church, no flash, renting a lens

[kio500]

Hi! I'm shooting a wedding on the 18th in a not-so-bright church that doesn't allow flash. I have a Nikon D300

that I'll be shooting with and would like to rent a fast lens with some sort of vibration reduction. What do you

suggest?

[wedding-photography-denver]

If you can swing it, the 200/2 Vr is excellent.

 

If not then the 70-200/Vr.

 

If not that then the 70-300/Vr

 

Or, if you can handhold a 135/2 at about 1/60th, you could shoot with the 135/2 Dc lens and brace yourself on something.

 

Personally, I use either the Tokina 50-135/2.8 (I can usually hand hold it on the long end down to about 1/50th when paying attention) or if I am too far back, the 70-200/Vr.

[ned1]

Also rent a carbon-fiber tripod, one you can move around easily. Vr won't work on a tripod but will on a monopod, so that also could be an option. My usual setup in situations like this is my 70-200 on a tripod with a bogen trigger-grip ball head. I also set the camera on shutter-delay to reduce vibration.

[Jerry_]

You should probably discuss the issue with the bride before the wedding. Is it possible to take a few minutes after the ceremony and re-stage a few poses using your 'flash?' If you can, you may have less 'eyes-in-the-shadows' to deal with after the ceremony.

[steve_hovland]

Re VR on tripods.

 

I have done some testing and do not see image deterioration from having VR on while on tripod.

 

Mirror slap and shutter movement add some shake that the VR may also suppress.

[wedding-photography-denver]

Steve,

 

I did some fairly extensive testing with VR/IS when it first came to market some time ago. I found a sort of slight buzzed look to the images when viewed with a loupe or at 50% + on a screen. Edges were not crisp and the impression I had was of having used a very mild, but rather cheap soft focus filter.

 

I am interested to know how you find things as I have not tried this since then. I think perhaps the first iterations of VR, etc. were not that great. Maybe it is "smarter" in the later lenses. ?

[steve_hovland]

David- Things are probably better 3-4 generations in.

 

My testing was somewhat casual- Nikon P5100 on a flimsy tripod. I probably looked at the pictures at 200% in photoshop and didn't see any degradation.

 

This P5100 will make pretty sharp pictures hand-held at 1/8 with IS on, so I'm pretty confident in Nikon IS..

 

On my old film camera the mirror slap could make a 28-80mm bounce around on a light tripod.

[steve_hovland]

Also, if you are pressing the shutter by hand on a tripod-mounted camera you could be inducing vibrations that IS would trap.

[lightsmith1]

Rent the 70-200mm f2.8 VR lens. The zoom helps as you do not need to move around and will not have the space to

move around with a fixed focal length lens like the 200mm f2 prime lens. The VR buys you 3 stops so you can be at

the 200mm zoom length and shoot at 1/30th if you are careful with how you hold the camera and lens.

 

The 70-300 at 200mm is probably around f4.5 so it really is not a viable solution in a dark church compared to

the 2.5x as fast 2.8 of the 70-200mm lens.

 

Tripods are for videographers. If you have a decent camera and lenses the tripod is not necessary and it fixes

you to one spot during the entire ceremony. Not something you should do if you take wedding photography seriously.

 

www.lensprotogo.com is a great place to rent lenses and the 70-200 lens is $100 for a week and that includes

shipping in both directions.

[tigercosmos]

70-200 VR is really your best only choice.

[david_garcia10]

70-200 f2.8, 50 f1.4... 85 1.4?

[William Michael]

> would like to rent a fast lens with some sort of vibration reduction < > What do you suggest? <

 

Well there are not that many choices, are there?

 

IMO, and as I understand what is available in fast Nikon VR, the three lenses which fit your question and will be the

most useful, in most Wedding situations, are, in order:

 

AF-S VR 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED; then AF-S VR 200mm f/2G IF-ED; then (maybe) AF-S VR 300mm f/2.8G IF-ED

 

***

 

Possibly the 200/F2 might be more useful than the 70 - 200/F2.8 zoom, if you have the ability to roam and if you

really need the extra stop.

 

Listing the remainder of what is available to suit the question:

 

AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8G ED VR; AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/4G ED VR; AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4G ED VR.

 

I have never used a 400 at a Wedding, but I have seen one used (in a Cathedral), I doubt the 500 or 600 would ever

get a show.

 

***

 

I think your decision is really between two lenses: the 200/F2 prime and the 70 to 200F2.8 zoom, and that needs to

be decided upon:

 

. how much you meed the F2 and

 

. if you can roam (or not)

 

What is the higher priority (or restriction), you envisage you will have?

 

WW