best lens for wedding group shots?

[amycary-hult]

I am looking to buy a new lens for my Nikon D100 that will produce the best

results for group shots (as well as non-group shots) in low-lit churches and

other low-lighting venues for weddings. Any suggestions on what type of lens I

should look into?

 

Thank you in advance for you answers! You guys are so knowledgeable - this

website truly is an education!

[mark pav]

You may have to decide whether you'd rather have a wide angle or a very fast lens.

 

The widest non-fisheye I'm aware of for your D100 is the Nikkor 14mm f2.8D. If you want a

faster lens then there's the Sigma 20mm f/1.8 EX, but that's only an equivalent of 35mm on

your D100. That might be the best compromise for you, though I am not sure how well this

particular lens performs. And then there's the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX, which is the fastest

lens here and a decent performer. On the other hand it only gives you 45mm on the D100,

so it's not especially wide.

[roger_s]

I'm not saying the 12-24/4DX is the "best" lens for groups shots, but I have recently used it @12mm for two group shots, i.e. >60 people. The 12-24 is ideal for fitting in that many people and possibly more, but the distortion is severe. (See my recent post on the distortion of the 12-24). The solution it seems is to keep the lens pointing forwards, and to experiment with software that can edit the curvature of the image.

 

Even if 12mm is too wide for your group shots, somewhere in the range of 12-24 (18-35 full-frame) would suit for the particular group you're shooting. Also, the 12-24 is reputed to be extremely sharp at its longer range i.e. closer to 24.

 

Hence, the 12-24 would seem "the best" because somewhere it its range is what you would use for any group shot, and it gives you the extra reach at 12 mm if ever you need it, albeit with extra distortion.

 

It is quite expensive, so you could consider other 12-24's made by non-camera brands.

[roger_s]

p/s the f4 of the 12-24 is not great for low light, however, if you're doing wedding photography as a profession, you might consider upgrading the D100 to one of the newer DSLR's that have better high ISO performance, such as the D200 or D80.

[ShunCheung]

It has been said many times that the 17-55mm/f2.8 DX is a great wedding lens. If you use something wider for group shots, such as the 12-24 on its wider side, the people in the middle will appear considerably bigger than those on the two ends.

[daviddbfotoart]

The 17-55 2.8 is definately my weapon of choice.

[elliot1]

Another vote for the 17-55.

[todd peach seattle, washi]

I think I understand what Shun is saying, but I would turn the warning on its head:

 

If you shoot groups with the 12-24 at the wide end, be damned sure that none of your female loved ones are at the edges of the frame. It adds fifty pounds!

[paul hofman - south africa]

Yip, definately the folk on the ends in my experience (17-35mm Sigma / 18-200mm Nikon at 18mm.) that get the distortion. The people in the middle are fine. One trick that I have learnt is to shoot further away and leave a fair space between the subjects and the edge of the frame. You can then crop it back in photoshop.

 

Good luck.

[craig_shearman1]

One of my friends who shoots weddings full time loves the 17-55 2.8. You need a 2.8 just to be able to see through the viewfinder in a dim church or reception hall. Lens speed isn't an issue for exposure since you are hopefully using flash and properly double lighting your group shots. I don't shoot weddings full time but have done and seen enough to know not to rely on available light.