Best lens for lightning?

Anyone know what may be the best/sharpest lenses for photographing lightning?

<i>Anyone know what may be the best/sharpest lenses for photographing lightning?</i>

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Yup, that would be the best/sharpest lenses for photographing anything else.

A 28mm actual or equivalent is good because it gives a wide enough expanse of sky for catching bolts that are unpredictable in location. Plus it gives you the chance to frame the lightning with some landscape material. Photographically, treat lightning as if it's fireworks. Tripod, cable/remote release/time exposure, watch the horizon to keep it balanced.

 

However, if bolts are far off on the horizon, you need use a telephoto...

Are you talking about a prime lens? I have the 18-200mm lens but it will not take pictures in the dark(meter). Forgive me for being stupid I never touched an SLR before Jan 07. I got some amazing shots with a Panasonic on my many treks through the SC lowcountry swamps and family talked me into the D200.

 

Anyway, the way I understand it I need a fast lens one that will photograph in dim light. I imagine f2.8 or faster. Is this correct?

Would the 50mm f1.4 be a good choice?

The best results I've had with local cloud-to-ground lightning were with a medium aperture, around f8, using 100 speed film. Since the lightning sets its own exposure time, a very large aperture is likely to overexpose. What that means, basically, is that any lens that's sharp enough and has the field of view you want, should be fast enough. The example here is not mine but my wife's, and if my memory serves she was using 100 speed slide film at f11 or 16.<div></div>

A faster lens will photograph at higher speeds in dim light, but you can use one that doesn't

let in as much light if you are willing to tolerate a longer exposure time. Exposure = time x

intensity.

IMO the solution is more in a good tripod than a lense. During the day catching lightning w/out a tripod is probably doable but probably not that easy because of predicting when lightning will occur. So F1.4 or such may not help. In low light or at night a tripod, a cable release, and understanding how to control the shutter and exposure on your D200 can produce some great pictures. Jokingly now - the other choice is about 20 16GB Extreme III CF cards (do they make those? (... but I don't care)) and setting the shutter to cH or continuous high speed. At 5 frames per second it's kind of like bass fishing with a 20 foot boat and a 250HP Yamaha - half or more of the fun is pressing the throttle / shutter-button down!

 

Plenty of info on tripods and cable releases in the photo.net archives. Have fun!

Derek, you need to set your camera to Manual mode. This way you have control over all the settings including shutter speed.

It really depends on what you're trying to frame in with the lightning.

 

Taking lightning shots isn't about speed - it's about patience and composition. You'll be hard-pressed to capture lightning by firing the shutter in response to a lightning stroke - you aren't generally as fast as an ionized air discharge. Instead, your best bet is to take your lightning shots in dark conditions with a low ISO and long shutter release.

 

So, just mount the most appropriate lens for the landscape, set up the tripod in a nice dry place (or at least have a good rain cover), and fire away! No special lenses neeeded at all.

Derek,

 

When you shoot lightning, it is a long exposure. Probably 20 or 30 seconds, if it's a really active storm, or even longer, if it is not. That means you don't need a fast lens at all ! Now, a sharp lens would be good ! :) I shot some with a 35mm f2 lens. I had the camera on a tripod, and pointed it where the most action seemed to be happening and just held down the shutter with a cable release and counted to 20 or 30 in my head. Keep your fingers crossed. I would not set the ISO to much above 100, if I were you. If you hold the shutter open and have a fast setting, you may find you get a nice light shot when it should be night time !

 

And, if you can, get a lens hood for the lens ! I didn't have one, and when it started to sprinkle, I got a water spot onthe lens, and in the shot.

 

And...be carefull. Don't stand out in the open with a metal tripod , if the lightning gets too close !

Yes, you don't need a new lens. You just need to experiment.

 

If you have a real busy lightning storm, try this. Set your camera to manual, ISO 200 (if

that it's lowest), f16, 18mm, and a real long exposure (on a tripod -- you can NOT do this

without a good tripod) like 15 or 30 seconds it it's dark. If you have a polarizer, try and

stick it on there, too. (Sight with it to make sure it's rotated to catch the lightning well).

You can do this with and without the polarizer... try both... You need to experiment a lot

to get good lightning shots, which will happen by "accident" anyway... The first few shots

you take will be bad exposures as you learn just what works with your particular storm.

 

Oh... keep your camera dry! Be careful... lightning really hurts!

One way to get the feel of lightning shots is to shoot long exposures of city streets at night. Get the feel of how that works.

 

Ideally, for lightning, with a solid tripod, use the 18mm setting for your lens, set it at about f8 (via the camera), ISO at 100, and keep your shutter open via remote switch (cheap). With lightning you'll need anywhere from 10 to 60 seconds before a bolt arrives (closing the shutter ASAP after!) Sometimes you get nothing and you'll have to shoot a new "frame", but with digital, so what?

Adding to the above, and referring to the picture I posted, if you have a very busy storm, it can be effective to wait for more than one bolt of lightning, with a somewhat smaller aperture. By the way, the hasty JPG of that one came out too light relative to the original slide and scan, which was denser, and had a good deal more purple in the sky.

The best lens is the one you have already bought.

 

Manual setting is trivial: I assume that the flashes appear close to infinity, for your own safety. So manually focus at infinity. I also assume you are not prescient when a flash comes, so put camera on a tripod, open lens to f/4 or f/5.6, put shutter on B, press remote and lock shutter open. And wait in the dark. If you see a flash in the direction the camera is pointing, maybe advance film for the next shot. And repeat

 

It is all a matter of luck and will become easier the mor eyou familiarize yourself with lighting. And do think of shielding your camera from the rain which most often accompanies thunderstorms.

 

Good luck.