Lens for indoor backdrop photos

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lizat
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Lens for indoor backdrop photos

Post by lizat »

I need advice for a lens to use taking indoor backdrop photos at a horseshow. I have the canon 70-200mm but am wondering if there is something where I don't have to stand so far away from my subject and it doesn't distort the horse.
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Carien Schippers
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Re: Lens for indoor backdrop photos

Post by Carien Schippers »

Liza,
the only way you can avoid distortion at the wider focal lengths is to shoot a true parallel/profile view of the horse. anything else shot too wide will result in distortion.
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lizat
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Re: Lens for indoor backdrop photos

Post by lizat »

So I should stay with the 70-200mm then? Or is there another lens that will work where I don't need to stand so far away from the horse? Like the 50mm? I've read that anything under 100mm will distort...

Thanks,
Liza
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shapack
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Re: Lens for indoor backdrop photos

Post by shapack »

The 50mm is a fine portrait lens. Reread Carien's post about avoiding distortion.
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StephenCrowers
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Re: Lens for indoor backdrop photos

Post by StephenCrowers »

Liza,

To put it another way: it's the standing so far back that avoids distortion. The focal length of the lens just helps us match the framing to that distance. Any closer and the distance between the lens and the front of the horse gets too close to the distance between the front and rear of the horse (which gives you perspective distortion).
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Robert Bruss Photography
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Re: Lens for indoor backdrop photos

Post by Robert Bruss Photography »

Liza, what camera body are you using, a full frame DSLR or one with a crop factor? My Canon has a crop factor of 1.3x so shooting at 70 mm with my Canon would be the same as shooting at 91 mm with a full-frame DSLR. In light of Stephen's post, if I filled the frame at 70 mm with my Canon I'd have to stand farther from the subject (producing less perspective distorton) than if I filled the frame with the subject using the same length lens on a full-frame body.
Here's an article about crop factor.
http://www.digital-photography-school.c ... -explained
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