Equipment suggestion from Canon users

[Robin Usagani]

Hey, you can see what I have right now on my signature. My plan is to eventually be in the wedding business and to own a 5d mk2. I would like to be carrying both the 5d and the 500d at the weddings with certain lens mounted and I wont be switching the lenses unless I am doing the staged shots after the ceremony. My question is:

1. With one full frame and one cropped frame, what lenses will you mount on these two camera? I know only my 50mm and my sigma will fit the full frame. And which one will get the 550ex flash
2. More than likely the setup for no.1 will not be good. If I buy another lens, what lens do you think will fit very well for my situation (something more economical please.. nothing more than $1500). And what combination would you do for the 2 cameras. And which one will get the 550ex flash.

Thank you guys!

 

[gsgary]

24-70F2.8L and 70-200F2.8L on 2 full frame cameras

 

[oldmacman]

Hey, you can see what I have right now on my signature. My plan is to eventually be in the wedding business and to own a 5d mk2. I would like to be carrying both the 5d and the 500d at the weddings with certain lens mounted and I wont be switching the lenses unless I am doing the staged shots after the ceremony. My question is:

1. With one full frame and one cropped frame, what lenses will you mount on these two camera? I know only my 50mm and my sigma will fit the full frame. And which one will get the 550ex flash
2. More than likely the setup for no.1 will not be good. If I buy another lens, what lens do you think will fit very well for my situation (something more economical please.. nothing more than $1500). And what combination would you do for the 2 cameras. And which one will get the 550ex flash.

Thank you guys!

I'd put the wider lenses on the FF camera and the lens that needs reach on the cropped frame. The FF will need the better lenses.

From Canon, anything with a EF-S in the name is intended for the cropped frame only. From Sigma, the DG lenses can work on either and their DC lenses are for cropped frame only. From Tamron the DC II lenses are for the cropped sensor. I'd use the flash on the 5D Mark II as it does not have a flash on the body.

I'll leave the lens recommendations to someone else because I don't shoot weddings.

 

[Robin Usagani]

24-70F2.8L and 70-200F2.8L on 2 full frame cameras

OK, you send me the money? Sorry gsgary.. replies like this is why I hate this forum on most days.

 

[misstwinklytoes]

I get that from reading his responses sometimes too Schwetty.

 

[Robin Usagani]

thx oldmanmac.. thats really helpfull.. my thank you quota is empty

 

[Idahophoto]

You could try the 17-40/4 and a 70-200/4 Your losing a stop but should do the job just fine. If you need to look at Tamron or Sigmas 70-200/2.8. Tamron easily beats the Sigma with superior image quality but focuses alot slower. I loved my Tamron I had with the Nikon. Also dont forget to gram a 85/1.8 and possible the 50/1.4 Canons. You can live without the 50 but the 85 would be real nice. Those would be my suggestions.

 

[Robin Usagani]

anyone else?

 

[Morpheuss]

I would suggest if you don't have the 5d yet see if you can rent it and play with the lenses you already have and test it out and see how it goes before investing in some ff glass that way if your good with what you currently have you can save money buy not buying new glass even though its nice to get new glass

 

[tsblo]

I shoot weddings professionally, both on my own and as a second shooter.

I hate to admit it but a 70-200 f2.8 is a work horse lens for me. 90% of my shots are taken with it, and I don't know a pro who does not own one. That said I don't like the 70-200 on a full frame. Sure the high ISO is nice to have and the higher resolution of the 5dmk2 (I use one when I'm working in the studio at work), but during ceremony that 1.5x or 1.6x crop factor lets you get a little bit closer.

I'd also pick up another flash. Even a 430ex if need be. It pretty horrible to be flash swapping camera to camera all night during reception.

I have to recommend for a long fast lens the Sigma HSM II 70-200f2.8. It is ridiculously sharp even wide open. Sigma makes some pretty horrid lenses sometimes, but there are some gems.

For weddings I usually keep the 120-300 f2.8 in the van ready to go if need be with my old d300 on it. 70-200 f2.8 stays on d300s all day and with me. 35mmf1.8 stays on the d90 and with me. 28-200 f3.5-5.6 is in the bag in the event of an equipment failure. 50 f1.8 is on a 35mm extension tube for grabbing details. Sb-800 (Equiv to a 580EX) is on each camera, with some sunpack 383's in my bag for back up and off camera flash and I have a couple of Sb-600's for backup TTL flashes.

 

[gsgary]

24-70F2.8L and 70-200F2.8L on 2 full frame cameras

OK, you send me the money? Sorry gsgary.. replies like this is why I hate this forum on most days.

You said you wanted to be in the wedding business and those are the 2 best lenses that will last you for years of heavy shooting,if you don't like the answer don't ask but if your are not serious get some cheap Stigma lenses

 

[Robin Usagani]

You didnt read my 2 questions. Yes.. eventually I will have 2 full frame but I cant right now. Take your arrogant ass somewhere else.

 

[786soul]

You didnt read my 2 questions. Yes.. eventually I will have 2 full frame but I cant right now. Take your arrogant ass somewhere else.

:thumbup:

Here's what I'd do:

I'd put the 50mm on the FF body and invest in the 24-70L for the crop frame sensor. The drawback though is you won't have the reach you may need to get the shots you need. I'm going to put this out there, pretty much know what response I'll see BUT.., have you considered an 2x extender or maybe less, like a 1.6x extender? It could help out for less $$ on the crop frame sensor.

I hear there's quality degradation with the extenders though, I'm not sure to what degree, but it's there.

 

[Robin Usagani]

I'll research the extender. Never thought about it. You probably can't go cheap either with extender? Might as well buy a new lens? So you think my sigma is completely unacceptable? You suggested another 24-70mm f/2.8

 

[rufus5150]

I don't know about the sigma extenders, but the canon extenders (1.4x, 2x) can only be used on lenses >=135mm (and the 70-200 lines). And all extenders add more glass. The IQ will suffer an appreciable amount unless you're dropping a lot of money on canon's high-end glass (the 70-200 mark 2, the current, and I'm assuming latest, versions of the 300 and 400 mm 2.8s, etc).

The sigma is a nice little workhorse of a lens and is a great price point. Lacking IS will be a problem for some low-light photography. It can produce sharp images but suffers wide open some. In terms of sharpness, compared to the canon 70-200 IS (mark I), it's at about the 85% mark. In terms of the color and contrast delivered to the sensor, it's somewhere between 75 and 80%. It's hefty, though, and a good choice for the one or two times you might need to kneecap a drunk wedding guest.

If you want to make sure you've nearly every desirable focal range covered, the choice may come down to the 70-200 on the FF and a 17-50 2.8 (sigma and tamron both make these, I'm not sure what canon has to offer) on the crop sensor. That's roughly equivalent to the 24-70 on a FF. I'm not sure if there's a 17-50 for a FF camera, but swapping them would give you additional reach (and you see why gsgary's suggestion isn't too far off -- that's the perfect compromise-set of focal ranges on FF... the advantage in his setup is that you can swap the lenses back and forth).

And I would scour the market for another flash, secondary market if you have to. And likely a third, even if it's a 430 or an off-brand. Relying on one flash is a recipe for disaster.