Wedding photography is a fast paced, high stakes and demanding business. While many photographers depend on different kinds of equipment to get the job done, there are a few basic lenses in most pros' bag that help them get the shots they want. For many professionals, a medium range zoom, a telephoto zoom and a fast prime top the list of must-have lenses that can cover most kinds of shooting for most kinds of weddings.
Mid-range Zoom
The mid-range zoom is the bread and butter lens for most wedding photographers. On full-frame digital or 35mm film this lens is the 24 to 70mm f/2.8. On a cropped sensor, or prosumer digital body, the mid-range zoom of choice is the 17 to 55mm f/2.8. All top SLR and DSLR manufactures currently manufacture at least one variation of this lens. The mid-range zoom covers both wide angle and short telephoto needs for most wedding photographers, making it an ideal lens for group shots at the wide end, tighter portraits at the telephoto end and everything else in between. The f/2.8 aperture is useful in most lighting situations as it allows the photographer to shoot at high shutter speeds while maintaining a wide enough depth of field to get the focus just right.
Fast Prime
The fast prime is an option for photographers who find themselves in low light shooting situations or shooters looking for greater control over the depth of field in a photograph. A fast prime should have an aperture of f/1.8 or faster and all top lens manufacturers make a 50mm f/1.8 or similar lens. The 50mm f/1.8 is one of the least expensive options with most versions costing about $120, as of early 2011. The fast prime is ideal for shooting in darker situations as the wide aperture allows higher shutter speeds which in turn reduces the appearance of camera shake.
Telephoto Zoom
The telephoto zoom in most wedding photographers' bag is the 70 to 200mm f/2.8 zoom from their respective lens manufacturer. The telephoto zoom allows for tight portraits and head shots during the reception and can be indispensable during the wedding ceremony when the photographer is often relegated to a fixed position toward the back of a dark church. The wide aperture helps shooters in low light situations and models of the 70 to 200mm f/2.8 zoom with "Image Stabilization" or "Vibration Reduction" will allow photographers to get great shots at speeds they could not shoot handheld before.
Alternatives
Some wedding photographers prefer a totally different look than offered by normal or telephoto focal lengths, and while the mid-range zoom can cover a large portion of wide-angle lens work, some photographers prefer a fast 17 to 35mm f/2.8 range zoom or a fast wide-angle prime to add a different dimension to their work. These lenses retain a wide aperture but because of the distortion that wide-angle lenses offer they can be useful when used to take photos up close. They tend to bring the object closest to the lens out from the background by making it appear much larger than objects only slightly further away. This effect can be a negative, however, as up close portraits of people may exaggerate prominent facial features, particularly noses and chins.
Wedding photography is a fast paced, high stakes and demanding business. While many photographers depend on different kinds of equipment to get the job done, there are a few basic lenses in most pros' bag that help them get the shots they want. For many professionals, a medium range zoom, a telephoto zoom and a fast prime top the list of must-have lenses that can cover most kinds of shooting for most kinds of weddings.
Mid-range Zoom
The mid-range zoom is the bread and butter lens for most wedding photographers. On full-frame digital or 35mm film this lens is the 24 to 70mm f/2.8. On a cropped sensor, or prosumer digital body, the mid-range zoom of choice is the 17 to 55mm f/2.8. All top SLR and DSLR manufactures currently manufacture at least one variation of this lens. The mid-range zoom covers both wide angle and short telephoto needs for most wedding photographers, making it an ideal lens for group shots at the wide end, tighter portraits at the telephoto end and everything else in between. The f/2.8 aperture is useful in most lighting situations as it allows the photographer to shoot at high shutter speeds while maintaining a wide enough depth of field to get the focus just right.
Fast Prime
The fast prime is an option for photographers who find themselves in low light shooting situations or shooters looking for greater control over the depth of field in a photograph. A fast prime should have an aperture of f/1.8 or faster and all top lens manufacturers make a 50mm f/1.8 or similar lens. The 50mm f/1.8 is one of the least expensive options with most versions costing about $120, as of early 2011. The fast prime is ideal for shooting in darker situations as the wide aperture allows higher shutter speeds which in turn reduces the appearance of camera shake.
Telephoto Zoom
The telephoto zoom in most wedding photographers' bag is the 70 to 200mm f/2.8 zoom from their respective lens manufacturer. The telephoto zoom allows for tight portraits and head shots during the reception and can be indispensable during the wedding ceremony when the photographer is often relegated to a fixed position toward the back of a dark church. The wide aperture helps shooters in low light situations and models of the 70 to 200mm f/2.8 zoom with "Image Stabilization" or "Vibration Reduction" will allow photographers to get great shots at speeds they could not shoot handheld before.
Alternatives
Some wedding photographers prefer a totally different look than offered by normal or telephoto focal lengths, and while the mid-range zoom can cover a large portion of wide-angle lens work, some photographers prefer a fast 17 to 35mm f/2.8 range zoom or a fast wide-angle prime to add a different dimension to their work. These lenses retain a wide aperture but because of the distortion that wide-angle lenses offer they can be useful when used to take photos up close. They tend to bring the object closest to the lens out from the background by making it appear much larger than objects only slightly further away. This effect can be a negative, however, as up close portraits of people may exaggerate prominent facial features, particularly noses and chins.
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