Lens recommendations for clublife photography?

Saska · Jul 27, 2010

I do some photography out on nightclubs, where lightning conditions are very poor (sample: White Room - STUREPLAN.se) I use Nikon D60 with standard lens AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 that came with. External flash sb-600.

The other night I was out working and some idiot came and poured a glass of water all over my camera (on purpose). The lens is not functioning properly (the majority of the pictures turn out blurry, no focus) and when the button is pushed down halfways to set focus the lens gives away strange, cracking noises. So now I am in need of a new lens (of couse I have to pay out of my own pocket as this dude refuses to pay for the equipment he ruined...douce)

Instead of getting a new camera (I believe the camera is fine, it's just the lenx that's broken) and instead of getting a new standard lens i was thinking about getting a new lens that is more sensitive to light.

A recurrent problem I have when photographing at clubs is that my images often become very dark. Especially the background (whilst the faces of people become very light, because of the flash). I use F3,5 iso800 and shutterspeed 1/8.

What kind of lens should I be looking at? I've been looking at SIGMA 18-50mm F2,8 EX HSM Macro ... What do you think? any recommendations?

Saska · Jul 27, 2010

No, it was on PURPOSE! And he has admitted to it. Then he called me a retard for bringing my camera into a club. But I was just doing my job. He called me a numerous of horrid things and said he refused to pay for a new lens and then hung up on me. There are five witnesses that saw what he did, and he doesn't deny it, he just won't pay up

Now I've already lost hundreds of pounds because I've been out of work for two weeks and I can't afford to buy a new lens but somewhat I have to or else I'll lose my job. What a ****er, eh?

Dieselboy · Jul 27, 2010

Small claims court.

AverageJoe · Jul 27, 2010

Dieselboy said:
Small claims court.

Agreed, or whatever they call it in the UK.

As for a new lens, get a prime, somewhere in the 20-28mm range with f1.8.

AverageJoe · Jul 27, 2010

When you take someone to small claims court you sue for:

Claims court fees + amount you wish to reclaim

I know, I've been there. And also it's a good idea to insure, it's cheap too depending on how much you have invested.

I have about $7,000 worth of gear invested through State Farm for about $140 a year. I think this includes me accidentally dropping something. And it's insured for the amount I purchased it, doesn't depreciate.

gsgary · Jul 27, 2010

If that had been me he would need a new nose and jaw and he would have been on his arse, do you know him if so sort him out

AverageJoe · Jul 27, 2010

This might suit your needs:
Nikkor AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8G lens review: design, build, coverage, focusing | Cameralabs

Neil S. · Jul 27, 2010

Saska said:
No, it was on PURPOSE! And he has admitted to it. Then he called me a retard for bringing my camera into a club. But I was just doing my job. He called me a numerous of horrid things and said he refused to pay for a new lens and then hung up on me. There are five witnesses that saw what he did, and he doesn't deny it, he just won't pay up Now I've already lost hundreds of pounds because I've been out of work for two weeks and I can't afford to buy a new lens but somewhat I have to or else I'll lose my job. What a ****er, eh?

Things like this make me glad I live in Japan.

People never do things like this over here, and if they do it's almost always other Americans.

Japanese are very respectful of other people for the most part, more than I can say for my fellow countrymen.

SwiftTone · Jul 27, 2010

If you worked for the club, how come the security did not get involved?

Anyways, get the 35mm f/1.8. I've tried the sigma, but the focus was kinda slow for me being outside in daylight.

As far as the subject being too bright with dark background, try angling it differently, and use a diffuser. Good luck

djacobox372 · Jul 28, 2010

35mm 1.8 is my vote as well.

Although if you can afford it a d700 body would really help in those dark situations as well, especially if you pair with a 50mm 1.4 or, better yet, a 50mm 1.2 ais

mwcfarms · Jul 28, 2010

AverageJoe said:
When you take someone to small claims court you sue for:

Claims court fees + amount you wish to reclaim

I know, I've been there. And also it's a good idea to insure, it's cheap too depending on how much you have invested.

I have about $7,000 worth of gear invested through State Farm for about $140 a year. I think this includes me accidentally dropping something. And it's insured for the amount I purchased it, doesn't depreciate.

Im glad I saw this again. I saw in an earlier post and thought you said it was $140 a month which was way high I thought. This is definetly reasonable. Going to look into it for sure.

Saska · Aug 4, 2010

I was looking at the 35mm f1.8 nikkor lens, think I will go for that one. It's a lot cheaper than the Sigma 18-50mm F2,8 EX HSM Macro but more sensitive to light which is what I am in need of. Have a few questions though, I'm trying to understand what a DX lens is? And what does AF or AF-S stand for? I tried to comprehend this: Nikon DX Lenses ... have to explain it to me as if I am dumb.

I assume I can use this nikkor lens with any nikon cameraw? (im thinking about selling my d60 and buy a d5000 instead, and get the 35mm lens for clubphotographing. what do you recommend?

Just need to know what af-s and dx stands for? i think there was a similar lens but it twice as expensive, one was 35mm af and the other 35mm afs ... wht is the difference?

Saska · Aug 4, 2010

what about this [ame=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005LEN4/kenrockwellcom]Amazon.com: Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras: Camera & Photo[/ame] lens? it seems to be identical to the 35mm that many of you recommended only it's 50mm.

Also, do you think that it is a downside that these lenses are fixed?? coz that's the only downside i can think of ... dont really like fixed lenses.

AverageJoe · Aug 4, 2010

50mm might be a bit close considering you have a crop body. But that's still a good lens to have.

Petraio Prime · Aug 4, 2010

erose86 said:
AverageJoe said:

I have about $7,000 worth of gear invested through State Farm for about $140 a year. I think this includes me accidentally dropping something. And it's insured for the amount I purchased it, doesn't depreciate.

Click to expand...

Good to know...

gsgary said:

If that had been me he would need a new nose and jaw and he would have been on his arse, do you know him if so sort him out

Click to expand...

+1 :thumbup:

I used to have insurance on my stuff, and I ended up using it 3 times at least.

One time, a pole-vaulter dropped his pole right into my camera and lens. 1 in a million chance, but it happened (I had another camera with a wide-angle lens in my hands and had set the Leicaflex camera with the 250mm Telyt-R on the ground; it was at a track meet). It was an expensive repair, lens was just about ripped from the body.