Need help to choose a lens!

[EquineArt]

Hello everyone!
Next week-end I must take photos of horses in action, both indoor and outdoor.
I own a Canon 7D wich works fine but I only have the kit lens which is not so good imo (28-135 f:a lot (5.6 at 135).
I also own a 55 f:1.8 but even if I'll be inside the arena with the horses, I believe it's still too small.
I will rent a lens for the occasion but am unsure of which one..
Which one should I get.. I can't afford both because of the deposit fees, unfortunately.
135 f:2
85 f:1.2

135 will allow me to crop less in the editing, 85 has ultra fast AF according to lens description.

I am not too concerned about the outside photos, but the indoor arena is more of a concern. It is not completely closed, as it is more of a covered paddock, but the light will always be behind the horse that I'm shooting.

Please I need help decide, or even if someone has a different lens to suggest.
Thank you in advance!!!

Marie

 

[Big Mike]

I wouldn't bother with the 85mm F1.2L....Even though F1.2 can get you a faster shutter speed, your DOF will be very thin which will make it harder to keep your subject in focus.
Also note that there is an older version and a newer (II) version.

I'll post this snippet from a review...

The biggest downside to the original Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 L USM Lens was the very slow focusing speed. If you were shooting portraits, it didn't matter. But, a lens this fast begs to be used for indoor action sports. Canon has utilized the latest USM (Ultrasonic Motor) in this lens for faster (I wouldn't give it a "fast" rating yet) and near-silent autofocus. The Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 L II USM Lens' improved focus mechanism is about 1.6x faster than the original lens - noticeably faster and a very nice improvement, but not as fast as Canon's fastest autofocusing lenses. While this lens certainly has the aperture and image quality to be an excellent indoor action sports lens, the AF performance is only "good enough" in my opinion - and not matching the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Lens' AF performance. Would I use this lens for sports? Definitely, but I would plan on a lower hit rate - especially with the tiny depth of field at f/1.2. Shoot more images to compensate - The shots that hit will be superior images.

From HERE

Shooting horses indoors, you will have two main issues. First is exposure vs shutter speed. Indoors, there probably isn't a whole lot of light, which will make it harder to get your exposure. After maxing out the aperture, your usual next step is to use a slower shutter speed....but you won't want to do that because you'll need a faster shutter speed to freeze the movement. So your best option will probably be to increase the ISO. This may mean more digital noise in the images, but that's better than motion blur. So don't be afraid to crank it up to ISO 3200 (or higher) if needed.
Even going to a lens with a maximum aperture of F2.8 would be a big difference over the lens you have now....so don't limit yourself to just the ultra-fast prime lenses.

The next issue will be focus. It may be harder to get/keep AF on a moving subject in dimly lit situations. The AF motor is in the lens, but all the AF 'brains' are in the camera, and the 7D is pretty good in that dept. So as long as you have a 'USM' lens, you should be OK. It may take some practice and experimentation to find what techniques and AF modes will work best for you. The 7D has a pretty complex AF system, so read the manual (probably several times).

Since your distance will likely be changing quite a bit, I'd suggest a 70-200mm F2.8 lens. Canon obviously has a great one (or two) of these...but other companies like Sigma & Tamron have them as well.

 

[imagemaker46]

I agree with Big Mike, if you can get your hands on a 70-200 2.8 you'll be covered for shooting the ponies but pretty much anything that might come up in the future. It is the "work horse" lens for the majority of professionals.

 

[EquineArt]

Wow thank you so much for this long explaination!
I have to stay away from the 70-200 f:2.8 for 2 reasons...
The first being the deposit of 1000 $ on the credit card which is now loaded cause of my recent buy of the 7D..
Second is the weight of the lens... even with the use of a tripod or monopod, it is fine when I aim in the direction of a barrel of a jump, but I'll be shooting stallions doing free jumps (in liberty) and mares with their foals at side, so I'll need to be fast at aiming in different directions.
But I must admit it is an amazing lens.. one day I'll have one...

Since I'll be allowed inside the ring, I estimate my distance from subjects to be in between 30-40 feet..
I wish I could try the lenses out and practice before the official shooting, but I can't...
I 'think' the 85 would be sufficient... I can always crop my pictures after...
Would you recommand the 1.2 or 1.8?
Thank you so much again!

 

[cgipson1]

I agree with Big Mike, if you can get your hands on a 70-200 2.8 you'll be covered for shooting the ponies but pretty much anything that might come up in the future. It is the "work horse" lens for the majority of professionals.

Ditto.. something in the 70-200 range should allow you maximum versatility. If it is like any horse show I have been too... sometimes the subject is close, sometimes far, and you need to be able to reach out and get a good shot no matter what. Primes are wonderful, but they lack this versatility when you need it in a hurry (foot zoom is slow!) . If they allow flash... use it.

