Yep another stupid wedding lens question sorry!

P

Philx1979

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Phil
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I`m not looking to getting into wedding photography however i`ve been asked to do a couple of shots for some friends and family, now i have no worries with the outside shots but inside a church i`m a tad worried although i have told them not to expect anything special cos i have never ever done anything lke this before.

The lenses i have are: Nikon 18-55 f3.5-5, Nikon 55-200 f4-5, Sigma 70-200mm 2.8 II Macro.

Now will i be able to grab a couple of shots inside with either the 18-55 or even the sigma 2.8 or do you recommend that i should purchase a nikon 50mm f1.4 afs??? as i`m only on a budget of £300 and have my sights set on a 50mm f1.4.

All i`m worried about at the end of the day is shots being blurred by slow shutter/hand shake/people movement and going to high in the ISO level.

I`m using a budget d40x.
 
It's almost impossible to answer this one because churches vary from the very bright to the downright gloomy. You've certainly got the focal lengths to handle a wedding comfortably enough.

What you need to do is go and have a good look at the venue so you know what to expect. Take your camera and lenses and get some light readings. Have a word with the vicar- introduce yourself and explain your problems, find out how he feels on the subject of flash shots , he may be more understanding than you might think. Many vicars don't allow flash shots during the solemn parts of the ceremony, but there's no reason at all why many of the shots can't be posed afterwards using flash if that proves necessary.

Don't just sit back and fly by the seat of your pants on the day. ;)
 
To be honest, your safest option is a prime. Something which is 1.8 or faster BUT I would also highly recommend a flash.

Out of all of your lenses, the 70-200 2.8 is going to be the closest to what I could recommend but I would definately go for a flash also.
 
In before the 'Don't do it get a pro' brigade :p

My advice. Go to the church and see what light levels you are getting inside with your current gear. If you can have a chat with the Vicar to try and get his feelings about flash photography that would help.
If he says flash is fine, then purchase a flash and a 50mm F1.8
If he says no flash, purhase a 50mm F1.8 and a flash :lol: You will probably use the flash outdoors and at the reception anyway!

Are you there as a guest, don;t forget to enjoy yourself!
 
Teshi said:
To be honest, your safest option is a prime. Something which is 1.8 or faster BUT I would also highly recommend a flash.

Out of all of your lenses, the 70-200 2.8 is going to be the closest to what I could recommend but I would definately go for a flash also.
Click to expand...

you''ll probably find that you won't be able to use flash inside the church though. If you have your sights set on a 50mm f1.4 I would say go for it. I have taken pics in a church (Not a wedding) that wasn't to poorly lit but I still needed a very wide aperture and high ISO to get a decent usable shutter speed, although you would need to watch your depth of field. Also I'm guessing that the D40X doesn't perform that great at high ISOs.
 
tripod and the 50mm would be my suggestion.

i take it you are experienced with your camera and settings etc?
 
50mm f1.8 and a Sigma 24-70f2.8
Shop second hand and you should be able to get both for around the £300 budget, maybe a touch more. Maybe look at the Sigma 28-70 f2.8, although i'm not sure how this performs optically

Mike
 
I shoot 90 percent off any wedding I do with my Canon 50mm F1.2 L, so the 50 is perfect.
If your shooting portraits which you are you need a flash for fill in.
 
I use that Sigma 70-200 f2.8 and it's a cracker. Practice hand holding so you know how slow you can go. A wider lens with f1.8 or better is always a good investment.

Enjoy :)
 
I'd also recommend renting a lens if you identify one you need and don't want to buy it. Look up lenses for hire (search for any Stuart R posts on this forum, I'm sure there are other people available if you prefer). It may be a lot cheaper and easier than you think.
 
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