Need to Borrow

LiquidOps · May 13, 2005

Greetings all. I don't know how far fetched this is going to be, but here it goes anyway.

My sister is Graduating from High School toward the end of June. I really want to get some awesome pictures for her, but am quite limited on my equipment at the moment. I currently have a 717 with Sony 1.7tcon, but it's just not enough reach.

How would I go about, if possible, borrowing a 20d or something with some more reach?

I don't know anyone personally who has one to even ask.

Please advise.... I can't miss this opportunity... her graduating is HUGE!

Thanks in Advance,
Steven

ian408 · May 13, 2005

LiquidOps wrote:

Greetings all. I don't know how far fetched this is going to be, but here it goes anyway.

My sister is Graduating from High School toward the end of June. I really want to get some awesome pictures for her, but am quite limited on my equipment at the moment. I currently have a 717 with Sony 1.7tcon, but it's just not enough reach.

How would I go about, if possible, borrowing a 20d or something with some more reach?

I don't know anyone personally who has one to even ask.

Please advise.... I can't miss this opportunity... her graduating is HUGE!

Thanks in Advance,
Steven

Are there any local camera stores that you might rent from in the off chance
you can't find a loaner?

Ian

LiquidOps · May 13, 2005

ian408 wrote:

Are there any local camera stores that you might rent from in the off chance
you can't find a loaner?

Ian

I have no idea... i've never done this sort of thing before...

I just know it means a lot, and i want to do it.

so who here has one to loan me?

hehe

wxwax · May 13, 2005

Have you figured out the mm lens range you'll need to surpass what you have with your 717?

I'm wondering if it might not be a honking great lens.

LiquidOps · May 13, 2005

wxwax wrote:

Have you figured out the mm lens range you'll need to surpass what you have with your 717?

I'm wondering if it might not be a honking great lens.

Right now I'm at a 38-190, not including the 1.7 tcon

I know there is going to be movement and such, so I'm looking for something a little quicker than my sony 717.

Thoughts? Comments? Ideas?

Thanks,

Steven

gus · May 13, 2005

ian408 wrote:

Are there any local camera stores that you might rent from in the off chance
you can't find a loaner?

Ian

Im with ian because the camera is great sure but its the lens/s thats going to do the work here. If you can hire then you really need to look at a good lens or 2 to hire also. This will make it for you.

Gus

dragon300zx · May 13, 2005

Gus knows what he speaks. He has some glass that I only wish I had the budget for.

LiquidOps · May 13, 2005

dragon300zx wrote:

Gus knows what he speaks. He has some glass that I only wish I had the budget for.

That's the thing. I know my camera can't support bigger lense, for longer reach, so that is my reason for looking for body and lense together.

I'm starting to think that this is far fetched, but I'm open to ideas.

Thanks,

Steven

wxwax · May 13, 2005

LiquidOps wrote:

Right now I'm at a 38-190, not including the 1.7 tcon

I know there is going to be movement and such, so I'm looking for something a little quicker than my sony 717.

Thoughts? Comments? Ideas?

Thanks,

Steven

So you'll be looking at borrowing the body and a 70-200 and a 300 lens or maybe a 100-400 lens.

Hate to say it, but that's a lot of tru$t!

LiquidOps · May 13, 2005

wxwax wrote:

So you'll be looking at borrowing the body and a 70-200 and a 300 lens or maybe a 100-400 lens.

Hate to say it, but that's a lot of tru$t!

yeah... well aware...

I'm thinking I'm just going to push the limits of my 717 for this one.

I don't think I will have the ability to walk around.... maybe i'll just cross my fingers

Thanks anyway guys... guess I didn't know what I was really asking

::sigh::

Steven

patch29 · May 13, 2005

LiquidOps wrote:

I have no idea... i've never done this sort of thing before...

I just know it means a lot, and i want to do it.

so who here has one to loan me? hehe

There are rental links here from PDN.

dragon300zx · May 13, 2005

Sweet patch I needed that link.

gus · May 13, 2005

Tell you what waxy...one thing stayed im my head in the 1st few moments of meeting you when you said "be carefull with that 135 f/2 as unless you have good lock on the image...then depth of field will be a worry at f/2 for a new owner" & mate you were dead right...i did lose quite a few shots due to that exact thing.

Like giving a teenager a 6 pack & a V8....you need the learning curve more than the money. After maybe 300-400 shots through it at variyng light & subjects i think ive got it now but to just hire one without putting several hundred shots through it could be worse than using the equipment you are familiar with.

Gus

LiquidOps · May 13, 2005

Thanks for the link patch

I just did some research on prices and such, and this looks a tad too expensive....

oh well... gonna hope for the best with my current set up.

Thanks again guys,

Steven

wxwax · May 13, 2005

Humungus wrote:

Tell you what waxy...one thing stayed im my head in the 1st few moments of meeting you when you said "be carefull with that 135 f/2 as unless you have good lock on the image...then depth of field will be a worry at f/2 for a new owner" & mate you were dead right...i did lose quite a few shots due to that exact thing.

Like giving a teenager a 6 pack & a V8....you need the learning curve more than the money. After maybe 300-400 shots through it at variyng light & subjects i think ive got it now but to just hire one without putting several hundred shots through it could be worse than using the equipment you are familiar with.

Gus

Forgot I said that Gus, but I get burned a lot too. Now I focus on eyes, if the rest is out of focus it doesn't matter quite as much. Lots of focus/recompose, I hate fiddling with buttons!

ian408 · May 13, 2005

LiquidOps wrote:

Thanks for the link patch

I just did some research on prices and such, and this looks a tad too expensive....

oh well... gonna hope for the best with my current set up.

