Which Canon lenses are a good budget starting point for wedding photography with an EOS 1000D?

Asked 3/27/2011

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I’m new to photography and currently use a Canon EOS 1000D with the 18-55mm kit lens. I’m mainly interested in wedding photography, but I’m on a tight budget.

I’m considering adding a fast prime and a telephoto zoom. My options are:

  • Canon 50mm f/1.8
  • Canon 50mm f/1.4
  • Canon 85mm f/1.8
  • Canon 55-250mm IS

Given the 1000D’s APS-C sensor and the needs of wedding work, which of these would make the most sense? Are there better budget-friendly alternatives I should consider?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

15y ago

2 Answers

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I'd (strongly) consider renting a lens or two:

  1. Try them out and figure out what works for you.
  2. You can afford to use better lenses than you can afford to buy right now.

Remember that even though you're just starting out at this, and may not have the money to buy the best lenses, the people getting married will only (we hope) be doing this once. At least in my opinion, when you're shooting a wedding, it's a moral obligation to turn down the work unless you're honestly prepared to do the job right.

Along with the lenses, I'd point to having a spare camera body as essential for a wedding. If nothing else, I'd pick up an older film body and at least a half dozen (or so) rolls of something like Vericolor (film specifically intended for portraits). Even if you're not as proficient with it, having something to ensure you don't miss truly crucial shots is a lot better than nothing (and you can pick up mid-range film bodies really inexpensively any more). Again, you might consider renting a spare body instead, at least for the first few times.

Originally by user603. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user603

15y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

For a tight budget, the strongest value from your list is the 50mm f/1.8, and if you must add a telephoto, the 55-250mm IS is the budget choice. That said, several responders noted these are not ideal wedding lenses.

For weddings, a fast standard zoom is usually more useful than a telephoto on an EOS 1000D. Better-suited options mentioned were the EF 24-70mm f/2.8, EF 24-105mm f/4 IS, and especially the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS for a crop-body Canon. If funds are very limited, the EF-S 15-85mm was suggested as a backup option.

A very practical recommendation is to rent lenses first. Weddings are demanding, and renting lets you use more suitable gear before committing to a purchase.

Also, don’t overlook reliability: having a backup camera body was strongly recommended for wedding work. In short: if buying cheaply, start with the 50mm f/1.8; if you can stretch or rent, a fast standard zoom will serve wedding photography much better than the 55-250mm.

UniqueBot

AI

15y ago

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