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SL2 - *which lenses for weddings/events* question


kstol23

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Hello there, new Leica user here, and I have a really annoying question about "which lenses to invest in" for my new SL2. I hate asking the question because it's subjective and depends on what you're shooting etc, but here I am because I'm a bit confused...

Backstory...

Recently picked up a Q2 and really love it (I'm coming from Fuji, had the GFX X100s, X-T4 and X100V) and then picked up an SL2.

Pre-pandemic, I did a lot of travel, but I also do some events/portraits such as weddings, elopements, engagements etc. Business has been fairly dead since the pandemic started. Because of the travel I'm hoping to do in the future, I have the Q2 for when I want to go "lighter" and I picked up a Elmarit 24-70mm zoom, but I think it's a tad too short, so I'm thinking of trading it for the 24-90mm. That takes care of some of my portrait and event work too because the zoom can come in handy for the kind of work I do. 

I also picked up the SL 50mm 1.4 Summilux based on some recommendations, and honestly, haven't been able to do any portraits with it yet so it's hard for me to see its potential. 

So right now I have the SL 24-70mm and the 50mm Summilux, plus the Q2 with the 28mm Summilux

I had a wedding inquiry yesterday and I'm hoping to get some weddings in the future. I see most of you doing weddings are on primes 35/50/90. I can't afford all of those lenses now, and I'd need a second body, which I will have to get eventually.

For weddings/events in your opinion, should I think about getting a 35mm, another body, and what do I attach to the second body, a 50mm (which I already have) or a 90mm? I know it's kind of a stupid question, and subjective, but I have to figure out how to build this out. I prefer SL lenses, the M lenses are nice, but I'm not too great with MF yet.

Thank you for your advice.

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I do not think anybody can give you sensible advice. I know wedding photographers who do brilliant work with just a 35 and others who have an assistant dragging a suitcase of lenses who are equally good…It all depends on your style and preference. 

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I’d shoot with your q2 and sl2 with your 50!

I think sl2-s would be a better body for weddings with better high iso that I have found.

I don’t think you will “regularly” use real long lenses over 75  or so for weddings…

ideal setup for me in that situation (if I shot weddings regularly) would be 35 and 75 SL with two sl2-S bodies

So I’d vote for the sl2-s to add first.  Then maybe a 90 summicron SL since you already have the 50.  75 is too close to that focal length to carry both.  

I think Q2 is basically a 35mm focal length replacement in your case.  Not a giant difference for me with my Q-P and my 35 f2 so I wouldn’t carry both at the same time.  

Last advice for a wedding.  Shoot with minimal gear, and focus on the moments with what you have.  I really would not shoot a wedding with a zoom.  I’d opt for faster f-stops and lighter gear.  
Robb

 

Edited by robb
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I think the Q2 must be regarded as a multi-focal length camera. Prints in wedding albums are not that large. One can easily crop beyond the standard frames, 90 or 135 crops should pose no problem at all. This gives you a 28-135 "zoom". The gear that you have will fill all your needs well as it is, IMO.  You can always identify any additional needs as you go along.  Too much gear gives too many opportunities to go wrong, miss shots through having the wrong camera in your hand, etc.

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I am not a pro at all, however had some family events with churche, group image, lunch all together. I used the SL2-S + 24-90 and found this combo very usefull and flexible. 24-70 would have worked as well, even though sometimes the 90mm were usefull (specially in church where I could not just walk any closer).

If you additionally own the Q2 as a spontanious camera for different perspectives, and you also own the 50/1.4 which works very nice for environmental portraits, I believe you are equipped quite good. I go so far and say you could do all with just the Sl body and the zoom.

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Hi @kstol23, great questions! I switched over to the SL system in 2020 and absolutely love the imagery that comes out of the SL2 and SL2-s for my wedding work. I primarily shoot video, but also do photography on occasion so I believe I can give my quick input:

I agree with @jaapv that it will depend on your style and personal preferences. Because you have the 24-70, it sounds like you would prefer a system that has the bulk of your focal lengths covered in one body– meaning you would like to be able to take on various shooting environments with one body/lens. Which is wise, because weddings are inherently unpredictable in environment. I would reinforce your idea of the 24-70 on your SL2 :) Good choice! Then if you are deciding on either replacing this with a 24-90mm or getting a 90mm for a second body, I would get a second body with a 90mm. This just adds more versatility, not to mention a good 90mm prime lens will give you beautiful portraits.

And your Q2 28mm focal length has you covered for the wide run and gun shots– an asset in weddings.

So to break it down into steps (if you are still trying to figure out your style and preferences):

1) Keep your 24-70 on for quick focal length changes

2) Maybe test drive a friend's 90mm lens to see if you like that focal length. If you don't, there wouldn't be a point in upgrading to the 24-90 or getting a second body with a 90mm

3) Your 50mm lens will give you the ability to be more creative because of the wider aperture and fixed focal length. But I would say a 35mm is a little more adaptable to different situations. I'd also recommend testing out a 35mm and comparing it to a 90mm in your wedding environments.

