Any suggestions or comments on wide angle adapters? Cant afford a wide angle lens at the moment...

[Meganab]

New to photography and have a large family shoot coming up and I dont think my 18-55 kit or my 75-300 will cut it. I cant afford a wide angle lens right now so im wondering what everyone thinks about the wide angle adapters? Pro's? Con's?

Thanks!

[Waddizzle]

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@Meganab wrote:
I didn't think about continous shooting mode. I will give it a try thanks

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That's great.  Practice it.  I don't mean waiting until the day of the shoot, either.  Try to shoot it with the lowest ISO that is practical, and the most available light. 

Try to shoot it outdoors in sunlight, instead of indoors with the onboard flash, or any flash.  As the camera rotates on the panning axis, an on-camera flash will likely cast different shadows on the background, which will only confuse Photostitch.

PRACTICE.

[EDIT]  I have shot some panoramas at night, in the dark.  I mentioned how critical it is to level the camera on the tripod.  Once you try a couple of test panoramas, you will quickly grasp how crucial being level is. 

There are a couple of steps to leveling the tripod.  Your center column must be level.  The base of your tripod head must be aligned with the center column, so don't assume that it automatically aligns itself.  The quick release bracket of the head must be leveled and aligned with the base of the head. 

When I have shot panoramas in the dark, I have found that I can pre-align the QR bracket with the head.  The really hard part is leveling the tripod, so that the center column is perfectly aligned vertically.  I cheat.  I use a leveling base adapter.  It is far easier to level a head, than it is to level a set of tripod legs.

[RobertTheFat]

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Waddizzle wrote:

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Meganab wrote:
I didn't think about continous shooting mode. I will give it a try thanks

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That's great.  Practice it.  I don't mean waiting until the day of the shoot, either.  Try to shoot it with the lowest ISO that is practical, and the most available light. 

Try to shoot it outdoors in sunlight, instead of indoors with the onboard flash, or any flash.  As the camera rotates on the panning axis, an on-camera flash will likely cast different shadows on the background, which will only confuse Photostitch.

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If you take group shots outdoors in the daytime, you have a choice between facing the group away from the sun and using flash or facing them towards the sun and having everybody squint. IMO, the former is vastly preferable.

I hate to be a contrarian, but I wouldn't count on doing a panorama anyway. I've never done a panorama, but I'm pretty sure there's a fairly stiff learning curve to being able to do them well. If, like Waddizzle, you were already good at it, that would be different. But I wouldn't use an important shoot as part of the learning process.

[Meganab]

If i cant master it before my shoot and be 100% comfortable, im not going to chance it.

And what do you mean by "the former is vastly preferable"?

[RobertTheFat]

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@Meganab wrote:
If i cant master it before my shoot and be 100% comfortable, im not going to chance it.

And what do you mean by "the former is vastly preferable"?

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I meant that I'd much rather face the group into the shade and use fill flash than to have them squinting into the sun.

I've done it both ways. Live a lot, learn a little.

[ebiggs1]

You and everybody that has replied is making this way more difficult than is it.  I regularly shoot large groups for the school.

I mean a dozen or so to a 100 or more.  I always use ef my 24-70mm f2.8L lens.  What you have in hand will do the job of shooting a couple dozen or so.  Easily!

[kvbarkley]

Just don't fall off the cliff when you back up.

At the top I said that 18mm would probably be fine.

[ebiggs1]

" I said that 18mm would probably be fine."

Absolutely.  I agree totally.  It isn't that hard to do.

[ebiggs1]

The problem is not the camera/lens but getting everyone to cooperate with you.  If you have willing subjects it is too hard to do. But if you have teenagers it can be quite a struggle.  Eyes ope, looking at the camera, etc.

I always use a tripod but in your case I would say even it is optional.  It does matter on how you intend to use the photo.  If it is a FB upload or a nice printed photo?  Mine are yearbook shots.

Canon 1D Mk IV with ef 24-70mm f2.8L lens set to 26mm.  (33mm equivlant focal length)

[Meganab]

Can I just buy a leveler to make sure it's level? It's hard to visualize your instructions completely over text. Or know a video?

[Waddizzle]

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@Meganab wrote:
Can I just buy a leveler to make sure it's level? It's hard to visualize your instructions completely over text. Or know a video?

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Brilliant!  Yes, a carpenter's level on the quick release plate before you mount the camera is probably better than any camera oriented gizmo that you can buy.  Just make sure that QR plate remains level throughout the entire horizontal panning range, and beyond.