Suggestions of what to shoot with my newly acquired EF 200 f2 L IS USM?

[Deleted member 55]

Hi all!

Just got it yesterday.

It replaces my EF 200 MM f1.8 L USM that I sold while the getting was good, $1100 profit from purchase cost.

I sold the 1.8 since Cannon no-longer supports repairs for it.

Here it is!

Now what to shoot to push the limits of it's capabilities.

Any suggestions please of what to shoot to demonstrate what it's limits are.

 

[Daniel Buck]

I usually buy a lens based on what I want to shoot, what did you buy it to shoot?

Me, I like using long lens for landscapes, mountain ranges and ridges and stuff where it compresses the ridges together and you get a nice atmospheric effect. I don't have a 200, but I use my 135 and my 400 for landscapes (and sometimes a 300). Also good for shooting details in canyons. This is the type of stuff I like shooting with long lenses:

 

[Asher Kelman]

For me:

Now an idea would be loan it to me to use the extra resolution and contrast for my low light stage work, shooting from the back of a concert hall. Currently, I use the 70-200 2.8L S at f4.0 to 5.0 for all my stage work. I am fearful of losing DOF for wide shots so, when the camera and lens are locked in the Sound Blimp, I have no access to the aperture and speed controls.

One could of course drill an extra hole in the Sound Blimp casing for a cable and shoot tethered to a laptop and when one zooms in, open the aperture and increase the speed or decrease the ISO. However, having a 200 f 2.0 fine lens for the close ups of individuals could really improve the quality of the images.

If I had the 200 2.0 L IS, I'd use it for the indvidual dancers or musicians. I'd dedicate a second body with my 50 mm 1.2 at f 4.5 to cover the entire stage use the 200 f2.0 at 2.0 with the advantage of a lower ISO or higher speed for isolated dancers or musicians where greater DOF is not needed.

For you:

I know you like to take picture of folk in the street at dusk with your Norman portable lights. This new lens opens options for available low light shooting, perfect for portraits of street folk on Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles at dusk. All you need is one lens, the 1D Mark 1V and a back brace!

Asher

 

[Deleted member 55]

Hi Daniel.

Cool Photos.

I usually buy a lens based on what I want to shoot, what did you buy it to shoot?

The same stuff I have shot with the 1.8, Bar Bands, stage performances, plus the added benifit of IS so using my 1.4X and 2X teleconverters are viable where the were not on the non IS lens as well as replacing my 300 f2.8 IS thus only having to carry one lens.

The question was no what to shoot but what to shoot to push the limits of the lens's capabilities!!!!!!

 

[Asher Kelman]

I usually buy a lens based on what I want to shoot, what did you buy it to shoot?

Me, I like using long lens for landscapes, mountain ranges and ridges and stuff where it compresses the ridges together and you get a nice atmospheric effect. I don't have a 200, but I use my 135 and my 400 for landscapes (and sometimes a 300). Also good for shooting details in canyons. This is the type of stuff I like shooting with long lenses:

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Daniel,

I particularly like this wonderfully clear effect with great sharp transitions. Presumably it's atmospheric pollution and or moisture that gives these color effects over large distances. What's so impressive here is the color and contrast is just right. To what extent does this depend on the qualty of an L lens?

This mage is perfectly clear. One of the issues I struggle with is the very qualities of the atmosphere that makes the previous shot beautiful can degrade the kind of close up you have here. Do you ever use an external filter to cut though haze for this type of shot or you picked a clear day?

Asher

 

[Daniel Buck]

The question was no what to shoot but what to shoot to push the limits of the lens's capabilities!!!!!!

hm.... a brick wall? that's what most folks use ;-) haha!

I particularly like this wonderfully clear effect with great sharp transitions. Presumably it's atmospheric pollution and or moisture that gives these color effects over large distances. What's so impressive here is the color and contrast is just right. To what extent does this depend on the qualty of an L lens?

Smog for sure :-D I love what smog & smoke does to sunsets, absolutely beautiful! as for the quality of the lens, at these distances with all the temperature changes, you're probably not going to get a razor sharp image anyway, so I guess it wouldn't really matter much. Guess I should have read his post again, didn't quite get that he was looking for something to test the limits with.

This mage is perfectly clear. One of the issues I struggle with is the very qualities of the atmosphere that makes the previous shot beautiful can degrade the kind of close up you have here. Do you ever use an external filter to cut though haze for this type of shot or you picked a clear day?

