[2kaccordocoupe]

Hi All,
I'm heading to Detroit this weekend for the autoshow. What lens would work best in that situation / lighting? Ideally I want to take 1 lens so that I don't have to carry gear all day long.

I have a Nikon D90, and here is the glass I own.

NIKON AF-S 17-55MM F2.8 IF ED
NIKON DX VR 18-200 F3.5-5.6 AF-S LENS
NIKON DX NIKKOR AF 10.5MM F2.8 FISHEYE

My co-workers also have lenses that I could borrow if none of the above apply.

The show is pretty crowded and to get pics you will have to be pretty close to the cars. The 10.5mm fisheye is cool, very wide however I don't want every pic to look like that.

The 18-200 is my general all purpose lens however due to the indoor lighting it may not be fast enough.

I'm leaning toward the 17-55, it's wide enough, fast response time and a decent zoom for an autoshow.

Thoughts? Thx

[UdubBadger]

+1 on the 17-55mm

fast lens and good so you can shoot a little closer to the cars w/o people walking in front of you.

[BMW F22]

Another vote for the 17-55. The 2.8 will definitely come in handy and since you're shooting a show, you don't need much reach.

[remmib]

Go with the 17-55 2.8 for sure.

[Teshi]

I would take the 17-55 2.8

Short FL's should get you away with 1/20th without major shake issues. Ideally I would recommend an external flash too.

I covered the whole London Motor Show with Canon's 24-105L f4L IS and even during dim points, f4 and IS/VR was good enough but that being said, was using an external flash also. Take them both, takes about 20 secs to change lenses.

[2kaccordocoupe]

Thanks for the input folks. Much appreciated.
I'm going to throw the D90 w/17-55 around my neck and enjoy the show

The only downside to that lens is that it is pretty long. If for some reason I need to use the pop-up flash it will not work that great. The lens will block the flash resulting in a dark spot right in the middle of the picture

I have an SB-600 however I don't think I will need to bring it as I should be able to adjust the camera settings to avoid using the flash in general right?

[Subw00er]

id personally bring the 18-200 and a flash

[2kaccordocoupe]

Originally Posted by Takashi

You should be able to get away without the flash but I would bring it along just in case. The lighting in car shows are definitely not the best and the external flash can help shred light in 'shadows'.

If you are really into it, just bring your gear to a car dealership and try it out. Usually you can get an idea what lens you need/want to bring after taking a few shots. With some luck you might get to test drive a car as well.

Good idea. I will hit up a dealer tonight to try and replicate the scenario. Thx

[FStop7]

Take the 17-55 and the fisheye

[2kaccordocoupe]

Originally Posted by FStop7

Take the 17-55 and the fisheye

The fisheye would be ideal to get some good interior shots

[Teshi]

I was gonna post some later but these are all external flash. No harsh shadows!

Press Day - London Motor Show 2008








Some you can tell where I bounced but I tend to use a bounce card also.

All with a image stabilised lens and had an easy time. Only time I had to stop and rest was batteries in the flash.

[asdflkijd]

I know its not mentioned in one of the OP's lenses but what about the 50mm 1.8? I'm going to the upcoming NY autoshow in april and the two lenses I have are the 50mm prime and 28-135mm

[Teshi]

Originally Posted by asdflkijd

I know its not mentioned in one of the OP's lenses but what about the 50mm 1.8? I'm going to the upcoming NY autoshow in april and the two lenses I have are the 50mm prime and 28-135mm

On a xxxD or xxD series, its just too narrow. If you wan a full shot of a car, side, three quarters or head on, you will want a lot of space. Its good for selection shots and low light but with the amount of people about, a good zoom will serve you well.

With the 50mm once you have backed up, remember the amount of people that will walk through you view.