Canon lens for a wedding

kristmace · 2 Jun 2015 at 18:51

Hello Photography people.

My sister is getting married in July and she's asked me to shoot some pictures. They've paid for a proper photographer, but she wants me to shoot more candid shots of the day in contrast to the official posed ones.

I'm thinking about renting a top quality lens for the day, and I'm looking for recommendations - Which lens, and which rental site, bearing in mind that I don't want to spend a fortune (£30ish) and I have a body with a crop sensor.

My Gear:
Canon 550D
Kit Lens
Canon 50mm f1.8
Sigma 70-300mm f4-5.6

AshD93 · 2 Jun 2015 at 19:00

The 50mm you have will get you some excellent results.

What you have to remember is that most people won't notice the difference in sharpness and so on, it's just "ohh thats a nice photo - next"

As for what lens you should hire, I'm not sure but I would try and use that 50mm. Gets me some fantastic shots.

D.P. · 2 Jun 2015 at 19:11

Then 50mm will be OK for head and shoulders but I would get something wider, like 30-35mm to get the couple in one, ansd it might also be nice to get some wider shots of the reception.

If I was you I would hire the Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 or Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8

kristmace · 2 Jun 2015 at 20:30

D.P. said:
Then 50mm will be OK for head and shoulders but I would get something wider, like 30-35mm to get the couple in one, ansd it might also be nice to get some wider shots of the reception.

If I was you I would hire the Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 or Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8

Thanks. That's just the type of recommendation I need. The 50mm is great, but I definitely think I need something wider and more versatile with it being a crop sensor. The kit lens isn't going to cut it.

AHarvey · 2 Jun 2015 at 20:44

I don't know canon glass, but typical wedding lenses (without going in to prime lenses) are:

70-200 2.8
24-70 2.8

I would advise that you look at a decent strobe/hot shoe flash too. There will be a lot of photos through the day, but you can get some really nice ones from the wedding breakfast into the party.

a1ex2001 · 2 Jun 2015 at 21:11

I'd get a fast sharp 28/30/35 mm prime and a decent hotshoe flash I've used the same setup at several friends weddings and they've always been happy with the results!

Russinating · 2 Jun 2015 at 22:16

This isn't what you're asking for, and it's clearly against the general consensus, but as a professional wedding practitioner I say this:

She's your sister, and she'll likely only get married once (you would hope!). She's hired a professional for a reason so put your camera down and enjoy the day. She may have asked you to take some photos, but I'm sure she'll more than understand if you tell her you'd rather enjoy the day rather than working - and certainly not hiring a lens where you'll feel obliged to get your money's worth.

The only time you'll be around when the professional isn't is post-first dance and hopefully you'll be too drunk by then to take anything useful anyway.

Seriously, don't bother.

kristmace · 2 Jun 2015 at 23:49

Russinating said:
She's your sister, and she'll likely only get married once (you would hope!). She's hired a professional for a reason so put your camera down and enjoy the day.

Thank you. That's a really good point... I certainly don't intend to spend the whole day shooting, especially since I'm very much an amateur. I imagine I'll be taking a couple of hundred shots throughout the whole day, and I don't mind spending a little bit on a rented lens to get something better than the kit lens will produce.

I'm leaning towards the 17-55mm Canon lens mentioned earlier. I think I have a mate with one who may let me borrow it, so that's a price that can't be beaten!

a1ex2001 · 3 Jun 2015 at 09:58

Russinating said:
This isn't what you're asking for, and it's clearly against the general consensus, but as a professional wedding practitioner I say this:

She's your sister, and she'll likely only get married once (you would hope!). She's hired a professional for a reason so put your camera down and enjoy the day. She may have asked you to take some photos, but I'm sure she'll more than understand if you tell her you'd rather enjoy the day rather than working - and certainly not hiring a lens where you'll feel obliged to get your money's worth.

The only time you'll be around when the professional isn't is post-first dance and hopefully you'll be too drunk by then to take anything useful anyway.

Seriously, don't bother.

You've got to be seriously drunk if you incapable of taking a few decent pictures on a dance floor and I'd hope nobody get's that wasted at his sisters wedding!

I've taken many pictures after the pro has gone home for close friends and they have made and have always been gratefully received and in some cases have been used in expanded albums/books the couple have put together.

Taking a few snaps through the day is hardly going to impinge on his enjoyment of the day, 99% of wedding guest will be taking pictures. I totally agree that he should enjoy the day and not focus on taking pictures but that doesn't seem to be the plan and if he was considering being the main tog I would definitely advise against it.

