To all wedding togs, what wedding lens?

ki_user

ki_user

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Lee
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Hi, going to be doing my 1st wedding soon, wondering what lens to get. Was looking between £300-£400, the closer to £300 the better.

I have a sony a500 with 18-55mm kit lens, got the minolta 50mm f1.7. Was looking at the Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 SP Di, what would you suggest I go for?
 
If you don`t know, then you should not be doing the wedding.That is the stock response.

However, without knowing the venue, the expectations, the restrictions, then it is impossible to give an answer............:)
 
Canon 24-70 L 2.8

but you'll need a new body too! :lol:

Serioulsy though you need something fast, so 2.8 as minimum

Also a bit concerned though that you're looking to do a wedding with the minimum spend you can.

I understand about cashflow but i'd be concerned if I was doing one with so little kit, what happens if the body fails or you drop a len? I've had both happen in the past

sorry if this isn't helpful, just don't want you to be unprepared - us Lee's have got to stick together ;)
 
Depends on the location and many other factors.

As a general rule, nothing above F2.8! Just because the lighting conditions in churches and reception venues are usually very dark.

If you are not able to get close to the B+G during the ceremony you might need a sony equivalent of a 70-200 f2.8
If you can get close and all the candids dont require a long lens then the sony equivalent of the 24-70mm F2.8
A prime would be a little less cost but could hinder you at the event as you are prevented from zooming. Something like a 50mm F1.8, 85mm F1.8. And if Sony do them even a 50mm F1.4 and 85mm F1.4
 
No reason why you cannot use just the standard lens, its what we used for years on our medium format cameras.

stew
 
See if you can hire a decent Canon or Nikon with a 24-70 fast lens and speedlite and keep the sony as a back up!
 
NigelPaul said:
See if you can hire a decent Canon or Nikon with a 24-70 fast lens and speedlite and keep the sony as a back up!
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That's a nice idea, but surely it'll take a fair while to get used to a new camera setup and get in the way?
 
Lee, it is indeed a bit disconcerting that you need to discuss lenses tbh, however I will say that you need to have a look at the venue and church, aswell as finding out from the couple how much access you will be allowed inside the church during the ceremony and from that, what sort of shots they are expecting. Then you can decide where to pitch your buying, perhaps advising the couple of whats doable with your limited kit.



...and for everyone else, YES I KNOW, but if you can't be polite with the advice.... you know the rest.... :nono:
 
Cast your mind back a bit Yvonne, to those days of out of control wedding threads and what merriment there was in them,not.

Lee has got away lightly so far..........:lol:
 
ki_user said:
Hi, going to be doing my 1st wedding soon, wondering what lens to get. Was looking between £300-£400, the closer to £300 the better.

I have a sony a500 with 18-55mm kit lens, got the minolta 50mm f1.7. Was looking at the Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 SP Di, what would you suggest I go for?
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Some back up kit too. once you have that sorted, you need a longer lens - something up to 200 or 300. Of course this depends on how you shoot, and what your style is

What ever you think you need in terms of batteries, multiply by 4. Same goes for memory cards

The 1.4/2.8 thing could be an expensive luxury for what may be 5 shots a wedding. If the wedding is a one off, consider hiring. Also speak to the wedding official - do they allow flash? do they allow photography at all? Find out about where the ceremony is. Will you be able to move around freely, what is the light like at that time of day?
 
Richard King said:
The 1.4/2.8 thing could be an expensive luxury for what may be 5 shots a wedding. If the wedding is a one off, consider hiring. Also speak to the wedding official - do they allow flash? do they allow photography at all? Find out about where the ceremony is. Will you be able to move around freely, what is the light like at that time of day?
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I have to disagree with that - 2.8 zooms and fast primes are essential for a wedding. Those fast lenses are the only way to get the shot often - and 5 times a shots a wedding from them - mine get used a hell of a lot more then that. Hiring may make sense though.
 
Hiring the best lens for the job for a few projects every year is very cost effective and could convince you that the one you choose is the one to save for and buy.
 
boyfalldown said:
I have to disagree with that - 2.8 zooms and fast primes are essential for a wedding. Those fast lenses are the only way to get the shot often - and 5 times a shots a wedding from them - mine get used a hell of a lot more then that. Hiring may make sense though.
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You use what you have, however, if he is only shooting 1 wedding, he should hire. Its a matter of shooting style. If you shoot a lot of shallow DOF candid shots, then the 2.8 / 1.8 / 1.4 is useful. However, people always seem to say you need the 2.8 for the dark church, and that usually isn't a lot of shots
 
Hiring equipment is all very well - but I would not recommend it for a wedding - or any other high pressure fast moving job! For these sorts of jobs you really must KNOW your equipment inside out - be able to operate it on the run - with your eyes closed - and one hand tied behind your back! You're not going to get familiar with equipment you hire for a couple of days.
 
