Lens Help With 20D

[NJames73]

Hey guys.....I am new to Canon and this forum.....so have patience with me......



I am getting the 20D for my wedding shoots/senior portraits/familes......

Are these good choices on lenses?

EF 24-70 f/2.8 USM
ef 70-200 f/2.4 IS USM
EF 28-135 f/3.4/5.4 IS USM.....


Should I go another route........I want to have a lighter weight lens when shooting the ceremony.......but dont want to sacrafice quality either.

Please Help.

[martook]

Not that I know anything at all, but why do you want both the 24-70 and the 28-135? You'll never use the 28-135 I'd say... a lot slower than the other two. Won't be any good indoors. Forget that one and get a couple of good primes instead. Personally, I'm really looking forward to see how the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 performs, as that would be a really nice lens for the price if it compares to Sigmas other top quality lenses. And a ~50mm (on 1.6x crop) would probably work quite good indoors.

[AjP]

if you are looking just for canon brand 70-200 2.8 L IS is perfect for wedding, as well as 24-70 L will be great for weddings, but it is up to your budget

[tim]

I 2nd the idea of the 28-135 not being necessary, and an alternative to the 24-70 is the Tamron 28-75, much cheaper and by reputation it's close to L quality. Some people think it's better. btw the 70-200 is F2.8.

[blue_max]

You might want to consider the 17-40 as well (or instead of the 28-135). I would have thought that wide angle shots would be essential in the church/reception. Obviously the 16-35 would be even better if in your budget, as it's a 2.8 rather than f4.

Primes would give great low light ability and flashless opportunities. They also give the best out of focus backgrounds. The 50, 85 and maybe the 135mm would all be great.

If you are doing it commercially, then you should also consider a second body as backup with a different lens on to grab those candids.

Good luck with your choices.

Graham

[Medic1]

70-200 f2.8 is a good choice......the 24-70 is good, but the 28-135 is not a great indoor lens unless you are using a speedlite with it. I know of a couple people who have the 28-135 that do weddings with a flash on a stroboframe, but its a rarely used lens for them.

[NJames73]

Thanks for the help...keep it coming......I am new to this whole Canon thing........OK so basically the 28-135mm is useless. This is the jist I have been getting.......So I am getting the 580ex Flash.......also wanting a stroboframe...........So what lens would you guys suggest for shooting the actual ceremony.....the ef24-70mm? Or something different....I would like to only stick to L glass.......And these primes are confusing me.....HELP

[tim]

The 28-135 isn't useless, Bob has said a few times if he could only use one lens to shoot a wedding that'd be his pick. It is, however, redundant given the other lenses you're getting.

Re lens for the ceremony, it depends where you stand, and where you're allowed to stand. You might not be allowed to use a flash in some churches either.

[ScottE]

That is a great selection of lenses for wedding photography. The 28-135 is not useless. It is not as sharp as the other two lenses, but it is great for candid shots where there is adequate light. The range from standard to telephoto is very useful for this purpose. If you can shoot at f/8 or f/11 the sharpness is really not that bad and many women prefer a photo that is not too sharp in any case.

The only lens I would add is a wide angle. This can be useful for group shots if you cannot get back far enough this can be a necessity. The 16-35/2.8 or 17-40/4 can be very usefull. At a recent wedding I was glad I had my 10-22 in my bag with my 20D when the bride wanted some group shots on a narrow balcony showing the landscape in the background.

Scott

[Mohawk]

I would toss the 28-135mm and go with the 10-22, and maybe an 85mm 1.8 or 1.2L, if you can afford it, the 1.2L.

The 1.2L will make you wet your pants! It is truly an incredible lens, still drooling over mine.

And look at the Stofen Omni-Bounce for your flash, you will want this. http://www.stofen.com

Mike

[NJames73]

ok guys I really am thankful for all the help...... I think this is what I am going to get.....let me know if this is a good start...

EOS 20D
EF 24-70mm f/2.8
EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS
EF 17-40 f/4
580 EX Flash
Several Filters
Battery Grip
Extra Battery
Wolverine 40g backup
Lexmark 2g 80x cards

Is this a good start

[awp]

70-200L IS 2.8 would be my choice. I don't like to crowd the bride and groom. And I refuse to use a flash.

[lkorell]

I'm sure you mean Lexar on those compact flash cards. :) SanDisk & Ridata are also excellent choices and I'd shop around for the best prices on all of these on a regular basis. sometimes the prices jump around and any one can be cheaper or on special sale on a given day. For a wedding I'd have at least 4GB (in either 1 or 2 GB cards) and a spare 2-4 GB just in case.

You don't mention your backup camera and flash. You absolutely must have more than one camera body and flash if you are doing a wedding. Absolutely!

If you are getting the battery grip, it will allow you to insert two batteries. Have at least two or four more - fully charged - as backup.

For the flash, use 2500maH rechargeables. Your flash takes four. Buy at least two extra sets (more if you can) and charge them the day before the wedding.

Your lens choices are all good. It will be a versatile setup except in very low light where you will need to use your flash a lot. with those lenses you will have to use your flash throughout the whole reception probably. That's why I suggest a lot of extra batteries. I typically use one and a half sets for a wedding but I've cut down since getting all primes and mostly 1.4 lenses. I do use that 17-40 though. Nice lens! Works great for group shots too. My 70-200 gets used only if I can't get close during the ceremony. The last church wedding I did, I wasn't even allowed into the sanctuary! I had to stand in the back in the hallway. That lens came in handy that day for sure.

Hope that helps a little.

Lou

[NJames73]

Lou

Huge help really thankful........I am thinking of replacing the 17-40 with the 16-35.......Yes I did mean Lezar...brain farts............I am getting 2GB Lexar cards and 1 1GB lexar........also getting the Wolverine 40GB Backup...........The battery idea is covered and am doing just what you suggested..........

Nate

[AjP]

Lexar is great CFs but be careful, there still issue with Canon camera's and Lexar CF's posted on Canon web site. I would go with SanDisk II or III Ultra