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What kind of lens do you use for ski photography?

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Pippin
Posts: 4846 - Karma: 661
Hey guys, ive done quite a bit of photography, but i want to get into some more ski photography, can you guys suggest what the best and essential lens/ lenses i should have. Which ones do you use most and get the best shot from or does it depend on the certain scenario. Thanks for the help guys.
Nov 11 2007 2:53PM
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BobTreeBark
Posts: 155 - Karma: 20

Fish Eye for sure, no doubt about it

Nov 11 2007 7:41PM
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Pippin
Posts: 4846 - Karma: 661
arnt those best for only close?
Nov 11 2007 7:52PM
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BobTreeBark
Posts: 155 - Karma: 20
yeah, but if you got a quality image sensor, you can afford to crop afterwards, and nothing looks doper than pics with a fish eye
Nov 11 2007 7:54PM
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Pippin
Posts: 4846 - Karma: 661
ahhh yah agreed fisheye shots look dope....i have an rebel xt the second generation,  does that have good enough image sensors or what?
Nov 11 2007 8:01PM
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Powder*Whore
Posts: 482 - Karma: 116
For now I am just using my stock lens from my d80, what other lenses would be good to shoot skiing?
Nov 11 2007 9:40PM
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Pippin
Posts: 4846 - Karma: 661
lol thats my question but yah dont use stock lenses they are usually pretty shitty at least if you get them with the cannons xt or xti
Nov 11 2007 10:08PM
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Microcosm
Posts: 4765 - Karma: 153
yeah, I'm looking for a lens to use other than my stock with my xti right now. any recommendations for that? haha.
Nov 11 2007 10:20PM
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Pippin
Posts: 4846 - Karma: 661
im thinking a really quick mid range any suggestions?
Nov 11 2007 10:29PM
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Microcosm
Posts: 4765 - Karma: 153
that probably makes the most sense, like a 70-200 or something. what do you have now?
Nov 11 2007 10:35PM
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Pippin
Posts: 4846 - Karma: 661
well i have the kit lens and then a 70-300, but its not super sharp as it get 250+ so yah a 70-200 maybe L lens would be great....gotta find some cash though...what do you have
Nov 11 2007 10:39PM
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Microcosm
Posts: 4765 - Karma: 153
only the kit and I've been itching to get something else. I was looking at some 70-300's. what kind do you have? I'm looking for something I can get the most out of and I want a lot of zoom but I don't want to spend above $500 so that limits it a bit.   
if you want really sharp pictures and you have the money go with an L. they're supposed to be very nice, I can't really recommend a particular one because I haven't personally used them, sorry.
Nov 11 2007 10:49PM
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Pippin
Posts: 4846 - Karma: 661
i have a kindof gap between my 70 and 50mm that i want to fill, i am looking at a really quick and low for light one that isn't necesarily for skiing, yah an L lens would be nice but i doubt i can bring that kind of money togheth lol
Nov 11 2007 10:52PM
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Pippin
Posts: 4846 - Karma: 661
my 70-300mm also has a macro setting which has worked wonders, you can chck out some sample shots from the link below, they turned out really amazing i think.  Maybe a good wide angle might come in hand, do you think?

