Events and weddings, essential focal lengths?

[monkeypants]

I'm looking at getting into event and wedding photography and I'm curious as to what focal lengths you guys consider 'essential' and for what task.

I'm not looking for lens advice, just what length, prime or zoom lenses you use.

 

[Schizophonic]

 

[Raymond Lin]

35 & 85.

Wedding I am editing now.

 

[Mr Jones]

Very dependent on your shooting style but for me, the 85mm during ceremony. 24-70 for reception but shooting around 30 and 70mm heavily.

 

[An Exception]

I was a second shooter for a wedding the other day and the lenses in my sig worked great on a FF body. There was only a couple of times where I wanted more reach, although with a few select crops in post that wasn't really an issue either.

 

[adamau5]

yup, i chuck in a 70-200 for those times when nothing much is happening and i want to be discrete and catch some natural guest moments.

 

[ChrisD.]

50mm prime.

 

[D.P.]

For these things i have used a 24-70, 35mm prime and 70-200mm 2.8. Occasionally a 50m prime.


A 24-70mm f/2.8 will cover form wide to slight telephoto add a good aperture with good IQ. Otherwise you want a set of primes, 24/35/85 at f1.4, and the Nikon 135 f/2.0 DC is a definite plus. A 70-200mm f/2,8 will substitute for the longer primes and give flexibility.

 

[Phate]

I use mainly the 85mm 1.8 and 135L as well. More so the latter recently. It's a brilliant focal length. Have been using the 24-70 less and less recently but at the same time I wouldn't do a wedding without one.

 

[Raymond Lin]

Actually, I find it vary from venue to venue, some weddings the 135L never comes out of the bag, some weddings I never use the 50mm. Some weddings I use more of them.

 

[ElDude]

35 & 85.

Wedding I am editing now.

I really didn't expect you to be using 6 lenses! I really thought you only used 3! I assume you use two bodies to minimise lens changes & for backup/redundancy purposes? I also didn't expect you to be taking so many photos either, although I suppose it depends on the length of the even and what you're trying for.

Goes to show how much I know about wedding photography

 

[Raymond Lin]

The 35/85 makes up for 90% of it.

24-70 is only for family formals, although my earlier work i shot most of it with this. I kinda relegated this to back up if the prime fails...not a bad back up! lol

The 135L for the church and speeches (if the space is big enough)

The 16-35 is when I think i need it. i.e. I want a WIDE shot of interior of the church. Or I want a context shot of an internal space and I can't step back.

The 50mm is either morning or dance floor, when the dance floor is big enough with lots of room. The 16-35 comes out on the dance floor too at times.

 

[a1ex2001]

I also didn't expect you to be taking so many photos

Quite a restrained total compared to a lot I've seen!

 

[Vertigo]

Bit surprised no-one has asked whether the OP is on FF or a crop.

 

[monkeypants]

I'll be using crop at first due to cost and the ever decreasing delta in image quality between the two, though I presume most if not all of you are using FF. Ignoring the perspective changes of the various focal lengths I've just been interested to see what angles of view people use.

Not wanting to alter the purpose of the thread too much, my current kit is:

Nikon D60 (soon to be upgraded)
Nikon 10-24mm
Nikon 18-55mm (again, soon to be replaced)
Nikon 35mm f1.8
Nikon 55-200mm VR

As you can see, have most things covered, albeit with amateur lenses. Next on my list is a flashgun, fast 'normal' zoom or 50mm prime and a better body. The first events will be horse shows and it won't be paid, so no need to look flashy for a client, as long as the pictures look good then people could buy them afterwards.

It looks to me like most of you covered the common lengths with a zoom, then found you used one length more than the rest and moved over to a prime to suit. As things won't be too important at first I can afford to experiment, would you agree this is the best way to do things?

 

[D.P.]

You will want to replace the 18-55mm f/5.6 with thee 17-55mm f/2.8.


The zooms like 24-70 are kind of essential in that they cover a variety of focal lengths without having to swap lenses which may not be easy in some events. Also means you can quickly swap between wide and tele for some stuff

 

[33L]

24-70L for first dance & formals
50mm, 85mm & 135mm for most other shots, i have a crop body as my second so those focal lengths can pair up nicely, however my next upgrade is to another 5D variant depending on funds available and if the mkIII ever seems to be surfacing anytime soon.

I would say a flashgun or two are essential. 2 bodies are essential not just for backup but so you dont spend so much time changing lenses and flashes. I generally know what focal lengths i will need via a reccie before the day and a last on on the day, just incase they have changed a layout.

 

[Mp4]

Hi guys,

Well after doing 3 assisted wedding's

im now taking the plunge with a wedding in May 2012

Gear Canon 400D
50mm 1.8
85mm 1.8
standard 18mm - 55mm
sigma 70-300 4.0
5 battery (7day shop ones)
Yonguyo flash gun (no TTL)

Is there anything I can buy in the mean time to help.

 

[AHarvey]

yeah, a back up camera body.

What if your 400d develops a fault at the start of the day?

A decent wide angle lens maybe, some people might say no but I shot a wedding last year where even a 24mm on a FF was too long

Insurance if you've not already got it as well, some venues can be picky about it.

 

[Nexus]

Insurance if you've not already got it as well, some venues can be picky about it.

Presumably also necessary if the worst happens and you lost all the photos.