NEWBIE alert! :) Shooting a re-vows type event?!?

multiplexor · Aug 1, 2006

Hey guys,

HISTORY:
Very new as this is my first post... not new to forums in general...
I've been shooting for a short time... short as in, i bought my rebel back in november... went to asia for 5 weeks and shot a bunch of pictures... gave me good experience with my digi.
Some shots: http://www.flickr.com/photos/53164170@N00/
Prior to that, I've got a ton of experience with the poweshot A85, playing with the manual controls 99% of the time... (3 years)

QUESTION:
Anywho, my friend knows i'm doing this as a hobby and although i'm pretty good at getting well composed shots, i'm still not a pro... she's well aware, and doesn't mind... I don't mind as much either since it's not a formal wedding

I'm looking into most likely getting the 24-105mm F4 for this event and for future events.

BUT i've never been to a re-vows type of event... Should I be looking more into the 24-70 F2.8 instead? since it'll be in a church... or should I not worry so much as people won't be moving 500 miles an hour and the F4 should be fine from the 24-105?

I'm concerned mainly about lighting in the church ( I have the 430EX but don't want to use flash)

Both lens's are sharp as hell, but one would let me get more light, whereas the other would let me get more distance.... :-/ damn this debate which has been beaten to death!!

Thanks guys for the suggestions

darin3200 · Aug 1, 2006

Personally I would go for the 24-70. It's just faster. When you also take into consideration that on a digital you're going to have the 1.6x conversion factor is the 70-105 range worth it?

Alison · Aug 1, 2006

F4 inside a church with no flash will likely be a disaster lighting wise unless it's very bright in there (which is pretty rare). It'd highly recommend the 2.8 over that, and even further since you mentioned that you're looking at the lens for future events as well perhaps look into a 50mm 1.8. I hope you'll share the results with us afterwards

Big Mike · Aug 1, 2006

I agree...wedding work often requires fast glass...get the F2.8 if you can afford it.

The 24-70 F2.8 L is probably the most recommended/used lens for wedding work. However, it's a little bit long when used on a Digital body like the Rebel.

Another option that has been getting great reviews is the EF-S 17-55 F2.8 IS
It's much wider on your camera and has a max aperture of F2.8 It also has IS (image stabilization) which will allow you to get sharper shots while holding the camera at slower shutter speeds (good for inside a church). I've heard that this lens is almost as sharp as the 'L' lenses. The major shortcoming is that it's an EF-S lens and will only work on a few of Canon's digital cameras. If you upgrade to a full frame digital (or 35mm film) EOS camera...the EF-S lens will not fit.

multiplexor · Aug 1, 2006

Alison said:
F4 inside a church with no flash will likely be a disaster lighting wise unless it's very bright in there (which is pretty rare). It'd highly recommend the 2.8 over that, and even further since you mentioned that you're looking at the lens for future events as well perhaps look into a 50mm 1.8. I hope you'll share the results with us afterwards

Hey

Actually I had went to hong kong on my asia trip and bought the 50mm F1.4... Which i'm sure i'll end up using at this event

My concern though, as i spoke with a colleague just a few minutes ago, is the crop factor as mentionned above...

The 24-70 and 24-105 ideally should be placed on a 5D or something else with less crop than the rebel...

Should I check out the 17-85 IS instead because i have the rebel?
Pictures should be (not as sharp) pretty sharp anyways.

Thanks guys

Big Mike · Aug 1, 2006

The 17-58 IS is said to be an 'OK' lens. Better than the kit lens, but not as sharp as the high end glass. One problem is that it's not very fast. Yes, IS does allow you to get sharper shots at slower shutter speeds...but you can still get blur from subject movement at those lower speeds. I still think that faster lenses are the way to go...if only they didn't cost so much :roll:

multiplexor · Aug 1, 2006

Hmm, would you guys think that the 17-55mm F2.8 as a good option for the digital rebel? The MTF charts are sky high.

I've read that alot of people use this lens as a wedding lens. I figure it would probably be a great option for indoor with the 2.8

Big Mike · Aug 1, 2006

I haven't tried it, so I can't say for sure...but I've heard from a handful of wedding pros who have purchased that lens...and they all love it for their 20D, 30D, Rebel etc.

There are also other brands that you might consider. Tamron makes a 17-50 F2.8 (for digital crop bodies) that is supposed to be pretty good...and for a pretty good price.

multiplexor · Aug 1, 2006

hey guys

in regards to shooting the event itself... what types of pictures should i be aiming for aside from the usual bride/groom close shots? I've been reading so much on wedding photography trying to learn about it, that i've never read up on this type of event... is it similar? or what should i expect?

Thanks

Big Mike · Aug 2, 2006

For this type of thing, you should ask them what they want.

I shot something kind of similar this year, it wasn't a re-vows but a 2nd marriage for them both. No wedding dress etc. They just had a civil ceremony at city hall and then hired me to take photos of them and their family. They had a few family members from out of town, and they were all dressed up so they said they wanted a family portrait. I ended up shooting all the different family groups, the couples, the Bride & Groom (although this wasn't too high on their priority list).

In short, something like this will probably be more about family than the bride & groom...as opposed to a regular wedding which is all about the bride & groom.

multiplexor · Aug 3, 2006

Big Mike said:
For this type of thing, you should ask them what they want.

I shot something kind of similar this year, it wasn't a re-vows but a 2nd marriage for them both. No wedding dress etc. They just had a civil ceremony at city hall and then hired me to take photos of them and their family. They had a few family members from out of town, and they were all dressed up so they said they wanted a family portrait. I ended up shooting all the different family groups, the couples, the Bride & Groom (although this wasn't too high on their priority list).

In short, something like this will probably be more about family than the bride & groom...as opposed to a regular wedding which is all about the bride & groom.

Nice, very good to know! As you said, I emailed the daughter of the bride / groom, who is organizing the event and is a friend of mine..

She'll get back to me on the types of pictures she would like, as well as I will focus on family while there... ;-)

Should be rather fun to finally do something like this... i think of it as a mini step-up from a wedding... haha

There should be about 125-140 people going, so it'll be an interesting night!!