My 1st Wedding

[alsphoto]

This coming May I will do my first wedding,will be meeting with the couple Thursday. What is the best all around lens for weddings. I have a 50MM f1.8 which I have been pleased with the images in dark situations. But I was wanting to get another zoom style with F2.8. Money isn't falling out of my pockets so I'm trying get the all around most practical lens

[roncatti]

Except for the EFS and Quantaray lenses, which I don’t know, you have quite good equipment.
You should consider invest some money in L lenses, they make a sensible improvement in the quality of the images you will capture.
To shot corporate events I use a 17-40L 4 most of the time and a 70-200L 4 when needed. I also have a 580EX excellent flash!

Good look!

[SuzyView]

Congrats. There are several wedding photographers here in the forum. I take about 6 per year. I use my 50 1.4, but for small groups only, my 85 1.8 for portraits of the groom and bride or small groups of 2-3 only. It's a long lens for your 20D. Indoors photography is really tricky, but you have a good flash. You'll definitely need the lens from your kit, the 18-55, but that lens isn't great indoors. It's okay, though, so if you are tight on a budget, it will work. Now, if you want to spend a little more and get a quality lens that will service you well, think about the Tamron or Sigma wide zooms. They are not as good as the 17-40L from Canon, but they are about 1/2 the price.

The family always want group shots, the couple usually want shots of just the two of them in various locations and poses. You will need a fantastic portrait lens and you will have to spend money on those. I'm voting for the 50 1.4 or the 85 1.8.

SuzyView

[snibbetsj]

You might want to save up and get the Sigma 24-70 f2.8 or Tamron 28-75 f2.8. Either of those will do much better than the kit lens, especially in low-light. Of course, if you can afford it, the Canon 24-70f2.8 is a great wedding lens.

[alsphoto]

Thanks, this gives me something to go for

[tim]

I've done a half dozen weddings or so, I have another half dozen or so booked, so i'm not overly experienced, nor am I completely green.

Get the Sigma 24-70 F2.8, the wide will help more than the long on the 28-75. The Canon's damned expensive. Keep the 24-70 on the 20D, switch between a wide and a long lens on your 300D. Get another flash, even if it's a 420EX. Get shoes that you can wear for 16 hours straight, and break them in. Take an assistant, even if it's a partner/friend. Take snacks. Get a few good wedding books, read them all. Practice. Read them again. A few good ones are linked below.

One (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1584281227/qid=1135897953/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-3047575-5896047?s=books&v=glance&n=283155)
Two (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1584281340/002-3047575-5896047?v=glance&n=283155).
Three (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0817433252/002-3047575-5896047?v=glance&n=283155).
Four (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0321334094/qid=1123058474/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/002-3047575-5896047?n=507846&s=books&v=glance).
Five (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0321330625/002-3047575-5896047?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance).

Here's another thread (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=75678) I wrote not so long ago, I should update it now i've done more weddings.

Hope that helps.

[CyberPet]

I would absolutely go for faster lenses. You could buy prime lenses that are very fast, but that will also be a stress moment since you have to stop what you're doing to switch lens - unless you have more bodies. Since you have the 20D and the 300D I'd put the "main" lens you'll be using on the 20D and just use the 300D with "special" lenses, like an extreme wide angle or a very long tele lens (depending on the shoot).

All in all you should try to cover 16 mm up to 200 mm. That should have you covered for any situation. And fast lenses like those with f/2.8 throughout (or even faster - primes).

Shooting indoors is always tricky, and you might not be able to use a speedlight all the time, so hence the importance to have fast lenses.

[alsphoto]

Thanks for the links.

[rvt1000]

I will also be doing weddings soon so thought it appropriate to posit a question - how's the 430ex for weddings? Will it cut it our should I go for the 530ex? Also, what flash brackets are you guys happy with?

[tim]

I will also be doing weddings soon so thought it appropriate to posit a question - how's the 430ex for weddings? Will it cut it our should I go for the 530ex? Also, what flash brackets are you guys happy with?

No such thing as a 530EX, there's a 580EX though. If you have to ask what type of flash to use you're not ready to do a wedding as a pro. They both put out light, and I rarely need the power of the 580EX, but it's nice to know it can.

[cdifoto]

For what it's worth I shot all of these with the Canon 24-70 f/2.8L with Sigma EF-500 DG Super bounced off the ceiling, with my homemade bounce card attached (2 sheets of 110lb white inkjet paper with aluminum foil sandwiched between, shaped kinda like a ping-pong paddle):

http://photobucket.com/albums/a304/cdifoto/reneecolter/

To address the 2 formal poses. There was another guy there shooting the actual formals..and I kinda stepped in just to backup and see what I could get, since it was my cousin's wedding. The mother of the bride more than welcomed me to shoot. If you notice the harsh shadows and uneven lighting on those 2 shots...that's from his flash going off at the same time as mine. He was using the DReb and onboard flash in clockwise vertical position, thus casting the side-shadows. Don't blame me for that!

--------------------

Also, I didn't have my tripod with me because I didn't even know if I was going to be allowed to shoot until I got there. Figured I'd travel light just in case. I highly recommend a tripod for the formals!

[Toogy]

The 'professional' photographer was using a Drebel with on-board flash!!! yikes

[tim]

I would rather have a good photographer with the DRebel than a poor photographer with all the equipment in the world. For one thing, someone with all the equipment in the world would need a very large vehicle to carry it all...

[Toogy]

yes they would, but what does that have to do with being a good wedding photographer? :)

[tim]

You're assuming I have a point... see the first sentence of my last post if you want to find one ;)

[cdifoto]

The 'professional' photographer was using a Drebel with on-board flash!!! yikes

Not that it's any of your business, but he was a friend of the family and did it at no charge, as a favor. He wasn't there as a professional, and never claimed to be one.

[kampphoto]

Personally I use the sigma 24-70 F2.8 a lot. I've always got the 70-200mm f4.0L with me too. As for flash the 580ex is great... and of course having a flash bracket is good too. I've got 12 weddings booked for this year so far (do video too) so it's going to be a busy one. First summer i've booked quite a few, so i'm interested to see how smoothly it goes =) especially cause i have a full time job as well... so much for vacation.