Carl1024 Loc: Kaneohe, HI 96744

what lens is the preferred?

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

Depends.

I used 24-120 for an indoor graduation with a DX camera. There was one time (maybe two) when I wished for a little bit longer. I'd want at least 300 or maybe more for a graduation in a stadium.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

As Larry noted, if you're just randomly seated in the audience, you may find longer is better, even with the DX crop factor. But, if you're also joining the graduate for portraits, you'll need something appropriate, like 18-105 on a DX.

Alas, as per usual, your failure to provide any relevant details or context in another cryptic post limits the entire community's ability to provide actionable feedback. Indoors, outdoors, camera model, what lenses exist to choice from, where will you be seated, are you doing portraits too?

Bohica Loc: SE Coast of NC

Haven't done a graduation but back in the day, about 40 yrs ago I shot my daughter's !st grade school play, no flashes allowed. I stood in the back with a Mamya NC1000S 35mm with !000 asa Kodacolor and a 135 mm lens and got great shots that her nieces and nephews love today

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

I shot at Loyola University - Chicago this past May. The ceremony was indoors and low-light, with a 70-200 f/2.8. My LR catalog reports every image with this lens was f/3.2 to f/3.5, using mostly ISO-3200 to ISO-6400. The camera was a full-frame EOS 5DIII. All the portrait work was outdoors, under natural light, some fill-flash (but mostly not), using a 24-105 f/4 zoom.

The professionals working for the university were doing portraits of each graduate as they received their diplomas, using flash, down on the arena floor.

EJMcD

Obviously it would depend on the type of graduation and where you will be sitting or standing (I recommend standing so you can move around for a clear line of sight). If you're shooting a kindergarten graduation a moderate zoom (anything between 55 or 70-200mm) would be appropriate. If you are shooting a high school or college graduation and you are most likely far away from the stage, I would have two zooms. A 200-500mm to capture the graduate receiving his/her diploma (which I do from the back row as to not interfere with others line of sight) and a short zoom (28-70?) for close up portraits after the ceremony.

If you've been hired to shoot the graduation and have unrestricted access to the ceremony you're not likely to need a 200-500 and should already know what lenses you'll need.

This, of course, are only my opinions. I am partial to zooms because of their versatility.

Enjoy the experience!

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Where are you at?
For my step daughter a 100-400mm L MII was needed in the UNLV gymnasium.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

It depends upon whether you are in the audience, or you are the pro photographing it under contract to the school. Pros are going to be about 10-15 feet from the handshake, either on stage or at the edge of the stage, and at the bottom of the steps on the side of the stage where new graduates exit the stage. A medium zoom (24-70mm f/2.8 or f/4) is about right for the handshake with the dean. The same 24-70 works for a portrait at the bottom of the steps. Pros will be using manual exposure with a flash set for manual exposure, metered for the distance.

If you are a parent in the audience, you might need a fast telephoto zoom such as a 70-200mm f/2.8 (or equivalent for your sensor format). You probably won't be allowed to use flash. In many graduation ceremonies, the only photographers allowed at the ceremony are contracted professionals and credentialed news media.

Take your smartphone and grab casuals with your graduate after the ceremony, holding the cap and diploma.

User ID

Based on the situation as you describe it, a normal lens is preferred for all possible pix.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

When I see a question like this, my presumption is that is being asked by a "civilian."

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

I don't presume anything, having come from a lab that served pros and amateurs, alike.

In 2008 or 2009, our company bought a small business in the Midwest that made marching band portraits and graduation handshake portraits, which is why I shared some details of that niche. In my early years at another company, we had a customer in New England who did graduation portraits on about the same scale.

A lot of pros lurk here... I did for quite a while before semi-retirement.

One of the more challenging things about graduation handshake photos is that newbies photograph people in black robes and black caps, on a stage that is often lined and backed with black curtains, and they attempt to make JPEGs with a camera and flash set on automatic. Then they blame their labs when the photos come out ghostly and ghastly, two stops overexposed! I had to call several customers and explain that their precious work was ruined by photographer error. I had to call one guy twice, because he didn't believe me the first time. People like that should find other jobs.

So folks, if you do this sort of thing *as a paid job* for the first time, do a little research into how to use your flash in manual mode, get a good flash meter, pre-plan the job with a site survey, make tests, and for heaven's sake, save raw files!

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

At our older daughter’s receiving her Bachelor’s degree, we were allowed to move from our seats in the stands, and briefly stand where they came down from the stage, so my usual lenses worked fine.

When our younger daughter received her Masters degree {at the indoor gym where Xavier plays basketball}, I insisted that we arrive early, and we were able to find seats where my usual 70-200 35mm equiv lens worked fine {in ambient light}.

It all depends on where, and how hard you work.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

And what the rules allow...

Rick from NY Loc: Sarasota FL

What is a “normal” lens?

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

A normal lens has a focal length in mm equal to the diagonal dimension of the exposed sensor area or exposed film area, or close to it.

Generally accepted normal lens focal lengths:

Full frame digital and 35mm film — 50mm
APS-C digital — 35mm
Micro 4/3 digital — 25mm

6x4.5 cm (120 film format) — 75mm
6x6 cm (120 film format) — 80mm
6x7 cm (120 film format) — 90mm

With these focal lengths, approximately the same field of view will be recorded.