SL2 - *which lenses for weddings/events* question

[FlashGordonPhotography]

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I have shot about 300 weddings with the original SL and some with the SL2. I had 2x Sl bodies but with the SL2 I use a S1R as a second body as it has some advantages and disadvantages to the SL2 so it complements well with the same lenses.

90% of what I shoot is with the 24-90 and 50mm SL Summilux.

But I carry a 16-35, 24-90, 90-280, a 50 'lux, 90 'cron and a Q2. While the other lenses only make up 10%, when you need them, you need them. They also provide some redundancy.

Gordon

Edited February 20, 2022 by FlashGordonPhotography

[Dennis]

9 minutes ago, FlashGordonPhotography said:

with the SL2 I use a S1R as a second body

90% of what I shoot is with the 24-90 and 50mm SL Summilux.

But I carry a 16-35, 24-90, 90-280, a 50 'lux, 90 'cron and a Q2. 

I'm very curious about the weight of this bag for weddings ... 🤔

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[FlashGordonPhotography]

5 hours ago, Dennis said:

I'm very curious about the weight of this bag for weddings ... 🤔

It's on wheels. I couldn't care less. But with all the other crap I pack probably about 12-14kg including the bag and small tripod. That'll include several kilos of non-photographic stuff that's useful. I don't have it all out at any one time.

Gordon

[kstol23]

19 hours ago, FlashGordonPhotography said:

I have shot about 300 weddings with the original SL and some with the SL2. I had 2x Sl bodies but with the SL2 I use a S1R as a second body as it has some advantages and disadvantages to the SL2 so it complements well with the same lenses.

90% of what I shoot is with the 24-90 and 50mm SL Summilux.

But I carry a 16-35, 24-90, 90-280, a 50 'lux, 90 'cron and a Q2. While the other lenses only make up 10%, when you need them, you need them. They also provide some redundancy.

Gordon

Thank you @FlashGordonPhotography. Curious to know, for AF, do you use iAF or AFs? Also, do you do spot or Face/Eye detection? Coming from Sony and Fuji and I"m just not sure about these.

 I shot some landscape stuff with the 24-90 over the weekend, do you find it works fine for weddings? What would prompt you then to use the 50 Summilux versus the 50 on the zoom? In testing the zoom, I like the 90 for landscape stuff but not sure how much use it would get in practice on a wedding day. I don't have any weddings yet this year, just an elopement, but I'm trying to figure out a system. I see you don't use the 35mm either, any reason for that, do you find the zoom is just as good. Sorry for all the questions, but these lenses are pricey, so I have to be careful with what I buy. Thank you!

[FlashGordonPhotography]

1 hour ago, kstol23 said:

Thank you @FlashGordonPhotography. Curious to know, for AF, do you use iAF or AFs? Also, do you do spot or Face/Eye detection? Coming from Sony and Fuji and I"m just not sure about these.

 I shot some landscape stuff with the 24-90 over the weekend, do you find it works fine for weddings? What would prompt you then to use the 50 Summilux versus the 50 on the zoom? In testing the zoom, I like the 90 for landscape stuff but not sure how much use it would get in practice on a wedding day. I don't have any weddings yet this year, just an elopement, but I'm trying to figure out a system. I see you don't use the 35mm either, any reason for that, do you find the zoom is just as good. Sorry for all the questions, but these lenses are pricey, so I have to be careful with what I buy. Thank you!

I don't carry a 35 becaue I'm not a 35mm person. I see the world through a 50mm lens so my kit is based around that. I carry a 28, 50 and 90. A 35mm person would probably have a 21/35/75 combo. The 24-90 also covers that same range as well as covering the intermediate focal lengths I don't use as often. This isn't by accident.

The 24-90 is the best zoom I've ever used for weddings. Period. I have no doubt I could shoot an entire wedding with it, even though I prefer primes. It's a *balanced* lens in that it balances sharpness and background blur well. It's big but 90mm is a core part of my kit. I've never used a 24-70 I've not felt limited by. Could I shoot a whole wedding on it and deliver the results my clients expect? Absolutely. 

Zooms are for dynamic scenes and as backup, for me. Never, ever, walk into a wedding without backup for EVERYTHING. I use the zooms a lot at the reception (16-35 excels here) and in ceremonies/places where movement is limited. For formals I much prefer primes. The 50 SL 'lux is my favourite 50 of all time.

I generally shoot with back button AF and AFS. I dislike iAS due to the viewfinder wobble of the DFD system. It's improved in the latest firmware dramatically but I still don't like it. I do use face/eye detect during reception but it's useless during the ceremony (you're usually behind the couple) and for the formals I use a manual focus BBF combo that works for me. My settings, like my gear are dynamic and changing throughout the day.

Kit development is a very personal thing. I know photogrphers who only shoot with a 35/85 combo and a single backup zoom they never bring out. I also know photographers who have 8-10 lenses with them. Some carry lights on stands. Some don't use any artificial light at all. My kit has been honed over 30 years of shooting weddings. I even shot M's only for a few years and loved it.

If you're building a kit you first need to know what your core kit is. Find your *normal* and build from there. My normal is 50mm. Yours might be 35 or 40mm. Once you have a normal you know what your short tele and moderate wide are. Can be either primes or zooms. Then backup. Then speciality lenses, lighting etc. Plus the dozen or so other things good wedding photographers carry.

Gordon

[robb]

The older I get, the less I want to carry…  but the benefit of that (because of your age / experience) is you just know where to be with a particular two lens set to still get great images without feeling you missed something.  

I’m not really a wedding shooter only doing about 12 over my life.  Most of those for friends only.  I don’t enjoy weddings and would rather go make images of subject matter that really puts a smile on my face.
But if a friend is in dire need, I’m grabbing sl2-s, two summicrons and a Q-P… and I’ll leave the backup / 24-90 locked up in the truck.

Robb