Canon 24-70mm f/2.8: Any Wedding Photographer advice?

<p>I'll be shooting my first wedding in October (as the 2nd shooter), and I'm looking for the perfect <em>multi-purpose</em>lens to do so; naturally, leaning towards the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8. My only concern is the lack of IS and shooting in "chapel-like" lighting conditions.</p>

<p>Is this lens your first choice for general purpose wedding photography? If not, do you have any recommendations for alternatives? </p>

<p>Was the lack of IS ever a problem (I won't be using a tripod or flash)?</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

<p>On a FF camera it is my main (90%) wedding tool, it is the perfect lens for the way I shoot, on a 1.3 crop the 16-35 is. No, lack of IS never caused me a wedding problem but if they came out with one I'd buy it for other lower light work. Use a flash, dialed down for fill, and practice it, even if it is just a 270 or better yet a secondhand 550.</p>

<p> Ive never used the 24-70 but I , I can say that as far as the IS the only real difference I noticed is the light, most of the time as a second shooter, which is my wifes roll she doesnt take the standard poses she is more app to shoot brides room and , people who seem to be in the background, and of course the little children running around, then she also does a lot of creative shooting with rings flowers and other wedding items that she can have access to before wedding begins, if you are shooting the seond shooter spot to learn the ropes then of course this willl not likely be your roll, I always shoot the standard stuff, and then i try and make it up as I go, dependent on how carefeee the group is,You will surely need a flash, no matter what church you go to, everyone I have done has always had some weird thing going on, to much light , too little light, too much wood, lighting hangs on cable wire is a real killer, there just never seems to be the perfect church,the first one I shot was in a church with all wood walls , by pulpit and then on top of that I had wood ceiling above that area as well, man did I flip out at first, the only way I survived is full manual flash, the best thing you can do for yourself is go to the church well before the wedding and take your camera and take come practice shots along around the time of the scheduled wedding if at possible and this in itself will make the whole wedding easier on you, it gives you a chance to spot the things that you dont want in your pictures later,My wofe doesnt use a Canon flash, as she doesnt like packoing around a 500 dollar flash so I bought two flash from overstock this model below, I had paid 110 for the first one then about 90 for the second one they now have them on sale for about 70 bucks which is a steal, the guide number is 138 and they do a very nice job, the ettt-l works well wiht the canon cameras, they have the manual ability i think its 8 steps of light, also they work as a slave which si really nice, When we are doing groups later I put one of the flash on a pole with a umbrella and use it for the slave and I get some fantastic shots for very little investmens I have now had them over two years and they ahev been fine and they have quciker recovery than either of my canon flashes, unless i use a battery back, another thing I do is i always wear really nice black tennis shoes and dress comfortable but nice, a pullover shirt and dress slacks , and black socks,, we noramll shoot the whole day 8-10 hours and it gets really old fast when you dont dress for comfort . Everone will shoot their on way, the key is to be in charge , keep the people in the area, when you have to shoot a lot, and never take request till you have everything the bride wants done,If i had the first one to do over again, I would just practice more iwht the flash on manual, even with a guide of 191 or so you will get dark spots in auto, at some ppoint ti always happens so the manual , on full is to much and in between can be a lot fo guessing but the crazy buttons on the flashes are small and when your nervous can be hard to keep up with, so know your equipment under every possible situation, sorry if I seemed to have rambled, its just the first wedding will set the pace for many more to come and you dont want to have a OMG moment infornt of everyone, also be sure to have at least two batteries for your camera. The generic ones from ebay have worked well for me we keep 8 batts each camera, more for security than need, I noramlly go through 4 batteries in 8 hours , i do overshoot, and you will too in start, GOOD LUCK i have some PDF's on wedding photography if you feel the need to read them , I read and read and read to get things routine in my mind, pleas excuse typos I pretty bad,</p>

<h1 >Rokinon ETTL-II Canon-compatible Digital Zoom Flash</h1>

<p>It's a great lens for weddings, extremely sharp sometimes too sharp, but for candids it lacks the reach. Most wedding photographers carry an extra lens like the the 70-200mm to get to those far reaching places. Some photographers opt for the 24-105mm IS L series f4. So you loose one stop of light, but it is much more versatile and lighter than the 24-70mm and you don't have to keep switching lenses, or cameras on the run. </p>

<p>I use the 24-70 2.8 for about 90% of the wedding shoots.The rest I use the 70-200/ 4.0 IS.<br>

The 24-70 I mount on the 5D mkII. This camera has a huge dynamic range and no problem soever to shoot 1600 iso or up. The 70-200 is only for close-ups and placed on the 5D MkI.<br>

I never missed the IS on the 24-70mm. Just to be clear: IS only compensates the vibrations of the camera not the movement of the subject.</p>

<p>The 2.8 will not be adequate if the lighting is poor. You need a "faster" lens 1.8 or better. You don't mention the camera body your using? If the chapel is a cramped space you'll need a wider lens. If you can't get faster glass then you most definetly NEED a flash.</p>

<p>Jason,<br>

While cross posting is not allowed, if you want to get a lot more answers and input then post a similar question in the very active wedding & social forum.</p>

