Is a 24-70mm f/2.8 on a Nikon D90 suitable for a first studio portrait shoot?
Asked 3/1/2011
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I have a Nikon D90 and recently bought a 24-70mm f/2.8, mainly because I plan to move to a D3 later. I have my first studio portrait shoot next week and want to know if the 24-70mm should be my main lens, or if my other lenses would be better. I also have an 18-105mm and a 50mm f/1.8.
The studio already has Scoro A4S lighting with a 3-light setup (3200 J total). I also own an SB-700 speedlight. Should I plan to use the SB-700 as well, or will the studio strobes be enough? Is there anything important I should check in advance?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
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If you are doing portraits (and it looks as though you are), then a 24-70 on a cropped sensor should be ideal, as it will be the equivalent of a short telephoto, which is generally recommended for portraits. I'm going to guess that you meant 50mm f/1.8, not 55mm? The 50mm is also a very good choice, and between those you should be good.
As far as lighting goes, it won't hurt to have your flash there, so I'd take it, but you might not actually need to use it.
Originally by user67. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user67
15y ago
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Yes — a 24-70mm f/2.8 on a Nikon D90 is a solid choice for studio portraits. On the D90’s crop sensor, that zoom covers a useful portrait range, including short-telephoto focal lengths that are commonly recommended for flattering portraits. Your 50mm f/1.8 is also a good option, so between those two you should be well covered.
You probably won’t need the SB-700 if the studio already has a 3-light strobe setup, but it doesn’t hurt to bring it. The most important thing to confirm before the shoot is how your camera will trigger the studio strobes — make sure the studio has compatible triggers, sync cables, or another firing method for your Nikon. Without that, the lights may be unusable.
So: use the 24-70mm as your main lens, keep the 50mm available, bring the SB-700 as a backup, and verify strobe triggering ahead of time.
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