Lens Question

AnUnforgettableMemory

Well this is my first thread, so bear with me a bit. LOL

I started my photography business about a year ago, but dealt more with outdoor photos. I recently purchased some studio lights and backdrops so I could start doing some indoor photos, and also booked two weddings for this summer.

The question I have is I need to get at least one more lens before my first wedding in June. I will admit, I was a self taught photographer and don't know much about lens, so I'm not quite sure what type of lens I should purchase. I'm also looking for a flash and diffuser for my Canon. What are your suggestions??

Thanks so much!!! :

**UPDATE**

Sorry about that! As I said, I'm new to the forums. I guess it would help if I gave you more information about what kind of camera and lens I already have and what type of weddings I have booked. lol I honestly don't have a fortune to spend, so I can't go and purchase a $1,000 lens right now. I'm looking for an afordable lens that will give me the quality I need to take these photos.

I have a Canon Rebel XTi and the lens that came with the camera is a 18-55mm.

The first wedding I have booked is an outdoor wedding at a local winery, but I will be doing some indoor shots also. The second wedding I have booked will be at a church.

Hopefully this gives you a little bit more information.

Art Scott

AnUnforgettableMemory wrote:

Well this is my first thread, so bear with me a bit.

I started my photography business about a year ago, but dealt more with outdoor photos. I recently purchased some studio lights and backdrops so I could start doing some indoor photos, and also booked two weddings for this summer.

The question I have is I need to get at least one more lens before my first wedding in June. I will admit, I was a self taught photographer and don't know much about lens, so I'm not quite sure what type of lens I should purchase. I'm also looking for a flash and diffuser for my Canon. What are your suggestions??

Thanks so much!!! :

i do not see any glass listed in your profile or in this thread.....kinda hard to suggest whar "else" to get.............but for over 20+ yrs all I jused for porttraits and weddings was a 70-210 zoom lens (f2.8)......now I have a second lens 24-70......but getting ready to make a move to (prob) Nikon and will replce the 24-70 f2.8 with a 17-70 ....now all my lenses are Sigam and I have never been let down by them...........

Flash ---- if you can afford it get the top line canon flash.....otherwise take a good look at the Sigma 530DG Super.......

Diffusers ---- I do not recommend the Fong anything as they are heavy and only work on the flash model purchased for......why is that bad....down the road you may purchase a flash with a diofferent sized head and then will need a nother flash diffuser....also they take up a lot of camera bag room.........
I like the Lumiquest Softbox.....folds flat and works really well......and I can use it on any of my flash units.......

one thing you do need is to get that flash off the hotshoe....so a decent bracket is in order, one that rotates the camera not the flash.......for med. priced but will last many years I recommend the Stroboframe Pro RL or the Custom Brackets Pro-M.................

Richard

Hi Jenn and welcome to Dgrin .

I think we need a little more information--what lenses do you have? What's your budget? Are the weddings indoors or outdoors? There are many options, so tell us more.

Scott_Quier

Richard wrote:

Hi Jenn and welcome to Dgrin .

I think we need a little more information--what lenses do you have? What's your budget? Are the weddings indoors or outdoors? There are many options, so tell us more.

I also want to say - Welcome!!!

And, with Richard. Before we can help you out any, we need to know the sorts of information outlined by both he and Art.

I agree with most of Art's suggestions as well. My suggested brands and design might be a bit different, but the concepts are the same.

My gear list (see my profile) lists what I have and most of it is geared toward shooting weddings. There's not a lens there that I wouldn't be happy to recommend - over time, I've culled the loosers. My favorites are the 17-55 f/2.8 IS and the 70-200 f/2.8L IS.

ziggy53

Jenn,

Your question is remarkably similar to another recent question in the Camera forum and so I'll link you to the response I gave there:

http://www.dgrin.com/showpost.php?p=1061793&postcount=7

Basically, I suggest that you need a better lens, capable of both lower light situations and with better image quality that can hold up to enlargements. You also need a flash with a focus assist light to give the lens a better "target" on which to focus. A flash modifier is the last part of the recommendation and I suggest that you can build a couple very inexpensively that work well for the application.

You will also need to shoot RAW format and process into JPG files for distribution. You should have gotten a copy of Canon's DPP software with your camera which you can use to process the RAW files or, if you have Windows you can try RAW Therapee, the latest version is pretty competent and supports even the latest Canon cameras.

More details are at the link above.

jeffreaux2

Scott_Quier wrote:

My gear list (see my profile) lists what I have and most of it is geared toward shooting weddings. There's not a lens there that I wouldn't be happy to recommend - over time, I've culled the loosers. My favorites are the 17-55 f/2.8 IS and the 70-200 f/2.8L IS.

Ditto on these two lenses.

The Canon 17-55 F2.8IS is a phenominal lense on a Canon crop sensor camera (the XTi is a crop sensor). If I could only have one lens....this would be it. This is a night and day improvement over your current lense.

The 70-200 f2.8L IS is also an excellent tool. It would be too limiting on a crop sensor camera to be a first choice....but is an awesome companion to the 17-55.

Samples...


XTi and 17-55mm F2.8IS....it's quite versitile.

Scott_Quier

Specific recommendations ....

1. Read most everything in the Wedding Photography Resources sticky - lots of information there
2. Lens - You can shoot an entire wedding with just the EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS - more than one DGrinner has done so (including me:D). This would be my first recommendation.
3. Though I don't normally recommend the Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 for weddings / receptions, I have a friend that has shot entire weddings with nothing but this lens. It tends to hunt for focus a bit in darker environments - like indoor receptions. But, for an outside wedding and for the occasional, this would be a stellar lens.
4. Get a good flash. I would recommend the Canon 580EX II, but there are others the will perform almost as well. The Canon 430EX or the Sigma DG 530 Super are also good choices.
5. As the wedding is to be outdoors, there is a better than even chance you are going to have to deal with high-contrast lighting conditions. Learn to use your flash to mitigate these conditions (fill flash).
6. Get a diffuser device for the flash and learn how to use it. Take a look a Ziggy's recommendations in this post. I have used the Demb product but prefer the BBC or the light scoop, depending on conditions.

Sam

Jenn,

While you don't need a bag full of very expensive lenses, you do need the best tools you can lay your hands on. Beg borrow or steal, (no forget stealing the government hates competition), what you need.

Can you borrow a second body? Think about renting one or two lenses. Before you try using flash, practice, practice, and practice.

Ensure you have more memory than you think you need.

Read what has been posted.

Good luck,

Sam

AnUnforgettableMemory

Thanks so much for all of the information you've given me! I so greatly appreciate it!!!

ziggy53

Jenn,

Rental is an important option if you cannot purchase right now. Check our "Where to rent" thread:

http://dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=79033