Lens Rental advice

[euphonywho]

My sister is getting married next year. We're doing this wedding on the cheap, lots of friends are bringing the food, fun, quirky location, nothing too elaborate. I was going to offer to be their photographer to help save them money. With lens rentals costing much less than a photographer, I presumed that if I started practicing/preparing now for her wedding, I'd be in shape by the time it shows up.

Here's the question! If you had ONE lens to rent, what would it be and why? I was considering the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L . I'd prefer this over the 24-105mm for the extra stops. But I feel this lens would be too short for some shots. Any other good ones I should consider?

[OsmosisStudios]

Depends on the distances you'll be working with. Keep in mind, too, that the 24-70 acts as a 36-105 on your XSi. If you're looking, try a 24-70 and something longer, like a 135 f/2

[Daoust]

> the 24-70 acts as a 36-105 on your XSi.

Hey Ossmosis. Can you explain this to me, in really really simple terms. Like, pretend I'm five years old. I am planning on renting a 24-70 for a wedding I've been asked to shoot in October.

If a 24-70 acts like a 36-105 (first of all, is that a bad thing?) on an Xsi, then what does a 24-105 act like on the same body?

[inkista]

Originally Posted by euphonywho

Here's the question! If you had ONE lens to rent, what would it be and why? I was considering the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L . ...

If it was me? I'd be thinking about renting more than just one lens, if all the wedding pictures really did rely on me, and if I knew for sure that a) I wasn't going to be jeopardizing a relationship if I screwed up big time. I'd check that first. It may be false economy not to pay for a pro--wedding photography is tough, and not necessarily something you can master without practice and equipment. You may also want to consider if you can find someone to team up with/assist you.

I'd consider renting a) a backup body [your camera hits the floor, you can't stop the wedding to go get another one], or at least have a really good P&S on hand, just in case, b) 24-/2.8L c) 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM, and c.) 580EXII. And at least one fast portrait prime.

Also? One of the most important lessons most dSLR newbies need to learn is that instead of needing a longer lens, you can just get closer.

Daoust, Os is talking about 'crop factor.' When the sensor in your camera is smaller than a frame of 35mm film, it's called a 'crop body'. And the effect of using the smaller sensor is like cropping off the edges of a photo--there's a slight "zoom in" effect, in terms of the field of view--how wide the angle of coverage is. The lens itself isn't actually any more powerful, but the angle of view is equivalent to a longer lens on a film camera. That's what the whole "35mm film equivalent" thing is about.

For example, my Canon S90 point and shoot has a really tiny sensor and a 6-22.5mm lens. Its sensor is about a fifth the size of a frame of 35mm film. Its 'crop factor' is 4.6x. So the framing I can get with that zoom lens is similar to using a 28-100 mm ((6-22.5)x4.6) lens on a film camera.

Canon crop body dSLRs have a crop factor of 1.6x. So, the 24-105L, on a crop-body Canon, will frame like a 1.6x(24-105) =>38mm-168 mm lens would on a film camera. Mostly, this is only meaningful if you've ever shot film. But 100mm is a telephoto focal length, and pretty good for standing a bit back from someone and still framing relatively tightly. The 24-105, however, is still only an f/4 lens, and not really suitable for available light, like an f/2.8 lens would be. You need to pay attention to more than just the focal lengths when considering a lens.

And something most newbies need to learn (just like how to properly hold the camera)--is that they don't need a longer lens; they need to get closer.

[A@EPOCH]

I would second Ink's choices of a 24-70L f/2.8, 70-200L f/2.8 IS, and a good portrait prime, maybe an 85 f/1.8 or 135L f/2. The second body is a must, the first wedding I ever shot alone my main 40D crapped out as the bride was walking down the isle. But I had a "back up" XSi that saved the day. If you go with two bodies I would recommend putting one lens on each body and carry them both with you during the wedding. I know that from your post you said that it is a more casual affair, however not needing to constantly switch lenses during key parts helps invaluably. Hope this helps!