<p>2470 is nice choice for general purpose photographying include wedding shootings.<br>

but a prime will get u just the 10% pics will never been forgotten.<br>

In low light situation? shooting with fifty is always a joy.Flash only to be used to balance exposure,but never count on it to raise shutter speed</p>

<p>1. The 24-70 F2.8 is an excellent lens for any situation.<br>

2. It is crucial pictures from a wedding are sharp better than IS is a monopod.<br>

3. Good flash makes a huge difference in wedding photos. Makes the dress pop white versus looking grey and adds brightness to the eyes, jewlrey, etc. I use two 580 EX II's one on camera the other on a tripod with wireless trigger. However, my teacher swears by and only uses Metz and sometimes even a Nikon Flash on his Canon 1DS.<br>

3. But, I never leave home without my niffty 50 1.8. I actually completely drained all my batteries once which I carry a lot and again my 50 1.8 saved the evening cuz out of al my lenses the 50 1.8 rules the night.</p>

<p>There are <strong><em>many elements to your questions and much more information is required from you.</em></strong></p>

<p>No-one except Joe has asked what camera you have? (Though Scott hinted at it).</p>

<p>The 24-70/2.8L would be my choice of ZOOM lens for a FF camera to cover a wedding if I were only allowed one ZOOM lens. But on an APS-C format I suggest you look at the EF-S 17 to 55 F/2.8 IS USM.<br>

The 35/1.4 would be my choice of a Prime on a FF camera; and the 24L on an APS-C – <em>if I were only allowed one lens.</em><br>

What is your second camera?</p>

<p>As a second shooter, you (usually) have different responsibilities than the Primary.<br>

Often this means the longer shot, rather than the close work.<br>

You should talk to the Lead and discuss these issues.</p>

<p>Apropos the dimly lit Church and not using Flash – there will be a point where F/2.8 will be impossible – again what camera do you have?<br>

And how dim is “chapel like conditions”? – I have shot in some old C of E Country Sandstone Chapels at around EV = 5, EV = 4, that lack of light makes an F/2.8 lens work very hard, especially on a camera which maxes out at ISO1600 and you would therefore choose to use ISO800, for example.</p>

<p>Another issue (when shooting inside the Church) is the ability to move - or not.<br>

Probably more important for the Lead Photographer, but being able to roam has its advantages for the Second also, especially when shooting in low light & sans flash.</p>

<p>Also how big is the Church? . . . and how large is the Wedding Party?: Small Church + Large Wedding Party + APS-C camera = 24 to 70 is not wide enough.</p>

<p>A monopod is a very handy tool I never leave home without it.</p>

<p>Lack of IS is not a big issue inside a Church in low light – on some occasions it will be handy: but shots can be pulled at 1/15s and even 1/8s HH and have been for years.<br>

Timing the shutter release and correct HH technique are the keys. <br>

But “how slow can you go”, is not a game to play at a Wedding, the skill is used when it is absolutely necessary. Use a monopod and Church Pew to support it - IF you need to go that slow – or use a tripod. </p>

<p>More information is required to address<strong> the specific question of this one Wedding as second shooter. </strong><br>

B<em>ut yes – on a FF camera the 24 to 70/2.8L is a good choice for a Standard Main Working Zoom – but it is</em> <strong><em>NOT</em></strong> the ” <strong><em>the perfect </em><em>multi-purpose </em><em>lens</em></strong>” <br>

And no, it is not my choice of my main working zoom lens: I use the 16 to 35/2.8L on and APS-C, as my main <strong><em>zoom</em></strong> lens.</p>

<p>WW</p>

 

<p>You don't need IS for wedding shots. You'll get good results with the 24-70 but even better- the 85mm 1.2L or 135mm 1.2L</p>

<p>Thanks for the replies, folks. Easy decision -- I'll be picking up a 24-70mm</p>

<p>I've been to the chapel (University of Chicago's Rockefeller Memorial Chapel) once before, on a mid spring day, and thought it was dark; though, the photos below suggest otherwise. I guess that<strong> I'm just being paranoid</strong>. Either way, I'll be bringing a couple of 430EXs along as well (having been to only 1 or 2 weddings in in my life, I thought flash work was "frowned upon" for some reason).</p>

<p>I hadn't the slightest idea what a "second shooter" really meant. After reading your replies and speaking with the lead, it looks like I'll be more responsible for supplementary candids & guest shots, some creative photography and the ceremony from different (mostly rear/back of church and balcony) angles. </p>

<p>For those that have asked, I'll be shooting with the following:<br /> Primary: 5DMII w/24-70mm f/2.8<br /> Secondary: 50D w/70-200mm f/2.8 IS2 <br /> For the after party, where it will almost definitely be much darker, I'll probably be swapping one with a 85mm or 50mm f/1.4.</p>

<p>Again, thank for your very helpful insight and my apologies if this was the wrong forum for this question.<br /> <img src="http://rockefeller.uchicago.edu/images/UofC-Glorious-Rockefeller-900.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="599" /><br /> <img src="http://rockefeller.uchicago.edu/images/home-window.png" alt="" width="295" height="258" /></p>