Hodders · 3 Jun 2015 at 20:00

My brother got married last month and I made a conscious decision to leave me kit at home. Result - I enjoyed the day far more as I wasn't worried about looking for shots.

I am a commercial/portrait photographer professional so it was a very conscious decision.

Russinating · 3 Jun 2015 at 23:04

A few hundred is quite a lot. Without bursting most pros will struggle to get a few hundred usable shots from working constantly for an entire day.

It's not even just the shooting. It's taking all your kit in a bag with batteries, chargers, cards etc, and rocking up at the ceremony in all your finery... plus a bag. And then lugging said bag everywhere, worrying about where to put it where it'll be safe, going back and forth to swap lenses, etc.

If you take away the ceremony and speeches, where you'll be seated and unable to get any sort of shot or angle worth its salt, you're left with people arriving at the ceremony, the champagne reception and dancing. Being so close to the couple, do you really want to spend that time taking photos rather than drinking and catching up with distant family and friends (or generally enjoying the day with close family)?

a1ex2001 said:
You've got to be seriously drunk if you incapable of taking a few decent pictures on a dance floor and I'd hope nobody get's that wasted at his sisters wedding!

Why would you want to take a camera onto a dance floor? You should be dancing.

a1ex2001 said:
99% of wedding guest will be taking pictures

Which is terrible and annoying.

As above (Hodders) I'm a professional and we actively turn down work (even fully paid) for friends and family.

Hodders · 4 Jun 2015 at 08:27

I agree with Russinating above.

He summed it up nicely - Work is work, play is play. Keep them separate.

Most important thing - have a great time !

a1ex2001 · 4 Jun 2015 at 10:45

Russinating said:
A few hundred is quite a lot. Without bursting most pros will struggle to get a few hundred usable shots from working constantly for an entire day.

It's not even just the shooting. It's taking all your kit in a bag with batteries, chargers, cards etc, and rocking up at the ceremony in all your finery... plus a bag. And then lugging said bag everywhere, worrying about where to put it where it'll be safe, going back and forth to swap lenses, etc.

Why would you take all that stuff as a guest not a pro? I just sling a camera over my sholder with a small prime lens, spare memory card in the inside pocket and flash in the glove box incase I want it later hardly a hasle you seem to be confusing the requirments of a pro documenting the day with a friend/relative getting a fe nice shots!

Russinating said:
If you take away the ceremony and speeches, where you'll be seated and unable to get any sort of shot or angle worth its salt, you're left with people arriving at the ceremony, the champagne reception and dancing. Being so close to the couple, do you really want to spend that time taking photos rather than drinking and catching up with distant family and friends (or generally enjoying the day with close family)?

It's not about shots of the ceromony it's just nice moments, pictures of your friends enjoying themselves on your big day, cute pictures of kids etc etc there are hundreds of photo opportunities at a wedding that take no more effort than pointing a camera and pressing the button, again I think your confusing a professional documenting the day with a friend/relative snapping a few shots.

Russinating said:
Why would you want to take a camera onto a dance floor? You should be dancing.

I'm not much of a one for dancing I don't really enjoy it but I do enjoy taking pictures and experience tells me that 9 times out 10 the pro has gone home when the really funny stuff happens not the sort of thing you want in the official album but the nice to haves like the groom dancing with his tie round his head or th last song of the evening etc etc

Russinating said:
Which is terrible and annoying.

Anoying to who? you the photographer or the couple? I've never known a couple complain about people taking pictures at there wedding and I certainly didn't at mine, I enjoyed all the shots that appeared on facebook in the days afterwards and those that were emailed to me or handed over on CD etc. We made an extended album from a mixture of our professional shots, shots guests had taken and the polaroids from our guest book camera.

Russinating said:
As above (Hodders) I'm a professional and we actively turn down work (even fully paid) for friends and family.

Totally understand this, the requirments put on an official photographer would make it very difficult/impossible to enjoy a friend or family members wedding properly but you seem to assume that to take any nice/half competent photo's at a wedding you must have a bag of kit and be totally focussed on it all day which obviously isn't the case!

kristmace · 4 Jun 2015 at 20:39

Interesting discussion...

The bottom line for me is that I've a very very amateur. I have some gear, and I enjoy taking shots from time to time. This won't be anything like a working day for a pro photographer. I want to grab a few nice shots throughout the day, and I know my 50mm won't be flexible enough, and my kit lens is a bit crappy really!