Best Nikkor Wedding Lens?

[Greatwhite]

OK, I am in a quandary...which is recommended...

Sigma 50-150mm f2.8

or

Nikon 80-200mm f2.8

I like the Nikon, but the length/weight seems too much for walking around and letting it hang un-supported....

Thoughts?

 

[sabbath999]

Of the two, I would absolutely, positively buy the 80-200 f2.8...

Having said that, you are looking for this lens to do weddings? With a 1.5 cropped sensor, those are some pretty darned long lenses for your typical wedding shots.

Pretty doggone long.

 

[Big Mike]

How about the Nikkor AF-S 17-55mm f/2.8?

 

[Patrice]

Even with a crop factor of 1.5 the lens is very useful for weddings. It's the lens of choice for those long shots inside the church, especially where the minister or priest frowns on you getting too close to the altar or wandering around up front. The lens is also very useful at the reception for candid shots of the people enjoying themselves. But as Big Mike pointed out, if you don't already have a good short zoom that would be the first to get. A perusal of the portrait/wedding section shows that the nikon wedding setup of choice seems to be 17-55 f2.8, 70-200 f2.8 (or 80-200 f2.8), and a very good prime of 50mm or 85mm in f1.8 or f1.4. A backup body is also a must as are a couple of decent flashes.

 

[JIP]

Even with a crop factor of 1.5 the lens is very useful for weddings. It's the lens of choice for those long shots inside the church, especially where the minister or priest frowns on you getting too close to the altar or wandering around up front. The lens is also very useful at the reception for candid shots of the people enjoying themselves. But as Big Mike pointed out, if you don't already have a good short zoom that would be the first to get. A perusal of the portrait/wedding section shows that the nikon wedding setup of choice seems to be 17-55 f2.8, 70-200 f2.8 (or 80-200 f2.8), and a very good prime of 50mm or 85mm in f1.8 or f1.4. A backup body is also a must as are a couple of decent flashes.

Yes!! This group and 24-70 2.8 and mabye a macro lens but that (the macro) would be the last one I would buy. But also if you get the D3 you don't have to worry about the crop factor or was I mistaken in readind today that the D3 has a full frame sensor.

 

[Greatwhite]

Hi gang,

Yup, already have the 17-55 f2.8 on the way.....want to compliment it....

And yup, looking at the longer lens for the ceremony....to stand off a bit when I shoot....much less intrusive....

I already shoot with a 12-24mm Tokina, which I really like...also a 70-300mm Nikkor kit lens (slow but good) for photojournalism and scenic/landscape/commercial...

THX for the thoughts!!

 

[sabbath999]

Hi gang,

Yup, already have the 17-55 f2.8 on the way.....want to compliment it....

And yup, looking at the longer lens for the ceremony....to stand off a bit when I shoot....much less intrusive....

I already shoot with a 12-24mm Tokina, which I really like...also a 70-300mm Nikkor kit lens (slow but good) for photojournalism and scenic/landscape/commercial...

THX for the thoughts!!

Good, that was my concern... just making sure you weren't planning on using an 80-200 as your main lens. It is a really good, sharp, fast, well built lens by the way.

 

[Snyder]

if you only have one camera body id use 18-200 VR you are going to need close up and wide shoots at a moments notice.

 

[sabbath999]

With all due respect, the 18-200 is not fast enough to shoot weddings. Wedding lenses need to be 2.8 or faster.

 

[itoncool]

With all due respect, the 18-200 is not fast enough to shoot weddings.

I agree, Greatwhite already has 17-55DX, that's more capable to do this job than 18-200VR. Next buy I would recommend 70-200VR but, since you don't mention it, then I would go with 80-200 over the Sigma.

 

[Snyder]

With all due respect, the 18-200 is not fast enough to shoot weddings. Wedding lenses need to be 2.8 or faster.

Use something called a flash.

 

[sabbath999]

In many churches, and during many ceremonies, flashes are not allowed. It is quite common. The two largest churches in my town (Catholic and Baptist) don't allow flashes during the ceremony.

Wedding shooting requires equipment that can be used in EVERY circumstance. Your bride pays you a grand or two, she doesn't want to hear "well, your ceremony pictures are really bad because I didn't own the right equipment".

I have shot well over 100 weddings, and I can tell you the two most important bits of equipment are backup cameras and fast lenses... lenses can't be too fast for shooting natural light in dim surroundings.

I have nothing against the 18-200 VR, I own one... but I would never, ever consider it an appropriate lens for a professional photographer shooting a wedding for hire.

 

[JIP]

Use something called a flash.

The 18-200 is NOT!!! a lens to be used let alone owned by a professional wedding photographer. This lens has a very limited usefulness and none of those uses are professional. It is a lens for someone who needs a compact all-around lens and is not worried at all about the quality of the images they want to produce. I understand you can produce perfectly acceptable images with it hence the popularity but it should never be considered a professional lens. To add on also you might want to, if you are considering the 80-200 try the 70-200VR 2.8 instead. It is a little more expensive but the VR helps some when using the lens as well and as far as I know it is the newer lens between the 2.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

I've talked to wedding shooters that say they can shoot an entire wedding just using the 17-55DX, and from my uses, I can easily see that.

The 80-200 is a screwdriver lens. It's LOUD. If you need something quiet, go for the 70-200 VR. If you can use one for yourself, do it before you buy. I've used the 80-200 for portrait sessions and every time, when the lens clicks and whirs into action, my subjects ask, is your camera alright? or is it supposed to do that?

It's a ridiculously sharp lens though.

 

[JIP]

Honestly, all our advice aside I think the lens/lenses you use should match your personal style of shooting. When I used to shoot medium format the only lens I used was a 75mm and I did a wondeful job with that lens. The only thing you really need to remember is gea the fastest lens you can afford and don't go for silly gimmick lenses like the 18-200.