Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
07-01-2014, 10:16 AM   #1
New Member




Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 7
which lens for wedding?

Hello friends, just registered to this forum. Already read a lot of good stuff on here.
I used to be a Canon guy but recently switched over to Pentax. I now own a K-5 and I have just one prime at the moment, a DA 35mm f/2.4.

My brother asked me to shoot his wedding in a couple months....thankfully they are not at all picky and as long as I do my best they seem to be happy. I really let them know that they can't expect prof images as this will be my first official wedding to shoot at.
My problem is this, I want to get a lens with some reach. I have been reading up on the DA 50-135, sigma 50-150, the Tammy's etc. I just don't know what to get. I read that the Tammy 28-75 f/2.8 is really good but to me it seems way to short. I like to zoom a bit, I don't want to stand in front of everyones nose etc

I used to have the 70-300 but I realize that that would be a bit much, the lens was to slow anyway like; f/5.6 or so.

The wedding will be indoors so I do realize that I need a flash as well. Which one?? I read that the Pentax TTL sucks?? really?

So asking a lot of advice here... hope someone has the time to write down some wisdom. I'd really appreciate it!


Harry

07-01-2014, 10:40 AM   #2
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
TER-OR's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Dundee, IL
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 6,699
The 50-135 is generally regarded as the best of the mid-range zooms currently produced. 50mm is pretty tight for casual use, though you can easily switch lenses after the ceremony - which is probably where you'll need reach.
another to look for are some of the 17-70 zooms, that's plenty of reach for most situations and wide enough for group shots.

Bounce flashing is probably the best, but for your informal portraits of people and couples you might consider a couple radio-controlled units.
Rent them, see what they can do? Cameralensrentals.com and other places have good service.

Shoot RAW, and you'll be able to adjust the images if they're not quite exposed properly. I hope that you know it already but it never hurts to add.

And look at wedding pictures for some pose ideas, but even more know what the couple wants - there's nothing worse than a cranky wedding party. I'd never be a wedding photographer but I enjoy getting those candid images when people don't know they're being photographed - so I rarely use a flash.

There's a lot of threads about weddings, do a search and you'll find them.
07-01-2014, 11:25 AM   #3
Pentaxian
johnyates's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Saskatoon, SK
Photos: Albums
Posts: 1,344
Good luck with shooting your first wedding.

Here's the problem with using a 'lens with some reach'--you'll have your shot perfectly lined up, and as you hit the shutter, someone will step in front of you to prevent a good shot. So, a longer lens will only serve you well in situations that you have a lot of control over, like a portrait session in the park. If your wedding is 100% indoors you're probably better off working closely with the lens you already have, the 35mm 2.4.

I know that this advise runs counter to the forum's spirit of helping others buy new lenses, and that you really really want to buy a new lens, but as someone who has shot a wedding or two my observation is that you'll be able to do a fine job with the 35.
07-01-2014, 11:33 AM - 1 Like   #4
Pentaxian
jimr-pdx's Avatar

Join Date: May 2010
Location: now 1 hour north of PDX
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 3,897
I would seek a 28-75 Tamron; I really liked my copy from a while back. That and a fast prime in the 100 to 200mm range would cover most of what I'd expect to use... but if a 50-135 is in your budget that would be great to have too!

07-02-2014, 05:30 AM   #5
Pentaxian
bdery's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Quebec city, Canada
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 9,342
QuoteOriginally posted by Kouwen Quote
thankfully they are not at all picky and as long as I do my best they seem to be happy
first, be wary. The internet is overloading with stories of family members with good intentions doing just what you did and ruining their relationships. They SAY they don't expect much but I'm sure that subconsciously they imagine a fantastic leather-bound book full of 10000$ images.

second, you will not be enjoying the day if you spend it shooting.

That being said, you can still do it. Just do your homework, practice, and make more than sure that things stand clear with your brother and his girlfriend (especially her).

QuoteOriginally posted by Kouwen Quote
My problem is this, I want to get a lens with some reach. I have been reading up on the DA 50-135, sigma 50-150, the Tammy's etc. I just don't know what to get. I read that the Tammy 28-75 f/2.8 is really good but to me it seems way to short. I like to zoom a bit, I don't want to stand in front of everyones nose etc
If you don't want to stand in the way, 100mm is usually a good focal length. Especially since you already have a good 35mm. The 50-135 is generally regarded as the best lens for weddings. I'd consider it.

QuoteOriginally posted by Kouwen Quote
The wedding will be indoors so I do realize that I need a flash as well. Which one?? I read that the Pentax TTL sucks?? really?
PTTL is not as complex or complete as Nikon's system, but it works. And in any case, inside a wedding venue light will be constant, so your best bet for faster operation would be to set everything in manual beforehand.

the cheapest, most powerful flash ith decent functions is the Sigma 610 super. I'm currently using the Metz 52 AF-1 and I love its small size and how it operates. It's better built too. The Pentax AF540 (version 1 or 2) is a great, full-featured flash but it's expensive. If you want to go manual, I'd recommend looking at the 100$ Godox V850 (called Neewer TT850 on Amazon). It has the best recycle speed ever because of its Li-ion battery, and will give you 3-4 times more flash pops than an AA powered flash. Plus it's very powerful.