Nov 11 2007 10:54PM
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Microcosm
Posts: 4765 - Karma: 153
yeah, I looked before at the link and the macro setting definitely seems to work. nice shots.
a wide angle could work, and it'd also be good for landscape shots of the mountains if you wanted to take some. you could maybe find an L cheaper used but it's hard to say. has the 70-300 been great so far, what kind is it?
Nov 11 2007 11:08PM
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Pippin
Posts: 4846 - Karma: 661
its sigma, its 450 but i got a deal for 315....i wanna be able to do get sequences which means fast lens the xt does 2.5 fps what does the xt get? i think you could get the landscape to work although it would work best on those huge booters that the pros do but who am i kidding im not photographing the pros.
Nov 11 2007 11:13PM
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BobTreeBark
Posts: 155 - Karma: 20
yeah, youll def be fine with that
Nov 11 2007 11:20PM
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Pippin
Posts: 4846 - Karma: 661
should i jsut get a mid range fish eye or what?
Nov 11 2007 11:21PM
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Microcosm
Posts: 4765 - Karma: 153
hm, not a bad price at all. I'll look into it, maybe I'll pick one up. the xti is only 3.5 fps. It seems like it's fast but I've never actually shot a sequence with it yet. It does have to buffer after a certain number of shots though. I've only had it for a month or so now so I'm still playing around with everything an slr has to offer. hey, you never know who you could be shooting! but yeah, I'm sure there's plenty of other things you could do with a wide angle.
Ideally I want a zoom of 200 or 300, a wide angle, a prime of 50mm or something around there, and a zoom for all around similar to the kit but better quality. right now I'm just looking for the first.
Nov 11 2007 11:22PM
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BobTreeBark
Posts: 155 - Karma: 20
i dunno what you wanna spend, but a Sigma is a good bet for a fisheye
Nov 11 2007 11:24PM
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Pippin
Posts: 4846 - Karma: 661
yah i wanna get a 50mm prime as well
Nov 11 2007 11:25PM
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Pippin
Posts: 4846 - Karma: 661
yah my telephto is sigma, there a lot cheap than canon and a bit less in quality so its worth it for me
Nov 11 2007 11:26PM
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Pippin
Posts: 4846 - Karma: 661
yah its good to cover the range, i just need to cover that 50-70mm
Nov 11 2007 11:27PM
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Aenigma
Posts: 11256 - Karma: 424
I've been using a Sigma 17-70mm and have been happy with it so far.  Sometimes it would be REALLY nice to have a telephoto, but I can't afford one until this summer when I can actually work.  I think it all depends on what you like to shoot and how you like to shoot it though. 
Nov 11 2007 11:35PM
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BobTreeBark
Posts: 155 - Karma: 20

Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX Fisheye
Such a good lens, not to ridiculous on the price, but totally worth it.  Theres sample pics on the link below




http://www.pbase.com/cameras/sigma/15_28_ex

Nov 11 2007 11:53PM
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-kk
Posts: 28 - Karma: 19
i use a 70-200 canon lens for my xti.  if you have your stock lens, it's a good combo to have to be able to get a variety of shots.  fisheye give you a cool effect but a telephoto can cover a lot of bases.  Amazon.com has some good canon lens deals every once in a while.
Nov 12 2007 2:15AM
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Pippin
Posts: 4846 - Karma: 661
that looks like a pretty decent lens

i have a telephoto lens right now but im just wondering what to cover my 50-70mm range with, waht is most used for ski photography like what range?
Nov 12 2007 5:39PM
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freezed
Posts: 12973 - Karma: 500
I use a Sigma 10-20 4.0-5.6. It's given me some pretty good results.
Nov 12 2007 5:59PM
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Pippin
Posts: 4846 - Karma: 661
is that a fish eye, and do you have any samples
Nov 12 2007 6:37PM
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freezed
Posts: 12973 - Karma: 500
It's a wide angle lens. I'm trying to find some good samples....

this one shows the wide-angle-ness...the colors and white balance and stuff are photoshopped, so that doesn't really represent the lens obviously.
Click for larger image

again, the colors are off...
[imghttp://media.nscdn.com/uploads/member/pictures/1151037538matty3safety.jpg[/img]


Click for larger image


Click for larger image
Nov 12 2007 6:46PM
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freezed
Posts: 12973 - Karma: 500
again, the colors are off...
Click for larger image
Nov 12 2007 6:47PM
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Pippin
Posts: 4846 - Karma: 661
ayah wide lens was always an option for me...how much did you pay for it?
Nov 12 2007 6:51PM
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nauseA
Posts: 448 - Karma: 10
dont forget, always multiply by 1.5 or near that when you're using D-SLR, so a 70 becomes like 105.. 

