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My parents are celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary this summer in Michigan. My father asked if I could take photos of the ceremony, celebration and family. The family shots will be outdoors with a lake as a backdrop if weather permits. Most everything else will be indoors.
My current setup:
- Nikon D-50
- Nikon Nikkor 28-80
- Sigma 70-300 DL Tele/Macro
- Nikon Speedlight SB-600
I think I have the outdoor shots covered with my current lenses. I'm considering picking up a Nikon 50mm f/1.8D
http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-50mm-Nikkor-...68?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1179972536&sr=8-2 for the indoor shots. I'm wondering if it's worth the extra money (double) to go for the Nikon 50mm f/1.4D AF
http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-50mm-Nikkor-...68?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1179972536&sr=8-1. If anyone here has experience with either of these lenses, or has recommendations on other modestly priced lenses for this type of photography I'd appreciate your input.
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I have the 50mm 1.8 lens and it is incredible. The 1.4 would be a little sharper and give you a bit more light but I don't think it would be worth the extra cost. You might try to borrow or find a Nikkor 20mm lens or an 18-55mm zoom for some wider shots. Your 28mm is a good lens but a bit long when adapted to the digital format. Wide angle shots are cliche for "getting it all in" but more than anything the wide angle shots allow you to be closer to your subject material.
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One strong suggestion:
Rent or borrow a backup camera, flash and batteries. If you only have one camera/flash, and something glitches, you're screwed.
I'd give some thought to renting a pro flash with a diffuser--it will make a BIG difference on anything that's less than a full-length photo--portraits from the waist and up. And try out the flash before the wedding, so you have a good sense of how it works.
Personally, I'd want a wider lens for the outdoor shots.
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Good suggestions.
I have a pro photographer friend who would likely lend me an "old" D-100. I'd be really uncomfortable doing that though because I'll be traveling from Florida to Michigan for this event. I'd be more screwed if something happened to his equipment than if my equipment had a "glitch".
I have a diffuser for my SB600. It works well in large rooms. I don't think I need to spring for the SB800 as the majority of the features I use are similar in both flashes.
Amazon has an 18-55mm lens refurb for $99
http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-18mm-Autofoc...68?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1179974066&sr=8-29. I could pick that up along with the 50mm 1.8 and still come in less than the 1.4. Do I really need the wider lens though? Plenty of room to maneuver outside. Hmm.
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a friend of mine will soon launch a lens rental web site. PM if you are interested for the URL.
talking about that, what do you think about such a business idea? there are a few sites out there already, and I am not sure how big the demand is. anyone ever rented lenses? what was your experience like?
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What everybody else said, especially the pro flash with diffuser.
Also, try to use the 50mm or higher, backing off those zoom lenses to 28mm will get everyone in the picture but also make everybody's nose (and other parts) look bigger. In general, 70-80mm is as wide as you want to go with 35mm film on portraits - that is about equal to the 50mm on your digital frame.
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Ditto a wider lens --- or both indoor and outdoor. 28mm on a digital Nikon just isn't very wide.
But seriously, rent the lens unless you're also in the market for one.
And yeah, buy the 50mm --- you always should have ONE fast lens in case the weather or indoor lighting turns to crap. A good flash with diffuser still isn't a substitute for natural lighting in many cases.
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[quote MacManMaz]What everybody else said, especially the pro flash with diffuser.
Also, try to use the 50mm or higher, backing off those zoom lenses to 28mm will get everyone in the picture but also make everybody's nose (and other parts) look bigger. In general, 70-80mm is as wide as you want to go with 35mm film on portraits - that is about equal to the 50mm on your digital frame.
Are you saying the SB600 with diffuser is not adequate?
Also, could you elaborate more on "try to use the 50mm or higher, backing off those zoom lenses to 28mm". Not sure what that means. Should I be using a longer lens or shorter?
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no, the sb600 sounds good, I didn't see that post when I was writing mine
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The shorter you get, ie the wider angle lense you use, the more of a fisheye effect you get. A longer lense like the 50mm on your digital will be a little "flatter" and more flattering for portraits. It is a subtle difference, but worth the extra effort.
if you are using the zoom, just resist the temptation to go all the way to its widest setting to get everybody in on every shot, leave the zoom in the middle range and move closer or farther away if possible.
