Wedding photography lens choice

[brooke_renee]

<p>Hi Everyone,<br>

I have been doing numerous courses on photography for the last 12 months and I have been asked by a family friend to photograph there wedding as they are on such a strick budget that it doesnt allow any money for a photographer. I am not a professional but would like to do the best job I can. I am happy to do it to build up my portfoilio. It is an outside wedding in summer.<br />Id like your opinion on the best lens for wedding photography at the moment i have a D7000 with a Nikon 1.4 50mm, Nikon 1.8 35mm and the 55-200mm 18-55mm standard lens that comes with the kit. I am on a budget of about $1000 and am open to Sigma or Tamron lens options. Any suggestions would be great! Thank you :)</p>

 

[ShunCheung]

<p>I would get a 3rd-party lens similar to the Nikon 17-55mm/f2.8 DX AF-S. That should be your wedding/party lens. After that, do you have any flash?</p>

<p>And do you have a backup camera body? You don't have to own it, but you should have one available with you, perhaps borrowed.</p>

[wpahnelas]

<p>like the man said, you should check into something in the 17-50mm f/2.8 category -- people here routinely speak well of the tamron offering, which is considerably cheaper than nikon's lens (but if you can swing the nikkor, you'd be set for life!). you will need a flash to augment the lens, so you won't have photos full of people with "raccoon eyes" when the sun is not coming over your shoulder. you've gotta have the right gear, but you also need to work on your technique. that bit about a backup camera body is on point, too. if your D7000 decides not to cooperate on wedding day, you need a fallback plan so you're covered. you can even rent one if necessary. sounds as though you have some time to prepare, which is great. visit the wedding forum here on PN frequently so you can find out what kind of things are on wedding photographers' minds.</p>

[kohanmike]

<p>I shoot events often; two D300s bodies, Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 VC ($650 US), SB600 flash with diffuser cap, on the camera, Sigma 50-150 f/2.8 (discontinued, but $750 US new, an optically stabilized version is coming out soon) for mostly available light but have another SB600 and diffuser ready for it if needed. I actually have another SB600, 2 stands and umbrellas for group shots.</p>

[eric_arnold]

<p>for $1000 you might be able to get a used 17-55. a new tamron 17-50 (non-VC) is about $450. since you need a flash anyway, the tamron might be the way to go.</p>

[leslie_cheung]

<p>Flash and a second body would be ahead of the lens if money is tight, especially if it's an outside summer wedding.</p>

[daverhaas]

<p>Used sb 600 - $200-$250, Used Tamron 17-50 f2.8 - $300, Used sigma 70-200 f2.8 - $500 approx. </p>

<p>In order that is what I would look for. </p>

<p>Dave</p>

 

[leslie_cheung]

<p>Maybe I haven't check the market of late but where are you getting these nice prices, David? </p>

<p>BTW, in my previous post, I didn't mean buying a second body as much as renting it. </p>

[elliot1]

<p>If the wedding is during the day, I don't think you need another lens. The IQ of the kit lens is excellent and actually pretty much equal to that of the other lenses mentioned for outdoor use. Your other lenses are fine as well. If it is during the evening, the 17-55mm (used) is the way to go.</p>

<p>A 2nd body is more important than another lens. If you cannot borrow one, buy an inexpensive used body or rent one. Put one of your other lenses on it. If you don't want to keep it, you can always resell it after the event and get your money back.</p>

<p> </p>

[kenneth_cortland]

<p>Hi Brooke,</p>

<p>Another lens like an f/2.8 mid-range (17-50mm) zoom (3rd party or Nikon) would be the best lens to get, but I'm with some of the other posters on the advice about a flash. You can get a used SB-600 and with the D7000 you can use these both off-camera. However, a brand new SB-700 is much more user friendly. Even after getting an SB-700, you have close to $700 to get a few accessories for the lighting and get a Tamron f/2.8 lens. But I would start with one piece at a time to get a feel for how it changes your photography as opposed to buying everything at once.</p>

<p>The second camera body is a must, but unless you plan to shoot events regularly for money, I wouldn't buy one. Just borrow or rent.</p>

[jyoungman]

<p>All the above is good advice. I'd totally endorse buying what you both definitely need and can use later, and renting the other stuff. Since the wedding is outside in summer, you may well end up using the flash a lot to avoid harsh shadows in people's faces. So IMO that's the single most important item. <br>

Something else that hasn't been mentioned so far, is that you will likely need an assistant. A friend who definitively agrees to follow you around, hold stuff, and do what you say for the whole day. Here are some things you will need them to do:</p>

<ul>

<li>Keep track of the list of poses that the bride and groom specifically wanted (not sure if your courses already covered wedding photography, but allow 5 minutes per group arrangement). Get the groups together, let people know they will be needed for the group shots and not to wander off.</li>

<li>Carry the equipment you are not using (e.g. the backup body, the other lenses)</li>

<li>Hold the diffuser (I really like the Lastolite tri-grip, it's $60 online) to soften the sunlight on people's faces or the bounce card (which may also be the tri-grip with a different cover)</li>

<li>Prevent people wandering into shot, including other photographers (so they might need to be quite assertive; they're acting on behalf of the bride and groom, because they want the best photos).</li>

</ul>

<p>Also, don't forget to talk to the b&g about what group shots or poses they would like, make a list. Keep it to a reasonable number (depending on the amount of time you will have). Also ask them to enumerate the close or important family members who absolutely must be in their wedding album (to make sure you shoot them).<br>

Don't forget to scout the venue to figure out the lighting, backgrounds, good spots etc. If a shot of all the guests together is needed, figure out how many guests there will be, plan a location. Ask the venue owner where wedding photographers normally do their big group shots. You may need an elevated location for this, and need permission to use it (for example taking the shot out of the window of an unoccupied hotel room) so make sure you speak to the venue management well ahead of time.</p>

 

[mike_earussi1]

<p>You actually have a pretty complete focal length range, so the only two lenses you're actually missing are a really wide angle in the 10-20mm range (17mm isn't that wide on a APS-C camera) and a macro lens such as the Sigma 70 or Nikon 105 for close-ups of the ring and such. An 85 f1.4 would also be nice for portraits but the f2.8 macro lens can usually substitute for that if the backgroung is far enough away. And as others have pointed out, these lenses can usually be rented.</p>