[ChrisS]

Last wedding I did was with a K-7, DA15 Ltd, and FA31 Ltd. I found I used the 15 an awful lot. Before digital, I used two Leica M bodies with 35/50/90 Summicrons. I don't usually do weddings professionally, just for friends and family as a wedding gift.

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Last edited by ChrisS; 03-28-2011 at 04:13 PM.

[einstrigger]

If I was so inclined to shoot weddings (who am I kidding, I hate weddings)

on a K7 I would have:
FA31mm f/1.8
SMCP-K 50mm f/1.2
FA77mm f/1.8

for my second camera I would have a Nikon D3s decked out with:
AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED
AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR

with no less than three flashes all set up with pocket wizards, and I would take my pentax AF160FC ringflash for fun.

I dream of the Nikon setup you mentioned....

For me, out of my current lenses it would be:
DA 12-24mm f/4
DA* 16-50mm f/2.8
DA* 50-135mm f/2.8

Ideally, two bodies with either DA* attached, only using the 12-24mm for group shots or non-traditional angles. I find zooms more versatile then primes for the quick pace of wedding, but I tend to hate shooting weddings too.

[crossover37]

I would keep both your zooms but instead of the 50 I would go with the 77 limited.

Any specific reasons why? I feel the 77 might be too long for detail shots, which is what I'll be using the 50 1.4 for a lot. I'd be interested in knowing what you think.

[Ash]

There are instances where 77mm will be too short - particularly for the candid captures from a distance. The closer you get the more difficult it can be getting natural poses for the camera.

You just have to shoot a wedding yourself to realise how much leg work you'd need to do shooting with primes in the non-staged setting.

[paperbag846]

I've never shot a wedding, but I'm almost certain the one lens that you would not want to be without would be the 50-135.

[selar]

Why does everyone have this thing for shooting weddings it's not like its terribly interesting

[ChrisS]

There are instances where 77mm will be too short - particularly for the candid captures from a distance. The closer you get the more difficult it can be getting natural poses for the camera.

You just have to shoot a wedding yourself to realise how much leg work you'd need to do shooting with primes in the non-staged setting.

With just the DA15 and FA31 (or the Leicas with 35/50/90), I find working close to be way more versatile, much easier to get better POV and shooting angles, than being stuck with a long lens in a fixed shooting position. But you're right, lots and lots of leg work!! Having a simple, light kit makes a big difference too.
For friends and family, it's always fun. Doing it professionally, weddings are just work.

[Ash]

I've never shot a wedding, but I'm almost certain the one lens that you would not want to be without would be the 50-135.

Or a fast equivalent - I've been doing well with a 70-200/2.8, which I prefer as it gives me an extra 65mm of reach still at f/2.8 - and I have used it at 200mm, but usually stop down to at least f/4 at that focal length.

Why does everyone have this thing for shooting weddings it's not like its terribly interesting

I personally quite enjoy it and do find it interesting, even if for the diversity of ceremonies that are celebrated on different couples' big day (like a black & white Jack Daniels themed wedding I did once). Plus I'm always keen to keep creating new styles of portraiture to stir up my own skill-building and unique flair, that may also be pleasing to the clients.

With just the DA15 and FA31 (or the Leicas with 35/50/90), I find working close to be way more versatile, much easier to get better POV and shooting angles, than being stuck with a long lens in a fixed shooting position. But you're right, lots and lots of leg work!! Having a simple, light kit makes a big difference too.
For friends and family, it's always fun. Doing it professionally, weddings are just work.

And of course they are meant to be. You can enjoy wedding photography, but it is always quite intense work. Everyone also has their way of approaching the event - I prefer the more reportage-style recording of the event, sprinkled with some of those obligatory posed shots, so I tend to get my most favoured results from my telephoto focal lengths.

[bdery]

Why does everyone have this thing for shooting weddings it's not like its terribly interesting

Not everybody does.

I have shot four as a guest or friend/photogrpaher. I loved the experience. The emotions are magical (granted, I always knew the bride/groom) and the thrill is exciting. If I ever did photogrpahy for income, that's what I would do.

[Lowell Goudge]

since I consider things like this need to be based upon my present selection, here goes.

The main lens would need to be my Tamron 28-75F2.8 This is an all around solid performer for most shots.

What is left now makes for a very hard decision, and would need to be based upon the venue, and also where the wedding party photos would be taken, along with the size of the wedding party.

Here is where I am stuck. I can see the need to have wider than 28, from time to time, and right now today, I would probably take my samyang 14, where I needed large shots in tight spaces. At F2.8 it is faster than my sigma 10-20 by almost 2 stops at 14mm. I don't think my 24mmF2 is wide enough to matter.

I can see taking either my 50mmF1.4 or my 85F1.4, but not both, depending again on venue and working distances,

plus one longer portrait lens, here I would take one of my 3 M42 presets, (105mmF2.8, 135mmF2.8 or my 200F3.5) because I like the bokeh form the presets, and for close in portraits with a little distance outdoors, I think I can get some better shots, the down side is fooling with the adaptor rings, considering my other lenses are all K mounts. If I don't want to worry about adaptor rings, I take my K135F2.5.

A lot of this as noted above would depend on the venue, and knowing ahead of time, what my working distances might be.

One thing I would never consider is limiting myself to 3 lenses going in blind, with no knowledge of where I would be shooting.

Years ago, I covered a wedding on film with 3 lenses, a tamron adaptall II 24mm, a K50F1.4 and an M100F4 macro. (It was all I had!) That covered the situations pretty well, and you can see except for being now digital, the selections would be similar.

[Wheatfield]

Looking at this thread I find it quite interesting just how many members are considering prime line up only...

That's because not many users actually ever had any wedding experience... Primes are the way to go for IQ, but at same time primes are royal PITA to work with if you want to keep up... No "super-duper-special micro-contrast of the FA31" is worth being stuck with a stupid face in front of the bride who wants that shot right now, but the lens currently attached to the camera is too long/short for the shot...

So in real world 2 bodies with the 16-50 and 50-135 are the way to go...

Err, not quite.
I've been shooting weddings professionally for 4 decades and have yet to use a zoom more than a few times.
I was doing "reportage style" weddings in the 1970s, well before the style caught on with the trendoid photographers.
And I don't like zooms at weddings.
They are dim, they are slow to focus, and they are not better for weddings.

The nice thing about weddings is that they are predictable, and generally are not faced paced events, and if you know what you are doing you will do better with primes, and especially primes in around the standard lens range than you will do with a zoom.

[fs999]

8-16
20
50 1.7
50-135 (a must)
200

[WerTicus]

15 , 40, 70mm DA ltd's Thats what i've used so far at 2 weddings and I have another wedding coming up but i'll be going with two bodies this time.

[Digitalis]

I dream of the Nikon setup you mentioned....

The weight of that Nikon set up would be from your nightmares,I actually carry around my pentax gear because it is small and light, even my leica M9 and a handful of ultra-fast primes is preferable to dragging around a Nikon D3s and three relatively slow zoom lenses all day.

[BendingPhotography]

DA*50-135
DA 15mm Limited
FA 43mm Limited