Best lenses for wedding at DVinfo.net

Giannis Pass · April 4th, 2011, 12:39 PM

Hello,
in a few days i will have the 60D.
Since i am a wedding videographer with EX1R, i am looking for an alternative to camcorder, thats why i am going to DSLR.
Having in mind that i have the 60d as B cam, what lenses are you suggest to have?
If you can have only 2 lenses, what is the 2 that you will choose for weddings?
For sure i need one wide (for steadycam or crane) and what else?

Spiros Zaharakis · April 4th, 2011, 02:02 PM

It really depends on the budget.
Tokina 11-16 f2.8, is the obvious wide choice but you really need at least two more lenses to get everything you may need.
If you can wait a bit, the Sigma 50-150 2.8 OS would be my choice If I had to go with just one lens but I have no idea when it will hit the stores. At the Photovision Trade show I asked a salesman of the official dealer (Tsaknaridis) about expected availability and he didn't even know the existence of this lens.
If money is not a concern and you can't wait, then i would suggest the 70-200 f2.8 IS but I really think you should also get at least one more lens. The Sigma 30 f1.4 will be great for low light and it doesn't cost a fortune.
If you are on a lower budget, then get a couple old MF lenses from ebay, a Nikon 24 f2 and a Pentax or Olympus 50mm f1.4.

John Wiley · April 4th, 2011, 04:46 PM

I have to agree that you'll want more than 2 lenses. Start off with fast, quality zooms - don't skimp on your lens budget because if you try to get an "all in one" lens to cover you for everything, you may end up paying alot of money for a lens that doesn't meet you needs.

I'd recommend the Tamron 17-50 f/2.8, and any one of the Tamron, Sigma or Canon 70-200 f/2.8 - Canon is the most expensive for a reason but these two 3rd party lenses are also very highly rated and will save you a lot of money.

Next you can start to think about specialty lenses depending on what type of shots you'd like to get. If you want superwide shots or something to use on a steadycam, then the Tokina 11-16 f/2.8 is a favorite among members here. If you'd prefer something for shallow DOF shots, then a few primes such as the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 might be more up your alley.

The thing with DSLR's for video is that they have the capability to take interchangeable lenses - you have to make use of that or you won't to able to access a wide range of focal lengths or fast apertures. Sure, you can get a zoom or two to cover most of the commonly used zoom lengths, but you'll compromise other things such as lowlight ability as well. So I'd try to stretch my budget for an extra couple of lenses, even if it means going vintage.

April 4th, 2011, 12:39 PM	#1
Giannis Pass Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Athens, Greece Posts: 120	Best lenses for wedding Hello, in a few days i will have the 60D. Since i am a wedding videographer with EX1R, i am looking for an alternative to camcorder, thats why i am going to DSLR. Having in mind that i have the 60d as B cam, what lenses are you suggest to have? If you can have only 2 lenses, what is the 2 that you will choose for weddings? For sure i need one wide (for steadycam or crane) and what else?

April 4th, 2011, 02:02 PM	#2
Spiros Zaharakis Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Chania Crete Greece Posts: 171	Re: Best lenses for wedding It really depends on the budget. Tokina 11-16 f2.8, is the obvious wide choice but you really need at least two more lenses to get everything you may need. If you can wait a bit, the Sigma 50-150 2.8 OS would be my choice If I had to go with just one lens but I have no idea when it will hit the stores. At the Photovision Trade show I asked a salesman of the official dealer (Tsaknaridis) about expected availability and he didn't even know the existence of this lens. If money is not a concern and you can't wait, then i would suggest the 70-200 f2.8 IS but I really think you should also get at least one more lens. The Sigma 30 f1.4 will be great for low light and it doesn't cost a fortune. If you are on a lower budget, then get a couple old MF lenses from ebay, a Nikon 24 f2 and a Pentax or Olympus 50mm f1.4.

April 4th, 2011, 04:46 PM	#3
John Wiley Trustee Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Byron Bay, Australia Posts: 1,155	Re: Best lenses for wedding I have to agree that you'll want more than 2 lenses. Start off with fast, quality zooms - don't skimp on your lens budget because if you try to get an "all in one" lens to cover you for everything, you may end up paying alot of money for a lens that doesn't meet you needs. I'd recommend the Tamron 17-50 f/2.8, and any one of the Tamron, Sigma or Canon 70-200 f/2.8 - Canon is the most expensive for a reason but these two 3rd party lenses are also very highly rated and will save you a lot of money. Next you can start to think about specialty lenses depending on what type of shots you'd like to get. If you want superwide shots or something to use on a steadycam, then the Tokina 11-16 f/2.8 is a favorite among members here. If you'd prefer something for shallow DOF shots, then a few primes such as the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 might be more up your alley. The thing with DSLR's for video is that they have the capability to take interchangeable lenses - you have to make use of that or you won't to able to access a wide range of focal lengths or fast apertures. Sure, you can get a zoom or two to cover most of the commonly used zoom lengths, but you'll compromise other things such as lowlight ability as well. So I'd try to stretch my budget for an extra couple of lenses, even if it means going vintage.