I dont like fisheye lenses because they have a huge DOF... I like bokeh!
Nov 12 2007 7:47PM
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Pippin
Posts: 4846 - Karma: 661
Yep gotta love the bokeh
Nov 12 2007 8:10PM
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freezed
Posts: 12973 - Karma: 500
should be less than 500. one thing to consider though, is that its a DX lens, cropped to fit the sensors of digital cameras like the 10D, so if you want to use it on film or a full-frame digi it won't work out. I wanted it like this because I knew I would be using my 10D for a long time and and I wanted the full 10mm wideness.
Nov 12 2007 8:22PM
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Pippin
Posts: 4846 - Karma: 661
no ill just be using it with my XT, will that affect it, cause its a DSLR
Nov 12 2007 8:24PM
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Microcosm
Posts: 4765 - Karma: 153
could you explain the multiply by 1.5?
Nov 12 2007 10:08PM
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nauseA
Posts: 448 - Karma: 10
forgot to say that its like you zoom 1.5 times... the difference from a FILM (35mm for ex.) cameras to D-SLRs. Like a 35mm is 50mm equivalent on D-SLRs. Even if you buy a, for example a brand new Sony lens, made for the Alpha 700, the 35mm lens is a 50 mm lens equivalent, because its digital. You can look for that on the net.
Nov 12 2007 10:18PM
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Microcosm
Posts: 4765 - Karma: 153
oooh, okay I gotcha. I never knew about that, interesting. how does one tell if a lens is made for film or dslr?
Nov 12 2007 10:26PM
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nauseA
Posts: 448 - Karma: 10
Theres no D-SLR lenses or SLR lenses, its just lenses. so if you're on a d-slr, it zooms, if not, it doesn't
Nov 12 2007 10:39PM
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Pippin
Posts: 4846 - Karma: 661
so my 50mm dslr is actually 35.....i don't use film, lol a bit off topic
Nov 12 2007 10:42PM
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nauseA
Posts: 448 - Karma: 10
no its not, its a 75... equivalent.

lets say.

You take a picture with a FILM CAMERA with a 150m lens. it gives you a picture.

Then, if you take a picture with a D-SLR with a 100mm lens, it will give you the same picture (frame wise).

but if you switch the 2 lenses - D-SLR having a 150mm ( times 1.5 = 225 mm lens )) and FILM CAMERA having a 100mm ( = 100mm) one will be very zoomed, and you will have more in your picture.


Nov 12 2007 10:49PM
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Pippin
Posts: 4846 - Karma: 661
alright, that doesnt really applie to me thou, i dont use film lenses or cameras
Nov 12 2007 11:40PM
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freeridinskier
Posts: 748 - Karma: 10
i bring two lenses when i am out shooting. a Nikkor 18-200 vr and a Nikkor 12-24.  This seems to cover what i shoot, quite well.  i would like a 70-200 f2.8 but i dont have the funds right now.  and typically shooting ski photography, you are working with a ton of light so having a super fast lens is not always a requirement.  




Nov 13 2007 1:28PM
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freezed
Posts: 12973 - Karma: 500
yes, there are D-SLR lenses. They are built to focus the light on the smaller sensor of a DSLR. So if you use it with 35 mm, it would have hardcore vignetting. Anyways, that lens is built to work with cameras like the XT. 

My advice is to rent or try out the top three or four lenses you are looking at and to base off of that.
Nov 13 2007 4:13PM
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Pippin
Posts: 4846 - Karma: 661
nice, nice, i dont a bit of vingnetting and it looks all right in certain situations...so im think probabbly a fish eye
Nov 13 2007 4:27PM
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n-o
Posts: 3457 - Karma: 41
not true and i shoot a 30D, battery grip, sigma 18-50 dc ex f2.8, and a 70- 200 dg ex f 2.8
Nov 13 2007 4:36PM
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nauseA
Posts: 448 - Karma: 10
and your point is?

Put you sigma 18-50 on a 35mm camera, and wont get the same picture.

Listing your set up is not a good argument...
Nov 13 2007 4:51PM
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Pippin
Posts: 4846 - Karma: 661
this kinda got away from the orignial topic lol w/e NS is for that lol
Nov 13 2007 6:20PM
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Skipig25
Posts: 10729 - Karma: 256
70-200 f/4L is a great lens for skiing, and you can find em for around $500. 2.8 isn't really necessary when you always have lots of light
Nov 13 2007 10:42PM
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Pippin
Posts: 4846 - Karma: 661
thats true, exspecially with the snow so being so reflective, not sure i want to shell out that much for a lens till i know for sure skiing will be a big part of my photography, want something liek around 300 because im not super serious with ski photography.
Nov 13 2007 11:05PM
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