General Purpose Wedding Lens--Which One?

<p>Hi all , i havent been in here for a while.......my question is......im shooting with a 5d mark 2 and a 50d backup, i have a canon 70-200 2.8 IS , 50 1.8, TAMRON 17-50 2.8 FOR THE 50D..............now i want a wider multi purpose lense for groups and genral wedding use, i been told to get the 17-40 f4 canon....its about the price range that i can afford at the moment.....id like to hear what you think please.</p>

<p>many thx</p>

<p>Hello there,</p>

<p>It sounds like the 17-40L is right up your street then. Go for it. I have one with a similar setup (FF+1.6 sensor) and it works out very well for me.</p>

I have a 17-40 f4L. I think the color rendition is great and it is reasonably sharp. When at 17mm it has considerable barrel distortion which diminishes with increased focal length and it becomes sharper with a smaller f stop. I can correct the distortion in CS5 and LR. All that aside I think it makes really good and usable pictures. It has for me. I have prints from it up to 18x24 that display really well.

<p>Geraint--didn't we just go through this recently?</p>

<p><a href="00Y4JL">http://www.photo.net/wedding-photography-forum/00Y4JL</a></p>

<p>My answer is still the same. Tamron 28-75mm f2.8. This will give you the 'general purpose' equivalent of the 17-50mm on the 50D. I would not consider the 17-40mm or 16-35mm 'general purpose' for the 5D MkII. Also, if you bought it, it would be redundant on the 50D, since that range is covered with the 17-50mm.</p>

<p>hi and thanks for your help.............Hi Nadine, yes sorry i think we did cover something simular a while ago.......i wanted also to get some other thoughts on this, as dick and mark both say to go for the 17-40 canon and you say not to consider it?.........this is my delema!........the lens would be for total use on the 5d for the group and general shots, as i mostly got my 70-200 2.8IS on the 5d.</p>

<p>thx again all</p>

<p>24-70 2.8L & 70-200 2.8IS L is a winning combo for weddings. Build your primes around this.</p>

<p>Geraint--I am not saying don't get the 17-40mm. I am saying I don't think the 17-40mm is a good 'general purpose' lens for the 5D MkII. It is a super to medium wide zoom for the 5D MkII. If you like to shoot wide most of the time, then this lens would be OK, but if it were me, I'd prefer the 16-35mm for the wider end (I have this one). To me, general purpose is a mid range, such as the Tamron 28-75mm f2.8.</p>

<p>I would look at the weddings that you shot with only the 50D and 17-50mm. What focal lengths did you use the most? If they were mostly wide, then the 17-40mm might suit you, if you don't mind the f4 widest aperture.</p>

<p>You might also consider what William W. recommended to you in the previous thread. Several primes might cover your group shots on the 5D MkII and also be quite useful for low light on the 50D.</p>

<p>I would have to totally agree with Alwin. Those are my most used lenses at every wedding :) Best of luck!</p>

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<p><strong> </strong><strong>"the lens would be for total use on the 5d for the group and general shots"</strong></p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Answering only this question:<br>

F/2.8 would be more suitable as too would a larger FL compass.<br>

EF24 to 70/2.8L or The Tamron 28 to 75/2.8, both fit those criteria.<br>

The 17 - 40 would not be as suitable, because it is F/4 and because it is not long enough.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p><strong>.......i wanted also to get some other thoughts on this, as dick and mark both say to go for the 17-40 canon and you say not to consider it?.........this is my delema!........</strong></p>

</blockquote>

<p>Also I think you need to more carefully read the answers to the questions you ask.<br>

I also agree with MAK’s and DA’s comments.<br>

I note that MAK speaks of using his 17 to 40 in a dual format kit and DA speaks to the lens’s performance.<br>

And I further note that both of these men were <strong><em>NOT</em></strong> answering “for <strong><em>total use on the 5d</em></strong> for the group and <strong><em>general shots</em></strong>” as they both commented, before you mentioned that fact.</p>

<p>WW </p>

 

Just to add to my comment. I think the 17-40 would be good for groups but the focal length I used the most in weddings either Medium format or in a Canon Zoom was the full frame DSLR equivilent from 28 to about 70 mm. I used a 70-200 2.8 for some, but not all candids. I currently have a Canon 24-105 f4L that I use far more in general use than the 17-40 on a full frame body. When I did weddinigs I most used a 28-70 2.8L. I think the 17-40 is great in tight spaces but not for general wedding use on a full frame body. I do not like shooting groups below about 24mm full frame as I don't like the end distortion.

<p>My 24-70L gets a lot of work, followed by my 35L. Single and couple portraits the 85L and small group portraits the 50L. (Canon shooter - full frame)</p>

<p>I love the 16-35 for shots on the dancefloor during the reception when the party really starts going, or for wide angle church shots, or entire wedding guests everyone 100+ people shots. But when you use it for regular group shots, you do get a fair amount of distortion along the sides when it is zoomed out to less than 30mm or so.</p>