Reading between the lines i'm guessing this is probably a one off for you, or just a favor for a friend maybe ? please just be a bit more specific just for fear of turning the thread into the normal drivel that some on here like to indulge in, back on topic £250 or less should bag you a nice second hand Tamron 28-75mm 2.8, which is a great lens for that sort of money, nice and sharp and you get the constant 2.8 throughout, also as has been mentioned definitely consider hiring for the day, take a look HERE excellent company for hiring lenses, very reasonable prices and very helpful staff, i would highly recommend them, as i'm sure others on here would too, read up as much info as you can on wedding photography, and practise practise practise, and go out enjoy the day and report back with your results, and the very best of luck with it :thumbs:
 
I do not have experience with Sony but on a Nikon DSLR Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 will do the job for a wedding. On your budget I do not think you can get a better lens so go for it. My advice is to rent also something like Sigma 20mm f1.8 for some wide shots in available light.
 
If you are set on a new lens have a look at http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-sigma-17-70mm-f2-8-4-dc-macro-os-hsm-lens-sony-fit/p1518709

Also if you have not already familiarise yourself with HDR (High Dynamic Range) mode that your sony has. This is a fantastic feature and could give you some superb shots.

More and much more important though is to work out light. How you manage light is how you set yourself apart from the amateurs. You would be well advised, if you have not already is to try to find out if there is a local wedding happening and go and watch the pro at work. Find out if there is a wedding at your venue before yours and go and watch that.

You might arrange to take your couple along to the venue before the event and do a bit of practising or if they are not up for that take another couple along. Work out what you will do on the day.

One of the big advantages of experience is that most things you come across you have seen before. At last weeks registry office wedding the wedding before was coming out as my wedding arrived. My bride was in a vintage american chevvy that looked fantastic, the bride did too and I think suddenly the other bride became jealous. She decided to take route on the steps to the entrance and get all her mates to take photographs. I walked over and offered advice. I said they might be better off walking around the corner to the front of the town hall, thats where all us pros took our brides - they did not have a pro (:'(:'( for them :D:D). I said they would not then be looking straight into the sun and squinting and they would have the fantastic pillars behind them. After a few seconds they decided to take my advice and moved off. I had waved my brides car to a nearby pull in and so then waved them back over.

I mentioned this to the bride and groom when I took their photographs around and the bride said she was totally unaware of anything which is what I wanted to her to say. The above has nothing to do with actually taking wedding photographs but if I had not handled it it would have effected all the arrival photographs.

Setting out on doing your first wedding you need to spend some time at the venue thinking of all potential problems and have contingency plans for them.

Totally out of coincidence after the wedding my wife and daughter met me and we went to a local chinese buffet down on the beachfor lunch. The couple from the wedding before were there with their guests. They came over and thanked me for the advice. Now twenty years ago I would have had them out on the beach to take some shots for them but I must be getting old as I went back to my noodles :D:D:D

stew
 
Richard King said:
You use what you have, however, if he is only shooting 1 wedding, he should hire. Its a matter of shooting style. If you shoot a lot of shallow DOF candid shots, then the 2.8 / 1.8 / 1.4 is useful. However, people always seem to say you need the 2.8 for the dark church, and that usually isn't a lot of shots
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I agree about hiring - but although the church may not be the largest number of shots, its quite an important part and you need to get it right first time.
 
ahhh, this is all very nice chaps. :thumbs:


Another option btw is the Sigma 24-70 f2.8, which you will certainly find s/h within your budget and if you can find a new one [the non hsm version] you might even get that just within, or at least feel its worth pushing to one. I am using that exact lens as a second shooter at weddings atm, and whilst it cannot match Nikon version, I bought it in a Jessops sale in Jan09 and then it was a fifth of the price!

ALso, the Sigma 70-200 f2.8 might be worth looking around for s/h - a quick google shows they are £650-ish new, so a s/h model will very possibly be within your budget if you can find one. Even on a cropped sensor its good focal range and leaves you the kit lens for closer and group shots.
 
Arkady said:
You lot are getting soft in your old age...
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Its the new look TP Rob :D Everyone has come over all benevolent these days. You should know, you started it eh? ;)
 
I'll have to do something about that...venom and vitriol keep me going just like oxygen......
 
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