Another Indoor Lens Question

[ASA1]

I'm looking for a lens specifically for shooting indoor dog shows. We have a young dog that we're showing and I like to get shots him and the competition. I'll still use the pro photographer for the times he wins his majors.

The indoor lighting is typically poor and varied in type. Shooting with a speedlite would be a distraction to those in the ring so the lens needs to be fast enough that I can get by with the existing light. I bought a Nikon 35/1.8 and have had good results, but at the bigger shows there are usually a lot of people standing around the ring, and I get locked into one spot which limits my shots.

Because all the shots are handheld and panning I would like vibration control.

When using a telephoto, I notice I'm in the range of around 24 - 80. I'm shooting a D7000. Any suggestions on lenses?

 

[dxqcanada]

I would suggest using an 85mm in tandem with the 35mm.

 

[xjoewhitex]

That would be probably the cheapest route is getting a longer prime. Or possibly a 24-70 which is going to cost quite a bit more.

 

[bentcountershaft]

+1. The 85 would compliment the 35 quite nicely in most situations, especially for what you're doing. If you're stuck in one spot and would really like three different choices a 24, 50 and 100 might be a worth looking into instead. I'm not familiar with Nikon primes but I'm certain they make decent ones in those ranges.

 

[cnutco]

Agreed with the primes. Very fast and cheaper than the 24 - 70.

 

[ASA1]

Primes would be cheaper but not practical. The dogs quickly go from a few feet away to over a hundred and back.

The NIKKOR 24-85mm f/2.8-4D has mixed reviews and doesn't have VR. Does anyone have any experience with other makes in this range with VR?

Thanks for your replies.

 

[bentcountershaft]

Honestly you probably won't need VR. Dogs move pretty quick so to keep from getting motion blur you're probably going to be at high enough shutter speeds that vibration reduction won't be necessary. I don't know anything about that particular lens though, but not having VR wouldn't bother me a bit.

 

[jcoil]

sigma 17-70 f4-5.6 is a nice lens and sharp and a good buy. Also has vr which would be handy when handlers are standing their dogs

 

[tyler_h]

+1 for 85 f/1.8
This and the 35 f/1.8 are both nice and fast; depending on the event layouts I'd grab as many with one lens, then swap and get the different style of shots.

This or a 2.8 zoom; for indoor really dont want anything slower or you'll be bumping your iso far too much and you'll lose shots to noise.

 

[JustAnEngineer]

If you're looking for a fast zoom lens in that range, the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 might do the trick, but you're giving up 1-1/3 stops compared to an f/1.8 prime lens. If you're shooting ISO 400 at f/1.8 now, you might have to go to ISO 1000 at f/2.8.

 

[KmH]

Nikon makes the Nikon 24-85mm f/2.8-4.0D IF AF Zoom Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras which I use for shooting action sports even though it doesn't have VR.

Note: most of the time VR should be turned off on those lenses that have VR. VR has limits and does not address subject motion at all. Nikon VR explained

 

[ASA1]

Thanks everyone for the replies.

KmH, The Nikkor was one of the lenses I was considering, but I've read some mixed reviews concerning the sharpness. The other lenses in the mid-zoom class are the Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 and the Sigma 17-70 f/2.8-4. AF speed will be important. Do you have any experience with these lenses.

Thanks.

 

[Lambo77]

KmH, The Nikkor was one of the lenses I was considering, but I've read some mixed reviews concerning the sharpness.

I'm a Canon guy myself, so I can't speak on any of these lens, but I can tell you that every time i research getting a new lens, there is ALWAYS someone complaining about sharpness. I would look into finding a review from a credible source. Google it. But don't trust the reviews you read on web-sites that sell lenes. There will always be someone complaining about something. Just my 2 cents.