Lens for portrait question

[tpaairman]

I'm looking to get into wedding photography. As I've been doing my research on gear for this, I've watched several videos and seen quite a few websites to see if there's some sort of consensus on certain things, including lenses. Most say that one of the lenses they have is a 50 mm for doing portrait shots. But then the almost all have a lens that is a zoom lens, usually 28-70 or so, but in any event, 50mm is in the zoom range of the lens.

Why buy a separate 50mm lens, when you can use your zoom lens, and just set it to 50mm?

 

[sashbar]

I am not a wedding photographer, but I guess they sometimes want a shallow depth of field, so they need aperture wider than 2.8

 

[jaomul]

Because 50mm primes are at very least a stop and often 2 stops faster than the zoom

 

[WayneF]

Why buy a separate 50mm lens, when you can use your zoom lens, and just set it to 50mm?

I agree. The 24-70 mm is sharper than the 50mm, even at f/2.8 (I am speaking of Nikon). Certainly the zoom is versatile, it can do 50mm, but it cannot do f/1.8. The 24-70 can do virtually everything else better too.

How likely are you to actually use f/1.8 for commercial work?

The choice depends on if DX or FX. 50 is too short for FX portraits, 70 really is too.

 

[tirediron]

There's more to it than just the shallow DoF/portrait aspect. One of the key reasons I use fast primes is because many wedding venues are very dim, and often flash isn't permitted. The extra stop-and-a-bit given by the 1.4. For both Canon and Nikon, there is a SUBSTANTIAL difference in build-quality and performance between their 1.4 primes and their 1.8 primes. If you are seriously planning on becoming a wedding shooter, spend the extra, get the 1.4 version!

 

[table1349]

^^ +1:thumbup:

 

[jaomul]

I'm looking to get into wedding photography. As I've been doing my research on gear for this, I've watched several videos and seen quite a few websites to see if there's some sort of consensus on certain things, including lenses. Most say that one of the lenses they have is a 50 mm for doing portrait shots. But then the almost all have a lens that is a zoom lens, usually 28-70 or so, but in any event, 50mm is in the zoom range of the lens.

Why buy a separate 50mm lens, when you can use your zoom lens, and just set it to 50mm?

There are many pro photographers who would jump down your throat when they read this question. If you are intending to do this and learn and you are starting out is is a fair question, but if you intend on doing a wedding soon you will probably need to get a better understanding of the technical side of photography before you take the plunge . Good luck

 

[WayneF]

One of the key reasons I use fast primes is because many wedding venues are very dim, and often flash isn't permitted. The extra stop-and-a-bit given by the 1.4.

Valid argument in the old days. Today, ISO has become a better tool.

 

[jaomul]

One of the key reasons I use fast primes is because many wedding venues are very dim, and often flash isn't permitted. The extra stop-and-a-bit given by the 1.4.

Valid argument in the old days. Today, ISO has become a better tool.

Irrelevant of how good iso is now, a fast lens still lets in more light than a slow one

 

[Coasty]

Still, anything to keep the ISO down is good. Why settle for 3200 when you could shoot at 800.

Edit: you beat me to it.

 

[KmH]

There's more to it than just the shallow DoF/portrait aspect. One of the key reasons I use fast primes is because many wedding venues are very dim, and often flash isn't permitted. The extra stop-and-a-bit given by the 1.4. For both Canon and Nikon, there is a SUBSTANTIAL difference in build-quality and performance between their 1.4 primes and their 1.8 primes. If you are seriously planning on becoming a wedding shooter, spend the extra, get the 1.4 version!

+1

In addition 50 mm is not all that good a focal length for shooting weddings or portraits. Use 50 mm when you don't have room to back away from your subject, because otherwise with the 50 mm you are in a persons personal space which makes people uncomfortable.
Both Canon and Nikon make inexpensive 50 mm f/1.8 prime lenses and they often get recommended on photography forums for beginners mainly because they are inexpensive.

The main go-to lenses for shooting weddings are the 24-70 mm and 70-200 mm zoom lenses.
The 24 mm to 50 mm portion of the zoom range is used for shooting group shots.

If you want to use fast primes look hard at using 85 mm and longer focal length prime lenses.

 

[tpaairman]

There are many pro photographers who would jump down your throat when they read this question. If you are intending to do this and learn and you are starting out is is a fair question, but if you intend on doing a wedding soon you will probably need to get a better understanding of the technical side of photography before you take the plunge . Good luck

I'm still quite a ways from that plunge. I'm currently a videographer, looking to switch over, but It's going to be a year or two before I do.

 

[jaomul]

There are many pro photographers who would jump down your throat when they read this question. If you are intending to do this and learn and you are starting out is is a fair question, but if you intend on doing a wedding soon you will probably need to get a better understanding of the technical side of photography before you take the plunge . Good luck

I'm still quite a ways from that plunge. I'm currently a videographer, looking to switch over, but It's going to be a year or two before I do.

I am not one if those guys who would bark at the question but was just pointing out this or similar question regularly gets asked by new photographers who are doing a wedding next day kind of thing.

Surely video is harder than photography? You will probably pick up the photo side quickly

 

[WayneF]

Do you eat Frosted Flakes/Fruit Loops or Raisin Bran/Cheerios? Debate will not change such opinions. There are different ways to get the job done, and it's a good thing we have choices.

 

[raventepes]

I'll be honest here. I'll easily take a set of f/2.8 zooms over fast primes any day of the week, but as been pointed out, some venues just don't allow flash photography, which is where the primes come in. Unfortunately, high ISO isn't always the answer. Yes, it's getting better, but it's still not as good as shooting at 800 or less. One thing to remember about weddings is that there simply aren't any re-takes. It's a now or never situation to get the job done right. I'll put my trust in fast primes at lower ISO lightyears before I'll trust even f/2.8 zooms at higher ISO. Of course this is only for those places where it's needed. Honestly, 90% of the time, it's smart to have 2 zooms (a 24-70 and 70-200 f/2.8), a 24mm f/1.4, a 50mm f/1.2 or 1.4, and an 85mm 1.4. Sometimes, a 14-24 is invaluable for really wide group shots, or even switching it out for a 14mm f/2.8 prime if desired.

At the end of the night, it boils down to this. When it comes to wedding photography, it's the photographer's livelihood and reputation on the line. The better your reputation, the more income you'll generate. One simply can't afford to botch a wedding by always trusting a zoom. Yes, I love my zooms, and yes, as long as flash is permitted, you can be sure I'll be using them. But when you can't, a good, old fashioned prime lens will put you where you need to be.

One more thing to add. It's ALWAYS a good idea to go to the venue BEFORE the date of the wedding and talk with whoever is in charge. Ask questions about where you can and can not be, if you can use flash, and any other questions you may have. The rehearsal is a good time for that, if you can make it. It'll also give you a sense of the venue and how it'll be lit