Need help with a lens choice

[portraitsofemotion]

I am soon upgrading to the Canon 60d, I have a EFS 18-55mm, EFS 55-250mm and EF 50mm. I shoot portraits and action shots but plan to start doing weddings. I want to spend around $1000 and would like any suggestions please. Thank you

 

[Overread]

Difficult to advise on.

Weddings are a complex affair and generally considered to require a fairly complete and extensive photography setup - especially if you are approaching weddings with the eye to working in that field. A $1000 isn't even scratching the surface and whilst there are options you can get you'll be rather under equipped in the eyes of many.

Whilst ones photographic skill is key, equipment is also very important - if you don't have the right equipment you can end up being unable to perform in the given situations. For example a low light church with no flash allowed and you'll want flast (wide aperture) lenses combined with a camera that can do very clean high ISO photos - similarly if you are allowed flash you'll still want that fast lens (you'll need that for the AF) and you'll need stands and flash gear.



With your long term goal in mind I'd suggest considering the following:

1) Look around and see if there are any photography businesses offering an intern/assistant/mentoring/apprentice scheme or even be bold and ask up front. This allows you to work and gain experience in that field without putting clients on the line (you don't want to ruin your reputation by ruining weddings whilst you are in the learning phase - even if you're very experienced with the camera itself there is a skill in working a wedding and its best learned without risking your name and the enjoyment of your clients).

2) I would consider looking at the Canon 5D original second hand (or reconditioned). Granted this is another camera body, but the 35mm fullframe sensor is very popular for wedding work for its wider angle of view (good for closer portrait work - esp at times like the reception) and also because larger sensors allow for cleaner high ISO performance. Now whilst the 5D is older and newer versions are out it is affordable with your current budget and changing the film/sensor size is one time where getting the camera early on helps more than getting lenses (since it directly affects how focal lengths appear and what lenses work best in certain situations).

Note that if you follow option 1 chances are you'll end up using whatever the studio has and you could well end up using a Nikon system (the pro will generally expect you to use their gear so that you've the same performance technically as them - and most pro wedding photographers have spare equipment to hand).




Weddings are often a warning bell - its an equipment and photographer demanding area with the major problem that its non-repeatable. If you mess up on the day that's it you can't re-shoot. This is why people who are newer to photography or who have lesser skill or who have an equipment setup that isn't generally considered ready for it are often advised away from jumping in the deep end. A LOT of people think they can and most fail - or they never go beyond shooting one or two small weddings for friends (you might earn a little pocket money there or you could lose a friendship when the photos come back far below their expectations - and your own).

 

[portraitsofemotion]

Thank you for the advice, I wasnt clear in my post but I dont plan to shoot weddings anytime soon. I am very aware that I am under qualified for a job like that and would never risk an event like that since like you said it cant be reshot. Weddings are my future goal and I want to start getting equiptment for that goal but also something I can keep doing my current business. It would be a good idea to work under someone in the future but I am a stay at home mother to four boys so my time in limited between school and sports etc. I will without a doubt get some understudy under my belt before jumping into weddings. I have looked into the 5d but all of my current lenses will not work with it so I would end up with a body and no lens. It will be the next body after I can replace my current lenses with ones I can use with the 5d. I am looking for something I can use with the 60d for my current portraits and class shots and also start the transition to the professional level of equiptment, what would you recommend?

 

[Overread]

Which 50mm do you have? That could be one area where you could potentially make an upgrade (and whichever one you do have it is an EF lens so it will work on a 5D or any other fullframe camera body by Canon).

Another option would be to consider one of the 85mm lenses - however that can be a bit long for general portrait work when used on a crop sensor camera body (esp indoors or in closer situations).

A 24-70mm f2.8 lens is often a staple of many wedding photographers kits and would be a great starting point, though you won't fit the Canon model into your budget. A 3rd party optoin might fit into your budget (sadly I'm UK based so its hard for me to know exactly what does and doesn't fit - esp if you also consider the second hand market where you can pick up some items for less - 3rd party often depreciate more than own brand even though they can still be very good lenses) .

 

[TCampbell]

The bread-n-butter Canon lenses are the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II (about $2300) and the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II (about $2500). Not cheap... but you generally cannot use flash during ceremony and most churches don't offer very good natural light.

A number of prime lenses can help, but you can't be switching lenses and missing shots... you can put an optimal lens on one body and a versatile lens on the other body so you can switch quickly when needed.

And then of course there's the lighting... the list goes on and on.

 

[Canuk]

There are cheaper alternatives to the 24-70 f/2.8 II and the 70-200 f2.8 II. The first gen or mk I versions of these lenses are still more than excellent choices and have been the lenses of choice for may photographers.
There are also new versions of 3rd party lenses that are getting very good reviews as well.