Shooting weddings with a 50mm prime & 70-200mm zoom - bad or good?

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ajax_andy

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Trying to work out how to fund my upgrade to a 6d and have come up with a plan that involves selling my 17-55mm f/2.8 Canon lens to part fund it, plus my 2nd body which is a 40d.

Selling both would probably net me about £750 - £800 I think (rough guess)


My reasoning is that I'll not use it once I've gone FF... however it would leave me with only:

6d - Canon 50mm f/1.4 prime
7d - Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom

Am I restricting myself too much with this set up? I rarely use my prime and the 17-55mm is pretty much always stuck on the end of my 7d... however I think I could adapt if it meant the overall image quality (especially at high ISO's) improved as a result.

I'm really torn over this issue as absolutely love my 17-55 but at the end of the day I want the 6d and the better ISO performance and feel once I upgrade this lens is going to be pretty much redundant
 
you will definitely want something wider than 50mm if you're doing a wedding. Having 50mm as your shortest focal length would make life very difficult...
 
rampanthamster said:
you will definitely want something wider than 50mm if you're doing a wedding. Having 50mm as your shortest focal length would make life very difficult...
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This was my concern tbh... i'm used to having a much wider scope to play with and am unsure how I'd cope being stuck at 50mm the whole time. Might be ok for some of the day but even stuff like a big group shot would be a nightmare with a 50mm prime :(
 
You need a short zoom - the long lens you can use for a bit of "aisle shortening", apart from that, not a lot of use at a wedding, the 50mm prime is also pretty useless in that setting.
 
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Look at your previous weddings and see how close you are to 50mm focal length.

It depends on your style, do you like the wider?

For me it is not flexible enough. I have shot a whole wedding on a 50 1.4 and the results are ok, but it was chuffing hard work, especially feet zooming all day. Composition meant either moving or post wedding cropping.

I would be better at 24 or 35 and a zoom (which I shoot all of the formals on).
 
Hire a wide to short telephoto fast zoom. Could well be the answer
 
Thanks for the replies everyone... I think you're all right and it's not a good idea. I had one of those light bulb moments except it turned out not to be a particularly bright light bulb :D

Will scrap this idea and think of another way to fund the cost of the 6d and also probably the 24-70mm L lens too
 
I could easily shoot a wedding with my 50mm and 70-200. In fact it's what I pretty much always use. Ocassionally a mid range zoom and the 85mm but the baulk of shots on the 50 and 70-200
 
How about look out for a used Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 while you are saving?
 
When I review the pictures from my weddings 99% of the time the pictures I dislike are the ones shot with a mid range 2.8 zoom.
 
50mm and 112-320mm (effective if on a 7D) is a strange choice of focal lengths to shoot a wedding, I'd find 50mm as my widest lens incredibly restrictive, and the gap between 50 and 112 is a big one. I did love my 70-200 but on full frame - couldn't imagine using it on a crop, just too long for most things.
 
jpw said:
50mm and 112-320mm (effective if on a 7D) is a strange choice of focal lengths to shoot a wedding, I'd find 50mm as my widest lens incredibly restrictive, and the gap between 50 and 112 is a big one. I did love my 70-200 but on full frame - couldn't imagine using it on a crop, just too long for most things.
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Yeah I think you and the others who said similar are right... wouldn't work for me, I'd be far better off with a good mid range zoom.

My other option is to keep the 17-55mm for now and continue shooting with it on the 7D... then buy a 6D and use the 70-200mm on that for candid close ups... maybe stick the prime on it for the B&G posed romantic shots and use that combo until I can afford the 24-70mm L lens to replace the 17-55mm EFS one.
 
TonyNI said:
I could easily shoot a wedding with my 50mm and 70-200. In fact it's what I pretty much always use. Ocassionally a mid range zoom and the 85mm but the baulk of shots on the 50 and 70-200
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That's interesting... I could always give it a go but also have the 17-55mm on the 7D as a back up in case I struggled with the 50mm prime. Might mean switching lenses between the 17-55mm & 70-200mm from time to time but that wouldn't be a problem.

Still think I'd probably be better off just using the 6D for candids and B&G shots until i could afford the L glass zoom.

Need to work out how to pay for the 6D first and foremost though :)
 
How about the option instead, if you can afford it, trading in your 40D for a 5D classic, guessing you would need around £200 or so.

This way you could keep all your lenses and still dip into the full frameness, thus giving you an idea of how your lenses would perform on a full frame camera.


This is similar to what i did, and although the 5D is slightly older than the 40D the images i feel are much better, and the iso performance is also slightly better.

Then after using this set up for a couple of weddings, you may have earned enough funds to trade in your 5D to a 6D.

Anyway, just a thought :)
 
You can do it. But you will find a day when you need wider and you're stuffed.

If you're doing weddings for money and need to sell a lens to buy a body, don't. Save longer.
 
Possible, but hard work, and I would want something wider in the bag, and something that duplicates the lens(s) in the other bag
 
I wouldn't dream of shooting a wedding, or anything else important, with just a 50 1.4 and a 70-200 of any sort. I'd take a 24-70 f2.8 and an 85 f1.8 and maybe a 35 f2 with me at least. And I'd also take some form of lighting with me too, you never know how dark these churches/churchyards can be.
 
Radiohead said:
You can do it. But you will find a day when you need wider and you're stuffed.

If you're doing weddings for money and need to sell a lens to buy a body, don't. Save longer.
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This.