Now I'm just thinking out loud, but I believe a 50mm is visually more similar to a 90mm than it is to a 35mm (at least to my subjective eye 😅). I believe because of the minimum focusing distance of a 90mm, the general look is close to the look of a 50mm. Whereas the 35mm can be used in so many more situations and producing significantly different looks. My go-to lens has been a voigtlander 35mm f1.2 at the weddings I shoot. Most of the day is on a 35mm, and then partially on a 90mm (followed by a minimally used 21mm)

I really hope this helps haha I began to think out loud, but I really think it depends on your style! Your 24-70 is a beautiful setup right now, and I'd highly suggest shooting at a fixed focal length on that lens to see if you like the 35mm look, the 50mm look, or the tight look (70mm, which would be close to your intended 90mm).

To give you some examples, here is a short clip with my SL2-s, 90% shot on a 35mm:

 

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22 hours ago, kstol23 said:

For weddings/events in your opinion, should I think about getting a 35mm, another body, and what do I attach to the second body, a 50mm (which I already have) or a 90mm? I know it's kind of a stupid question, and subjective, but I have to figure out how to build this out. I prefer SL lenses, the M lenses are nice, but I'm not too great with MF yet.

Everyone is different, but I used to shoot weddings with a 25, 50 and 85. If the venue was extremely small of large I might also pack an 18 or 135. I estimate that half the shots were on the 50 (including details), and the rest on the other two. You definitely need to go wide once in a while to show the breadth of the event, and the 85/90 is great for picking-out individuals.

I agree with Robb that primes are preferable, they free your mind to think about your shot, instead of fiddling with the zoom knob. It won't be long until you instinctively place yourself in the optimal location for each lens.

You already have the 50 and 24 covered. Either the 75 or 90 completes the set. It doesn't matter which, they are close enough.

I never bothered with the 35. I used to bring one, but I didn't use it. It's too "in between," and you can make a wider lens look just as straight if you are mindful of keeping the camera level.

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7 minutes ago, BernardC said:

Everyone is different, but I used to shoot weddings with a 25, 50 and 85. If the venue was extremely small of large I might also pack an 18 or 135. I estimate that half the shots were on the 50 (including details), and the rest on the other two. You definitely need to go wide once in a while to show the breadth of the event, and the 85/90 is great for picking-out individuals.

I agree with Robb that primes are preferable, they free your mind to think about your shot, instead of fiddling with the zoom knob. It won't be long until you instinctively place yourself in the optimal location for each lens.

You already have the 50 and 24 covered. Either the 75 or 90 completes the set. It doesn't matter which, they are close enough.

I never bothered with the 35. I used to bring one, but I didn't use it. It's too "in between," and you can make a wider lens look just as straight if you are mindful of keeping the camera level.

Thank you so much, this is helpful! Yes, I have the 50, but the 24 is the Q2 with one card slot, and for weddings it makes me nervous (a bit). Or should I get a 28mm for the SL2? It's good to hear you brought a 35 and never really used it, because I've read rave reviews about it, so I was interested in it. 

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4 hours ago, Aaron Daniel said:

Hi @kstol23, great questions! I switched over to the SL system in 2020 and absolutely love the imagery that comes out of the SL2 and SL2-s for my wedding work. I primarily shoot video, but also do photography on occasion so I believe I can give my quick input:

I agree with @jaapv that it will depend on your style and personal preferences. Because you have the 24-70, it sounds like you would prefer a system that has the bulk of your focal lengths covered in one body– meaning you would like to be able to take on various shooting environments with one body/lens. Which is wise, because weddings are inherently unpredictable in environment. I would reinforce your idea of the 24-70 on your SL2 :) Good choice! Then if you are deciding on either replacing this with a 24-90mm or getting a 90mm for a second body, I would get a second body with a 90mm. This just adds more versatility, not to mention a good 90mm prime lens will give you beautiful portraits.

And your Q2 28mm focal length has you covered for the wide run and gun shots– an asset in weddings.

So to break it down into steps (if you are still trying to figure out your style and preferences):

1) Keep your 24-70 on for quick focal length changes

2) Maybe test drive a friend's 90mm lens to see if you like that focal length. If you don't, there wouldn't be a point in upgrading to the 24-90 or getting a second body with a 90mm

3) Your 50mm lens will give you the ability to be more creative because of the wider aperture and fixed focal length. But I would say a 35mm is a little more adaptable to different situations. I'd also recommend testing out a 35mm and comparing it to a 90mm in your wedding environments.

Now I'm just thinking out loud, but I believe a 50mm is visually more similar to a 90mm than it is to a 35mm (at least to my subjective eye 😅). I believe because of the minimum focusing distance of a 90mm, the general look is close to the look of a 50mm. Whereas the 35mm can be used in so many more situations and producing significantly different looks. My go-to lens has been a voigtlander 35mm f1.2 at the weddings I shoot. Most of the day is on a 35mm, and then partially on a 90mm (followed by a minimally used 21mm)

I really hope this helps haha I began to think out loud, but I really think it depends on your style! Your 24-70 is a beautiful setup right now, and I'd highly suggest shooting at a fixed focal length on that lens to see if you like the 35mm look, the 50mm look, or the tight look (70mm, which would be close to your intended 90mm).