One thing you might want to do with your flash is bounce it on a white surface. That can be a reflector, a friend's white shirt, etc. Don't bounce if the roof is too high.

More than anything else, practice and erad before shooting. Do that a lot. Go to the venue, with the bride and groom, take test shots, see what they want, what they have in mind, etc.

Good luck.
07-04-2014, 01:22 PM   #6
New Member




Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 7
Original Poster
wow guys, thanks a lot for all the advice! Pentax people must be a lot better then Canon people. Glad I switched over


I will have another talk with my brother and his fiancée. Make them expect the worst


I have a YN 460 II, would that work in manual mode? and would it be efficient?


Thanks again!
07-05-2014, 02:39 AM   #7
Forum Member




Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Tilos
Posts: 69
QuoteOriginally posted by bdery Quote
first, be wary. The internet is overloading with stories of family members with good intentions doing just what you did and ruining their relationships. They SAY they don't expect much but I'm sure that subconsciously they imagine a fantastic leather-bound book full of 10000$ images.

second, you will not be enjoying the day if you spend it shooting.
+1000

Owning a DSLR subconsciously makes them thing that you are a professional photographer, although they will tell you that they will not expect much from you. Also, be sure that you will not enjoy their wedding at all, since you will shoot all the time and be anxious to do the job right.

After all that, when the day will come to show them your pictures, you will understand from their disappointment in their eyes that it wasn't worthy.

It is way different when you shoot on a wedding, and they don't expect photos from you (many times I heard that my photos were better than those of the professional photographer they had hired), than when you are the one and only photographer of their wedding. They don't say it but their expectations are much higher.

I have done it once, said I wouldn't do it again, but had to do it again a month ago with almost the same results.

Next time I will tell them that my DSLR broke!


I believe that you will be fine with the YN 460 II. It is a great flash for the price and I think that many photographer prefer manual flashes since they have more control.

Wish you luck!

07-07-2014, 05:56 AM   #8
Pentaxian
bdery's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Quebec city, Canada
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 9,342
QuoteOriginally posted by Kouwen Quote
I will have another talk with my brother and his fiancée. Make them expect the worst
The best is to be upfront with them. Explain exactly the worrying elements. Tell them that your relationship is more important than the pictures, etc etc. It's not as much about expectations, which you cannot control, as with relationship, which you can influence.

QuoteOriginally posted by Kouwen Quote
I have a YN 460 II, would that work in manual mode? and would it be efficient?
You'll be fine, indoors at least. The light won't change so you can set it and forget it. Outdoors, it's a bit trickier since the light changes often, yout with practice you'll be fine. People managed before TTL, but they did spend a lot of time learning.
07-07-2014, 09:13 AM   #9
Veteran Member
Andi Lo's Avatar

Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Posts: 2,924
I'd go with the Tamron 28-75 if you only have one lens. If you have the budget go with 17-50 and 50-135/2.8. A 50mm/1.4 is also very useful during formals and reception. Borrow a second body from someone if you can, even if it's not a pentax and just another slr with kitlens.

Make sure you have overlapping ranges so that if one thing broke, you can still shoot the shot you intend to shoot somehow, even if it's harder or not as nice (As in, if the 50mm broke, you can use 28-75 or 17-50 to cover it, even if they only open to 2.8). You need to have this sort of redundancy for every single thing in your bag.

Also talk to the ceremony leader (priest / religious officer / Justice of peace) beforehand so that you know where you should and shouldn't stand, and whether flash is ok

Your Yongnuo will be fine if you're patient, and can time your shots right, otherwise upgrade to the YN560 for faster recharges.
07-09-2014, 05:55 PM   #10
Junior Member




Join Date: Feb 2012
Photos: Albums
Posts: 26
I did my first wedding for a friend recently. I made it clear to set their goals low but did a lot of research. I was lucky that they had a pro for 3 hours for the reception and group shots so I focused on the build up, reception and after party I used the following lenses: DA 18-135, Tamron 70-300 for macro shots, M 50 1.7 and my Tamron 17 50 2.8.

The 18 135 was mounted to my K50 and used for out door candid shots with extra reach available if needed. The 70 300 was on my older K-r and has a macro setting that worked well for detail shots of the decorations, rings etc. Brides put loads of time into setting then place up so get photos of it.
The 17 50 was used for the reception and dinner shots mostly wide open so I could avoid flash where possible and the manual 50 1.7 was used to blur the background of some of they inside decoration shots that needed to be closer than the 70 300 allowed.

