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Thread: Focal length for skiing

  1. #1
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    Focal length for skiing

    Hey all, want some info for what focal lengths you normally use while skiing. This is the first season I have actually nice gear to bring but thinking about grabbing another lens with a better range. Have an olympus 100-400 and 12-40 so 200-800 and 24-80 ff reach and curious about a cheap 40-150 to cover the middle since the 100-400 is pretty big to put in my bag. What lens do you guys normally use while shooting on the mountain?


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  2. #2
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    This really depends on the day and the terrain, but I probably shoot my 70-200 more than anything else

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Supermoon View Post
    This really depends on the day and the terrain, but I probably shoot my 70-200 more than anything else
    noted. you talking about a 700-200 2.8? or something smaller


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  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by NuclearNachos21 View Post
    noted. you talking about a 700-200 2.8? or something smaller


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    I have a 2.8 but I use it for other stuff too. I think you could definitely get away with an f4 for skiing.

  5. #5
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    im using trifocals now cause my focal lenghts is all fucked up...


    fact.

  6. #6
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    The lens that lives on my camera is a crop sensor 18-135mm so the equivalent of a 27-203mm full frame lens. This usually works well mid-winter but I sometimes carry a longer lens for spring backcountry skiing when I'm skiing larger terrain features.

    Agree that you can get away with f4 for skiing most of the time but if you want to shoot a lot on storm days having a faster lens would be nice.

  7. #7
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    That’s a nice range for sure on a crop sensor.

    Nacho, I think that you have plenty of coverage with your kit now, unless you find yourself in spots where the gap is keeping you from getting what you need.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Supermoon View Post
    That’s a nice range for sure on a crop sensor.

    Nacho, I think that you have plenty of coverage with your kit now, unless you find yourself in spots where the gap is keeping you from getting what you need.
    well said. been eyeing up a lens in between them for a but but not enough overlap in what i shoot to justify it. will just go with the 2 lenses


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  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by NuclearNachos21 View Post
    Hey all, want some info for what focal lengths you normally use while skiing. This is the first season I have actually nice gear to bring but thinking about grabbing another lens with a better range. Have an olympus 100-400 and 12-40 so 200-800 and 24-80 ff reach and curious about a cheap 40-150 to cover the middle since the 100-400 is pretty big to put in my bag. What lens do you guys normally use while shooting on the mountain?


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    Have you looked at the 12-100 pro? Only F4, but that's still faster than the 100-400 (or the cheap 40-150 for most of the range). I bought it this year as a hiking lens and the image quality seems every bit as good as the 12-40.

    It is bigger/heavier than the 12-40 pro, but not by THAT much (and certainly not compared to the Canon equivalents) and when shooting in broad daylight it does fine. I previously would carry the 12-40 and 40-150, but found changing lenses to be too much of a hassle, especially since the 40-150 is noticably worse (it is a good value, but it is ultimately a cheapo lens). I upgraded to a E-M5 mk3 along with the 12-100 and that combined with the 2023 Lightroom AI noise reduction also makes me less afraid to push the ISO which helps negate the loss of f2.8

    Of course I think the right answer here is probably the 40-150mm f2.8 pro. It is the closest to the canon 70-200 plus 100mm of equivalent extra range.

    It isn't small or cheap, but that's probably the range you want to hit most of the time for photos of people actually skiing. Then just forget the wider zoom--for the landscapes/wider shots, just pull out your phone. If you must use the real camera, a small prime like the Oly 17mm or Panny 14mm is easy to carry and can be bought cheap secondhand.

  10. #10
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    There's also the Oly 75-300. Saves you a decent amount of size/weight vs the 100-400 without losing a ton of IQ as long as you have a body with IBIS.

    My guess is you are more likely to use the 75-100mm range it adds for skiing rather than the 300-400 you'd give up. Marginally faster at that end as well. Just don't imagine getting a lot of use out of 800mm-equivalent at f6.3, handheld, shooting a moving subject!

  11. #11
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    if i was going to get a nicer lens i would probably go 40-150 f4. the old 40-150 is just so cheap which was the main purchase reason for purchase. don't use a range like that too much for normal photography so don't want to get a nicer lense right now but have heard solid things about all of those lenses


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  12. #12
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    I'll add that the image stabilization on the 12-100 is freaking sick if you have it on an Olympus body that supports sync-IS.

    The 100-400 forces you to choose between lens or body stabilization (and the 75-300 or cheap 40-150 are body only), but the synchronized body+lens that some of the pro glass can do is really good.

    It is a shame that the 40-150 f4 (or f2.8) don't have sync IS. I think only the 300mm or the $$$ big boy 150-400 have it alongside the 12-100

  13. #13
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    Full frame 70-300 or 50

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