what lens to use for wedding dinner shots

[twisted illusion]

You strongly believe in shooting with available light and yet recommend a slow lens like the 18-200? :dunno:

Contrary to popular belief, slightly overexposing (not to the point of blown highlights) brings out better detail than an underexposed image, where bringing up exposure will increase the noise level also.

Knowing when to use flash is not a matter of trial and error; it is a matter of understanding light. Seeing as you do not quite understand light, it is no wonder you do not use flash. There is such a thing as TTL, which should give you well exposed images most, if not all, of the time, and there are such things as colour correction gels, if white balance is an issue.

There are also techniques and diffusers you can use to make your flash work invisible - that means to say, with the right technique and skill, you can shoot an image and make it look like it was shot on natural light.

light is so difficult to understand, i stop using flash liao le...

 

[rendition]

Using flash is almost a must in wedding for me even on well-litted condition. Using bouncing techniques, you'll get much better contrast and colour on subject and overall photo. Anyways, for banquet, it has been 17-40 & 70-200 for me, the latter allows capturing of candid shots to avoid the guests from knowing you're shootting which more often than not, will change their expression.

 

[Reportage]

Using flash is almost a must in wedding for me even on well-litted condition. Using bouncing techniques, you'll get much better contrast and colour on subject and overall photo. Anyways, for banquet, it has been 17-40 & 70-200 for me, the latter allows capturing of candid shots to avoid the guests from knowing you're shootting which more often than not, will change their expression.

dont know about that. There are expressions from both groom and bride parties that are unique only during wedding dinners...

 

[Reportage]

light is so difficult to understand, i stop using flash liao le...

Not really difficult to understand...its either light is good, light is okay just needs help, fake light is better then real light and light totally beyond control from my experience.

Clubbing photography, Event Photography, Theater Photography and so on requires user to best guess what works best to illuminate the subject and the best way to learn is to do more of it. Noise is inevitable but as long the client knows in advance the difficulty in the situation, they are pretty okay with it. Most of the time 4R for candid shots will hide the noise and the bigger ones usually are formal shots with plenty of light or studio condition.

If you can, one picture without flash and another with flash...since its a wedding dinner, guests are okay with it.

 

[calebk]

Not really difficult to understand...its either light is good, light is okay just needs help, fake light is better then real light and light totally beyond control from my experience.

Clubbing photography, Event Photography, Theater Photography and so on requires user to best guess what works best to illuminate the subject and the best way to learn is to do more of it. Noise is inevitable but as long the client knows in advance the difficulty in the situation, they are pretty okay with it. Most of the time 4R for candid shots will hide the noise and the bigger ones usually are formal shots with plenty of light or studio condition.

If you can, one picture without flash and another with flash...since its a wedding dinner, guests are okay with it.

You missed out light that is of different colour temperature, light that is hard, light that is soft, light that is directional, light that is bounced, light that is flattering/unflattering, light that provides contrast, light that negates contrast.

One should never eliminate or condemn a certain method to being inferior until one has had understanding of it. For instance, why I always insist on flash for group photos, even small ones, is that the flash gives a catchlight to the eyes of the subject(s). It also fills up the recesses in the face (under the eyebrows, under the lips, below the chin) to give a more even, flattering look.

But I guess, in the end, it's different strokes for different folks.

 

[redmonsoon]

May I ask do you guys change lens or carry x2 cameras(x2 lens) on neck, to maximise shots opportunities?

 

[calebk]

May I ask do you guys change lens or carry x2 cameras(x2 lens) on neck, to maximise shots opportunities?

I've covered two weddings before, and on the first one, I just had one body; only on the second one did I tote two bodies around. I personally prefer two bodies, though it's a bit cumbersome. With the 24-70 on a 5D and a 85mm f/1.8 on a 1DII, most of my coverage is there already. I carry a 70-200, 16-35 and a 580EX in a waist pouch if I need to go wider or longer, though most of the time I hardly switch out lenses.

 

[pinholecam]

Think of it this way. What are the typical situations for a shot?

1. The couple shots - likely portrait (35-105mm)
2. The bride or groom individual shots - again portrait (35-105mm) (f2.8 helps)
3. The details (ie. bridal cake, rings, etc) - again portrait (same as above)
4. Bride pickup, happenings, situations - wide to normal (18-50mm)
5. The family, dinner table shots - wide to normal (18-50mm)

So you are good to go if you have a 17-50/2.8 or 18-50/2.8 which covers from wide to short portrait.
A 24-70 or 28-75/2.8 is also ok, though a tad narrow on the wide end.

Bring a flash is the safe bet.

You'd need to be the 2nd/3rd/4th or experienced photog to dare venture to using only a fast prime lens (28, 30, 35, 50mm) and ambient light only for a good friends wedding :sweat:

 

[m3lv1nh0]

If you are the main or only photographer there, bring lots of spares batteries, CF cards, 2 cameras and flash. If you are just shooting for fun, than 1 camera with a zoom lens is more than enough. Flash is a must for dinner reception. Knowing how to use the flash is also very important. Pls read this at least 3 times http://www.planetneil.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/ Remember, with flash, you control the quality of light and not the other way round.

Lens needed depends on what you have.
My main lens is 35mm which stays on my primary camera and 85mm or 24-70mm on my other camera.

 

[calebk]

If you are the main or only photographer there, bring lots of spares batteries, CF cards, 2 cameras and flash. If you are just shooting for fun, than 1 camera with a zoom lens is more than enough. Flash is a must for dinner reception. Knowing how to use the flash is also very important. Pls read this at least 3 times http://www.planetneil.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/ Remember, with flash, you control the quality of light and not the other way round.

Lens needed depends on what you have.
My main lens is 35mm which stays on my primary camera and 85mm or 24-70mm on my other camera.

Bro, both are full frame bodies?

 

[redmonsoon]

>Using flash is almost a must in wedding for me even on well-litted condition.
May I know if anyone has experience with SB-600 and found it already adequate for 95% of wedding dinnar?Thks.

 

[Reportage]

>Using flash is almost a must in wedding for me even on well-litted condition.
May I know if anyone has experience with SB-600 and found it already adequate for 95% of wedding dinnar?Thks.

depends where the dinner is at and what technique are you using. There are users even SB900 also not happy.

 

[m3lv1nh0]

Bro, both are full frame bodies?

Yes bro.. both fullframe.

 

[Shen siung]

Using flash is almost a must in wedding for me even on well-litted condition. Using bouncing techniques, you'll get much better contrast and colour on subject and overall photo. Anyways, for banquet, it has been 17-40 & 70-200 for me, the latter allows capturing of candid shots to avoid the guests from knowing you're shootting which more often than not, will change their expression.

I agree on this. My noob experience: I'm too lazy to change lens, so I only use a fast zoom, with flash. But I only shoot once in a ball room just a normal dinner event, not wedding....

 

[rendition]

May I know if anyone has experience with SB-600 and found it already adequate for 95% of wedding dinnar?Thks.

Shouldn't be a problem... on my 580EXII, I have the power set to 1/2 (should be about SB-600 full power equiv) or lower even..more often than 1/1. Thing is, in banquet (or any venue ftm), never forget to allow enough ambient light to be captured (well for me or the way I like it) cuz if shutter set too fast, and ambient light doesn't get captured, your shots will eventually 'appear' darker as BG is dark and black and foreground will prolly be super bright - am sure you've seen such shots before.