Lenses for dog photography?
This is something I've been curious about for a while.
Since I own, foster, and work with a lot of dogs, they are my main photography subject. The only lens I have at the moment is my Nikkor 18-200mm 3.5-5.6 VR. Pictures of my dogs are taken with the dog leashed, at the long end of my zoom(for nice bokeh) and then the leash is edited out later. I shoot in parks or nice wildlife areas working with natural light, not in a studio.
So I'm curious, to those of you with experience photographing dogs, what kind of lens do you prefer? Zoom lens, or prime? And why do you prefer it? Would a prime lens be something I should look into for photographing dogs?
Added (1). Matt - the reason I shoot on leash is because often times the dogs I photograph are very active Border Collies. When I'm doing a shoot of multiple dogs that just need some generic, pretty photos done(for listing on the website of the rescue) it is much easier to leash the dog and then edit out the leashes in processing.
Why is it that you prefer zoom over prime?
I use a series of zooms and never when the dog is on the leash. I shoot at dog parks where they can go off leash or at home. I get low to the ground for a better point of view and shoot with a shallow DOF to blur out what is often a busy background. I shoot with my 8mm, an 11-16mm 2.8, a 28-80 2.8 and even my 70-200, depending on where I'm and how active the dogs are at that time.
The typical range for a "portrait lens" is 85-100mm. Some used to like 135mm. I would go ahead and shoot with the lens you have until you can save up.
However it will be harder to blur out the background by using the lens because dedicated prime portrait lenses are also made so they have fast apertures, something most zooms don't--until you spend a good chunk of money.
With a zoom lens, you'll automatically have a smaller aperture because that is how the lens is built. I would suggest shooting at 100mm to 150mm to get the dog isolated and blur out the background a bit.
I love to shoot our dog with my Canon 200mm 2.8 prime lens or with 100mm 2.8 macro lens.
Results are brilliant.
Wildlife photography requires telephoto lenses and the professional nature photographers at Mountain Trail Photo.com recommend lenses with focal lengths ranging from 300mm to 600mm. Focal lengths less than 300mm would require the photographer to get too close to the wildlife, putting both the animal and the photographer in danger. Nikon has several long lenses that can be used for wildlife photography.
Nikkor 200-400mm f/4 G IF-ED VR
The auto focus on this lens is "fast and sure," according to noted camera reviewer Ken Rockwell. Because it is a zoom lens, it can save shots you otherwise would miss if you had to change focal lengths. On cameras with a 1.5 crop factor, such as the D300, the lens is the equivalent of a 300-600mm lens. Vibration reduction allows a photographer to use three shutter speeds slower than otherwise would be required to prevent camera shake. There are two drawbacks to the lens-price and weight. The lens cost around $5, 100 as of Jan. 2010, putting it out of reach for many hobbyists. The lens weigh more than seven pounds, making it difficult to carry on long hikes. It could be difficult for some photographers to hand-hold this lens for long periods of time.
Nikon 600mm f/4GED VR
Noted bird photographer Arthur Morris says a 600mm f/4 lens is the premier bird photography lens because of the reach it provides. With shorter telephoto lenses, birds will often look like specks. Nikon's 600mm lens has vibration reduction. The lens also has a detection system which reduces shutter release vibration in tripod-mounted cameras. A tripod is necessary when using this lens because it weighs more than 11 pounds.
Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D VR
The Nikon 80-400mm lens has enough reach to be used for most wildlife photography except birds. It is small and light, making it ideal to use on a long backpacking trip. The lens is a favorite of wildlife photographer Bob Krist, according to Outdoor Photographer's "Choosing Your Tele-Zoom." The lens is ideal for handheld photos of stationary subjects, said Ken Rockwell, an expert on Nikon cameras and lenses. However, Rockwell called the lens the slowest auto-focusing lens ever made by Nikon. The lens is not designed to work well in low-light situations. As of Jan. 2010, the lens cost around $1, 700.
Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR
If you are looking for an economical wildlife lens, consider the Nikkor 70-300 f/4.5-5.6 G IF-ED VR. The lens sells new for less than $600. On a D300, it is the equivalent of a 105-450mm lens. While it will not give you the necessary reach to get close-up shots of camera-shy animals, it is a excellent lens for photographing animals in captivity at zoos and nature preserves.