To give you some examples, here is a short clip with my SL2-s, 90% shot on a 35mm:

 

Wow Aaron, thank you for all this detail! Beautiful work, BTW! I do appreciate your thoughts and advice!

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20 hours ago, robb said:

I’d shoot with your q2 and sl2 with your 50!

I think sl2-s would be a better body for weddings with better high iso that I have found.

I don’t think you will “regularly” use real long lenses over 75  or so for weddings…

ideal setup for me in that situation (if I shot weddings regularly) would be 35 and 75 SL with two sl2-S bodies

So I’d vote for the sl2-s to add first.  Then maybe a 90 summicron SL since you already have the 50.  75 is too close to that focal length to carry both.  

I think Q2 is basically a 35mm focal length replacement in your case.  Not a giant difference for me with my Q-P and my 35 f2 so I wouldn’t carry both at the same time.  

Last advice for a wedding.  Shoot with minimal gear, and focus on the moments with what you have.  I really would not shoot a wedding with a zoom.  I’d opt for faster f-stops and lighter gear.  
Robb

 

Thank you Robb for your thoughts! My only concern with the Q2 is the one card slot. I've heard the SL2-S is better for weddings and ISO, but I'm also one of those weirdos who wants high megapixels. Coming off a 100MP GFX, "downgrading" to the SL2 was tough. I know it's not about the pixel count, but I used to enjoy cropping for fun, it was crazy how much cropping you could do on a big sensor like that. I like your advice on minimalism. I'm a minimalist to my core, which is why I struggle with lens selection. I don't want to have too much. Having too much stuff messes with my head, haha.

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I would recommend that you get in the “I am never going to crop my images” mindset.

It will make you a better photographer I think.

I do use my second card slot as a backup, but in 30 plus years never lost an image from an error on a card… so knock on wood.  Maybe use the Q2 with smaller cards.  Hate to see you not use that great lightweight camera because of that limitation.  Great look on that setup wide open.

Robb 

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26 minutes ago, robb said:

I would recommend that you get in the “I am never going to crop my images” mindset.

It will make you a better photographer I think.

I do use my second card slot as a backup, but in 30 plus years never lost an image from an error on a card… so knock on wood.  Maybe use the Q2 with smaller cards.  Hate to see you not use that great lightweight camera because of that limitation.  Great look on that setup wide open.

Robb 

No, I meant I got a kick out of cropping images on a huge MP camera, it was for fun. I don't crop a lot for professional work.

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vor einer Stunde schrieb panoreserve:

If money is not an issue 🙂, I would highly recommend a second SL2 and the Apo-Summicrons 28 & 90mm, attached on the two SL2-Bodies. Your -already existing- SL Summilux 50mm would be a perfect complement, esp. for indoors/portraits...

...or -which can make a lot of sense as a "liberating" experience- keep it very simple and choose only one body/lens combination: SL2 & SL 50 or Q2 (depending on your photographic aim)...

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You really need a 2nd SL body before any lenses.

The Q2 is lovely but it's 1 card slot. Fine if you are using it for shots you can afford to lose, but don't use it for anything critical. I know the chance of a card failure is low but try telling that to a bride who you've lost 30% of her wedding :)

I shoot weddings full time with 2 x SL2-s and 1 x SL2. I have the 35/2, 50/1.4, 90/2 and 90-280 and sigma 14-24.

That said, If I was starting again and wanted minimal I'd be completely content with 2 x SL2-s and the 35/2 and 50/1.4 - They are only 15mm apart but look hugely different.

Very often at a wedding I'll have that combo on me, and my camera bag nowhere near me. It's a lovely combo.

 

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5 hours ago, Gavin Cato said:

You really need a 2nd SL body before any lenses.

The Q2 is lovely but it's 1 card slot. Fine if you are using it for shots you can afford to lose, but don't use it for anything critical. I know the chance of a card failure is low but try telling that to a bride who you've lost 30% of her wedding :)

I shoot weddings full time with 2 x SL2-s and 1 x SL2. I have the 35/2, 50/1.4, 90/2 and 90-280 and sigma 14-24.

That said, If I was starting again and wanted minimal I'd be completely content with 2 x SL2-s and the 35/2 and 50/1.4 - They are only 15mm apart but look hugely different.

Very often at a wedding I'll have that combo on me, and my camera bag nowhere near me. It's a lovely combo.

 

Thank you Gavin! I had the Summilux 50 1.4 for sale during my indecision, and surprisingly sold it last night, so now I'm back to the beginning. I'll get a second body for sure. Which lens do you find you use most, if there is one? By the way, I now realize your site is one of the first I found when I was searching for Leica wedding photographers, fantastic work and thank you for sharing those details on your site! 

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