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

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.

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!

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!