What lens characteristics matter most for candid indoor shooting in ambient light?
Asked 8/10/2015
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2 answers
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I shoot with a Canon 7D and already have lenses I like for outdoor photography. Now I want to do more candid indoor photography using available light rather than controlled lighting. I’m not looking for specific lens recommendations so much as the main attributes to evaluate.
For this kind of shooting, which lens characteristics matter most? For example:
- focal length / field of view
- maximum aperture
- prime vs. zoom
- close focusing distance
- distortion in tight spaces
Since this is on APS-C, I’d especially like to understand what general focal-length range tends to work well indoors for candid people shots.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
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The short of it is that the you will want to look for the same attributes regardless of if the lens is for indoor or outdoor use.
One could argue that the following short list is of special consideration:
- Focal length (you may hit walls and distortion is a big concern)
- Weather sealing (not as important if you never go outside)
- Weight constraints (not as important if you never go far)
I could see aperture being argued either way. If you have full control of the lighting, which is very possible indoors; then aperture is certainly something that is less important to me. But at the same time, a wide aperture may be necessary if you are indoors with low light and cannot control the lighting. You may also desire the depth of field control that a larger aperture provides.
Take a look at the vast array of existing questions related to this:
Originally by user4892. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4892
10y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For candid indoor shooting in ambient light, the two biggest factors are focal length and maximum aperture.
On APS-C, a moderate wide-angle is often the most useful indoors — roughly a 35mm-equivalent field of view, which is about 23mm on your 7D. That’s wide enough for tight rooms, but not so wide that people near the frame edges look distorted. Go much wider and distortion becomes more noticeable; go much longer and you may not have enough working room.
A wide maximum aperture can also be very helpful if the light is low and you can’t control it. It lets in more light and gives you more depth-of-field control. If you do control the lighting, aperture becomes less critical.
Prime vs. zoom is less about indoor vs. outdoor and more about your shooting style. The key is choosing a field of view that suits indoor spaces and a lens fast enough for the available light.
Other factors like weather sealing and weight are generally less important indoors unless they matter to your overall use.
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