Need help quick... lense?

[Blind Set]

I am to shoot a wedding this friday and was going to tackle this with my Elan 7 and the 28-90 zoom. However, I have just found a local retailer that rents equipment.

My biggest question is whether getting the 24-70L USM is going to make great improvement on image quality. I know this is amazing glass but just wondering what some experienced photographers have to say.

Also, migh their be other lenses that you suggest for the event?

I will be getting a 550EX as well.

Another question for anyone that might be able to answer it. I know this is a digital forum, but some of you must still remember the good ol days of film. What kind of film and what speed would you suggest. It is an outdoors wedding and is suppose to be sunny.

Thanks for any advice. :D

[sGu]

24-70mm would probably be most used lens for the wedding, don't throw aperture wide open unless you want bokeh and loss some level of sharpness. also 70-200mm f2.8 IS would be great for candid shots with a distance. and 16-35 f2.8 or 17-40 f4.0 would be good for group shots. with those three i think you are set.

oh, rent a second body while you are there, stick 24-70mm and 70-200mm on, change to wide angle when needed.

for ISO, it's outdoor and sunny, 50-200 range, maybe?

[BearSummer]

Hi Blind Set,

My main advice is not going to help you this time.

1, Do not start using new gear for important shoots. Practice with it before so that you know how it works.
2, Before taking on important work make sure you are 100% confident with your equipment
3, Dont take on important work if you are not fully capable of producing the required result.

Here is the usefull advice

1, hire the lens and the flash as early as possible
2, shoot a short roll of film and put it through a 1 hour lab and see what the results are like.
3, make some changes and shoot another roll, make sure you are happy with the settings you are going to use, use the hour lab and see what they are like

Film, something in the 100-200 range, use film not slide, nothing faster or it will be grainy as hell once they blow it up to 10*8.

Best advice - Only do weddings when you dont need to ask these type of questions. I just hope you arent charging anything above cost for doing this.

Best regards and good luck

BearSummer

[Tom W]

My take pretty-much mirrors what Bear and sGu have just said:

Work with that 550EX as much as you can before the wedding - get used to its operation (in particular, get a feel for when you might want + or - exposure compensation).

The 24-70 on a full-frame 35 mm camera will probably be plenty wide enough. I agree that you'll likely want something longer like a 70-200 as well. If you can't get close (and this is very possible in a church setting), you will want long.

I have to differ a bit on the film - Indoors with low light, you might need ISO 400. Fuji Superia or a mid-high grade Kodak film should be pretty smooth even at 8X10 (and I have some nice 8X10's on the wall printed from Fuji 400). Best to scout the premesis ahead of time and see what you will or won't need. Many churches don't allow flash during the ceremony.

Oh, and make sure that you get the images developed at a reputable lab.

[BearSummer]

Hi Tom,

Good point, about the film speed, it's been years since I have used negs. 400 should be good up to 10x8.

Must remember to comment on teh things I have current experience of and not the way things were 5 years ago.

All the best

BearSummer

[Blind Set]

Thans for all the advice guys.

They couple came to me knowing that Im not a proffesional and there are no additional cost. I have shot alot of film but never looked at additional lenses. I suppose the hardest thing to learn will be the flash.

Hopefully all will go well. Im thinking about the 28- 70 and maybe even a 70-200.

Thanks again.

[Canuck]

Thans for all the advice guys.

They couple came to me knowing that Im not a proffesional and there are no additional cost. I have shot alot of film but never looked at additional lenses. I suppose the hardest thing to learn will be the flash.

Hopefully all will go well. Im thinking about the 28- 70 and maybe even a 70-200.

Thanks again.

Which one are you talking about...there are both a 28-70 F2.8L (older) and a 24-70mm F2.8L (newer)? I the intended use for the 24-70 was mostly landscape/people pics in conjunction w/ the 16-35 F2.8L. I have since learned that it can be used for a whole lot more! Some was figured out just by trying it. This lens has become a mainstay of the airplane pics lens as it is perfect, and I can get up relatively close at 70mm to fill the frame. I had been using the 120-300 but that is several kinds overkill at this range.