Absolute must Have

[mike_tessier]

I am looking for the absolute must have lens for shooting a wedding from

experienced wedding photographers. I will be shooting my first church wedding

January 1 at noon. I will be using a Canon 1D mark 2 N with a 10D as a back up

and for my assistant to use for candid shots. I will be using hensel monolights

for the group and individual photos before the wedding. I have 2 550 ex

speedlights but I don't know if I should use them during the ceremony. Any Help

or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Again I want to know what you

experienced wedding photographers are using. Thank you in advance, there is

always great advice here.

[conraderb]

mike - depends on who you talk to. some people say the 24-70 L or the 24-105 L. some people say the 16-35 L. some say the 24mm L plus the 50mm 1.4 plus the 85mm 1.8.

 

the speedlights probably aren't goign to help much unless you are close to the couple. a tripod will probably be a lot more helpful to you.

[paul_sokal___dallas__tx]

Mike,

 

I'm a Nikon shooter (1.5 crop factor). The lens I use the most and I think this is true of many if not most Nikon shooters is the 17-55 f2.8. I think your 1D and 10D have different sensor sizes but whatever the equivalent FL for your camera should be on your list. Flash use in a church is usually regulated by the church so check with them about what they allow. And if you haven't already done so, visit the newbie section of this forum.

 

Good luck,

Paul

[merlin]

it's very much dictated by your style.

 

For me, I shoot a lot of low light weddings. I prefer natural light and wide angles, so the 24 1.4 was an easy choice and is my favorite lens

 

I recently shot a wedding where the power failed during the ceremony, it saved my butt big time

 

http://www.stephenseward2.com/123.jpg

[don_hill]

Equipment does not matter. What are you comfortable shooting with, and what do you

currently own? That is what you should be using, not what others shoot with. </p>As this is

your first church wedding, you will need to concentrate on following the action and quality of

light instead of fussing over new equipment. That being said any fast lens will save your life,

and I will not walk though the door without the 50mm 1.4. (if you say that line really fast out

loud, it is almost poetry)

[wingedrabbit]

This answer isn't helpful at all and I'm not a professional. That being said.<br>

<br>

<br>

What a newbie question. You own a Canon 1D mark 2N and a 10D. You have an assistant. You have monolights and extra flashes. You've shelled a lot of money to ask such a newbie question.<br>

<br>

Do you shoot in program mode? (I actually don't think the Canon 1D has a program mode, but I wouldn't know since I don't have that kind of cash.)<br>

<br>

Actually, I'm going to try to extinguish my flame answer.<br>

<br>

<a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a?topic_id=2021&category=First+Timer+and+Newcomers+to+Wedding+Photog%2e" target="_blank">Newbie Wedding Questions</a><br>

<br>

<a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a?topic_id=2021&category=Equipment%3a+Camera%2fFlash%2fBrackets%2fLenses+etc%2e" target="_blank">Wedding Equiptment Questions</a><br>

<br>

<a href="http://www.google.com/custom?q=Wedding+lens&domains=www.photo.net&sitesearch=www.photo.net&client=pub-1734703147688622&forid=1&ie=ISO-8859-1&oe=ISO-8859-1&cof=L%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.photo.net%2Fgraphics%2Fanimated_photonet_logo.gif%3BS%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.photo.net%2F%3BGALT%3A%230066CC%3BGL%3A1%3BDIV%3A%23999999%3BVLC%3A336633%3BAH%3Acenter%3BBGC%3AFFFFFF%3BLBGC%3AFFFFFF%3BALC%3A0066CC%3BLC%3A0066CC%3BT%3A000000%3BGFNT%3A666666%3BGIMP%3A666666%3BFORID%3A1%3B&hl=en" target="_blank">Wedding Lens</a><br>

<br>

<a href="http://www.photo.net/search/" target="_blank">Your own personal search</a><br>

<br>

I'd try for the 24-70 and the 16-35. Those are standards. You should also drop a dime on the 70-200 f2.8 with IS. Remember, you can always rent to check them out first.<br>

<br>

[steve skibbie central ca]

Mike, as you can read by the answers, there is really no such thing as a single MUST HAVE lens. Most photographers know they need to have a range of lenses from wide to tele. And having the lenses in the f2.8 zone is important for low light conditions often found during the ceremony.

