Lens for a Pre-Wedding Outdoor shoot

[Enbee]

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Hello, 

 

I have an M-P 240. I am planning my first outdoor pre-wedding shoot in the next couple of weeks. I have a 21mm f2.8 zeiss 35mm cron and 50mm lux. I was wondering if I should get another WA lens - very tempted by the new 15mm V III. Any thoughts or suggestions for any other lenses that I should consider or things I should think about. I am planning an early morning shoot or a late evening one. 

 

Thanks for your help in advance! 

[earleygallery]

I'm not sure what you mean by a pre wedding shoot, but why do you think you need other lenses?

 

Not sure how anyone here can offer you sensible advice as we don't know how you work, where the shoot is or any other relevant details which would come into such a decision. 

 

You probably need another M body in case one fails on the day. 

[Enbee]

Thank You for your response James. 

 

A pre-wedding shoot is done a few days before the wedding - where photographers take the couple to an outdoor location for a photoshoot. It's a common phenomena in India to do so. I am not sure if I need another lens but I was thinking that a 15mm will give me a chance to have more perspective - that's why I am asking. 

 

Shoot is going to be in Bangalore, India at Bangalore Palace - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangalore_Palace. What other relevant details do you require? I am relatively a new photographer - I have had the system for about 9 months. You can find some of my work here: https://500px.com/niteshbatra. Another M is a good suggestion, but I can't afford another one right now. 

 

Thanks,

 

[earleygallery]

Thanks. I personally think you should be able to work with what you have for that kind of shoot, but then there's no reason why you shouldn't use a 15mm for a few shots either. 

 

It's really a personal decision for you to make. I'd probably want a 75 or 90mm in preference for some tighter portraits. 

[jrp]

I don't think that the 15mm is a lens for any subject involving humans, superb lens though it is. 75mm and 35mm would be more than adequate.

[FlashGordonPhotography]

You can shoot weddings and engagements with anything from a fisheye to a 500mm. I certainly have. Personally I prefer to have a medium wide, a standard and a medium tele. Kind of an all round kit. For me that's a 28, 50 and 90. Once you have those you can build out to more specialised lenses like super wides.

 

Wides require a lot more effort when shooting people so they tend to get used more sparingly the wider you get. I use my WATE for only a few shots at each wedding I shoot where I deliberately want to emphasise perspective by being close to my subjects.

 

Your 21 is already a great lens for environmental shooting and you have nothing that makes it easy to isolate. I'd be looking at a 90mm Summarit or equivalent, if it were "me".

 

Then again you might just want a 15mm. Which is fine.

 

Gordon

[Peter Kilmister]

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For portrait I believe photos are better with a 75mm or 90mm lens which flattens features.

A 15mm lens could make their noses look like Pinocchio after a lie because any wide angle lens accentuates anything pointing in its direction. I would only use a very wide lens in a very close environment to photograph a flat subject.

Maybe I have the whole concept wrong. Please tell me if that is the case.

[Jean-Michel]

With one body and three lenses you may find yourself too busy changing lenses instead of making images. Nothing wrong with more than one lens, mind you, but I would prefer an extra body. I used to carry an M6 and M4 with a 50 and 35, with an M3 somewhere near. Can only afford a single M9, so mostly means the 35 with other lenses in a bag for occasional changes. 

Jean-Michel

[Enbee]

Thank you everyone! It seems like tele is a much better portion as compared to WA. Since I have a 50, I will try the 75. I think the prison is helping me understand each lens better i.e. 35 50 and now 75. Though on WA side I directly jumped to 21, the lens which I really love! Which 75 recommended?

[lawman]

Summarit - excellent lens at an affordable price to give you an opportunity to work with the 75 mm focal length.

[derleicaman]

In my film days shooting weddings and events, I would have two M6 TTLs with a Tri- Elmar on one body and a 90 Elmarit on the other. I would switch the lenses on each camera during the shoot as insurance in case something went wrong with either camera. With digital, of course you can double check yourself by chimping. Murphy's Law is always in play during an event, so have some sort of backup. It should be another M, but you could use an M lens adapter on a Sony NEX or Fuji X series. The Tri-Elmar was always my most useful lens for events.

[Mark Pope]

Summarit - excellent lens at an affordable price to give you an opportunity to work with the 75 mm focal length.

Take a look at the CV 75mm too. It is a very good lens indeed.

[NB23]

Pre-wedding? Pre-asph.

Wedding? Asph.

Post-wedding? Apo-asph.

Divorce? Voigtlander.

[Falstaff]

Pre-wedding? Pre-asph.

Wedding? Asph.

Post-wedding? Apo-asph.

Divorce? Voigtlander.

 

:D

[hiepphotog]

Pre-wedding? Pre-asph.

Wedding? Asph.

Post-wedding? Apo-asph.

Divorce? Voigtlander.

LOL, nice one. Though I think it should be more like this:

 

Pre-wed - APO, having all the personal fund to spend

Wed - selling the APO to pay for the wedding and have to settle with the next best

Post-wed - need a dreamier lens or your spouse would complain, Pre-asph

Divorce - getting half of what you have, the CV is about that much

 

Back to the OP, I have shot several engagement shoots for friends and families and you need only the 50 and 21. For the odd shots that you want to be different, the 15 might fit the bill, but it tends to be a distraction since it would require more careful posing and composition. To me, engagement is more about the interaction of the couple with less emphasis on individual's portraiture. And if you keep it simple, it would be more dynamic.

[bobbywise]

If you end up going for the 75 mm summarit, make sure it's the latest f2.4 version because this has a 0.7 m minimum focus distance compared to the 0.9 m minimum focus distance of the older f2.5 version. My point being here is that the older f2.5 75 mm summarit at 0.9 m would probably give you roughly the same FOV feeling of your 50 mm lux at 0.7 m.

 

75 and 50 are pretty close, and the 50 mm lux does portraits nicely. I think if I was in your position, I'd either buy nothing, or go for a 90 mm.

[jto555]

Or, from a different point of view... Dont buy any lens.

 

Photography is not about lenses, its about light. So save your money a get a reflector and somebody to hold it for the shoot. A large silver and white with the silver for putting light into the eyes in overcast conditions, and the white to lift the faces in sunlight.

 

One tip, if you are lighting the faces with the reflector make sure the reflector is up higher than eye-level so the light is streaming down onto the faces and not coming from below them. In saying that, here is a link to a great pre-wedding shoot where the weather did not play ball:

 

[FlashGordonPhotography]

Oooooh. I don't agree with that "isn't about lenses" thingy. Light is important. Can't take photographs without it but lens selection is critical in the look and feel of a photograph and will be until we get a camera with unlimited resolution and we can crop everything.​

 

Lens selection affects, perspective, angle of view, background blur and magnification. There are most certainly times where I'll shoot with a longer lens because the background is so messy or with a wider lens because stepping back means a trip to hospital.

 

Gordon

[jto555]

Hi Gordon, I understand what you are saying and yes you are correct lenses are important. However I do believe that we as photographers put to much emphases on gear and not enough on good light. I'm just as guilty. So much so that my Visa card will be running for cover when the new M is announces...

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Hallo,

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[asiafish]

I did a wedding and reception last year with my M Monochrom and 50mm f/2 Summicron.  There were a few moments I would have liked something a little longer or wider, but not enough to matter.

I'd say take your 50 Lux and you should be fine.  Bring the wide if you want to step back and highlight some particularly impressive locations, but the 50 will cover 90%.