Sony Wedding photographer switching systems

[Zachary Harley]

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Hello all!

I am a wedding photographer currently in the Sony ecosystem I am in the process of purchasing an SL. I use a Sony 24mm 1.4, Sony 35mm 1.8, Sony 55mm 1.8 and an 85mm. I use the 35mm 1.8 about half the time. Next most used would be the 55 about 30%. The 85 for mid tele and formal portraits and the 24 for the wide shots and in the dance floor.

In your opinion, which autofocus lenses should I consider as I slowly sell my Sony gear away? I am hoping to keep the cost of switching systems at the lowest possible and I don't mind third party options. I hope to eventually have the same prime setup. If you have any tips in lens choices I should take a look at I would really appreciate it!

Thanks you lads!

Edited January 27, 2021 by Zachary Harley
Added input

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[jaapv]

Welcome   If you are comfortable with manual focusing, there are not only the SL and TL (cropped) lennses, but a whole galaxy of Leica M lenses out there, not to mention just about any manual lens ever built.

[Zachary Harley]

That's an exciting thought! I was just recently introduced to manual lenses. I am excited to learn more and practice.  I plan on using autofocus lenses for the most part of this upcoming wedding season and I will probably purchase 1 manual focusing lens for portraits and static subjects. I'm really looking forward to practicing this and it is part of the reason why I'm switching. 

[jaapv]

In time, in your line of work, you will most likely graduate to a Noctilux 0.95 hard on the wallet, but unique in capable hands.

[Mr.Q]

Hmm... why exactly are you switching?

As for lens choices......
The 35, 50, 75 and 90 Summicron-SL's are excellent but all cost 5,000+ USD.
The Sigma DG DN line of lenses are also excellent, and much cheaper.
The 85/1.8 from Panasonic is available to day, and the 24/1.8, 35/1.8 and 50/1.8 are due to be released soon.
 

 

[Zachary Harley]

10 minutes ago, Mr.Q said:

Hmm... why exactly are you switching?

As for lens choices......
The 35, 50, 75 and 90 Summicron-SL's are excellent but all cost 5,000+ USD.
The Sigma DG DN line of lenses are also excellent, and much cheaper.
The 85/1.8 from Panasonic is available to day, and the 24/1.8, 35/1.8 and 50/1.8 are due to be released soon.
 

 

Weddings in 2020 were all cancelled. This basically killed all the fun for me and I needed something drastic. I also forgot to mention I would like to pair the SL with small and light lenses if possible. This is a dilemma I know since I'm now seeing gigantic lenses usually paired with this body.

Thanks for the lens inputs. I will check the reviews and sample images. Cheers!

[Zachary Harley]

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12 minutes ago, jaapv said:

In time, in your line of work, you will most likely graduate to a Noctilux 0.95 hard on the wallet, but unique in capable hands.

Ha! Alright! I will check that one out. 

Honestly, I don't have the most expensive Sony lenses in my current setup. They're all cheap and are not really considered pro lenses. But I know how to use them and I know how to get the shot I want. In weddings I mostly know what will happen even though a wedding day could be chaotic. This will make learning manual focusing more fun for sure!

 

[Simone_DF]

34 minutes ago, Zachary Harley said:

I would like to pair the SL with small and light lenses if possible

The new Sigma "I" line is small and light. Same for the new Panasonic 1.8 line - though only the 85mm has been released so far.

[Macberg]

vor 12 Minuten schrieb Steven:

If you want an AF lens for an SL and your most used focal is 35mm, you need to buy the 35 SL APO. This way, you will immediately have the best lens ever made by Leica, as well as the best lens ever made, full stop. 

You need to see it to believe it. 

@Zachary Harley I agree with Steven. And your second (or even first?) choice for weddings should be the Apo Summicron 90 SL (picture taken at a wedding job last August, with the SL2), even if that lens is not so small, it's not particularly big either:

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Edited January 27, 2021 by Macberg

[FrankX]

I am using the new Sigma 85 1.4 DG DN lens and it is by far the best 85 mm lens I have used so far, but I never tried the 90 Cron. A very capable combination for weddings would be this relatively small 85 mm lens together with the Sigma 35 2.0 as starter set. I would probably add a Panasonic 50 1.4, but this is a big one... However, if you really want ‚the Leica look‘ you‘ll probably have to buy the 35 and 75 Summicron-SL for AF. I personally love the look of my almost tiny 35 an 50 mm Summilux-M ASPH lenses, especially with my M10.

However, as I said the Sigma 85 is a fantastic lens. The following photo may give you a first impression how the lens renders.

 

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Edited January 27, 2021 by FrankX

[SonomaBear]

I'm also building a new kit for my SL and I am thrilled at the quality of Sigma DG DN lenses.

The 85 1.4 is a "must have" and is a real go-to for a lot of scenes/people

The 45 2.8 should be standard equipment!  Inexpensive, small, yet very good

The 24-70 2.8 is your workhorse when earning a living.  Its a better buy than Panasonic

Their new "I series" are supposedly great/small/inexpensive/well built but I haven't tried

I walk around with the 45/2.8 mounted and the others in the bag.

Enjoy... I certainly do!           PS: Their customer service s really great...

