Wedding lenses

What are the best lenses to have while shooting a wedding? Is there any specific focal length that is better then others? Someone ask me this on facebook the other day and I have no idea how to answer the question. So it got me curious as well, what are the best lenses?

I don't know the brand you are using, but focal lengths of 24-70 and 70-200 is a nice length of work with....nikon or canon.

Dont forget the offbrand versions of those lengths, I hear good things about Sigma.

24-70 2.8 and 70-200 2.8 (VR/IS) are the bread and butter lenses. When I do events (which is often). I use my 70-200 2.8 VR II the most. Followed by 24-70 2.8 then 14-24 2.8 for occasional shots.

For weddings I'd include a macro lens (for the rings etc.) and a fast prime or two.

Depending on the style of the shooter:
24mm 1.4
35mm 1.4
50 1.2/1.4 (Canon make the 1.2, Sigma make a great 1.4, you could get a 50 1.8, but they're pretty crappy)
85 1.2/1.4/1.8 (Canon have the 1.2, Sigma make a great 1.4)
100 F/2 OR 135 F/2

The prime choices depend on the style of the photographer. Personally I'd have a 50mm and a 85mm 1.4 The 50 for ambient light wider "portraits". 85 for tighter portraits.

Weddings need some nice shallow DOF portraits (IMHO).

Very comprehensive Adrian... I'm taking notes.

BUT . . . . I've got a sneaky feeling that crop sensor cameras are not allowed in this conversation?

1.6 Kelly

Stealthy Ninja wrote: 24-70 2.8 and 70-200 2.8 (VR/IS) are the bread and butter lenses. When I do events (which is often). I use my 70-200 2.8 VR II the most. Followed by 24-70 2.8 then 14-24 2.8 for occasional shots.

For weddings I'd include a macro lens (for the rings etc.) and a fast prime or two.

Depending on the style of the shooter:
24mm 1.4
35mm 1.4
50 1.2/1.4 (Canon make the 1.2, Sigma make a great 1.4, you could get a 50 1.8, but they're pretty crappy)
85 1.2/1.4/1.8 (Canon have the 1.2, Sigma make a great 1.4)
100 F/2 OR 135 F/2

The prime choices depend on the style of the photographer. Personally I'd have a 50mm and a 85mm 1.4 The 50 for ambient light wider "portraits". 85 for tighter portraits.

Weddings need some nice shallow DOF portraits (IMHO).

Great list there Adrian the perfect reply.

photobod wrote:

Stealthy Ninja wrote: 24-70 2.8 and 70-200 2.8 (VR/IS) are the bread and butter lenses. When I do events (which is often). I use my 70-200 2.8 VR II the most. Followed by 24-70 2.8 then 14-24 2.8 for occasional shots.

For weddings I'd include a macro lens (for the rings etc.) and a fast prime or two.

Depending on the style of the shooter:
24mm 1.4
35mm 1.4
50 1.2/1.4 (Canon make the 1.2, Sigma make a great 1.4, you could get a 50 1.8, but they're pretty crappy)
85 1.2/1.4/1.8 (Canon have the 1.2, Sigma make a great 1.4)
100 F/2 OR 135 F/2

The prime choices depend on the style of the photographer. Personally I'd have a 50mm and a 85mm 1.4 The 50 for ambient light wider "portraits". 85 for tighter portraits.

Weddings need some nice shallow DOF portraits (IMHO).

Great list there Adrian the perfect reply.

Thanks PB. Since I have a real life wedding photographer's thumbs up, I must be right.

If you're shooting Canon, a must-have prime IMO would be the 135 f/2 L. So incredibly sharp. I inspected all the photos from my own wedding, and the ones shot with this lens have an easily visible difference compared to any other lens the photographers used that day, other primes included.

In addition to that, all I can say is do what SN said

KCook wrote: BUT . . . . I've got a sneaky feeling that crop sensor cameras are not allowed in this conversation?

1.6 Kelly

However, the OP is shooting a D3000, a crop sensor camera...............