Clear hot day in Death Valley, this lens was a 300/2.8 Nikon (on a Canon, oh noes! haha!), it does have a UV filter inside of it and the lens-hood extended, but other than that no filter, just a clear day and some contrast punched in the RAW conversion.

 

[Asher Kelman]

.........
The question was no what to shoot but what to shoot to push the limits of the lens's capabilities!!!!!!

Once the lens is in one's hands one has the ability to do things very differently.

So ideas on what to shoot are good to have! Frankly, I do not use long lenses enough for landscapes and should do that! Thankls Daniel.

When one has a long fast lens of ths quality of the 300 2.8 L IS or the 200 2.0 L IS, one might alter one's approach to the full length portrait in low light. I now realize with full length portraits, f 2.0 suddenly becomes capable of providing adequate DOF. That's a new thought for me.

Asher

 

[Kathy Rappaport]

Beauty and Fashion

Hey Will

That lens is totally a portrait lens. Let's take it to the my favorite portrait spot and shoot some portraits. It's too long for my studio, but, we could do some outdoor portraits with that and my 135 2.0

 

[Asher Kelman]

Hey Will

That lens is totally a portrait lens. Let's take it to the my favorite portrait spot and shoot some portraits. It's too long for my studio, but, we could do some outdoor portraits with that and my 135 2.0

Kathy,

Thinking about this lens, if one owns such a gem then I figure that we have a new way of defining the minimum working distance for portrait photography head shots is 6 ft and about 12 feet if we want full length shots. I am limited by lack of depth of my studio and it's an excuse to get a large space!

I have to use the 24-105mm or the 50mm 1.3 L as the 70-200 is too tight for my space.

Will wants to know how one might use the lens wide open, taking advantage of it's fine optics what new subjects or ways of shooting come to mind.

For me it's the well known advantage of moving away from the subject to decrease accentuation of features that occurs with the 50mm lens. Not very original, I admit, but with this lens it should give stellar portraits with a very pleasant bokeh. This would be a wonderful "boudoir" lens too and I'm saying that with a straight face, knowing that you do such work, Kathy! Trouble is you might take a long time paying for it!

Asher

 

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

Any suggestions please of what to shoot to demonstrate what it's limits are.

Hi Will,

Congrats on the deal. The addition of IS is something you might want to explore the limits of. Of course it's hard to do an objective test, but perhaps shooting 10 without, and 10 with IS, at a slow shutterspeed will give an idea of the improvement in keeper rate. You can also test it before and after a strong cup of java ;-)

I agree with Kathy, portraits are a useful area of use because the background features get larger and blurrier than with wider angle lenses. The negative for portraits may be the increased distance between photographer and model, it's harder to keep the inter-personal contact during the session.

Another test can be close-up photography, using an extention ring or an extender can help in getting even closer. The shallow depth of field will be complemented with even blurrier backgrounds.

Cheers,
Bart

 

[Doug Kerr]

I no longer have the strength to lift such a thing (I have enough trouble with my 70-200 f/2.8L IS) so I am content to leave the exploits up to my young friend Will.

But I suspect it is well suited for the photography of larger birds (in flight, if necessary).

Best regards,

Doug

 

[Asher Kelman]

With extenders!

I no longer have the strength to lift such a thing (I have enough trouble with my 70-200 f/2.8L IS) so I am content to leave the exploits up to my young friend Will.

But I suspect it is well suited for the photography of larger birds (in flight, if necessary).

Doug,

I was thinking of uses with the extenders. If you win the lottery then you can buy yourself a gimbal too!

Adding the x1.4 one has a very respectable long portrait lens with wonderful compression. With just the x2 instead the resulting 400 mm f 4.0 would be great for landscapes of the type Daniel made with compression of the haze colored hills and birds in flight. With both one has a 560mm monster for paparazzi pictures or catching bears across a river.

The quality would degrade a tad but I'd imagine it would deliver better contrast than the 70-200 with the same extender/s.

Asher

 

[Kathy Rappaport]

Tripod

Wouldn't you want to shoot that lens on a tripod?

I bought a new tripod today because I am studying with a photographer this weekend and we are required to shoot on on. My old Manfrotto was entry level.

Will you might like that new Gitzo Carbon fiber and ball head.

 

[Deleted member 55]

Hi kat.

Hard to use a tripod in a bar, too many drunks, thats what "IS" is for.

Here is a link to my first posted photos with this lens.

HOT ROCKER BABE!