Ceremony - No Flash. Which is better?

[FrontStageLeft]

I am shooting in a semi well-lit church (window light. No artificial lighting) with a 5DII no flash. Would it be better to use a 24-70 f2.8 at say ISO 1600 or push the ISO on a 24-105 for the want of the extra length of the lens. In other words, how high can you push the 5DII's ISO without *noticable* noise in print?

I also have a 50mm 1.2, but am worried it is not wide enough.

Thanks

[Tommy]

I use two bodies during the ceremony. I mount my 24-70 f/2.8L on one, and my 70-200 f/2.8 L IS on the other... Looks like you have the gear... make use of it. ;)

As far as how far you can push the 5DII, I don't have one, but from what I understand, it can be pushed pretty far. But I would still stick with fast glass. I don't shoot with anything less than a 2.8. ;)

[tidal9]

I was reading where someone with a 5DII was shooting ISO 4000 and the images looked great, go a day or two before the shoot and do a dry run with a new camera.

[JelleVerherstraeten]

I agree with tommy, use the 70-200! Or maybe consider a 85mm prime?

[Haru]

I am shooting in a semi well-lit church (window light. No artificial lighting) with a 5DII no flash. Would it be better to use a 24-70 f2.8 at say ISO 1600 or push the ISO on a 24-105 for the want of the extra length of the lens. In other words, how high can you push the 5DII's ISO without *noticable* noise in print?

I also have a 50mm 1.2, but am worried it is not wide enough.

Thanks

This question along with your gear list brings up a lot of questions other than the one at hand. You have an impressive array of equipment but you don't know how your own 5Dmk II performs? You have the camera, you know what situation you will be in; why not test it out? Real world results will give you much more conclusive answers than the opinions about "acceptable" noise levels from people on an internet forum.

Second, you are shooting this wedding and you are only bringing one lens? You have 2 bodies, it would seem like a good judgment call to stick the 24-70 on your 5D, the 70-200 on your 1D III and carry the 50 1.2 and the 17-40 with you in an easy access place. I don't know how you store your gear on the job but if you need to decide which one to bring along then you are limiting yourself. This is all assuming you are doing this professionally. If you are there as a guest bring whatever you think will be the most fun.

[tim]

Try it and see.

[decals]

Better keep that 50 1.2 handy for the churches I shoot.........

[Peacefield]

I'll echo the comments express here, given your gear list. I always shoot ceremonies with three bodies so there's no time lost to swapping equipment. One with the Sigma 10-20 for the really wide shots from the back of the church, one with the 24-70 and 580exII for walking up the aisles, etc., and a third with the 70-200 2.8 in a 5dII for the tighter in-ceremony shots.

[FrontStageLeft]

I'll echo the comments express here, given your gear list. I always shoot ceremonies with three bodies so there's no time lost to swapping equipment. One with the Sigma 10-20 for the really wide shots from the back of the church, one with the 24-70 and 580exII for walking up the aisles, etc., and a third with the 70-200 2.8 in a 5dII for the tighter in-ceremony shots.

Thank you for your suggestion. I am primarily an Events photographer and this is my first wedding which I am doing a) for a couple on a very tight budget and b) to build my portfolio.

Naturally - and I should have mentioned previously - I was planning on using my 1D as well, however the 5D - being a newer camera - is less familiar territory to me and basically all I was asking (yes, from other 5D II users on an internet forum which I greatly respect) is that, given that flash is not an option (even during processional/recessional) how high I can push the ISO without significantly impacting print quality?

My beloved 10D is, for the most part, out to pasture...especially in this scenario.

Do you use your 5DII 70-200 combo which you mention above with or without your flash?

Regards

[Peacefield]

Do you use your 5DII 70-200 combo which you mention above with or without your flash?


The goal is no flash; there are times, of course when that's just not possible.

[form]

Seems like there is a huge number of people entering the wedding photography field now. Only a matter of time before the market gets so saturated that each individual budget shooter will be unable to make much anymore.

[tim]

Seems like there is a huge number of people entering the wedding photography field now. Only a matter of time before the market gets so saturated that each individual budget shooter will be unable to make much anymore.

My average package value is still increasing, I booked three weddings this week (Nov, Dec, and Jan 2010), and I have a couple of outstanding inquiries too.

[form]

You're not a budget shooter like me.

[tim]

Once you decide not to be a budget shoot you'll be fine, if you have the time!

[form]

I really don't have the skill. And lately I looked at a wedding shot back in July 08, and it was better than my more recent stuff. Makes me think that I have been really missing what's most important in wedding photography during my quest for equipment and knowledge. I had less stuff then and less knowledge, but the photos came out better anyway.

[tim]

Sometimes worrying about equipment can get in the way of taking good photos. I used to do a complex lighting setup for the first dance, lately though I mostly use bounced flash and occasionally a single off camera flash pointed direct at the dance floor.

[nexsim]

I really don't have the skill. And lately I looked at a wedding shot back in July 08, and it was better than my more recent stuff. Makes me think that I have been really missing what's most important in wedding photography during my quest for equipment and knowledge. I had less stuff then and less knowledge, but the photos came out better anyway.

My girlfriend is punshing me to shoot weddings this summer for free. It's something that I want to do, but I'm always using the same excuse I don't have the gear, etc.
But then I see Aleksandras Babicius work (http://meninenuotrauka.lt/) and he only use two lenses 12-24 and 85mm. I know that not everybody has his eye but it can be done.

[form]

I'm thinking of reverting to simpler times too...but it just seems so limiting to only have a couple of lenses. Anytime I think I should simplify, I remember that to feel confident I could shoot anything, I'd need something that captures the whole scene at once (ultra-wide), something that captures a lot of a scene but doesn't distort the faces too much (35-50mm range), something that captures a few people and some/limited environment (50-85mm range), something that captures one person at a time or a close moment (85-135mm range), and something for long distances (telephoto zoom). I'd also want each of these lenses to be the fastest possible; that would allow me the most creative freedom.