first wedding on august 29 new equipment question

[thev]

hi folks

i'm goin to shoot my first wedding at the end of august and would like to have some gear advices.

the gear i have:

5d
40d
85 1.8
18-55 kit lens

430ex
550ex
metz 430ex like
lightstands and modifiers etc

so here is my question:

i have thought of buyying another good lens. and was getting into the 28 1.8 (normal on 40d wide on 5d with nice AL ability) , the 50 1.4 (normal on 5d an short tele on 40d with superior AL ability) or the 17-40 4l (wide zoom on 5d and normal zoom on the 40d bad AL ability)

with the 50 1.4 i would buy a california sunbounce pro or another flash like a 580ex

with the 28 1.8, an used 550ex would be possible

and with the 17-40L i guess i would go with some cf cards and akku's for the cameras.

which one is your favorite?

thanks so far

vinzent

note:

so far the first posting in this forum and i dont know if i'm in the wrong channel so please dont mind.

[Peacefield]

C. Don't consider the kit lens to be usable. THe 85 will be your portrait lens, it's a little longer on the 40D, so what you need most is a quality lens that lets you get wider.

[Valjoy]

My first 2 weddings were done with the 18-55 is lens and the 50 1.8 40d and 20d as backup...with one Phoenix flash........with surpisingly good results.

The 50 done a great job in low light and for close ups, and the 18-55 was wide enough for all other shots. These weddings allowed me to purchase the 17-55 2.8 and the 580ex Flash.
I think after doing a couple of weddings you get to know what you want from a lens.
All my weddings are now mainly shot with the 17-55 .... about 90 % of shots are taken with this lens.
Good luck ......cheers Val

[thev]

I Know that And because of that i'm considering à New Lens but i don't Know which combinaton Would Be the right One!

So which One do u like?
À)
28 1.8 with anotherused Canon ettl Flash

b)
50 1.4 with à 580exII

or
c)
17-40 4L with some New batteries and cf Cards for the cams?

[form]

24L would give you much greater versatility, as would a 35L.

[Matthew Patrick]

The conventional wisdom would be to go for a 24-70 2.8 or a 16-35 2.8, but that's not for everyone. It depends on your preferences. If you're not a fan of zooms the 24L or 35L would obliviously out perform the zooms at their given focal length and they would be a little more versatile since you have both a crop and a FF body.

[thev]

i totally agree to your suggestions but i dont have the money left over to buy a 24L or 35L or a 24-70 or 16-35. only got 700€ at max left after buying the 5d which i'm definetly goin to buy.

so i'm going to borrow a nifty fifty from a friend of mine. so there's no more need of the 50 1.4 (was there? :) )

any other suggestions?

[form]

You're going to be severely limited by your lens selection.

[thev]

so give me a tip are there only 24L 35L 85L 135L 24-70L or 16-35L out there?
if so i've got a problem.

ignore my lens suggestions and give me a hint. for better ones in a 700€ price range :(

[Matthew Patrick]

I don't know what you can get for that because I live in a different country. You might also want to look at the Sigma 24-70's f/2.8(there are two now) or the Tamron 28-75. For primes there is a Canon 24 f/2.8 and a 35 f/2 and the Sigma 30 f/1.4, these are much cheaper than the L's.

[madhatter04]

+1 for the Tamron 28-75... I've found it to be quite excellent in every aspect on my 5D (I had a thread about it and how I had sold my 24-70L for a 35L and needed a zoom). Great lens for only $380...

[tim]

I got rid of the Tamron 28-75 years ago as the focus wasn't reliable enough. The 17-55 F2.8 IS (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/425812-USA/Canon_1242B002_EF_S_17_55mm_f_2_8_IS.html/BI/2312/KBID/3114) is much better - I have three of them (one broken).

[Matthew Patrick]

It could be argued that for someone with your bodies and limited lens selection the 17-40 would be a good choice because it would cover the 17-64mm range.

The obvious flaw with this is the f/4 maximum aperture which is ill suited for low light indoor work, but it is a good lens and the 5d would provide better low light performance which would help to minimize the limitations of the f/4 max. aperture.

