Weddings with Primes?

[mikesd]

I am working my way to this and was wandering if anyone is already doing this. Thanks for any experiences you might have.

Mike

[KevC]

A prime maybe for formal portrait. But for the candids and photojournalistic style, going only prime will be tough.

Unless you have a body per lens :)

If I were to shoot a wedding.... I'd take... 24-70L, 70-200L, and maybe a 85/1.8 for formal portraits.

[DaveG]

I am working my way to this and was wandering if anyone is already doing this. Thanks for any experiences you might have.

Mike

Why? Are you trying to make a point or take better pictures?

I shot weddings for the last ten years with Mamiya 645's and prime lenses. I can't tell you how happy I am now to be using zooms. The principle advantage of zooms is the infinite compositional choice. This results in a lot of freedom and subsequently I don't get locked into a situation where I have to shoot with the wrong prime lens or risk missing something if I take the time to switch lenses.

Sure there are going to be times where a prime lens will be better, but that's almost always for sheer speed like in my 50 f1.4. Nope I'm glad my mostly-prime days are over. I have nothing to prove by using primes and I have no doubt that the zoom work is better.

[mikesd]

Why? Are you trying to make a point or take better pictures?

I shot weddings for the last ten years with Mamiya 645's and prime lenses. I can't tell you how happy I am now to be using zooms. The principle advantage of zooms is the infinite compositional choice. This results in a lot of freedom and subsequently I don't get locked into a situation where I have to shoot with the wrong prime lens or risk missing something if I take the time to switch lenses.

Sure there are going to be times where a prime lens will be better, but that's almost always for sheer speed like in my 50 f1.4. Nope I'm glad my mostly-prime days are over. I have nothing to prove by using primes and I have no doubt that the zoom work is better.


I am curious what "point" I could be trying to make by asking this question? :confused:

[DaveG]

I read your original post to mean that you are trying to reach a point where you will only use prime lenses, and I can't figure out why.

[mikesd]

In one way that is what I was saying, but I could have explained it better. I primarily use a 28-135 IS for wedding candids because I like the range the lens offers, but in weddings that are to lowlight for the lens, I was interested if anyone was using fast primes when no flash is allowed, f 1.8's and f/1.4s.

Mike

[neil_r]

This has come up in other posts, I used to shoot weddings MF with primes, I now use 1D MkII using 50 mm and 85 mm primes and a 17-40 zoom. I am more than happy to zoom with my feet. I guess it is just what you are used to.

N

[Claire]

I think I saw a thread once on the Fred Miranda board where someone had shot a whole wedding with a 50mm. Been trying to find it as he had pics there, but can't find it.

[amarasme]

I think I saw a thread once on the Fred Miranda board where someone had shot a whole wedding with a 50mm. Been trying to find it as he had pics there, but can't find it.

I think it was a 35L. BTW, he did a great job IMO. (But now I cannot find the thread either).

In any case, I can see myself using nothing more than a 35L and a 85 f1.8 with two cameras. (I am starting to hate carrying heavy bags, with lenses I hardly use...)

In my view a "journalistic approach", as opposed to a "formal" approach, has nothing to do with the lenses we use. I would say it is a matter of attitude.

[ssim]

Like others in this thread I have shot dozens of weddings using two different medium format cameras that had nothing but primes.

A prime maybe for formal portrait. But for the candids and photojournalistic style, going only prime will be tough.

Unless you have a body per lens
There wasn't anything hard about it. It was part of the job along with changing film. Of course you didn't find photographers that were willy nilly shooting 1200-1500 shots at a wedding. You took more care and attention in your shots as they cost hard cash everytime you hit the shutter.

I will say that the quality of the glass you can buy now for SLR cameras is probably better than most of it was 20 years ago. I will use my zoom lenses now but do not hesitate for a moment to change lenses to a prime or another zoom if the situation dictates it.