# Best lens for puppy photography?



## ahsanford (Mar 20, 2016)

I can't believe I'm posting this, but hey, here we go.

We're getting another dog, and alongside the obvious house prep we are doing, I am getting geeked out for puppy photos. I'll be a shooting a 5D3 in non-scripted situations handheld without a flash -- I'll resort to toy/treat-baiting for eye contact, but that's about it.

If the pup is asleep or very still, the 100L immediately comes to mind. But for general awake and active shots, I'm leaning towards a wider fast prime to keep the ISO non-stratospheric. 

I was just curious, but given the nightmarish combo of [black lab] + [indoor lighting] + [moving subject], is there a 'best' optical tool to capture that? 

- A


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## Maximilian (Mar 20, 2016)

hi ahsanford! 

I think you've already got the clue...

I'd go the same route I'd take when taking pictures of toddlers and or children. Maybe the shutter even faster. 
So (refering to FF) a 24-70/2.8 (mk I or II) might be great or a 85/1.8. A 135/2.0 would give you more distance, but a lively puppy might bridge the distance almost at sonic speed 

Zoom gives you more flexibility if the puppy is awake and thinking/aware that you're playfellow. 
If you've got the chance for a constant distance, I'd go for a 85/1.8, 135/2.0 or the mentioned 100/2.8 L macro. If the distance is too close for that FL of course feel free to use anything between 70 or 35 mm. I wouldn't go below 35 because of the distortion making the puppy not looking cute anymore.

Keep shutter speed way above 1/200 if it's moving. As high as possible to keep ISO to the desired level.

If it's a black lab maybe go for partial or even spot metering. 

And don't forget to cuddle it  (if you don't have an allergy  )


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## slclick (Mar 20, 2016)

Pancake.



See, I'm thinking you're down on all fours, moving fast, need something light, small front element in case you get licked


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## Sporgon (Mar 20, 2016)

ahsanford said:


> I can't believe I'm posting this, but hey, here we go.
> 
> We're getting another dog, and alongside the obvious house prep we are doing, I am getting geeked out for puppy photos. I'll be a shooting a 5D3 in non-scripted situations handheld without a flash -- I'll resort to toy/treat-baiting for eye contact, but that's about it.
> 
> ...



EF 50mm f/1.4 IS usm


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## neuroanatomist (Mar 20, 2016)

You'll need a Nikon camera...

http://thefluffingtonpost.com/post/79557362344/puppy-nose-fisheye


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## JonAustin (Mar 20, 2016)

Sporgon said:


> EF 50mm f/1.4 IS usm



Considering that *ahsanford* is pining for Canon to release an EF 50mm f/whatever IS with true ring USM, that's just cold! 8)


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## ahsanford (Mar 20, 2016)

slclick said:


> Pancake.
> 
> See, I'm thinking you're down on all fours, moving fast, need something light, small front element in case you get licked



Good thinking, right idea. Consider also that if I'm shooting alone, I'll be shooting one handed as a treat or toy will be in the other hand, so a pickle jar prime, 70-200 f/2.8, etc. will be very tough to hold steady.

- A


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## ahsanford (Mar 20, 2016)

Sporgon said:


> EF 50mm f/1.4 IS usm



:


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Mar 20, 2016)

I've tried using fast primes, but keeping my puppy still is not easy, so he is either too close or too far away. I generally use my 24-70, but a 5X fast zoom would be better. My 24-70L was not fast enough.

Photographing black dogs is difficult. Mine is a toy and small, so that makes a difference as well.

My Black poodles were captured with my Nikon 990 P&S back in 2001 when DSLR's were just starting to come out. 3.3mp!


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## pwp (Mar 20, 2016)

neuroanatomist said:


> You'll need a Nikon camera...
> 
> http://thefluffingtonpost.com/post/79557362344/puppy-nose-fisheye



..or maybe a Lick-on camera.

Seriously, I've got my best dog shots with my iPhone 6s+

-pw


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## Sporgon (Mar 20, 2016)

Definitely the 40mm pancake


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## slclick (Mar 20, 2016)

Forget about the Nifty Fifties, the Pancake is hands down the best value in a lens (FF) Canon has made. Not quite wide, not quite normal, just right.


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## ahsanford (Mar 20, 2016)

slclick said:


> Forget about the Nifty Fifties, the Pancake is hands down the best value in a lens (FF) Canon has made. Not quite wide, not quite normal, just right.



Yeah, but I'm outright disqualifying the pancake because it's STM. I generally don't take dedicated portraits, so I need very fast focusing and relatively quick shutters to capture pets, kids, etc.

