Do event photographers really need expensive f/2.8 zooms?

[david_thomas26]

<p>As a professional photographer of many years experience, I have recently started shooting weddings using a Nikon 28-300 f/3.5-5.6 - it's inherent flexibility and vast zoom range has enabled me to capture more keepers than ever before. Married to a D800 and shooting JPEG, it's a pretty powerful combination:</p>

<ul>

<li>Lens distortions are handled well at point of capture.</li>

<li>Noise is reduced at point of capture.</li>

<li>Images are tack sharp on a FX body shooting in Aperture priority mode utilising the auto-ISO function set to a maximum of 4000 and a shutter speed of 1/200s</li>

<li>Greatly reduced batch editing times in Lightroom.</li>

</ul>

<p>Many people have told me this is an amateur lens but I would say this to them; being professional is knowing how to get the best photos for your clients and to this end I would say I am a very happy man. <br>

My question is do you really need the expensive f/2.8 zooms when you have such an efficient image processing image as an FX camera body? Could you save yourself some money?</p><div></div>

[john tonai]

<p>Some do, and some don't. All equipment depends on the needs, not wants of the assignment</p>

[Wouter Willemse]

<p>Your argument for a 28-300VR and shooting JPEG can be fairly easy countered with arguments in favour of f/2.8 zooms and raw. It's not right versus wrong, it's making things work well for you, and get the results you are happy with.<br>

Would you feel confident to go to a wedding with one D800 body and one lens, or do you actually have other lenses at hand, and do you use them?</p>

[jorish]

<p>Depends what kind of event it is; I mainly shoot theatrical performances, where there's not always a lot of light. Anybody using flash during a performance where there is theatrical lighting should be bodily thrown out IMO, so in that case, yes, I need faster lenses. 2.8 is even kinda slow as far I'm concerned; I usualy grab my 50/1.8 or 35/1.8.</p>

<p>If you shoot with enough light (whether provided by someone else or by your own flash(es)), the equation changes. Sometimes to the point where you can work with slow lenses. And the best lens is the one that works for you, just like the best camera is the one that you have on you, not the one that you've got lying at home in your cupboard ;)</p>