In the end I was happy with my lens choice. It helped that I had a fully auto 360 Pentax flash gun and an understanding wife who helped carry the cameras and lenses and didn't mind me working for most of the wedding.

I'm co shooting another friends wedding abroad next year and I'll be getting a da 50 1.8 and a fisheye for that one but the lenses above didn't cost me much and worked well for me. I did plan for weeks on end though which I suggest you do too. Also try to arrive a few hours early and take some shots before folks start arriving.
07-09-2014, 07:29 PM   #11
Pentaxian
reeftool's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Upstate New York
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 9,542
I shot my daughters wedding last Feb. with a Sigma 17-70c getting the most use. I used a Metz 48 flash on the K5 with a Lumiquest softbox diffuser on it for the flash shots. My DA 40 Limited also got some use. The Sigma performed well and was really the workhorse. My oldest daughter was also shooting with her Nikon D200.

If you can, get to the wedding and reception locations before the event and check out the lighting and plan locations for the group shots. The posed shots are the ones you have control over and will be the most important shots of the album so get them right.

The difficult part of weddings is getting good shots. People with closed eyes, goofy expressions, open mouths full of food, etc are the things to worry about. A lens like the DA 50-135 do a fine job as long as you have room to use it but won't work in close quarters at the reception. Having two camera bodies is essential. That way you have a backup if something goes wrong and it also helps prevent you from missing shots because you had the wrong lens mounted. You won't have time to change lenses much. Weddings are pretty chaotic and rarely go according to plan. Get lots of shots, shoot in burst mode and hopefully, you'll get a few where everybody has open eyes and aren't chewing food with their mouths open.
07-10-2014, 03:20 AM   #12
Pentaxian




Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 2,493
Wedding is quite a moment and probably you need to take two lenses, one in range of 17-50 for general shots and another 50-135/70-200 range for portraits.
07-10-2014, 04:25 AM   #13
Veteran Member
audiobomber's Avatar

Join Date: May 2008
Location: Sudbury, Ontario
Photos: Albums
Posts: 6,806
QuoteOriginally posted by yusuf Quote
Wedding is quite a moment and probably you need to take two lenses, one in range of 17-50 for general shots and another 50-135/70-200 range for portraits.
That would work, and mount each on a different body. You NEED a second body for a wedding, to minimize lens changes and for backup. You also need a flash. You can't rely on ambient light for a wedding, you need to be able to control the light.

I don't have a fast portrait length zoom, so I mount a standard zoom with flash on one body and primes (35, 50, 100mm) on the other, as needed. (I'm not a pro, but have shot weddings and other events).
07-10-2014, 06:47 PM   #14
New Member




Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 7
Original Poster
Thanks a lot for the reply's and all the advice. I will look for another body and lens. I can rent some but I think that that might be a waste of money. I have some friends with dslr's but those are all the consumer rebel line. But still should work? Or should I rent something better? Can't rent Pentax here in Canada.... I used to shoot Canon so I kinda know how to handle those beasts.
I have to do some lens shopping here and see if I can get some good deals.

Which lens would be better to get for the portraits? the 50-135 DA or a Tammy 70-200 2.8?


I'm hopping it goes well....fingers crossed. I mostly do wildlife and that isn't the same I am guessing (:
07-10-2014, 11:33 PM   #15
Veteran Member




Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Fairbanks, AK
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 1,472
If you have doubts in your abilities to give your brother and future sister in law a photograph and a set of images that they're going to be happy with and you'll be happy seeing on their walls for the rest of their lives, pass on it. Also do you really want to work their wedding vs enjoying the day with them?

Show them your work and see if it's something they like. Do you have any sort of portfolio? Practice making bodies of work too, because a wedding really is a photo essay of an event. Get a list of photos that the bride, groom, parents, and anyone else important wants and NEEDS.

Lenses... A good, faster wide to normal zoom and a fast normal to tele lens will be your friend. Learn how to use a flash. Have a macro lens for detail shots. Practice, get creative, and get ideas from the net. Scope out the venue ahead of time and be there for setup, rehearsal, etc. be able to work with your equipment smoothly and efficiently.
Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
bit, da, k-mount, lens, lot, pentax, pentax lens, slr lens, wedding, wedding lens, zoom
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Which Pentax flash for event and wedding shoot? ColiNiloK Pentax Camera and Field Accessories 9 02-07-2014 05:02 PM
Which lens would you take 2nd wedding shoot Xsalfior Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 13 02-04-2014 01:09 PM
HELP - Which camera for wedding video? Buceemie Video Recording and Processing 7 09-18-2013 08:07 PM
Wedding - which lens with which body? The Kellyboy Photographic Technique 16 04-13-2012 05:06 PM
Photographing friends wedding in church, which lens? El Zoido Photographic Technique 13 08-03-2011 04:44 PM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 03:48 AM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top