Best lens for cosplay event photography on Nikon DX for full-body shots with more background blur
Asked 1/22/2019
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2 answers
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I'm shooting cosplay at crowded outdoor events with a Nikon D3200 (DX). My current lenses are the 18-55mm kit zoom and the Nikon 35mm f/1.8G. I usually need full-body portraits in limited space, often with other people close behind the subject, and I'd like stronger subject separation than the kit lens gives me.
I'm considering lenses often recommended for portraits, like 85mm f/1.8, 24-70mm f/2.8, and 70-200mm, but most advice seems aimed at full-frame or studio use. On DX, those focal lengths may be too tight for full-body shots when I can't step back much.
For this kind of event shooting, what focal length/aperture range makes the most sense on DX if I want full-body cosplay photos with less distracting backgrounds? Is a 17-50mm f/2.8-style zoom a better fit than a 24-70mm on crop sensor?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
7y ago
2 Answers
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If you want something that lets you shoot a person in full while being relatively close and keep a shallow DOF, you need a rather open lens. You also need a short focal length (the shorter that length, the closer you can get and leave the other photographers behind you). My first guess would be a 17-50mm f/2.8 zoom (good and wallet-friendly models from Sigma and Tamron)(this is a DX equivalent to the 24-70mm for FX). The Sigma 17-70 f/2.8-4 would also be at f/2.8 at its wide end and will give you a bit more reach if needed.
But keep in mind that at small focal lengths the DOF increases so your problem is also to keep the subject as close as possible from you and as far as possible from the background.
Originally by user75947. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user75947
7y ago
0
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For crowded cosplay events on DX, a 17-50mm f/2.8-type zoom is likely the best fit. It gives you the useful equivalent range of a 24-70mm on full frame, but starts wide enough for full-body shots when you can’t back up much.
An 85mm f/1.8 on DX will usually be too tight for this use, and a 70-200mm is even less practical in a queue/crowded event setting. A 24-70mm f/2.8 can work, but on DX it may not be wide enough for many full-body compositions in limited space.
That said, aperture alone won’t solve background distractions. To increase blur:
- use the longest focal length that still fits the subject,
- get as close to the subject as practical,
- keep the background as far behind the subject as possible.
Your kit lens can still do decent work if you avoid shooting too wide all the time, since wider focal lengths naturally give deeper depth of field. If you want a clear upgrade for this specific use, look at a DX standard zoom such as a 17-50mm f/2.8; a 17-70mm f/2.8-4 can also be useful if you want a bit more reach.
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