New Canon20D user....

[Maureen Souza]

This is my first post so bear with my newness, please. I just got my new camera a couple of days ago and I am a little overwhelmed...but only a little. I bought the Tamron AF28-75/2.8, Canon EF 75-300/4-5.6 but am wondering about the 50mm/1.4 or 1.8. I am shooting my step-daughter's wedding in June which is why I purchased the Tamron but am wondering about which 50mm lens to purchase. The pre-wedding pictures are going to be outdoors (in shade), the wedding indoors and reception throughout the evening both in & outdoors. All these lenses are a bit overwhelming to me so any advice I can get on one more purchase recommendation would be fabulous. And I'd like it not to be too expensive...say around $400-$500 max.
I shot several weddings last fall with my Canon PowerShot Pro1 and they came out pretty well but left me hungry for the bigger guns. I have a lot to learn so I am hoping for a bit of help from all of you pros out there.
Thanks Much,
Maureen

[Adam Hicks]

I'd recommend then 85mm f1.8 for the indoor shots based on your price range. 50mm is going to put you too close to the action and might be intrusive. 85mm buys you a little more breathing room and still gathers ample light.

Also, with that 20D remember that it does a fantastic job at high ASA/ISO levels, so don't be afraid of ISO800 if you need it to get a good shutter speed. There are some AMAZING noise reduction softwares out there, and some are even free! I've been floored at the ease of use and quality of NoiseWare Community Edition. Do a search on the web and download this free tool. Take a few test shots with your Tamron indoors in low light at ISO800 / ISO1600 and run a few through the NoiseWare tool to get a feel for it. It really makes for beautiful shots.

Have fun with it and bring along PLENTY of compact flash cards! Your 20D should be out of breath by the end of the wedding. Oh and you might also consider shooting everything in RAW if you have the memory capacity. It'll make adjusting white balance and bumping exposure a whole lot easier after the fact.

Adam

[jbradc]

I say go for the 50mm 1.4, much better build quality and bokeh. With the 20D's 1.6 crop factor it becomes a 80mm F1.4. Great for Wedding portraits and low light shots. For my wedding work I use that lens plus my 24-70 F2.8 L and it performs great.

[ajwain]

Maureen,

Also, if you intend to shoot groups, particularly if indoors, you might need something wider than your 28-75. Although this, along with your 50mm f1.8 will be great for natural light indoor shots. In my opinion as a wedding photographer, flash is tricky to use for warm, natural looking shots.

Tony.

[Maureen Souza]

Well I am going to shoot RAW on two 2Gig cards, unload them onto a CD before the wedding and shoot 4 more gigs. My hubby will be my back up asisstant with the PowerShot 1 and he'll have a 2 more gigs. This is a free photo shoot for her so I won't feel compelled to take more than 800 -1000 photos. Ah, that's what families are for...to keep it under Control!
Thanks for the assistance on lenses and techniques...I am sure I'll have million questions as I go along here.
Thanks,
Maureen
:mad:

[cactusclay]

If money is no object, I would get the 1.4 50, but then on the other hand for 80 bucks more or so, you could get the 85 1.8 and the 50 1.8. and have two excellent low light lenses.

[Andy_T]

Maureen ... take a look at this comparison:

http://www.photo.net/equipment/canon/ef50/

As many have said ... the 50/1.4 is better than the 50/1.8 ... but is is 5 times better (for being 5 times more expensive)?

I went for in-between ... I just bought a 50/1.8 MKI (metal mount) from eBay.

Best regards,
Andy