Best Lens for Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

[jmarshall]

OK, so in a bit of exciting news in my town today: the 2008 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is a local!

 

I'm planning to go into the city to get a shot of the tree to use for our Christmas cards. I've taken plenty of pictures of

the tree in the past, but usually with a point & shoot while visiting the city with kids when I don't want to deal with an

SLR. But this calls for bringing out the big guns.

 

I've got a 5D and a 40D. I have the 17-40 lens. I'm thinking about trying to photograph around dusk, so I can catch

the lights on the tree better, but while there's still some ambient light. The best shots are generally taken from the

opposite side of the skating rink, maybe from about 50 yards or so away.

 

I think the 17-40 will give me the right options in terms of focal length and I'm assuming I'll want to stop down a bit,

so I don't think that the f/4 will be a huge issue. BUT ... if I were to shoot at f/4 or 5.6, would I be better off with

something like a 28 or 35mm f1.8 or 2 prime, or will the 17-40 be OK? Also, do you think the 5D (for full frame) or

the 40D (which might allow me to push the ISO a bit more) would be better? The crowds around the tree are usually

pretty tight, so switching lenses/cameras might be a bit tricky; I'd like to be there with the best available gear ready-

to-go. And chances are that I'll only be able to get into the city once in time to take a photo for cards.

 

I apologize in advance for the question, but having the RC tree come from your home town is a once-in-a-lifetime kind

of event, and I really want to make sure I've thought through all of the options to pick the best one.

 

Thanks!

[michael_ziegler2]

IMO the best way to do this is with a tripod. I know the crowds are tough, but it is the best way. Work your way up front to the wall above the ice rink and you should get a clear shot of the tree from there.The 5D should work well at 1200 ISO in tv mode with your f/4 lens. I like doing those shots after dusk as the bulb colors will be more vibrant.

 

Good luck,

[daveyboy3]

Sorry to say tripods are not allowed at Rockefeller Center, It's private property. You also can not use them in Times Square

[michael_ziegler2]

Didn't realize that tripods were verboten. In that case an IS lens could be used like the 24-105 hand held. I have made some nice shots in similar conditions with that lens,

[michael_ziegler2]

Here is a recent shot with the 24-105 f/4 hand held<div></div>

[w_t1]

I'm not familiar with NYC, but perhaps there is a parking garage nearby that will provide an elevated view also.

[steve_bright1]

To improve your chances of success when shooting hand-held at slow shutter speeds - set the drive to high-speed

continuous shooting; use your best technique to frame the shot and keep still, then gently squeeze the shutter

button and keep it pressed as you shoot five or so frames.

 

After you've done that, do it again. You'll end up with loads of shots which look the same, but when you zoom

right in, you'll see that the degree of motion blur varies from shot to shot, and hopefully there'll be some

which have no blur at all.

 

For example, let's say you could get 1/30s at ISO 1600. You ought to be able to easily get away with that with a

single shot, but using the multiple shot technique, you might also be able to get away with 1/8s at ISO 400,

which should result in a better quality image.

 

Experiment! Cover your bases! And take loads of CF cards.

 

Good luck

[benjamindbloom]

I agree that this is going to be more about focal length and technique than aperture. You're going to want to stop down a bit to get appropriate DOF. I shoot my 17-40 at f4 regularly and am happy with the results. Sure, stopped down a bit more is even better, but happiness counts. I'd bring your fast primes as a fallback. You'll be able to find a place to change lenses if you need to.

 

A tripod is likely tough because of the crowds, but maybe a monopod? Maybe a gorilla pod strapped to a lamp post or other vertical structure? At a minimum, you should be able to brace the camera up against something solid to get a clear shot with a lower shutter speed. If you can use a tripod, all the better - try some shots at 1s, 2s, 4s to get varying degrees of motion blur in the people walking around.

 

I'm a fan of Steve's technique of using burst mode. I tend to shoot 3 frame bursts. The only real down side is that it takes longer to cull through the photos. If you're planning to use these for cards, higher ISO should be fine - you won't see the grain as much at smaller printing sizes. The larger you print the more problematic high ISO and camera shake will be.

[jmarshall]

Thanks for all the suggestions, guys. I feel kind of silly asking a question like this, but this is one I really want to get right.

 

I didn't know what Rock Center's rules were on tripods, so thanks for the heads up on those. There actually a really good Chinese restaurant we'll probably go to that's nearby, so I can get some shots before it's totally dark, and then more later when the lights will be more visible.

 

I wouldn't have thought to use burst mode, but that's genius and I'll definitely try that technique out. Lightroom has made dealing with lots of multiple shots a lot easier. Since we're only going to be printing on a greeting card size, I can probably get away with a bit more in terms of ISO and even sharpness than if I were making poster-sized prints.

 

The shortest prime I have is a 50mm, so I asked in part because if there was a feeling that a wide prime stopped down would give me a lot of benefit over the 17-40 or 24-105 at the same stop, I might consider getting one as an early Christmas present. Any excuse to buy a new lens is always welcome, and my husband will think that $300 is a bargain compared to the $1,000 for the 70-200 f/4 IS I've been jonesing for. But it sounds like one of the lenses I've got will work well; I'm hoping I don't have to go much below f/5.6 or 8 to get the right DOF, but at that point, there probably wouldn't be a lot of difference. And given the crowds (which might make zooming by foot a challenge), a zoom is probably the better option.

 

Again, thanks for all of the suggestions!