things to shoot babies (and other things that are not babies)

luisspellcast

i've followed a guide to stay home, to help me save a bit of money for either holidays or new glass-- since i'm completely anti-social i decided to spent it on glass--

i've decided to go for "Sigma 70-200mm f2.8 APO EX DG Macro II Lens For Nikon Digital & Film SLR Cameras"

amazon dudes said they could ship one to me for 850 quid so the obvious questions follow:

-- has anyone seen the lens above for a cheaper price (not interested in 2nd hand or refurbished gear) ?

-- has anyone tested this with the D3100 and any special concerns ?

-- is it worth it to save the extra 300 quid for the next version of the lens (with VR i think) ?

thanks much in advance--

luisspellcast

meh -- should be on it's way -- we'll see how this played out -- thanks for all the help anyways -- much appreciated

(can lock the topic)

magicbastarder

why did you go for a zoom with long telephoto capability to shoot babies?
they're small, but not necessarily far away.

samhail

It did sound a bit unusual alright... which zoom lens to i need to take photos of babies...

lisatiffany

I tend to find with babies and small kids that as long as you tilt your flashgun away you can use any lens you want and it won't really phase them. I usually bounce the flash off a white ceiling and they don't even blink. I'd use a telephoto if I wanted to soften the background behind the subject but you should be okay at a close enough distance.

As for VR I have it on a few lens and I'll be honest a lot of the time it makes little or no difference, you should be okay with just a camera and tripod. Anyways do post the results if you get a chance, I'm curious to see what a zoomed in baby looks like.

luisspellcast

hey there--

apologies for not using plain straightforward english in the first place--

to explain the reason for a telephoto, i like to shoot subjects as away as possible so i don't intimidate them-- not everybody feels comfortable in front of the lenses and i've been using friends to model for me--

i was more interested in the (un)answered questions but since i've ordered the lens it doesn't really make much of a difference anymore

but, thanks anyways

ThOnda

Sorry, I am using proper camera (Canon), so don't have experience with toys

Carter P Fly

I'd have bought the nikkor version, If you keep an eye out you could have picked one up second hand for the same money as the sigma and its by far the better lens.

But as you said, you've already bought the sigma so its a moot point.

The Snipe

Well, if you want to stay away as to not intimidate them, then you are going the wrong way about it IMHO! Considering the size of a 70-200 it'd scare the bejaysus out of the poor baby!


Why not invest in a good sharp Prime? They are smaller and don't look as evil!

Or, even better... sell your gear and buy Canon *







*May or may not be joking.

lisatiffany

Not a lot of love for Nikon in here

PCPhoto

ah there's loads of love for Nikon...Sony ...Panasonic and all the other lesser brands (Joking !!)

Seriously ...there is no hatred for Nikon (at least from me) - I'm a Canon user for around 15years and have been tempted to switch but never been brave enough to try.

ThOnda

PCPhoto wrote: »

... have been tempted to switch ...

TRAITOR!!!

There are no bad cameras (DSLRs) now. Maybe working with somebody for a while and having the chance to borrow few lenses before making the decision, or another decision, could help you. Try to see what fits your style and process.

luisspellcast

... and that concludes my opinion about the photography forum, and how useful and helpful it could be...

... failed attempt of humor, i admit, but when you ask how a lens performs and you're told to switch brands altogether i believe either you're not in the right place, not asking the right questions or just being plain unlucky with the answers...

... plenty other places to ask for a glass of water so i'll be giving this one a miss..

Promac

luisspellcast wrote: »

... and that concludes my opinion about the photography forum, and how useful and helpful it could be...

... failed attempt of humor, i admit, but when you ask how a lens performs and you're told to switch brands altogether i believe either you're not in the right place, not asking the right questions or just being plain unlucky with the answers...

... plenty other places to ask for a glass of water so i'll be giving this one a miss..

You might have gotten a better answer if you'd posted in the right place or read the forum rules or FAQ or just not ignored the very first post in this sub-forum that's about which gear to buy.

But as you said yourself, in the very first reply, you already bought the lens so no further help was required - everything after that was just banter.

Tl;dr - jog on.

ronanc15

luisspellcast wrote: »

... and that concludes my opinion about the photography forum, and how useful and helpful it could be...

... failed attempt of humor, i admit, but when you ask how a lens performs and you're told to switch brands altogether i believe either you're not in the right place, not asking the right questions or just being plain unlucky with the answers...

... plenty other places to ask for a glass of water so i'll be giving this one a miss..

This is easily one of the most helpful forums on boards, ridiculous amount of knowledge/opinions shared here on a daily basis. As Promac mentioned your 2nd post stated no further help was required. Theres regularly a bit of Canon v Nikon banter.

No point asking for opinions if you're not open to a bit of banter. Robotic no craic replies FTL

The Snipe

Not to mention, its also one of the most popular forums on Boards