20mm (35mm on my camera) is enough wide to shoot groups in wedding?

[will_akandou]

hi again

 

For my future group photos and other photos i plan to buy a 20mm than will be a 35mm more or less on my 40D

(x1.5)...i'll take it no matter what, but i was planning to also buy the tokina 11-16 (17.6-25.6mm on my future

camera)...but i'm not sure if it really necesary.

 

does the 20mm (don't forget, actually 35mm for me) is enough wide to shoot every case of wedding people group

(when they pose for me or candid) or do i need wider (liek the tokina)?

 

thanks

[savagesax]

You should be ok. Just watch out for distortion. A lot of photographers feel 50mm's is about right for groups, regarding no distortion effects. I think it depends alot with your camera and of course the lens.

[picturesque]

It will be fine most of the time, particularly for formals where you have control. There will be times where it won't be wide enough, particularly for candids, but those times will be few. However, if you need a wide, you need a wide (where you just can't back up--like in a very small area or, for instance, on a small boat.

[jptreen]

On my first wedding I had to use the long end of a 200mm for the largest group, just because otherwhise I would have been standing in a pond! I may never need that again...and that's the crux. You'll be fine untill you're completely screwed. This may be years, it may be next time out.

 

Another point is maybe you want wider than 35mm, but for things other than group portraits, you don't have to go for the 'fisheye look', but some places are just too small to take in with one shot unless you can go wide.

[dave_shilling__sacramento_]

I suppose it depends solely on how much room you have. a 17-55 should usually be able to get the job done. shooting a group at 11mm wouldnt be for anything more than a fun photo, since the people at the edges would be quite distorted.

[rogerjporter]

I've had to use a 10-22 zoom before for a group (at the 10 setting), the bridal party was on a stage (a rather tall one, it was a

good 4 feet high) and i was at the edge, the bridal party was fine but when the family came in i couldn't back up any further.

thank goodness for the cs3 lens distortion tool. Dave's right, it all depends on your space, but with that cs3 tool, you can

minimize the distortion. I doesn't look fish-eyed at all (the people on the edges just look rather tall compared to the center

people).

[steve_c.5]

If funds allow, I'd have both the lenses you mention. Sigma makes a very nice 20mm f1.8 that's fast enough to shoot in low light, and sharp enough to do group shots with. I use the Sigma 10-20mm, which is great, but I wish it was faster like the Tokina you mention.

[wedding-photography-denver]

I have and use the 20mm and also have the Tokina 11-16 (great lens btw). Unless I was forced to, I would not use the 11-16 for any groups. The 20mm OTOH, would be just about perfect in 95% of cases.

 

I also use an 85 (or equivalent) to flatten the perspective and controll the DOF more when I have the room to do so.