 

Also, some churches prohibit the use of flash during the ceremony-- ask the wedding coordinator-- usually you can get away with it during the processional and recessional. So, the 550's are not necessarily a bad idea.

 

For the record, I use a 24-70 1.8, 17mm, 70-200 2.8, 50mm 1.8 on 20D's.

[bdp]

The absolute must have lens is the Canon 14mm-200mm F/1.2 lens. I think that would be on everyone's must have list.

[paul_sokal___dallas__tx]

Bob,

 

No IS on that 14-200?

 

Paul

[er1]

You asked for one lens: 24-70L 2.8 but keep an eye open for Bob's dream lens with or without the IS : )

[robbie_caswell]

Zooms are more practical for many aspects if you will need lots of flash. Primes offer something else. Rarely mixing the two adds anything special IMHO.

 

I do shoot with a mid range zoom and a prime mounted on a second body. There is nothing subtle about a brick of a body, pro zoom lens with scalloped hood, popping off flash. You can't hide and you are the proverbial papparazzi. So when I break out the prime, the stealth effect has already been lost, and primarliy it is for "posed candids."

 

Bought a 5d with 50 and 85 primes. Slowly moving back to a true PJ style of shooting.

 

It really depends on how you like to shoot. But for a one do it all wedding lens... then something in the Canon equivilent range of my 17-55 Nikon is king.

[craig_shearman1]

Read Steve Sint's "Wedding Photography: Art, Business and Style". It will answer virtually any question you have on wedding photography.

[William Michael]

I agree, we will all have different opinions, but that is what you asked for:

 

Over thirty years my must have 35mm lenses (focal length refers to FF 35mm) are:

 

1. Wide zoom around 20mm to 50mm around F 2.8 or F3.5 (too much room for un noticed distortion by assistant any wider).

 

2. Standard Zoom 40 to 100 around F2.8

 

3. FAST `normal to wide` 45mm or 50mm (fast means F1.4 or F1.8)

 

4. FAST `portrait' 85 (fast means F1.8)

 

5. FAST medium wide 28 or 35 (fast means F1.8 or F2.0)

 

6. FAST short tele or fast tele zoom around 135 to 200mm

 

In addition, other absolutes are:

 

1. An assistant

 

2 TWO bodies for the assistant one with a normal zoom, and flash for `posed candids` and one with another fast medium wide 35 to 45mm (I found a stubby 45mm a creamer)

 

3. A back up body for you, with a fast lens on it (I like to have a fast 85mm on my second body).

 

The remaining advice is have your accessories numbers gorilla proof ie if you use one have two, if you use two have three etc, if you need one for your assistant and one for you, oyu need TWO extras.

 

At the tele end you might be able to be creative in the kit bag eg:

if you had a canon 70 to 200 IS F2.8L, there would be no need for a fast short tele, you could even at a pinch use this in lieu of the fast portrait lens I listed.

 

Regards. WW

[mike_tessier]

Thanks for all the advice folks. I don't know why but I was thinking I would get 4 or 5 answers of, Get Lens X no wedding photog leaves home with out it. Any way I have a 24-70 2.8, a 70-200 2.8 and a 50 1.8, and after reading the canon forum I just ordered a 35mm 1.4. It seems to be the overwhelming favorite for weddings in the Canon camp. Thanks again for the great advice.

[neil cowley - visual artis]

50mm to start - once you master that, try wide angle like 35 1.4

 

If you wan to have some fun I recommend the 90TSE, lenses are just fun little dodads to get

you into or out of a seeing 'frame of mind'.

[eric merrill]

Neil:

 

Do you have sample shots from a wedding with the 90 TSE?

 

 

Eric