me to help just down on the reflections.

Im not sure if one of those would work where there is no sun (there are windows)... but like i said.. its an idea.

Maybe you could try it and tell me if it works

btw.. the 35 or 50mm would be the best choice. Forget the flash.. just use higher ISOs and apertures... a monopod would help when the room your in goes really dark... but if your not being really serious about it then maybe leave it at home

In an aquarium tank everything is moving all the time, and its usually on the dark side to simulate their natural environment.
Very high Iso and a fast lens are your basic tools. I usually bring a 24-70/2.8 and 100/2.8 macro. Never needed longer than that unless I went outside.

to cut down on reflections it helps to have a relatively flat ended hood that can go right up to the glass. My 24-70 hood works well, and for some outdoor tanks my 70-200 f4 hood is excellent.

that might work if your putting your lens on the glass..

but if you have your kid standing next to the glass and want to see the fishes behind your kid in the same shot... your going to get reflections

For indoor aquariums, a fast prime is what you will need. It is dark, and the fish are moving constantly, so your 50 1.4 and a healthy dose of ISO should probably work best for you. Forget a flash since it is prohibited for most exhibits, it is really annoying for others at the aquarium, and it will create way too many reflections to be of any use.

Personally, if I am going to an indoor aquarium (I go about once a month), I throw on a my 24 1.4 (and the 30 1.4 before that) and call it a day.

dmnelson wrote in post #11692081
Yes, aperture and MFD are the big things for me...

Aperture is important because the lights are kept pretty low in most aquariums, and you may not want to (and may not be allowed to) use a flash. From my experience you don't want anything slower than f/2.8 in typical aquarium lighting, which means a prime or a fast zoom.

Minimum focusing distance is important because you have to get up close to the glass to avoid glare and reflections. And if the subject is too close to focus on, there's nothing you can really do about that.

Sounds to me like you have the general idea...but regardless of whether or not you are allowed to use a flash, don't...it's your enemy shooting in to glass Fast glass is good, however, shallow DOF is not necessarily a great help when shooting...again, deep in to the glass... Increasing your ISO will help significantly to increase your shutter speed (IMO, the most important setting) so as not to get blurred shots. I was down at Monterrey last winter and ran in to the same questions. Shooting my 5d2 at 32 and 6400 was the only way I was able to capture decent files with my 24-70 (My 70-200 never left my bag!). I tried using my 85/1.2 at 1.2 up to 2.0...and the DOF was just too shallow with the fast movement of the critters I was trying to capture. YMMV.

I didn't use the 100 macro, because I didn't have it with me...and that's my final point. Carefully pick your gear...as you can't bring everything, if you intend to enjoy the day Make sure to spend some time enjoying the scene yourself, as I found it really easy to have my face buried in the VF all day...and I feel like I missed some stuff trying to get the "Shot"!

It's a tricky place to shoot...in the dark, with a reflective surface to overcome. Slower moving critters are easier. No flash! As high ISO as you're comfortable with on your camera...and I also found manually focusing helped a bit in case of AF interference with the reflective surface!

Good Luck

J

high iso and get up as near to the glass as you can
bring a cloth to wipe off kids grubby fingerprints off the glass
bring your wide angle for the whale shark tank
take pictures of the coral
wear dark clothes so you don not show up in the reflections
good luck

Doc Fluty wrote in post #11692725
that might work if your putting your lens on the glass..

but if you have your kid standing next to the glass and want to see the fishes behind your kid in the same shot... your going to get reflections

yea,obviously it only works if you put your lens to the glass....and my suggestion was for aquarium shots, which this thread is about, not kid shots at the aquarium.

ok ok.. ill give you that.

i didnt realize the op was gong to the aquarium all alone and wanted pictures of solely of seahorses sand sharks. I shouldnt have assumed.

so if you want pics of fishies then p0tpie has great tips

Aquarium?? Hehehehe.....

Here are my recent ones from Mystic Aquarium in CT.

https://photography-on-the.net …978773&highligh​t=aquarium


And here is how they were achieved. https://photography-on-the.net …15191&highlight​=sea+world

Fast lens and large aperture would only allow you to capture a part of the fish. You want the whole fish in focus and moving at the same time.

Thanks everyone for the great tips! I just put the 50 1.4 on and didnt change lenses at all. The place was way overcrowded and going on a Saturday was definitely the worst idea ever. I went ahead and got a membership so I will try the polarizing filter maybe sometime during the week. (and I had my almost 2 year old daughter with me, quite challenging to juggle a toddler and camera let me tell ya lol)