Again, the criteria will be:


Handheld, no flash, poor light --> fast lens, f/2.8 (or more likely f/2, f/1.4)
AF with USM focusing (or non-Canon equivalent) is a must
Wider FL as we'll be indoors, perhaps 35-50 seems about right. But much wider than that will distort the face.
Need to shoot one handed on my 5D3 as the other hand will be treat/toy-baiting, so it can't be a huge/heavy lens.

My gut says, all things considered above, I should get a 35mm f/2 IS USM. The IS is wasted on a moving pup, of course, but the rest of the specs line up.

Talk me down / find me a better option. Go.

- A


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## slclick (Mar 21, 2016)

Sporgon said:


> Definitely the 40mm pancake



That's beautiful


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## Ozarker (Mar 21, 2016)

Sporgon said:


> Definitely the 40mm pancake



Excellent shot Sporgon. Beautiful tones.


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## Click (Mar 21, 2016)

Sporgon said:


> Definitely the 40mm pancake



I really like this shot. Well done, Sporgon.


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## IglooEater (Mar 21, 2016)

The perfect lens for your puppy photography would be a canon 50mm 1.4 IS USM


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## atkinsonphoto (Mar 21, 2016)

35mm F2 IS is pretty awesome for speed in tight spaces, lightweight and relatively affordable.


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## takesome1 (Mar 21, 2016)

I have a lab, in the past I raised them and trained them for hunting and field trials.

First, I wouldn't invest much in a puppy lens. They grow so fast that he is a dog before you know it. 

But I would use my 35mm f/1.4L in the house. Low light and all. But the real problem is if he is a black, you will work yourself to death trying to get enough light on his face. Good WB, killing the highlights and blacks to get detail in post are tough. A soft flash would help. Turn on all the lights, open the widows or get outside. 

Save the big bucks for a decent telephoto for the outdoor shots, water entry shots, fetching shots, running shots those are the great ones. Puppy first swim, puppy in the yard fetching all require a telephoto. What would best, a 300mm f/2.8L II, start there and go down till you find one you can afford.

That is my advice provided you have a lab that will do what it is bred to do, if you have a lap lab then you will probably go a different way.


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## Don Haines (Mar 21, 2016)

Thinking outside the box.......

http://shop.gopro.com/mounts/fetch-dog-harness/ADOGM-001.html


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## drob (Mar 21, 2016)

It's difficult to pick just one. The 35mm f2, or Tamron's 35mm or 45mm 1.8 VC would be choice. 
A stabilized prime for indoors would be great, outdoors is a different story.


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## Sporgon (Mar 21, 2016)

slclick said:


> Sporgon said:
> 
> 
> > Definitely the 40mm pancake
> ...





Click said:


> Sporgon said:
> 
> 
> > Definitely the 40mm pancake
> ...





CanonFanBoy said:


> Sporgon said:
> 
> 
> > Definitely the 40mm pancake
> ...



Thanks Guys, for those comments. I really like this shot of my 'Pup', the light had that sort of 'loaming' quality to it. I shot it a few years ago and it's one of a couple that I was convinced I had taken with the 50/1.4. Then I found it was actually the 40 pancake. It's a really good lens that delivers in quality and I've never been disappointed by it.


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## ahsanford (Mar 21, 2016)

Sporgon said:


> Thanks Guys, for those comments. I really like this shot of my 'Pup', the light had that sort of 'loaming' quality to it. I shot it a few years ago and it's one of a couple that I was convinced I had taken with the 50/1.4. Then I found it was actually the 40 pancake. It's a really good lens that delivers in quality and I've never been disappointed by it.



+1 to the compliments on the shot -- lovely work.

I just hate missing moments with that pancake (we all own that lens, don't we?). These are living creatures that tend to not like me cracking out my rig. So even with treats and toys, they don't stay focused for long. So I strongly prefer USM focusing to nail things down quickly, but as Sporgon has demonstrated, it is certainly not a must.

- A


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## ahsanford (Mar 21, 2016)

Meanwhile, this pops up via canonpricewatch auto-alert:

http://www.adorama.com/US%20%20%20%20774561.html?emailprice=t&sub=used-37199476&hotlink=t&svfor=5m&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_source=rflaid62259

...but it's at Adorama, and pretty dinged up at that. 

It _almost_ felt like a sign. I'll just wait for another Canon refurb store sale.