 

[EquineArt]

I agree with Big Mike, if you can get your hands on a 70-200 2.8 you'll be covered for shooting the ponies but pretty much anything that might come up in the future. It is the "work horse" lens for the majority of professionals.

Ditto.. something in the 70-200 range should allow you maximum versatility. If it is like any horse show I have been too... sometimes the subject is close, sometimes far, and you need to be able to reach out and get a good shot no matter what. Primes are wonderful, but they lack this versatility when you need it in a hurry (foot zoom is slow!) . If they allow flash... use it.

It's not a normal horse show... it's a warmblood inspection, so pretty linear.
I'm allowed inside the ring so I can get as close as I want pretty much..
I wonder how fast I can shoot with the flash.. I love the 7D cause I can just press the shutter when I see the horse close to take off, and I release when the horse lands... and in between I know I have my perfect shot Will test with the flash, but pretty sure it will slow it down...
Oh and I only have the built-in flash, which is not very powerful and I'll still stand about 30 feet at least away from the jumping horse..

 

[cgipson1]

I agree with Big Mike, if you can get your hands on a 70-200 2.8 you'll be covered for shooting the ponies but pretty much anything that might come up in the future. It is the "work horse" lens for the majority of professionals.

Ditto.. something in the 70-200 range should allow you maximum versatility. If it is like any horse show I have been too... sometimes the subject is close, sometimes far, and you need to be able to reach out and get a good shot no matter what. Primes are wonderful, but they lack this versatility when you need it in a hurry (foot zoom is slow!) . If they allow flash... use it.

It's not a normal horse show... it's a warmblood inspection, so pretty linear.
I'm allowed inside the ring so I can get as close as I want pretty much..
I wonder how fast I can shoot with the flash.. I love the 7D cause I can just press the shutter when I see the horse close to take off, and I release when the horse lands... and in between I know I have my perfect shot Will test with the flash, but pretty sure it will slow it down...
Oh and I only have the built-in flash, which is not very powerful and I'll still stand about 30 feet at least away from the jumping horse..

on camera flash probably wont cut it.. need a good off camera flash, hopefully with a external battery pack to cut recycle times....

You didn't mention the allowed proximity in your previous posts.... if you can get that close, see if you can find something like the 24-70 2.8... that might be more useful.

 

[EquineArt]

Ok got the exact dimensions of the covered arena: 125 x 250...
Still need to make some test shots..

I want to stay away from anything wide-angle, because it is usually not flattering to the horse's conformation...

 

[imagemaker46]

Are you sure that you will be allowed to use a flash, I would be concerned as a rider that it would spook the horse. The 70-200 2.8 is a little heavier than some of the cheaper lenses, but on the upside it is the best lens you'll ever have to own. I understand that the owning part is out of the question. If you can get away with something shorter do so, but also remember when you start shooting too loose you will end up losing some detail especially at a higher iso and shooting at 1.2-2.8, as wellyou'll be losing alot of the dof at 1.2, I really won't go below 2.8, even just that little extra depth will make a difference.

 

[Big Mike]

The 70-200mm F2.8 L IS, is certainly a big & heavy lens. It's one of my primary wedding lenses and after a long day of shooting, you really feel it.

If you have to rent a lens and the 70-200mm is out of reach, then I'd suggest the 85mm F1.8 or maybe the 135mm F2.0.
I don't think the 85mm F1.2 is a great option, and also, if the deposit is related to the sale price, then this one would probably be out of reach as well....it is a $2200 lens.

 

[Overread17 5]

Are you sure that you will be allowed to use a flash, I would be concerned as a rider that it would spook the horse.

Modern days everyone might well have a point and shoot and many horses will likely have been photographed with the flash going off probably only moments after birth. However this does not diminish the point that flash is something which can spook a horse and its one of the things that you'll often find is barred from horse shows and events (eg racing). Even if you are only taking a photo of one horse flash is something you want to be careful about using.
I would assume for an event like this you'd probably not be allowed flash - especially if you are using the much larger speedlite design flash units. However the 7D can run its ISO pretty high and, provided you get a good exposure and run some noise reduction in editing you should be fine with getting photos.

You might want to send a pm to View Profile: gsgary - Photography Forum & Digital Photography Forum as he does a fair bit of equine photography (both with and without flash).

 

[KBM1016]

You can rent the 70-200mm f 2.8 here:
LensRentals.com - Rent a Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

I rented it to shoot baton twirling indoors and got some GREAT shots. I also didn't have to clean my pockets to rent it. No flash was used at all during the whole week.

(This is one of the shots I got with the lens indoors. Lighting was HORRIBLE!!!! I was contracted to work for the company so I don't have the original image to post, just the link to the proofs. I took a crapload of pictures the whole week)
PhotoReflect - McDilda Photography - 2011 USTA Arkansas July 13 3Baton Finals (2)

 

[Overread17 5]

*locking duplicate thread*

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