DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

The OP clarified his post https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-625366-1.html#10801143

He has wedding experience, uses the 24-70 extensively, but wants to expand his horizons.

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

Fine.
My thoughts were that if a photographer has the experience of 100 weddings, and only used a 24-70; he or she might better understand what equipment/lens might lens missing in their work rather than strangers, who have never seen the work.
Just my thoughts.

ELNikkor

I shot many weddings with one lens: 50mm Nikkor f2 H

Pistnbroke Loc: UK

EL nikkor ....50mm so you got big close ups of the rings going up the fingers did you? Bride and father at the door from the altar ? Cake and table detail ? when was this 1970

barrdennis

thanks for the info, I shoot weddings, sports, civil war reenactments, landscapes, food basically anything.the lens I have are the Nikon 24-70 2.8, 70-200 2.8, 70-400 2.8, and 300 2.8. I just want some of the best primes to play with and see what I can do with them.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

So it's not just weddings. Eclectic usage.

I have 3 primes for my FX bodies: 50/1.4, 85/1.8, 105/2.8. I'd say the 105 Micro gets the most usage, followed by the 85. The 50 gets used for copying slides. If I were doing food I'd probably use the 105 or 85. Anything that involves carrying a bag full of stuff is probably going to be limited to zooms. 14-24-70-200-500.

Enjoy your lens collection.

wilsondl2 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska

I shot weddings for 35yrs with a 50mm and a on the tripod 70-210 zoom. That said if you are going to do wedding the 28 -70 zoom and a longer zoom for back of the Church shots. Go for it. - Dave

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Including the reception as part of the wedding, I would venture to say that low light performance of the camera is more important than the lens.

ecurb Loc: Metro Chicago Area

For weddings, the 50mm is my go-to lens, but I shot weddings in the 1970s using 50mm lenses for most of my shots.
For head and shoulder portraits I used an 85mm but not at weddings. For weddings the 50mm is a superb yet underappreciated tool.

Bill P

Let's be honest here. The OP just want a an excuse to get a new toy, or he's one of the frequent posters here that thinks having just the right magic lens is needed to be a success. Then others post that he should get just the right 85, 1.4 or 1.8? Most of the posts have shown a scary amount of ignorance of wedding photography.

First, you should really want to do that. Any decent working photographer know that the last person that gets paid for the wedding is the photographer. And that brides and their mother are impossible to exercise good sense.

Now. time for a reality check. I have know some highly successful wedding photographers. A surprising number of them used cameras that were junk when new and even worse off after some use, and knew very little about the skills of photography. The sad fact that many don''t realize until a few lean years is that wedding photography is all about salesmanship. The ones that could sell refrigerators in outer space were rich. But it always seemed to me they could do better selling cars, houses or something similar. It was obvious they loved the work.

So above all if you want to make real money, don't be a wedding photographer. Or a portrait photographer or any other kind of photographer. That's real advice that you will thank me for later.

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

If you only want one lens go with a 50. You can do groups and portraits with it.

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

Who only wants one lens?
Isn’t this discussion about shooting weddings?
Strange thread.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Another reason to have that fast prime available...

Turkishtaffy2 Loc: Landenberg, PA

It all depends on the look you want. I use primes for still pics. But to capture the moment and action the 24-70 and 70-200 provide great flexibility. But for my best candid shots I love using 17-35 to capture spontaneous moments which delivers a great photojournalist is look.

CaptCurt

A lot depends on what kind of wedding. I don't shoot Church weddings. Too much too fast for me. I have shot in courthouses, on the beach, on a boat and in a tropical garden to name a few. I have all the Lens mentioned and use two D750's, with a D7100 back up. But the lens I am thinking I could use and has not been mentioned. I want to add a Nikon 35mm 1.4 G. But I love to, and have had to get up close.