You'll never regret having a wide when you are stuck at the front of a church with no room to move or get shunted into a tiny room for formal groups or documentary reception images because it is shelling it down with rain outside (In July/August).

By all means upgrade and then rent but if you are shooting weddings regularly then save and upgrade the body later - that 6D is only going to get cheaper and you'll be making money with the 17-55mm. Renting on a regular basis for a lens like that is wasting money. Save renting for exotics or 1-2 times per year lenses.
 
meonshore said:
This.

You'll never regret having a wide when you are stuck at the front of a church with no room to move or get shunted into a tiny room for formal groups or documentary reception images because it is shelling it down with rain outside (In July/August).

By all means upgrade and then rent but if you are shooting weddings regularly then save and upgrade the body later - that 6D is only going to get cheaper and you'll be making money with the 17-55mm. Renting on a regular basis for a lens like that is wasting money. Save renting for exotics or 1-2 times per year lenses.
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Yeah like I said earlier in the thread I don't think it was a very good idea... I'll be sticking with a good zoom and save up to get all the kit I need before selling anything. Don't think I'd want to be stuck at 50mm the whole time as just wouldn't work for certain parts of the day.

I also don't really agree with renting as it's just dead money... much better to put that towards purchasing the kit imo :)
 
ajax_andy said:
No mate why do you ask?
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I'm guessing he means if you have a premium compact [shoots RAW, manual controls, CLS or equiv to fire flashes if needed] - it would suffice for wide group shots. As detail on those isn't exactly priority, and most high end compacts are more than capable.
 
Cagey75 said:
I'm guessing he means if you have a premium compact [shoots RAW, manual controls, CLS or equiv to fire flashes if needed] - it would suffice for wide group shots. As detail on those isn't exactly priority, and most high end compacts are more than capable.
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I'd be laughing all the way if the official tog pulled out a compact for a group shot, and I don't think I am alone there.
Buy a cheap wide prime instead, even if MF, etc.
 
daugirdas said:
I'd be laughing all the way if the official tog pulled out a compact for a group shot, and I don't think I am alone there.
Buy a cheap wide prime instead, even if MF, etc.
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So you'd laugh if a pro pulled out an X-Pro1?

Because that's what we're talking about here.
 
Phil Young said:
Because you could (I have) have used that for establishing wide shots. In the absence of any alternative for a wider lens I probably wouldn't shoot a paid wedding and instead save for the body.
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Ahh ok... no don't have one and for the cost would probs just buy a half decent wide angle tbh... Think i'll just hold fire on buying anything yet and see how many jobs I get booked in... might be able to afford the 6D and 28mm-75mm if I get enough bookings in... or on the other hand not be able to afford either so probs best to not doing anything impulsive :D
 
Radiohead said:
So you'd laugh if a pro pulled out an X-Pro1?

Because that's what we're talking about here.
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no you are not. It is way more than 24-70mm money, and this is what OP is trying to save against :rules:

Btw group shots are one thing where you need lots of fine details down to the corners. Last time I looked cheap compacts didn't do that.
 
Actually I am.

The question was asked as to whether the OP had one already. Thus avoiding the requirement to spend more money. Also note use of the word 'premium', which you've now substituted with 'cheap'.

Thanks for pointing out the requirement for detail. I wasn't aware of that.

Much.
 
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Radiohead said:
You can do it. But you will find a day when you need wider and you're stuffed.

If you're doing weddings for money and need to sell a lens to buy a body, don't. Save longer.
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I hate it when Guy talks sense. Next I'll be saying I like his pictures....

daugirdas said:
I'd be laughing all the way if the official tog pulled out a compact for a group shot, and I don't think I am alone there.
Buy a cheap wide prime instead, even if MF, etc.
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Been there / done that (apart from nobody laughed). Fuji X-E1 with kit zoom and a couple of flash guns. Family and friends outgunned me. Like I cared.

http://words.peoplebyryan.com/wedding-fuji-x-e1-x-pro-1/
 
daugirdas said:
no you are not. It is way more than 24-70mm money, and this is what OP is trying to save against :rules:

Btw group shots are one thing where you need lots of fine details down to the corners. Last time I looked cheap compacts didn't do that.
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Think you need to read posts a little better before jumping it. As said, he was asked if he had one already. And nobody checks for fine detail on group shots, you view them as a whole. Besides, many of the high end compacts nowadays are more than capable of delivering great detail in a group shot. I certainly wouldn't suggest using one for a whole wedding! But for a couple of wide shots?? The only people who would laugh are those ignorant to advances in camera technology.
 
Cagey75 said:
Think you need to read posts a little better before jumping it. As said, he was asked if he had one already. And nobody checks for fine detail on group shots, you view them as a whole. Besides, many of the high end compacts nowadays are more than capable of delivering great detail in a group shot. I certainly wouldn't suggest using one for a whole wedding! But for a couple of wide shots?? The only people who would laugh are those ignorant to advances in camera technology.
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Yeah!!!

And to add to this truth, I would be more than happy to offer an edge to edge detail shot........ from a cheap. Oh, sorry... premium compact.

Maybe if I zoomed in to 100% and compared to my DSLR I would see a difference... but would a client be pixel peeping like that anyway??
 
You would be left short for a wedding. You could possible buy a used tamron 28-75 f2.8 for £200 to tie you over until you can afford the canon 24-70. You will get your money back when it comes to selling it.
 
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17-55 on 7D and a 70-200mm on 6D should just about cover your needs. Plus you can always put the 70-200mm on the 7D should you need a longer focal reach for any reason
?
 
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