Initial Comments - 50/1.8 for weddings

[Chris Harding]

Hi Guys

I used the SEL50F18 last night at the wedding reception...the shallow DOF in low light is tricky to master but the image is excellent. However at weddings I think that the focal length is a wee bit too much for practical use BUT I can see it being a rather nice lens for speeches when you have a second cam on a tripod and about 15' away from the person doing the speech...for more intimate work it's just too long sadly! Going around tables and doing guest interviews at tables you definately need something shorter and due to the fact I haven't got $1250 to buy a Zeiss 24mm F1.8 I think the 19mm Sigma might end up as a useful "reception" lens and it's one stop faster than the stock lens.

I'm also looking at the 30mm Sigma ...that equates to 45mm and my Panny's at wide are 41mm equivalent so that might be an even better reception lens??

I'm going to however try the 50mm at bridal prep on today's wedding and see how that works...I have an idea is will be a rather nice lens for bridal prep!!

Chris

[Rod Pike]

Originally Posted by Chris Harding

Hi Guys

you definitely need something shorter and due to the fact I haven't got $1250 to buy a Zeiss 24mm F1.8 I think the 19mm Sigma might end up as a useful "reception" lens and it's one stop faster than the stock lens.

Hi Chris, at the rate you work you will have very shortly! I used to do the odd wedding in with my corporate work in England but vowed I would never again, when I came to NZ 6 years ago or so- too stressful by half!

Look forward to seeing some more examples of your work with the 50. I have put my last Sony up for sale yesterday , leaving me with the Panny 160A which I am really liking now. (oh if only it was a shoulder mount though!) So, still brooding over the 50 ATM. Definitely uncomfortable about no NDs and a variable shutter speed though. Motion flow consistency is important in my work and requires a constant shutter speed I feel. Still, it's great being here and seeing how everyone is addressing the issues. I have mentioned before, I have no brand loyalty whatsoever and just want the right tool for the job ( and for it to perform to spec- you know what I mean!)

Cheers!
Rod

[Noa Put]

A 50mm f1.4 on a 1.5 crop camera is more a specialty lens that you would use of creative close up shots or for some talking heads during a reception.
I prefer the 35mm f1.4 as it is a bit more versatile for closeups and for medium close shots. My 85mm is useless for close up's at the minimal focus distance is at least 1 meter but it's an excellent lens for talking heads but also during a fotoshoot to get some posed shots from a distance and if you want to add some nice blur to the background.

[James Manford]

Wow, with my EA50 awaiting delivery, I have been contemplating adding the SEL50F18 to my arsenal, but im having second thoughts reading these posts now.

I would love to own the Zeiss lens your referring to as I have seen them sell pre-owned for around the £500-600 mark on ebay, but I don't think I will get enough use of it to justify the purchase.

Are their any specific F1.4, F1.8, F2.8 lenses you would recommend to use with the EA50??? I think we should make a list.

[Noa Put]

If you are on a budget all Samyang cine lenses are a excellent option, but you will have to master your manual skills as they don't communicate with the body.

[James Manford]

Noa, if I had a budget of £400-£500 max to spend on two manual or auto lenses.

Which lense would you recommend for close up shoulder portraits.

Which lense would you recommend for macro.

As I definitely have a purpose for both along with my kit lens, which will be used for general run/gun use.

[Noa Put]

When I do weddings I use the 85mm f1.4 almost exclusively for talking heads, I can keep my distance while getting close enough to people without they noticing me. It' also easy to create a very nice blurry background with this lens.

The 35mm f1.4 I most use for close ups.

The 14mm f2.8 I only use for steadicam shots.

Next on my shopping list is the 24mm f1.4 and the 8mm f3.5 (also from Samyang) and very likely will be getting the new metabones speed boosters if their claims prove to be right and then I"m all set. That metabones adapater will give me 10 different focal lengths on 5 different lenzes.

For macro I use a Tamron macro 90mm f2.8 but that is a very limited lens to use, shallow dof is crazy with this one and you could use it for a close up of the jewelery like rings etc.

So to answer your question what I would buy on a budget when doing weddings was a 35 and 85mm.

[James Manford]

Thanks so much. Exactly what I wanted to know.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Guys

Just got back from the second wedding (it's 1:30am here!!) The 50mm for me is definately a no go unless you have posed shots ... you have to manual focus as the auto is way too slow so things like people dancing is a nightmare with a 50mm prime...People are moving in and out of the shot and changing distance so follow focus is tricky to say the least ... My photog has a 50mmF1.8 prime and even he says it's tricky to use with stills and big groups. I even found the DOF to be too severe with a group of 5 bridesmaids ...they were in a half circle toasting the bride and the outer ones were blurry ...looks arty but the bride wouldn't like it all all. I guess it works great on posed shots where your subject is still but with moving shots I struggle. Mine is going back on ebay and maybe something like a 19mm or 30mm prime at most might work ...Shucks an 85mm prime Noa ....how would you handle a bridal entry with that unless you were 50' away??? Last night the stock lens actually worked pretty well considering.