Edited January 27, 2021 by SonomaBear

[FrankX]

Gerade eben schrieb Steven:

Nice lens, nice photo, but if you ask me, I don't see the difference between an 85 sigma on a A7RIV. The SL + 90 APO combo, however, is worth dealing with the constraint that come with Leica. 

I don’t have any Sony camera myself. Thus, I cannot compare them. But you are probably right that there may be only small differences.

One of my main reasons to buy the SL2 was to use it with my M lenses. I got the Sigma 28-70 2.8 as a kit lens and later bought the Sigma 85 after reading many raving reviews. Thought a long time about buying the 90 SL ( still thinking 🤔)... But it is also a little bit slow ( 2.0 vs 1.4 ). Do you have both, the Sigma 85 and the 90 SL, to compare?

In my opinion, the Sigma lenses are extremely sharp, extremely contrasty, show smooth bokeh, but the photos look somehow more digital and less ‘lifelike’ compared to my 35/50 Lux M lenses. That’s the reason why I am still thinking about buying a Leica SL lens...

[FlashGordonPhotography]

Definitely not going to talk you out of an SL, The SL ecosystem is excellent for weddings. I've shot weddings with Sony and Leica. No way I'd go back, despite the *on paper* advantages of the Sony's. There WILL be a learning curve though. And it depends on which SL body you now have.

Your current Sony lenses are really very very good. I still have my 55 and 85 1.8's somewhere. I'm not a 35mm focal length shooter but I know the lens is great. The 55 is good enough to almost keep me considering a Sony. It pairs brilliantly with the bodies. You are going to end up with a bigger system. No way around that. Doesn't have to be vastly bigger but bigger and heavier it will be.

The Sigmas will be the closest to what you know. Similar look and drawing. A bit more *bite* than the Panasonics and Leicas. It's not really a sharpness thing. More a macro contrast difference. If you've shot a lot of Leica you might describe Sigma and Sony lenses as *gritty* in comparison. Some people describe the Sony 55mm as harsh. It can be a bit. But not always. In comparison the Panasonic and Leica versions are a bit more gentle. Colours are much easier to handle with the Leica. You'll need to adapt your post workflow but once you dial it in it's vastly better than the Sony's for skin tones.

I haven't seen anything from the new Panasonic lenses yet but I do have a bunch of them in M43 and a couple of the current L mount ones. I have no doubt that they will be very very good. They might be exactly what you're looking for plus the Sigma 85mm. The Leica L primes are the pinnacle though. Just wonderful. Very expensive and a small gain over the other L mount lenses. But if you want to best......

As for the Noctilux. Had one and sold it. Special optic but unique and extremely specialised for a huge amount of money. there are alternatives for a lot less. If you want MF have a look at the Voightlander M mount lenses and a lens adaptor. Especially some of the recent ones. Personally though, if You have an SL I'd stay native for weddings. I shot about 200 weddings with a pair of M9 bodies. Loved it but it's certainly less stress with the SL2.

Gordon

[SiggiGun]

As @Steven wrote, the APO-Summcrion-SL f2.0/35mm ASPH. is the lens you need! I had the chance to try all the current SL Primes.  I guess also, that the upcoming Vairo-Elmarit 28-70mm will be a good extension for Weding. And finally of course: Noctilux is a must. This lens is so different and so special, especialy for wedding. But not easy to focus.

 

Enjoy the Leica world

[lx1713]

I don't shoot much weddings but I found the Q2 a beautiful match with an SL2 and the 24-90. If I were younger, the 90-280 will be in the bag. 

The SL is still used frequently but only in the studio.

[FlashGordonPhotography]

17 minutes ago, Steven said:

Ok, now that we've established that the best 35 you can mount on an SL is the SL35 APO, may I ask the question in a reverse way? 

If, hypothetically speaking, I was buying a Sony A1, what 35mm lens would I want to buy to get as close as possible to the micro contrast and 3D pop of the SL 35 APO? 

 

Zeiss 35mm 1.4 ZM adapted would be my guess.

The Sony and Sigma AF options are quite excellent. They just draw a bit differently.

Gordon

[padam]

 I would say a 35 1.4 ZM is somewhat wasted on a Sony with more smearing and fringing (not quite as bad as a Summilux, but far from great)
They have a rather excellent new native lens to pair with that body in the form of the 35 1.4 GM

[jaapv]

6 minutes ago, Steven said:

If I am going to adapt a ranger finder lens, I will pick from my collection of Leica M 35mm lenses. I think. 

Not for this lens. I am very impressed the transparent rendering of the Zeiss. In my book it is preferable to the Summilux FLE.

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[padam]

7 minutes ago, Steven said:

seems the obvious choice. 

Youtubers have been raving about this lens. The problem with youtubers is that they havent tried the SL35 on an SL2, so they have low standards and reference when it comes to excellency. 

https://www.lenstip.com/598.4-Lens_review-Sony_FE_35_mm_f_1.4_GM_Image_resolution.html

Unless they fake test results as well, then the conclusion is that this lens is absurdly sharp.
I mean, the SL35 might still be better still, looking at those charts, as it is slower with a bigger footprint all in the sake of achieving the best possible optical correction
But this is already at that extremely high level and the AF motor is more sophisticated, which might be just as important in practise.

[jaapv]

23 minutes ago, Steven said:

Very interesting post. 
You mean that it is preferable to the fle on a Sony body, or on any body ? 

I tested it on a M240.