D7100, I have the following ...kit lens from my d7000.18-105.the great nikon 35,1.8..and the nikon 70-300 vr, need some suggestions of some great lenses. ..I know the 70-200 2.8...will be getting one of those in the sigma or tamron version...what other lenses will I need if I wanted to start shooting weddings..
need suggestions of lenses for a wedding
- Thread starter John Gray
- Start date
What is your experience? For weddings you need more then just great glass...Preferably you need two of everything..(2 cameras,at least 4 charged batteries, lots of sd cards,back up lens etc...) Shooting weddings is hi-pressure and you must know your gear and light very well..Do you have any pics of your work? Would be curious to see it...I feel I take great pics but not ready for the wedding stuff just yet..My advice is to be a second shooter first and invest in faster glass for low-light...Good Luck
1. How big is the wedding? How many expected people?
2. Indoors or outdoors or both?
3. Friends wedding or strangers and you're getting paid?
4. If those are the lenses you have, then go with those. I would suggest you get yourself an AF-S 50mm lens.
I've shot weddings with nothing more than a D200, an SB700 speedlight, 18-105, 55-300 and a 50mm lens. I never had a come back or complaint from any of my shots.
I also used a tripod for the group shots, indoors and out.
2. Indoors or outdoors or both?
3. Friends wedding or strangers and you're getting paid?
4. If those are the lenses you have, then go with those. I would suggest you get yourself an AF-S 50mm lens.
I've shot weddings with nothing more than a D200, an SB700 speedlight, 18-105, 55-300 and a 50mm lens. I never had a come back or complaint from any of my shots.
I also used a tripod for the group shots, indoors and out.
RocketCowboy
Senior Member
Fake it till you make it! Yeah, that's not me either.
They say you never learn anything unless you actually do it. 
However...I learned the old fashioned way...second shooter to different wedding photographers back in my film days.
My days of doing weddings are long over. Never again! I stick to doing landscapes, portraits and just general having fun type shots. I don't do this for a living anymore. I'm happily retired and poor.
However...I learned the old fashioned way...second shooter to different wedding photographers back in my film days.My days of doing weddings are long over. Never again!
I stick to doing landscapes, portraits and just general having fun type shots. I don't do this for a living anymore. I'm happily retired and poor. Cowleystjames
Senior Member
My favourite wedding glass is 24-70 f2.8 and 70-200 f2.8 use those two babies on my two bodies 99% of the time. Starting using 85mm f1.4 for low light indoor natural, flash can be too harsh sometimes, even bounced.
Being an unpaid event, I don't think that he will spend that much money.
sonicbuffalo_RIP
Senior Member
The first wedding I shot, I had absolutely no experience. Come to think of it, that's how everyone who has ever shot a wedding started out!
Cowleystjames
Senior Member
And don't pro wedding shooters moan when someone does their first wedding forgetting that everyone has to start somewhere!
The perfect wedding camera would be the one that the Time Warp people use. If you had a couple of those, you'd never miss a shot.
Imagine the shots you need to make in the space (width and length) you have to work with and this will tell what lenses you need.
Wide angle enough to include:
- the entire bridal party in one shot.
- the beauty of the location in one shot.
- the bride and her 40' train in one shot.
- etcetera
Telephoto enough to:
- frame the bride's face from the distance you will be standing during the ceremony.
- frame a face across the room during the reception.
- etcetera
Occurs to me as I write this that doing a wedding with a digital camera and the ability to fix the minor stuff with PS, is a walk in the park compared to using film where there is a 30 second film swap every 36 shots and sometimes the need to change film mid roll, to go to higher or lower film speed, plus the cost of processing, lab work and retouching.
I'd think shoot some video if/when the shutter will be too much noise.
Imagine the shots you need to make in the space (width and length) you have to work with and this will tell what lenses you need.
Wide angle enough to include:
- the entire bridal party in one shot.
- the beauty of the location in one shot.
- the bride and her 40' train in one shot.
- etcetera
Telephoto enough to:
- frame the bride's face from the distance you will be standing during the ceremony.
- frame a face across the room during the reception.
- etcetera
Occurs to me as I write this that doing a wedding with a digital camera and the ability to fix the minor stuff with PS, is a walk in the park compared to using film where there is a 30 second film swap every 36 shots and sometimes the need to change film mid roll, to go to higher or lower film speed, plus the cost of processing, lab work and retouching.
I'd think shoot some video if/when the shutter will be too much noise.
I guess the way to come over this is to do street photography, make a press card for your own photoblog, hang it around your neck, go to any event and start shooting. Inside and outside. Look what you do wrong and start learning.
35mm + 70-300 vr + using the 18-105 at 24mm will get you far, I think instead of a lens Lightroom might help a lot.
Clearly on crop sensor it seems that 50mm f1,8 or a 60mm micro might be best addition to do portrets when your subject has time to pose.
I had to do my parents wedding anniversary recently, since they liked what I had done at a Christening in the family before, ... try to find some parties in the family and shoot. You will have to learn and find what you like.
sonicbuffalo_RIP
Senior Member
I shot the wedding for friends, and did it as a favor. They loved how the pictures turned out, and I gave them the negatives!
Patrick M
Senior Member
I'd practice for a day if you can get some friends into the church ... Give yourself time to set up the camera/s for indoor and outdoor. Check the weather forecast as the ambient light could change. Use flash outside for fill-in.
How are you being paid? If it's per shot, make sure your copyright is on the proofs so they're not taken leaving you short. Ok, I'm a pessimist, but it's happened!
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk 2
How are you being paid? If it's per shot, make sure your copyright is on the proofs so they're not taken leaving you short. Ok, I'm a pessimist, but it's happened!
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk 2