85mm or 50mm

Nikon Dave

Nikon Dave

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David
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Ok i know this sounds like a silly question but i have 2 weddings to photograph ,one in oct and one in november. They will be my first official weddings:eek:and one of them in particular will be just a night do as the couple will be getting married on a cruise and want to have the BIG party /reception in the uk late november. The couple want lots of formal pictures taken ( it will be 6.30pm-7.30pm)and i need to use a nice fast lens .Now i already have a nikon 50mm 1.8, but i not quite sure if this will suffice and i want to take some lovely portraits of the couple but don't want to be to in their faces,so i was wondering would the nikon 85mm 1.8 be better all round ie; better lens,sharper,more flattering and better bokeh ?? Or do i go the whole hog as a lot of people recommend and stretch very far and buy a 70-200mm 2.8 ?:shrug:
 
peronally, I think just any 1 of those three lens won't be enough. If you went for the 70-200 how will you manage the wide shots?

Of the three - I'd manage without the 85 especially on a crop sensor, but thats my opinion. I think you'd do well to stretch to the 70-200, keep the 50 and buy something wider as well

Hugh
 
boyfalldown said:
peronally, I think just any 1 of those three lens won't be enough. If you went for the 70-200 how will you manage the wide shots?

Of the three - I'd manage without the 85 especially on a crop sensor, but thats my opinion. I think you'd do well to stretch to the 70-200, keep the 50 and buy something wider as well

Hugh
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Thanks Hugh , as i did'nt point out i also have a 10-20mm sigma and a nikon 18-200mm (not quite fast enough) ;)
 
For crop I would say 50. Full frame, 85. I love my 85 on FF, great for portraits.

G.
 
Why make life difficult for yourself?
On your DX crop sensor, the 50 is a as near as damn it an 85 already - so should be fine for the head/shoulders shots.

I would think, instead of looking for longer lenses you should be thinking more widely (ha ha). Why not save some money and get something like a 35-70 f2.8AFD - a pro spec lens that you can get for very little. Sparkling sharp, f2.8 right through the zoom range too. The 70 end is actually a 105 on yours, from a frame filling aspect. You haven't got the long aisle to worry about, so look more standard lengths for your quest - a 70-200, you would have to go outside to get enough room to fit a full length person in. In November, it will be dark by 5pm. I think you will be inside mostly.
 
I was thinking the 70-200mm would allow me to take alot of infomal pics without being to intrusive and would allow me to get more candid type shots:)
 
the 50mm will suffice especially if its kit you already own dont go and buy a 85mm when you have the 50mm 1.8 already
 
im not too experienced, but id say 50mm on a crop sensor. Its easier to get closer to your subject than it is to get further away. Plus on the 85mm you will need to shoot at speeds around 1/120+
 
hsuffyan said:
im not too experienced, but id say 50mm on a crop sensor. Its easier to get closer to your subject than it is to get further away. Plus on the 85mm you will need to shoot at speeds around 1/120+
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not always - especially in a wedding. As AliB puts it 'knocking the vicar out of the way would be bad form'

Having said that - I agree the 50 is a better choice on a crop body, but I am confused where you get your shutter speeds for the 85 from?

Hugh
 
I might be wrong, but I thought on a crop body it would be 1/(1.6x85) as a rough estimate. Although thinking about it the aperture probably doesnt require the shutter to be that fast. So I probably am wrong!
 
Keep the 50mm....you could always hire some more exotic lenses for the big day(s) if you need to. :)
 
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