I would not recommend the 17-40 as a wedding lens, but rather as a stop gap every day solution. The 17-40 would provide a higher quality 5D compatible alternative to the kit lens. After you get your 5D you will only have the 85 f/1.8, which means you'll probably need to get something wider, fast.

[Maureen Souza]

I just bought the 24-70 for my wedding shoot on Aug. 29th. I will use it on my 5D and put my 70-200 on my 50D. However, I always use my 85 lens for the bridals portraits. Always.

[SuzyView]

For the 5D, I'd definitely spend the money for the 24-70, as it is my most used for events. It can get the group and the portrait. Primes are better, easier to focus, etc., but you need the versatility of the zoom and on the FF, the 24-70 is about as good as it gets. Now that being said, I use the 70-200 2.8 IS all the time for the ceremony itself as it is so sharp and wonderful bokeh. You don't have any tele's on your list. That may be a mistake if you have to shoot the ceremony or candids at the reception.

[Maureen Souza]

For the 5D, I'd definitely spend the money for the 24-70, as it is my most used for events. It can get the group and the portrait. Primes are better, easier to focus, etc., but you need the versatility of the zoom and on the FF, the 24-70 is about as good as it gets. Now that being said, I use the 70-200 2.8 IS all the time for the ceremony itself as it is so sharp and wonderful bokeh. You don't have any tele's on your list. That may be a mistake if you have to shoot the ceremony or candids at the reception.
Great minds think alike, right Sis? :)

[SuzyView]

Always, Skinny! ;)

[cdreemz17]

For the 5D, I'd definitely spend the money for the 24-70, as it is my most used for events. It can get the group and the portrait. Primes are better, easier to focus, etc., but you need the versatility of the zoom and on the FF, the 24-70 is about as good as it gets. Now that being said, I use the 70-200 2.8 IS all the time for the ceremony itself as it is so sharp and wonderful bokeh. You don't have any tele's on your list. That may be a mistake if you have to shoot the ceremony or candids at the reception.

I agree. You definitely need a tele in your arsenal.

[PiRho]

I need a little more data to make a suggestion.
first. how big is the wedding party? if you know that there are going to be large groups of people then you could get away with using your 85 on the 40D and get the 17-40 on the 5D to get the UWA shots. however... if you know that there WONT be lots of large groups (or scenes that beg for a UWA) then definitely look into getting a tele! I predict that the 85 will be your workhorse. you can grab a 200mm 2.8 for pretty cheap. and it will give you a lot more reach (which you really really need for a wedding) and it should give you some pretty portraits.

[thev]

ohhhjeee

so now u got me afraid of the wedding day :P

i thought that the 85 on the 40d would be enough tele to cover the tele-needs i would be goin through.

yess there is a 100 people group shot involved but for that i can borrow a sigma 10-20 or so from a friend i guess.

i think i will be in the photo shop emeatedly after i received the 5d just to fiddle with all the possible lenses.

so far the tamron 28-70 plus a 200mm 2.8 or so are my favorites.

[skysi]

Another vote for the 24-70L 2.8. I shoot almost exclusively with this lens on 5D or 50D. I also use the 70-200L IS 2.8 for about 20% of my shots. I only use 50 1.4 in extremely low light. If I were you I'd sell all the other lenses and buy the 24-70 -- great on 5D.

---------------------------------------------
http://www.phototerrestrial.com/weddingportfolio

[kouasupra]

It's funny, one of my co-worker is also having his wedding on this day. In California, auburn. I wonder if it's related, but as far as your question goes the 24-70L would be a better choice due to low lighting situation you have a 2.8 aperture.

[braidkid]

I think a 50 1.4 on your 5D and the 85 on your 40D would be a decent combination. You could rent a 35L for the 5D and be set.

[thev]

so had a little more income then i thought and i'm goin with this lineup now:

5d
40d
16-35 L II
85 1.8
50 1.8

thanks for the suggestions


v.