[charlestm]

I need a lens recommendation. Whatever lens you help me choose, I'll probably try to rent the lens for a few days before buying.

I have a shoot coming up in October. It takes place at halftime, in a well-lighted stadium, at night. I will be shooting a group of people who will be positioned approximately 12 people wide and 3 rows deep .... 26 people total. I'll be using a K-3. I'll only have 20 minutes to get this right.

I need to make sure that the people on the ends are just as in-focus as the people in the middle. I also would prefer to minimize the grain. And, if I can help it, I'd prefer not to use a flash (but am open to that).

So, I'm looking for a lens that is perfect for this situation, but also I'm looking for any tips in setting up this shot.

Thanks in advance.

[Bcrary3]

What about the Sigma 35mm f/1.4?

[charlestm]

What about the Sigma 35mm f/1.4?

Is the angle of view on that lens wide enough to capture 12 people wide, and is it capable of a depth of field to handle three rows of people deep (at f1.4)?

[Stavri]

I'd recommend the Sigma Art 18-35mm f1.8, flexible wide angle zoom and as sharp as any prime, It's overall a great low light performer. Watch out for the spectacular highlights though during your compositions. (they render "funny" on the Sigma)

[Driline]

The DA*16-50 of course.

[Bcrary3]

The Pentax 12-24 f/4 is a good one too.

[bschriver11]

One would need to know the distance between camera a subjects in order to recommend a good focal length.How much room do you have to work?I'm no expert but if possible i'd choose a longer focal length like a 50mm or even the DA 70 f/2.4 and back up a little,they would give you a little more even resoloution and less distortion than most ultra wide lenses.

[johnyates]

One would need to know the distance between camera a subjects in order to recommend a good focal length

That's exactly right. More distance is better than close up. If you have a 50mm and enough space, go for it. Otherwise the 'plastic fantastic 35mm 2.4' would be an excellent choice. Shooting groups with a wide angle lens can be problematic due to distortion.

Use a tripod. Stop down to at least 5.6. Your lighting should permit a reasonable shutter speed to stop subject movement even if it's too slow for hand held. Focus with live view.

[charlestm]

One would need to know the distance between camera a subjects in order to recommend a good focal length.How much room do you have to work?I'm no expert but if possible i'd choose a longer focal length like a 50mm or even the DA 70 f/2.4 and back up a little,they would give you a little more even resoloution and less distortion than most ultra wide lenses.

I've got plenty of room to work with, so consider distance from subject to be whatever I need.

[clackers]

36 subjects!

You should try to get above them somehow.

A 'well lit sports stadium' is still poorly lit by day standards. Forget a fast lens, though, you have depth of field requirements. Hence, you would probably want two flashes on stands, either side of you.

Since you only have 20 minutes (and that's generous, your models' moods will change as you fumble with settings and retakes) you should somehow do your trial and error stuff beforehand ... earlier in the evening before people arrive, or even earlier in the week if you can get access to the venue.

[mee]

Shoot DNG or PEF in case it ends up being too dark and you need to raise the shadows or exposure overall in Post. Additionally, If possible, I'd recommend you visit the stadium ahead of time and try some sample photos.. even if it is during the day you can at least determine the focal length that will work for you --- just take your kit lens and frame out the 12 wide setting.

Also, if this is a small stadium such as for a High School, the lighting might seem bright, but might not be nearly as bright as you think... plus the direction of the light tends to be angled more onto the playing field and not the bleachers (nasty shadows).

If anything, I'd rather have too wide of a lens than too narrow.. at least if it is too wide you can crop and get everyone in the shot, even if the quality of the shot is reduced somewhat.

Alternatively, if you do end up getting a lens that is too narrow and only realize this when you get there dont panic! turn the camera 90 degrees and shoot a panorama, leaving a good 1/3 of the frame overlapping in each shot and then stitch together in post.

At least this is what I'd do (me being amateur) if I was facing such a situation and needed to troubleshoot on the fly!

[Bcrary3]

I've got plenty of room to work with, so consider distance from subject to be whatever I need.

If you have plenty of room, I would suggest anywhere between 35mm and 70mm. There are an array of spectacular lenses you can get in this range anywhere from the old FA/FA* lenses to the Pentax limited's.

The DA* 55 f/1.4 is a great one, as is the FA 77mm f/1.8, the 43mm f/1.9 is a good one on a budget, really my suggestion is go to like B&H and just look through the lenses and read the reviews. It also depends on what else you will be using it for, because it doesn't make any sense to buy a lense for this one application and never need it again. What else do you like to photograph?

[charlestm]

If you have plenty of room, I would suggest anywhere between 35mm and 70mm. There are an array of spectacular lenses you can get in this range anywhere from the old FA/FA* lenses to the Pentax limited's.

The DA* 55 f/1.4 is a great one, as is the FA 77mm f/1.8, the 43mm f/1.9 is a good one on a budget, really my suggestion is go to like B&H and just look through the lenses and read the reviews. It also depends on what else you will be using it for, because it doesn't make any sense to buy a lense for this one application and never need it again. What else do you like to photograph?

I probably should have started this thread by telling everyone what lenses I already own.

I have these lenses already: Pentax 35mm f/2.4, Pentax 50mm f/1.8, Pentax 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3, Pentax 18-55mm kit lens, Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8, Sigma 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6

To be honest, in addition to this low-light group shot, I had been shopping for a nice short range, wide angle, "walkin' around" lens anyway, so depending on the feedback in this thread, I thought maybe I'd kill two birds with one stone.

[chickenandavocado]

I second the suggestion on 2 flashes. I think that is more of a consideration than choosing fast lenses due to dof

[RGlasel]

You mentioned people three rows deep. I second the suggestion to position yourself at least a little bit above the people you are taking pictures of. Maybe you can use a staircase. My second recommendation is to not go wider than 35mm if at all possible. Unless you are shooting on the field, you won't have enough space to get everyone in the frame with 70mm or longer, but with edge to edge people at a wide angle, everyone will look like they have fat legs, broad noses and flat faces. And by all means, use two auxiliary light sources, firstly to get consistent colour on everyone, and secondly to eliminate shadows. I've seen a couple dozen large group shots taken outdoors in bright daylight that were basically ruined by shadows across faces, so bad it was hard to recognize people. And your models won't like it if they don't clearly show up in the picture. Even if there is adequate lighting on a concourse at this stadium, the ambient light will come from bright fixtures spaced relatively far apart.