I guess each to their own style but I seldom use posed shots so my subjects are moving 99% of the time.

Chris

[Noa Put]

Welcome to the world of pain called large sensor :D Well, not exactly, not if you know when to use your primes. Like I said before, a 50mm f1.4 is a "specialist" lens, I would only use it for close ups. My 85mm f.i. gets used a lot but only for talking heads, like when people sit at the tables or during reception when they have a drink because they don't move then either but for any other shot that involves any kind of movement they are very hard to use. If you would have a 5dIII you could crank up your iso to 10.000 and have a deeper dof but if you don't plan to go over iso 1600 you often need between f1.4 and f2.8 at darker receptions and then only a wider angle lens would save you from messing up a shot.

I would get the 19mm if it's fast enough, that one should cover a wide enough field of view, but again here if it's a fast one your dof will be very narrow as well when wide open.

I think with your shooting style you will be very happy with the stocklens as a multi-purpose lens as it actually is quite good, but it can mean you have to add some light when it gets too dark.

[Chris Harding]

Hey Noa

You are very right too. The stock lens is pretty adaptable to situations. I still could definately use a prime for a lot of stuff but my personal feeling at weddings is that I always felt too far away with the 50mm...The Sigma 30mm might be a nice lens for bridal prep too and isn't as "fierce" with DOF as it's an F2.8 which is more manageable. I did some magic shots with the dress and flowers with the 50mm prime and they are pristine ..then again dresses don't move then they are hanging on the bedroom door!!

I'm still tending to lean towards the 30mm F2.8 to replace the 50mm so we will make that a new chapter.

Chris

[Noa Put]

If you are coming from a small sensor camera, like I did about 2 years ago, working with a large sensor camera with a interchangeable lens is a learning process. It took me about a year to find out which lenses work for me and how to best adapt my shooting style to it. But as a solo shooter I still could not miss my small sensor camera's as they have proven to be invaluable. I just can not do a full wedding with dslr type of camera alone.

That's why my small sensor camera's serve a very specific purpose during the day, just like the large sensor ones, the small sensor one are exclusively used to cover the civil part and the ceremony in church but also for the speeches, they do allow me to use 2 camera's simultaneously because of their large dof and very good auto function if I need to rely on them. With my larger sensor camera's it's just one camera at a time.

I started with a old 28 f2.8 nikon nikkor lens with an adapter for my 550d which I liked very much, then I got a 50mm nikon nikkor lens, then I got the Samyang 85mm and 14mm and after that the 35mm, the nikkors are not being used now. I also used the Canon 10-22 canon lens from my wife a lot which is a great lens but switched to the Samyang 14mm as it was faster and had a iris ring which makes thing easier to operate.

Eventually you will get there but consider to spend the whole wedding season this year to find out what works best for you.

[James Manford]

Noa I was going to ask, what adapter are you using for the Samyang cine lenses you have? and are you having to operate them all on manual? looking at your video 'Casino' it seems due to certain scenes that you have an adapter with autofocus.

[Noa Put]

looking at your video 'Casino' it seems due to certain scenes that you have an adapter with autofocus.

Ha, I wish! :) Every focus pull you see in that video and there are quite a few where done manually. I have bought a Kipon adapter which has no electronics inside like the metabones, any lens you put on it does not communicate with the camera so yes, any lens you add onto it is an all manual lens. It's not a el cheapo adapter you will find on ebay and has a pretty decent build. Later this year I probably will be getting the metabones speedbooster if it lives up to it's claims, just need to know what side effects it has depending on what type of lenses you use.

[Chris Harding]

Thanks Noa

I appreciate the advice from someone who has already been using large sensors...maybe later with a 50, but for now I'll take baby steps and start a bit smaller. I put my SEL50F18 on eBay and it got snapped up within 30 minutes and with a $50 profit for me.

I'm thinking maybe go for a less intense prime to start like the F2.8 Sigmas ?? The decision now would be do I go for a 30mm or a 19mm ....My stock lens covers both but I think that maybe the 30mm might be neat for bridal prep and also speeches where they isn't too much movement.

A quick question with primes? The Sigma's don't come with a lens hood...if you are shooting outside do you guys use pretty much standard lens hoods or not at all?

Chris