- A


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## slclick (Mar 22, 2016)

ahsanford said:


> Meanwhile, this pops up via canonpricewatch auto-alert:
> 
> http://www.adorama.com/US%20%20%20%20774561.html?emailprice=t&sub=used-37199476&hotlink=t&svfor=5m&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_source=rflaid62259
> 
> ...



$407 with the LUCKYCHARM coupon


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## RustyTheGeek (Mar 22, 2016)

My first thought before I read through this was the 24-70 zoom but after I read through it I also fall into the 40mm pancake camp. I also LOVE to shoot my 15mm EF Fisheye.

However, what about another thought... go old school. Throw on whatever lens you like, fast prime, whatever. Then go all manual. Get the exposure close and then get out the gaffer tape for once you fine tune a good focus point for the distance. Find a focus point that is in the ballpark and then shoot away. This way, the focus will be good in many shots and AF performance won't be an issue.

Hey, I'm not saying this is the way to go for EVERY shot but you might surprise yourself with what you can achieve. The film is cheap and all it takes is getting a few great shots each session. Even if the focus is off a tiny bit, it will still be a great shot depending on the aperture, light and composition. Piece of cake!  (LOL)

Also, if you get WAY BACK with a 70-200 f/2.8 IS, you can take advantage of the longer focal length to get fairly focused shots from a distance at f/2.8. (With decent shutter speed.)

Another idea: Set up some kind of picture trap. You know, set up the camera however you like pointed at some kind of irresistible attraction and fire the shutter remotely (on Silent Shutter mode). You can get those radio remote shutter releases online for pretty cheap. I've had one for years. Or just use the good ole wired one.

Good luck. My main point here is to have fun and see how many things you can try to see what works. Let us know how it goes and share some shots.


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## Dverb (Mar 22, 2016)

Love the topic!

I have been taking photos of the black lab we have been raising for the past 9 months, it has been a learning experience for me. 

I miss the old fast primes I used back in the 80s and 90s - this topic is making me think I should get a 50mm before we raise the next puppy (along with a new body to replace our current 7D).

Most of our shots have been with the 2.8 24-70L. Shooting the black labs has also pushed me from shooting some in JPEG to shooting all RAW in order to have a chance at capturing the puppy/dog while also not losing the highlights.

With our old 7D I struggle to get good indoor pics with our available light. Most of my better pics have been outdoors. Though as she is getting closer to being a year old it is getting easier to shoot indoors as she is less likely to charge the camera with a tongue licking.


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## Sporgon (Mar 22, 2016)

RustyTheGeek said:


> However, what about another thought... go old school. Throw on whatever lens you like, fast prime, whatever. Then go all manual. Get the exposure close and then get out the gaffer tape for once you fine tune a good focus point for the distance. Find a focus point that is in the ballpark and then shoot away.



Yes manual's good fun, but you don't need to zone focus. Here's a shot with manual focus tracking on a fast moving, overgrown Lab pup ! Pentax 50mm f/1.7, 1978 vintage


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## ahsanford (Mar 22, 2016)

It's just that dogs in our family have always been frantic monsters -- and they cannot stand a camera. Even with treats/toys, they are bright enough to know that the camera is out and they tune out very quickly. So the attached shots are hits from a very low hit rate activity. For the indoor shots, I must throw out 90% of my shots.

First is 100L (outdoors -- were a fast zoom would be the preference for AF, but that's what I had on me at the time)

Second is 70-200 f/2.8L IS II for perhaps the only wakeful + still moment I've seen from this one in years.

Third is the Sigma 35 Art. Don't blame the lens for the harsh rendering -- I made some radioactive changes in post.

Speaking of that -- our dog is the black lab max in shots #2 and 3. For the unique combo of handheld + indoors + no flash + black dog, how do I get her coat to pop without horrifically abusing the highlights/shadows/clarity sliders? Is it natural light or bust, or is there a metering / EV comp / ideal histo trick or goal I should pursue?

- A


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## Maximilian (Mar 23, 2016)

ahsanford said:


> ...
> how do I get her coat to pop without horrifically abusing the highlights/shadows/clarity sliders? Is it natural light or bust, or is there a metering / EV comp / ideal histo trick or goal I should pursue?
> 
> - A


You'll need an EXMOR sensor and then you can push the shadows of the fur   ;D

Honestly the only way is to be really carefull with subject (black dog) and bg (not too bright) 
And in my opinion you did quite well in your example #2 except that you overexposed (in post?) the dogs head. 
A black fur is still black and should not become that grey. In this case you'd lose some bg detail but that's okay IMO.
#3 was much more difficult and I am not sure how you could have done better without fill flash (I wouldn't use that as well) or changing position to get a bg less bright.

