FAST glass wins

[Gary Naka]

I just got through shooting a couple basketball games with my new 35mm f/1.8 lens on my D7200.

I was able to shoot at ISO 3200 with the 35mm f/1.8, vs 12800, that need to shoot with the 18-140.

What a difference in image quality by lowering the ISO 2 stops.

- I could shoot at 1/1000 sec to better freeze motion.

- I could crop in on the 35mm shot and not loose the image quality that I did with the 18-140 at ISO 12800.

 

OK it is unfair to compare a super zoom to a prime, in dim light.

But dim lighting is exactly why I bought the 35mm f/1.8.

[Rick Helmke]

It's not unfair to compare lenses in dim light, that's often where we find ourselves be it sports, weddings or the odd murder scene. You have to figure out what offers the best result in a given situation. Super zooms are generally not my first choice.

 

Rick H.

[Gary Naka]

It's not unfair to compare lenses in dim light, that's often where we find ourselves be it sports, weddings or the odd murder scene. You have to figure out what offers the best result in a given situation. Super zooms are generally not my first choice.

 

Rick H.

 

Yes the 18-140 f/3.5-5.6 is my GP lens, and I LIKE it. But as the saying goes "jack of all trades, master of none."

I was pushing to see how far I could go, before I broke down and decided that I needed a different lens. And dim light / indoor gym sports was it.

 

Actually night football/soccer is also difficult for the same reason (dim light), but for some reason, I seem to be able to get away with it better. Though I do wish the lens was faster. And the 18mm end surprised me by handling the runs down the sideline, less than 6 feet from me, more than a few times. Call me convinced, that a wide angle lens works on the football field.

My alternate football/soccer lens is an old 70-210 f/4 AF-D. And that 70mm feels really cramped when the players get near me, compared to using the 18-140.

[Rick Helmke]

You hit it on the head. You like it. What else matters?

 

Rick H.

[bob_bill]

Gary, I really like your comment about pushing a piece of gear to find the limits you find acceptable. When you know that, you will get great shots or learn that something has to change. Some of my favorite shots involved pushing camera, lens, grip and lighting gear to their limits in combination. The trick is making it look easy.

[Gary Naka]

Bob

As a retired person, $$$ is not free-flowing, so I have to be careful, and try to get the most out of what I have, before spending more $$$.

Back to one of my early lessons, "the gear does not make good pictures, it is what is between the ears that does." So I try not to look at new gear as a solution to every problem. One of my students asked me about image quality and pixilation when shooting above ISO 6400 with the Canon T5, vs. expensive fast glass and full frame cameras. I told her that the image in the yearbook is about 2x3 inches, not 16x20. At that small size, no one will see the pixilation.

 

But like many, I am infected by Gear Aquisition Syndrome (GAS), and I drool over new gear.

Speaking of that, I gotta get out and shoot my 6x6 and 4x5 ;)