I'm looking at rentig/buying a new lens for weddings

[DianeTReese]

So far, we have gotten by nicely with the lenses we have now but we are shooting a wedding at the end of the month that is going to be inside in a semi-dim room. To give you an idea, this is the location.

I was initially looking at the Canon 24 1.4 but thought that it would be too wide at a distance. I normally use my 24-105 with by 580EX II and it's worked OK in churches- I love that lens in a studio and outside but am not sure if it's right for churches and halls.

Any suggestions for Canon lenses for me to look into? My current lenses are in my profile. I'm leaning towards the Canon 50 1.4 L or the 100mm Macro IS L 2.8 as I can use that for close ups and portraits as well but how well would that work in dim lit rooms?

 

[Schruminator]

Many 2.8 lenses are the bread and butter of many wedding photographers (I'm looking at you 70-200 2.8 and 24-70 2.8 ) and will do well in churches and other dimly lit places. Although some receptions have even worse lighting (especially after the sun has set).

However, what camera body are you using? If you can crank up the ISO (and still capture acceptable pictures), then F 2.8 lenses will still probably do the trick for you. Otherwise you may want something with a bit larger aperture such as the 135 2.0, 50 1.4 or 85 1.2. As for what focal length will work for you, what are you planning on shooting? For group shots or in tight quarters you may want the 24 or 35. If you're looking at a person or two, the 50 may fit well, otherwise individual portraits you may want to look at the 85 or 135 (if the venue has enough room for you to scoot back that far).

Finally, don't forget that as the aperture get's bigger (especially anything under 2.0 such as 1.2 or 1.4), your DoF decreases dramatically and it'll be more difficult to get everything in focus. So, it's a bit of a balancing act between capturing enough light and actually keeping all of your subjects in focus, etc etc.

 

[tomscott]

Why not buy a 24-70mm F2.8 MKI its cheap (£6-800) and a staple in any wedding photographers kit and means you can be a lot more flexible.

Primes are great but I would recommend the 35mm F1.4 L or 2.8 IS 35mm over the 24mm as it is a nicer focal length.

Either way a 24-70mm F2.8 and a 70-200mm F2.8 will give you good light gathering potential with a great focal length to play with. Including all the classic portrait focal lengths 35, 50 and 85mm all at F2.8. F2.8 is easier to nail the focus too, add a 580EX and your golden, basically my set up.

If primes are your appeal then 35mm, 50mm and 85mm.

I also use the 100mm as a macro/portrait lens.

What camera do you use? If its full frame then I wouldn't worry about dim areas 6400ISO is perfectly useable from 5DMKII upward.

If crop a whole different kettle of fish. Crop factor and DOF become more apparent and with nay of canons crop cameras I wouldnt shoot past 1600ISO especially in low light, with available light its not too bad.

Its very rare I go wider than 24mm as you get more distortion but it is useful when your in a tight corner or you want to emphasise an environment.

 

[agierke]

For really dark venues the 50mm 1.2L and the 100mm 2.8L can be slow to focus. Both lenses come into play for me during weddings but generally only for smaller portions of the day.

The 35mm 1.4L is handy to me throughout the entire day however. From getting ready, ceremony, portrait session, and reception this lens is usually attached to one of my bodies. The 70-200mm also is a goto wedding lens.

I am curious about the 135mm 2.0L, I have heard it is a stellar performer with focussing speed among other things.

I will add that the 100mm L has proven to be a much more versatile lens than I had anticipated outside the purpose I got it for (macro wedding details). I use it almost exclusively for product shots and it has been my "scanning" lens. It hasn't replaced my 70-200 as my goto portrait lens though so I can't speak to that.

 

[Halfrack]

Welcome Diane,

Give us a little more info as to what tools you're working with, and there are lots of options to consider. Generally speaking, as stated above the 24-70 & 70-200 f2.8 zooms are the wedding workhorses - other lenses are used for specific looks or shots, but entire weddings are shot with just those two lenses every day. If you can swing it, you won't regret investing the money into either of the 2nd gen of these lenses.

Depending on what you want, the 24-70 VC from Tamaron or the 85mm f1.8 or the 135mm f2 are all options that will work in dimmer locations. Also consider the high ISO performance of the newer FF bodies (5d mk3/6d) may be your best place to put cash.

 

[StudentOfLight]

Welcome Diane,

Give us a little more info as to what tools you're working with, and there are lots of options to consider. Generally speaking, as stated above the 24-70 & 70-200 f2.8 zooms are the wedding workhorses - other lenses are used for specific looks or shots, but entire weddings are shot with just those two lenses every day. If you can swing it, you won't regret investing the money into either of the 2nd gen of these lenses.

Depending on what you want, the 24-70 VC from Tamaron or the 85mm f1.8 or the 135mm f2 are all options that will work in dimmer locations. Also consider the high ISO performance of the newer FF bodies (5d mk3/6d) may be your best place to put cash.

+1, and also welcome Diane.

 

[Tabor Warren Photography]

Welcome to the forum Diane!

I am with Halfrack in that we need to know more about the tools you already have to give you the best advice we can.

I agree with agierke in that the 50 1.2L and 100L can be slow to focus in dark settings, I rented the 50L for a low-light wedding May 2013 and decided not to purchase it after all. I would also second the 35L and 70-200 2.8L ii, both are phenomenal and have been to nearly every wedding we shoot.

I agree with tomscott's comment on the 24-70L MK i. That lens is wonderful to have on any camera body and still performs quite well. The 24-70L ii is likely my next lens purchase. Even with the gear we use now, it seems as though the 24-70 would be a perfect range. I also agree with his suggestion of the 35/50/85 primes. I already mentioned my opinion of the 50 and the 35, but the 85 is incredible for portraits, just not the fastest focusing lens to say the least but I still used it with great success at a wedding we shot a few days ago.

I agree with Schruminator that we need to know more info and that it is all in balancing the equipment you have with the shot you are aiming to achieve.

All in all, there are so many possibilities that can help you in your wedding adventures. In order of "usefulness" for our weddings, I would say:

35L
70-200 2.8L ii
100L
24L ii
85L ii
17-40L

If I had to choose one lens for rental purposes, I would go with either the 35L or the 24-70L ii completely depending on how dark the venue actually is.

I hope this helps!

Cheers,
-Tabor

 

[ScottyP]

Well, here's what Bryan Carnathan at The Digital Picture suggests:

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Canon-Lenses/Canon-Wedding-Lens.aspx

Be sure to skip past the "for APS-c cameras" list if you are shooting full frame.