(disclaimer: and you'd need that technique with an EXMOR as well to acheive a natural look)


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## Mikehit (Mar 23, 2016)

ahsanford said:


> Speaking of that -- our dog is the black lab max in shots #2 and 3. For the unique combo of handheld + indoors + no flash + black dog, how do I get her coat to pop without horrifically abusing the highlights/shadows/clarity sliders? Is it natural light or bust, or is there a metering / EV comp / ideal histo trick or goal I should pursue?
> 
> - A



One the shot is made there is little you can do other than rely on the latitude of the sensor and the shadows/highlights sliders, hence maximilian's comment on the Exmor. Maybe you can buy second hand Olympus micro four-thirds really cheap now for the indoor and static shots. 
Exposure compensation won't do it because you will still have the same exposure latitude and will only rely on heavy shadow recovery.

For shot #2, I can tink of two solutions
Firstly if the pup is lying down like that are you close enough to hold a diffuser out of shot to soften the light? I know you also mention holding a toy to get their attention but in my experience when slobbed out like that they follow you with their eyes anyway especially if you make a sudden high-pitched sound list a sharp 'Psst'. Secondly you could set the camera to three-exposure bracketing offset with exposure compensation so you are shooting at 0, -1 and -2. If you press and hold the shutter button the camera should fire all 3 in rapid succession. When you have identified a shot you really like then go to post processing, stack the photos as layers and paint through with low opacity to add texture to the burnt out highlights. As a real cheat, if you only have that one shot, copy the image to a second layer, offset the lower version so darker fur lies underneath the burnt out area and paint through in the same way. Fur texture may give it way but if you are careful with how you offset the lower image it may help. This may even work for action shots if you have a library offering different exposures on the fur. 

I have exactly the same problem when shooting coots and trying to balance the bright white beak with jet black plumage and have had to be....creative.


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## ahsanford (Mar 26, 2016)

Update: 'tranquil moment' shots in the kitchen (in the far more naturally lit kitchen) have been a disaster -- the little one sees the camera as a toy and charges at it.

But I did nab one on the sofa under wretched lighting at ISO 8000 on the 5D3. Baby steps, right?

- A


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## j-nord (Mar 31, 2016)

This is a well timed thread! We are bringing home our black lab puppy at the end of April! I too have been pondering my needs/wants for puppy photography and how to overcome dim indoor light + a black lab! I picked up the 50mm f1.8 STM in anticipation. For the price, I couldn't argue it being a good starting place, at least have something for indoor/portrait. For outdoor action (with friends dogs) I've had good results with the 300 f4 but the 70-200ii seems like the best possible option, particularly in a tighter backyard scenario. Ive done some googling on the subject of dog photography and the 16-35 2.8 comes up a lot but this is also in the context of outdoor professional shoots.


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## j-nord (Mar 31, 2016)

300f4 IS + 6D (terrible AF for this kind of shooting) - @ f4, 1/1600, ISO 800


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## ahsanford (Mar 31, 2016)

j-nord said:


> 300f4 IS + 6D (terrible AF for this kind of shooting) - @ f4, 1/1600, ISO 800



Lovely shot. 

Can't wait until the little one is vaccinated. Then I'll pull out the 70-200 2.8 and have some fun outside.

- A


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## Click (Mar 31, 2016)

j-nord said:


> 300f4 IS + 6D (terrible AF for this kind of shooting) - @ f4, 1/1600, ISO 800



I really like this shot.  Well done, j-nord.


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## j-nord (Apr 1, 2016)

ahsanford said:


> j-nord said:
> 
> 
> > 300f4 IS + 6D (terrible AF for this kind of shooting) - @ f4, 1/1600, ISO 800
> ...



Thanks, have you come to a decision for an indoor lens?


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## ahsanford (Apr 1, 2016)

j-nord said:


> ahsanford said:
> 
> 
> > j-nord said:
> ...



Likely to be the 35 f/2 IS. First party AF + USM speed + wide for a charging puppy + reasonably fast. I'll probably grab one at the next refurb sale.

- A


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## j-nord (Apr 1, 2016)

ahsanford said:


> Likely to be the 35 f/2 IS. First party AF + USM speed + wide for a charging puppy + reasonably fast. I'll probably grab one at the next refurb sale.
> 
> - A



Seems like a great choice! I'm going to give the 50 f1.8 STM a try although I know the focus will be slow. I don't shoot portrait so I can't really justify picking a decent prime. I might rent or 'rent' via eBay when the time comes.


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