On easter sunday we are having a large family group shot taken and i’m the photographer in the family so i am taking the shot. I have a nikon d40 with a 200mm and 18-55mm lens that it comes with. Which lens should i get for a large(50+) group family shot?
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buy a wide angle lens.
this seems like a good one!
I’d recommend something like this Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 wide angle zoom.
It has the built-in motor and will autofocus with your D40 perfectly. With your 1.5x crop factor, this will effectively give you a 15-30mm lens, perfect for large groups and scenics.
The Nikon equilalent, the 12-24mm f/4 is an excellent lens, but much more expensive.
Here’s one review of several lenses in your range.
Here are some photos taken with a Sigma 10-20mm.
In my opinion, it’s a reasonably price optic for your d40 kit that will give you plenty of great photo opportunities. Avoid fisheye or add-on lenses that mount on the front of your existing lens. Those severely compromise your photo quality.
I hope this helps.
I would take a look into a factory wide angle lens or wide angle zoom or a Tamron lens. A Tamron lens could offer you something the Nikon does not, I own a couple for my 35mm & DSLRs.
You can compare specs. all at along with prices, reviwes, etc.
Yes, the 18-55 is the best lens … get a step-stool so you can get up high enough to capture all their faces.
If you look through your 200mm lens, you will notice it is far too long unless you plan on shooting from 50 meters away.
Just a note on third-party lenses:
From Ken Rockwell:
“Nikon often includes secret features in cameras and in lenses to make them compatible with the next five years or so of secretly planned technology.
For instance, the 1988 F4 is completely compatible with AF-I and AF-S lenses which didn’t appear until 1992 and 1998.
Nikon AI lenses in 1977 already had secret lugs on the back which couple lens information to cameras for Matrix metering, not introduced until the FA of 1983.
Zoom AF lenses, ever since they were introduced in 1986, have always had focal length encoders which insert data into today’s digital cameras’ EXIF data.
AF lenses of today (mockingly even the G versions) still have mechanical lugs for backwards compatibility with the matrix meter of the 1983 FA, and manual focus lenses still have prongs for coupling to the 1959 F. ”
There is no way a third-party lens maker can know what these proprietary technological features are.
what you have is fine unless you are sitting in the nose bleed section and they are on the field.
OK, you’re looking at shooting a pretty large group, but you’re asking about buying a new lens to get one shot? I’m pretty sure that would be a several hundred dollar decision that you’d come to regret. Now if you need to shoot 50 people from 10 ft away, you probably don’t have the right lens, but assuming you have some ability to back away from the group, the 18-55 should give you a wide enough perspective to capture the whole group at the 18mm setting.