Thanks again guys,

Steven

Give it a go. Just try and sit up close. Or maybe sneak around the side

Ian

tlittleton · May 15, 2005

I found a place when I was in San Diego that rented gear. I was going to rent a few lenses when I was there to get a feel for the differences. The rental price was very low - $25 for an 85mm 1.2 to $60 for a 400mm 2.8 - but the deposits....yikes! :uhoh The deposit was basically the cost of the lens, from $100 to $5000 dollars.

ginger_55 · May 15, 2005

LiquidOps wrote:

yeah... well aware...

I'm thinking I'm just going to push the limits of my 717 for this one.

I don't think I will have the ability to walk around.... maybe i'll just cross my fingers

Thanks anyway guys... guess I didn't know what I was really asking

::sigh::

Steven

I don't think you will need more than you already have. And like they said, as a first time user, bigger equipment would be fun for a day at the park, but to hang a big event on it.........if you were used to paper and crayons, you would be better off going with that.

You will be nervous, etc. It is hard enough remembering all the stuff on a different camera, but when you are nervous.......well, I try to write it all down and I can still screw up.

What do you mean you don't think you will be able to walk around? Do you mean they won't want you to walk around, or it might embarrass your family?
I walk around, always have, I am hard of hearing, like kind of deaf. I have to sit up front or I don't hear. Sometimes I have to be closer than that.
If someone says something I tell them I am deaf. Just tell them you are Deaf. If they look at you like you are nuts, tell them you read lips, and you need to be close to read lips, no matter if there is a loud speaker or not.

But to pull off something like that, remember that I don't get special treatment because I am deaf. They are not going to clear the room for me to sit where I want. So I have to do my part and get there an hour before anybody else. You would be best off doing that, too, IMO. In fact anyone taking photos should 1) know what the venue looks like, and know it pretty well, if it is terribly important, and 2) a list of photos you HOPE to get wouldn't hurt. Lots of wedding photographers have lists for the bride to check off this and that. You could just make up what you want.

I would imagine you won't get them, but it is a start. And you can get some, and that will position you to get others that you have not thought of before the event actually happens.

Well, I started with a brownie camera, then went to Nikon film stuff............then nothing for a yr or two, then a Digital Elph, when they first came out. the 100 or something, then I had the S230, these are Canons, for a few years, before last year when I did get the Rebel, now I have the 20D. Believe me, I would rather have the Canon Elph, if I were still used to it, than I would want to have a camera I was not used to. And the pictures were good, I thought.

People want to see people. They want to look good, that is what counts. And they have to be bigger than a pea.

So get there early, if you want to be in a different spot, move over there and stand. If there are other photographers/parents doing that, no problem. If it is kind of not being done, look to see where you can "hear" better, that will buy you your right to be there. Under the American Disabilities Act. I mean you want to look real, where you could hear better, you could shoot better. I would, personally, get there in time to get a front seat, or close to it. If that all falls apart, I would play it by ear and be aggressive. It is only happening once, so just do what you need to and don't worry about other people.

I might put a different lens on my camera, and I can, but I would not use all different equipment. You cannot imagine the ways I have screwed up with the 20D, without pressure. With pressure, haha, you dont want to find out at an important event.

And why would anyone shoot with the camera lens wide open when the focus is so important? I guess we all choose our way to die in photography. My husband shoots that stuff with a flash. For a big company with a school contract.

They are pretty accepting of cameras and stuff at any graduation I have been to. I do follow definite rules. If there are not photos allowed that is probably because there is a professional there who will sell you a photo of the kid getting the diploma. That is OK with me. But a graduation usually, unless it is a private school or a religious occasion mixed in, they usually let parents do what they want............within reason.

You will be Ok, better than OK, if you just get there early, know your camera and get a photo of the kid, her friends and her family, and have someone take a photo of you.

Bill just came in and I asked him about the graduations. He said he takes candids, with a flash, though you could use your camera without a flash if that is what you are used to. He uses a flash, walks around BEFORE the graduation when all hell is breaking loose and gets the pictures then. He also has access that parents or "people" don't have, but I cannot imagine what that access would be.

His main pictures are BEFORE the graduation. Yes, he makes a rather low paid living at this for a company, so he is a pro and they work with high schools almost exclusively.

There are no photos after the graduation, he says the kids LEAVE, and mine did. At college they were more polite. And Sara graduated from a private school, parochial, she had to go to lunch with us afterwards. My oldest graduated from a public school in the evening. She said "bye" and that was all we saw of her that night.

So get a lot of shots before hand, save some memory for afterwards, in case. Ask people what they expect to have happen, and remember people just want to see themselves and their friends.

If you read this far, you are in good shape. Do NOT use equipment that you can't use with your eyes closed. Stuff with excited kids goes fast. Be there very early. Try to get the kid there early and shoot away every time you see her. How much memory did you say you have?

I use alot, most people think I use too much, but I don't think you can use too much.........memory is important. And check your little window to make sure the shots are going ok, write this stuff down and check it every once in awhile, like I promise myself I am going to do, next time, every time I screw up.

If something is very important, write it on your arm, I would.

ginger

GREAPER · May 15, 2005

Some good advice there Ginger.

ian408 · May 15, 2005

Speaking of writing on your arm... I learned a trick that works pretty well.
If you carry a roll of gaffer's tape (gray), put two strips side by side on
your pant leg. You can write on it with a sharpie or other pen.

Ian