What kit to buy with a wedding in mind...

[CyBeRkId2002]

Hi all,
I am due to shoot a friends wedding towards the end of the month (they were not that bothered by photos and most importantly cannot afford a pro).

I was planning on using the same kit I have used for a couple of weddings in the past (pretty much just 35mm and 85mm primes, with a cheapie 17-35mm tamron for the larger groups). Unfortunately my 85mm has taken a tumble and now I have a few questions:

I have managed to bag a bargain 28-75mm non-bim tamron which I have been thinking of picking up for a while as a walkabout. Is the quality of this likely to be sufficient for the ceremony and 90% of the other informal shots?

If I need a better quality prime lens would the Tamron 90mm macro be a worthy consideration as a replacement for the 85mm 1.8? I was never wild about the sharpness and contrast from the 85mm wide open and at 2.8 the Tamron seems to be considerably sharper with nicer bokeh... If I go for this is focus noise going to be an issue during the ceremony?

Any help and advice greatfully appreciated.

Michael

 

[LongLensPhotography]

errrm your 85/1.8 was clearly misfocusing then. They are very sharp and contrasty from wide open. The tamron 90mm is sharp but focusing will be rather slow and painful. It sounds like a toy car. Best for macros (rings, flowers). Canon 100mm L has so nice and unique qualities as a short tele, but it isn't 1:1 replacement for 85mm f/1.8.

 

[moomike]

My 85 lived on my camera when I was doing weddings - tack sharp & brilliant bokeh. The only zoom I'd ever consider using in place of my primes was my 80-200 & that's only because I have a very sharp copy - you lose out on a lot of light when you drop down to max aperture of 2.8 though.
If you've got the 28-75 already, I'd recommend getting lots & lots of test shots under awkward & difficult lighting beforehand to find out where the sweet spot is & make sure you know its limitations. If you'll be able to use flash you should be fine though.

Others will obviously differ in opinion to me but there's no way I'd ever swap my 85 for a macro 2.8. That & I'd be careful of thinking that the couple not being bothered by the photos, they'll have certain expectations of you & your photographs even if you're only doing it as a favor.

 

[CyBeRkId2002]

Went back and looked at some samples and you are right. .. nothing wrong wwith the lens even at wide apertures.

Just looking for an excuse to upgrade/try something new and thought the 90mm macro may have been a way to do that on a budget but think the limitations would have been too apparent. Have gone for the 85mm Nikon 1.8g instead.

Thanks again