Which zoom for night photography?

lee caropolo

lee caropolo

Active member
Ok so im wondering which zoom to get the canon 24-70 or 24 to 105? My whole film will be shot in the woods with simulated moonlight . torch light and campfire. If i go with the 24 to 105 will i have trouble since its a slow lens? I plan to see some trees in the backround lit with 2k,s and of course the actors faces in foreground. It would be nice if i could get this lens and rely on the 5d,s low light capabilities which i know nothing about yet. Im picking up my camera today cant wait!!!
 
I'd get the 24-105 just because it's one of (or, according to some, the) greatest lens Canon makes and you'll save some cash if you purchase it with the 5d. That being said, it is f/4 and probably will not be suitable for what you describe. In fact, the 24-70 may also be unsuitable even though it's 2.8. A fast prime or two seem to fit the bill. If you've got the cash, get the 24-105 with the body, along with maybe the 50mm f/1.4 and the 85mm f/1.2. Gee, it's kinda fun spending your money!
 
It's night time ... the 24-105 only opens to 4.0 ... so unless you're making a love story about shades of grey having an affair with black ... you'll want that 24-70 :) Better yet, rent yourself a 35mm 1.4L prime and a 50mm 1.4L prime (the Sigma 50mm 1.4 is also an amazing and much cheaper alternative).

/.02 cents.
 
I do have that old nikkor s 1.4 and the nikkor s 35mm 2.8 maybe i could just use those? The actors would be lit by some tweenies motivated by fireliight. And the trees in backgrpound will be lit everything else will be black. They wouldnt register open to f4? Looks like ill go with the 24 to 70mm and buy two good primes. Thanks guys for the input! Jordan my funds are depleting and i havent even shot a damned thing yet! lol
 
I've shot many short films entirely on my Sigma 50mm 1.4 prime ... you're out in the woods ... it's not like you're confined by space ... you don't really need a wide lens if you just move back 10 feet :) You might want to consider that also if you're budget strapped.
 
lee caropolo said:
I do have that old nikkor s 1.4 and the nikkor s 35mm 2.8 maybe i could just use those? The actors would be lit by some tweenies motivated by fireliight. And the trees in backgrpound will be lit everything else will be black. They wouldnt register open to f4? Looks like ill go with the 24 to 70mm and buy two good primes. Thanks guys for the input! Jordan my funds are depleting and i havent even shot a damned thing yet! lol
Click to expand...
You could use the f/4. I rented the 24-70 and 24-105 for a project and I hated the 24-70 (I think it was just a bad copy for video) and loved the 24-105 despite it being stops slower. The image was prestine and I felt much sharper than the 24-70.

What ISO do you plan on shooting at?

I'm with everybody that is suggesting that you go with a 50mm 1.4. It is going to give you a lot more options and will really make your actors look good.

By the way, you do not need the Canon 85mm 1.2. The Canon 85mm 1.8 is a great lens. The 1.2 is something to drool over, but you don't need to buy one.
 
For a zoom, the 24-70 all the way, if you have a good one...
There have been lots of reports of these with sharpness issues which mine doesn't have thankfully and compared to the 24-105 its not a contest.
With a good one its about as good as a zoom is going to get compared to primes.
 
I really wanted to love that lens, but there was a color shift through the zoom range in the video and the sharpness was not stellar. It was a rental from Calumet and that lens probably had seen a lot of use because it is so popular. It looked nice and clean on initial inspection, but I didn't test it shooting video before I left the store.

They gave me another one at no cost for my second shoot day, but by then I was already happy with the range of the 24-105. The lenses were use on this project...

 
stormfactory-
I dig the look you got.
This was with the Canon 24-105 IS L?
If you don't mind- what camera settings did you use?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top