When to change lenses?

<p>My first non-paid shoot is Sunday, it is a non-wedding but similar as it is in a catholic church. It's a full mass. It's a 50th Jublilee for a priest. He may or may not walk down the aisle, I doubt it.</p>

<p>I have a 40d, and my lenses are as follows: 30mm f/1.4, ---- 85 f/1.8 ---- 28-135 f/3.5-5.6.</p>

<p>My goal is to not use the zoom lens at all.</p>

<p>How to use the lenses? My thought is to begin with the 85, and at some point during a boring part of the ceremony switch to the 30mm and get some wide from the back, and then go back to the 85.</p>

<p>Then for group shots use the 85 unless it is too narrow in which case I would change to the 30. </p>

<p>Does that sound like a good plan?</p>

<p>Are you allowed to use flash?<br>

If so, I wouldn't count out the zoom all together. I've shot a ton of Catholic events, and I find being able to stay as far back as I possibly can without getting major blur or camera shake is a good thing. You can't rely on primes completely because if you want a close up of anything you're going to be all up in the priest's face. I've never done a Catholic wedding or event where they allowed me on the altar (pretty standard) or allowed me to use flash, so I would find out what your "allowances" are and go from there.</p>

<p>If you do group shots, the 30mm will be useful. Otherwise, you're going to need the 85mm f/1.8 for most of the Mass. If it's bright enough, the zoom that takes you to 135 might be even better.</p>

<p>Be mindful that a Catholic Mass is regarded by devout Catholics as a sacred mystery - not as an ordinary public ceremony, no matter how much it LOOKS like an ordinary ceremony to you. And a Jubilee Mass is a Very Big Deal. There are no "boring" parts of the Mass, but you will be a bore (in the other sense of the word) if you don't exercise great discretion while you photograph. I'm shooting a wedding in a week where the Mass will be said by a priest who once stopped Mass and threw a photographer out of the church because the thoughtless photographer had stepped into the sanctuary area to get a close up of the elevation of the Host. That photographer, failing to realize that there's a difference between a Catholic Mass and, say, a high school graduation, has now caused that pastor to be wary of ALL photographers. One of the first rules of the ethics of photography (in my list of rules) is to know and respect your subject.</p>

<p>So you need to shoot in such a way that nobody notices you're there, or as close as possible. That means that you'll want to stay off to the side (at best) and shoot long. Shooting a Mass, I usually have two cameras. One has a wide zoom or prime (say, a 28 f/1.8 or a 16-45 f/4) but I have found that my 50-135 f/2.8 is my most used lens. If I had a 70-200 f/2.8 I'd probably use it instead. </p>

<p>By the way, the priests, deacons, and the "altar boys" (now often girls, or perhaps even grown-ups) probably WILL walk up the center aisle at the start of Mass and recess out the same route at the end. This is a sensitive moment. I don't mind getting in a bride's face pretty closely when she enters the back of the church - she expects it. But I NEVER do that with a priest. The bride knows that, in one sense at least, she's the star of the event. Every priest enters the church trying hard to remind himself that he is NOT the star of the event. I'm usually at the front of the church, kneeling down and trying to be invisible, and shooting long down the aisle.</p>

<p>I would urge you to speak beforehand with the pastor of the church or with the priest who will be the main celebrant of the Mass. The pastor of the church sets the rules in his church. But a jubilee Mass may be concelebrated by several priests, and the main guy - probably the gentleman celebrating the jubilee - is captain of the ship, so to speak, while he's saying Mass. If the pastor and the honoree aren't the same guy, it would be good to talk briefly to both and see what they say about your photography. I can assure you that the priest(s) will be grateful that you ask - it shows proper respect. A few priests have a very laisez-faire attitude, but most don't and some are quite strict about photography. Good to know in advance who you're dealing with.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

<p>I recently shot a wedding Vow Renewal Ceremony in a Catholic Chruch. I used the 85 f/1.8 the enitire ceremony, shooting from about 8 rows back. Once the ceremony was over I used my Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 with Canon 430 exII flash for the inside group shots. Worked great, just make sure to turn up that iso. I did not have my Sigma 30mm f/1.4 with me. But that would also work for the group shots and wide shots of church.

<p>Thanks everyone. William I have called the church and will be speaking with the priest. Your advice was spot on. </p>

<p>I feel so much more relaxed after your post Patrick. I will stick with the 85 then use my Sigma for group shots, though I might try using the 85 for some of those as well.</p>

<p>I am much more excited about this shoot than any video gig I've had, and I've had a lot of those. All I can think about is this shoot, which is bad since my video business is paying my bills at this time!</p>

<p>Betty, I'm assuming no flash allowed, and to be honest even if it were I wouldn't use it. As William says this event is sacred to the participants so I'll get by with what I have.</p>

<p>I'm sure I can get some great shots from the side.</p>

<p>Jeff, it depends. Since you are using 40D with 1.3 crop you effectively have 39mm, 111mm, and 36-180mm. <br>

If the priest is walking down the aisle, then I would use flash and use 28-135 @f/5 with appropriate ISO and settings based on the lighting conditions. I would avoid using 30mm lens, unless you are really close. For group shots, I would stick with 28-135 since you would be able to get an adequate reach for small and large groups. Also, remember to shoot groups of 2 or less vertically cropped at the knees and groups of 3 or more horizontally.<br>

Good luck and be sure to post results.</p>

<p>Howdy!</p>

<p>All of the above are good suggestions for the immediate future. But if you're serious about doing this long term, get another 40D, a 17-55mm f2.8 IS, and a 70-20mm f2.8 IS.</p>

<p>You need a backup body anyway, and if you have two cameras with two lenses which cover the vast majority of situations, you will never have to switch lenses ever again.</p>

<p>Later,</p>

<p>Paulsky</p>

<p> </p>

<p>My uncle-in-law celebrated his 50th a few years ago at Loyola here in Chicago. It's really more of a celebration and not a sacrament, so flash could indeed be OK and you'll likely have guests shooting their P&S cameras. He will also likely walk in with the processional together with the officiating priest just as they do in a normal mass. Good luck.</p>

<p>Just to clarify, the Eucharist/Communion is a sacrament but the Jubilee moments are a celebration of a sacrament that occurred 50 years earlier.</p>