what are your favourite wedding lenses

[verty]

Sorry for posting in this section but i thought this thread might be more specific to Wedding Photographers..

So yeah.. what are your favourite/must lenses for a wedding??

just interested in knowing what the general industry standard is lens wise...

[Padawan Dad]

Sorry for posting in this section but i thought this thread might be more specific to Wedding Photographers..

So yeah.. what are your favourite/must lenses for a wedding??

just interested in knowing what the general industry standard is lens wise...

Don't know what I would do with out my 70-200 2.8 IS, and my 17-55 2.8 IS. I think that these two lenses are almost a must for wedding photographer! It's probably a good idea to pack a fast prime as well.

[SuzyView]

I use my 24-70 the most indoors because of the zoom. I would rather use my 50 1.4, but it's long for group shots. I've had a lot of events at schools and large gyms. The 24-70 is just the right reach for most of it.

[tommy_london]

Don't know what I would do with out my 70-200 2.8 IS, and my 17-55 2.8 IS.

I've just gone over to that combo - first wedding using it will be in a few weeks, so hopefully it should get a thorough work out.

My most used before was my 28-70 2.8.

[picturecrazy]

I think the favourites you may see are

croppers:
10-22
17-55 F2.8 IS
70-200 F2.8 IS
50 1.4
30 1.4

full framers:
16-35 or 17-40
24-70 F2.8
70-200 F2.8 IS
50 1.4
85 1.8/1.2

This is what I see most of... at least in my locality.

[Su-Hannie]

50mm 1.4!!! for church shots,

[englishw]

I use the 70-200 2.8 IS almost exclusively. I have my 17-40 f4 on another body that I use when I need something wide, but 70% of my shots and probably 95% of my "keepers" are using the 70-200. I slap the 500D closeup filter on the 70-200 for cake, ring, candle, etc. type shots. Awesome to just carry it around to act as a macro lens also.

[verty]

i alwayz thought the 70-200 would not be wide enough to shoot for a wedding at all!!
but i guess when your out taking bride and groom shots in an open field or something it would be a good idea yeah... everything else cramped and inside would need something that would go to 20mm yeah

[ssim]

I will normally have the 24-70 on one body and the 24-105 on another body. I will sometimes move to the 70-200 when I am doing just one individual.

[newgenphoto]

24-70...again...

remember, a few of us are working on a FAQ section for the wedding forum that should help with a TON of questions being asked around here. Look for it soon but remember, were all busy right now so it does take sometime to write. I just finished a big portion of it this morning.

[EOS_JD]

70-200 IS (amazing lens) on one body and it stays on the whole day.

On my other body (I usually borrow a 350D) I switch between fast primes (50mm or 85mm) or I just put on the 24-105 IS which is great for the formals. The primes can be longish so I'm thinking of the Sigma 30mm f1.4 for my next.

I'll also play around with the 10-22 and the 100 macro for detail/environment type shots.

[Ed Kanney]

We've got a fair amount of glass but pretty much use A) 70-200 f2.8 IS for portraits/ceremony pics from back of church B) 24-105 IS for Altar Returns/Groups C) 16-35/24-70 Reception Candids/Balcony Ceremony shots. All used on 1.3x 1D platforms.

[carpenter]

i alwayz thought the 70-200 would not be wide enough to shoot for a wedding at all!!
but i guess when your out taking bride and groom shots in an open field or something it would be a good idea yeah.


it's also great for catching "tender" moments without being intrusive.

[Ronald S. Jr.]

The perfect list is simple.

35L
16-35L
24-70L
70-200L IS

Of course, I mean with FF. It'd be fine with crops too, though.

[kampphoto]

24-70mm pretty much all the time. Cause well... I love it

70-200mm maybe for a few shots in the church (depending on the ceremony) if i can't get in reasonably close.

and...

50mm for snap shot candids at the reception.

[verty]

im thinking about getting the Canon 24-70 F2.8 - would this lens be good for macro?
or what lens would be? im also getting the 50mm F1.4

[SuzyView]

Neither are for macro.

[verty]

Neither are for macro.

which one then would be good for macro?

[tim]

Tamron 28-75 is main lens, soon to be replaced by the 17-55.
70-200 IS used quite a bit, as is the 12-24. I also use the 100mm macro at times, and the 50mm F1.4 a lot.

[sapearl]

The 24-105L... of course, it's the only one I currently own for my digital gear:D . That focal length really covers nearly the complete range of compositions that I will do throughout the day. It's the perfect match for a 5D.

For my medium format film camera, I use the 60mm Distagon CF as my normal lens. It covers 98% of the groups, and is great for all around picture taking.

[Yella Fella]

i had the 24-70mm L on mine, that was perfect, though for wider, 17-55 would of been nice. I coupled it to an 85mm on another body and that worked wonders for candids.

[mackb]

Sigma 24-70 2.8

[InfamousDX]

So you guys just switch lenses as quickly as possible among your arsenal?

[verty]

Tamron 28-75 is main lens, soon to be replaced by the 17-55.
70-200 IS used quite a bit, as is the 12-24. I also use the 100mm macro at times, and the 50mm F1.4 a lot.

what is your opinion on the Tamron 28-75mm ?

i am really tossing up between this and the Canon 24-70L.. from your experience with the Tamron do you think it measures up to the Canon L series?

looking at my budget i probably can only buy the Tamron and then will have abit of cash extra and buy the 50mm f1.4 or i could go all out and buy the Canon 24-70L and wont have any more money... oh man the choices!!

[tim]

With those choices i'd get the Tamron and the 50mm. I just noticed the Tamron focus isn't always dead on - very close, but not always. It could be my technique, but after looking at the images, i'm not sure. I want a wider lens with IS so the 17-55 will be perfect.

[carpenter]

So you guys just switch lenses as quickly as possible among your arsenal?

that and having more than one camera to shoot with. I keep the main two I use on the cameras and if I need a change I'll swap quick.

[grego]

2 bodies + lens I have/can afford at the moment.

Ultimately, 70-200 IS and 16-35 is perfect combo(especially with 16-35 on 1.3 crop).

[EOS_JD]

which one then would be good for macro?

For macro work you really need a lens that will focus very closely. The best of the macro lenses are the EF 100mm f2.8 and the EF-S 60mm f2.8 (for crop cameras).

I have the 100mm f2.8 used on a 20D and it's a fantastic lens. Takes great macro shots of small wedding details - rings, flowers etc. Also it's a great portrait lens too. Can be slow to focus in poor light (but almost all macro lenses are the same I believe).

The Macro mode on normal lenses is not true 1:1 lifesize and you can't focus too close. A true macro lens though (at closest focus distance) will have a depth of field of just a few millimeters and getting ring shots with a nicely blurred backgrond is pretty easy and can creat dramatic images.

I've not used mine much recently but think I'll get it out the bag this weekend :-)

Cheers