Noobs first wedding.....

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dcrad

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Hey everyone, I'm after a little help if you'd all be so kind :)

I've been taking photos for a year or so, and of course, now a friends getting married he wants me to take a few photos - its only a very small and intimate wedding in a registry office, then down the pub later - so there isn't much pressure on me, and there will be another photographer there as well taking photos (another friend).

That said, I want to do him a good job and do the best I can at giving him photos he will remember - I'm struggling when comes to gear, I have a Canon 450d, with kit 17-55mm IS lens, 50mm f1.4, and a 60mm Macro - I think that I'm willing to buy a new lens for the occasion but I cant decide what will be the most useful.

Price is only partly an issue, I dont want to spend silly lens money, but I'm willing to fork out a bit.

Do I go for a wide lens, being a cropped body, something in the 12mm-20mm range?

Or, a 70-200mm lens? I saw a 17mm-85 (I think it was) lens that I thought could be a good lens for the task - giving me a little more reach than my current 17-55 whilst still giving me access to wider angles for a few group shots etc.

Think I just need a bit of advice, can anyone assist?
 
If it was me I wouldnt bother trying to cover focal lengths you already have... my personal choice would be a sigma 70-200 f2.8 HSM OS... good for low light and has OS.
 
Use the 50mm 1.4 indoors if no flash allowed and the 17-55 outdoors. :cool:


Unless you are using the wedding as an excuse to buy some new kit (y)
 
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There are many hundreds of identical, or near identical, threads on here. I suggest you do a search before this one deteriorates like all the other ones do.

I'm not trying to be nasty or anything, it is just the way this type of thread develops.
 
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Ploddles said:
There are many hundreds of identical, or near identical, threads on here. I suggest you do a search before this one deteriorates like all the other ones do.

I'm not trying to be nasty or anything, it is just the way this type of thread develops.
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I can well imagine threads get a bit unruly and "useless" - I'll try and keep it fun :) - but yeah, your right, I didnt do much searching I must admit :bonk:

duttytd said:
If it was me I wouldnt bother trying to cover focal lengths you already have... my personal choice would be a sigma 70-200 f2.8 HSM OS... good for low light and has OS.
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Yes true, I guess your right about not covering what I already have - daft idea :). I'll have a look at that lens, to be honest I've not really considered none canon lens much. I've read that focal range is good.


Cyclops said:
Use the 50mm 1.4 indoors if no flash allowed and the 17-55 outdoors. :cool:


Unless you are using the wedding as an excuse to buy some new kit (y)
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Aye, I intend to make good use of the 50mm, its my fave lens by far and awesome indoors :)

Yup, I've justified buying a new lens with my friends weddings :) - good excuse tho right lol.
Cheers for the pointers.
 
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cant delete posts :( - see reason for editing above.
 
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I think you will struggle if the light is not particularly good, which it usually isn't in pubs. The 50mm f/1.4 is good but probably not wide enough and the 17-55mm hasn't really got a wide enough aperture. I would get a Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 and you should be able to shoot the whole wedding with that. It would be good to get a flash and some 1/4 CTO gels
if you haven't got any. A Nissin Di622 is a good cheep option.
 
Even cheaper option which has served me well is a yongnuo yn-465 which is a ttl flashgun for £40.
 
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dcrad said:
Hey everyone, I'm after a little help if you'd all be so kind :)

I've been taking photos for a year or so, and of course, now a friends getting married he wants me to take a few photos - its only a very small and intimate wedding in a registry office, then down the pub later - so there isn't much pressure on me, and there will be another photographer there as well taking photos (another friend).

That said, I want to do him a good job and do the best I can at giving him photos he will remember - I'm struggling when comes to gear, I have a Canon 450d, with kit 17-55mm IS lens, 50mm f1.4, and a 60mm Macro - I think that I'm willing to buy a new lens for the occasion but I cant decide what will be the most useful.

Price is only partly an issue, I dont want to spend silly lens money, but I'm willing to fork out a bit.

Do I go for a wide lens, being a cropped body, something in the 12mm-20mm range?

Or, a 70-200mm lens? I saw a 17mm-85 (I think it was) lens that I thought could be a good lens for the task - giving me a little more reach than my current 17-55 whilst still giving me access to wider angles for a few group shots etc.

Think I just need a bit of advice, can anyone assist?
Click to expand...

Let me first qualify my answer here and state that I've never done a wedding, but from your kit list you seem to have most angles covered. Personally I would not buy a 70-200 F2.8 (unless you want it), but would hire one and buy a flash for shooting at the reception. Buying an external flash has improved my night time photography more than my F1.4 prime or my F2.8 zoom lenses. It really is a good investment. Look at the 430 EX II and up.
 
Vivid Art said:
I think you will struggle if the light is not particularly good, which it usually isn't in pubs. The 50mm f/1.4 is good but probably not wide enough and the 17-55mm hasn't really got a wide enough aperture. I would get a Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 and you should be able to shoot the whole wedding with that. It would be good to get a flash and some 1/4 CTO gels
if you haven't got any. A Nissin Di622 is a good cheep option.
Click to expand...

I do have a flash on its way, 430EX - not sure if I'll be able use inside tho, I think I might be tho - if not, I believe the light in the room is ok, for the pub though, yes it will be a lot darker with no natural light - so a flash will come in good then - I havent used gel's before so will have a look at those whilst checking out the Tamrons :)
 
I shot a wedding in July almost exclusively on a tamron 17-50. I only used a zoom after the service and at the reception i didn't want to put my camera in peoples faces.
 
the 50mm is a winner here for portraits I think
70-200 OS is 700-900 quid, and might be overkill
a 3rd party lens might be good in the 24-70 f2.8 range which will give you some moderately wide shots and nice DOF for portraits
however, you have no flash, this is a biggie for me and I would look at that as a priority.
I have a YN565ex which I think is good for £100 (as well as a 580exII, couldn't afford more canon speedlites!)
 
Looking at your lenses I think that something a little longer would be better I once used a tamron 28 - 75 2.8 not the sharpest at 2.8 but at 5.6 loved it
 
17-55IS kit lens? Do you mean 18-55IS? The 17-55IS is about 10 times the price of the kit lens.
Im in a similar position, im doing my daughters wedding (again, very low pressure day) and plan on hiring a 17-55IS f/2.8. Having owned one for a few years until last year i feel this is going to cover almost all situations, and those that it doesn't i have my 50 f/1.4 and 70-200 f/4 IS.
The Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 mentioned would also be a very good choice.
 
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