which lens?

[adqueen]

Want to start taking Wedding photos, need a lens. I Have Canon 28-135, and an xsi. I want to purchase nice glass. Then later do a nice body. Any ideas on lenses. Prime vs. zoom. Probably need 1.8f for indoor low light. Please give suggestions and why.

[RichardTaylor]

See this article.

Basic Wedding Kit – Canon | Wedding Photography Workshop - Free Advice for Wedding Photographers

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by adqueen

Want to start taking Wedding photos, need a lens. I Have Canon 28-135, and an xsi. I want to purchase nice glass. Then later do a nice body. Any ideas on lenses. Prime vs. zoom. Probably need 1.8f for indoor low light. Please give suggestions and why.

Stop, put the camera down, and take a step back. Do some research first.

[Hopopotamus]

Well let me start by saying that you and I are in about same situation. I started several month ago as assistant. My opinion is that the basic wedding kit is not accurate. For start you can start with one body, assuming that you are going as assistant or second photographer. Also you can use only 2 lenses if you do your homework. Nice flash, battery pack IS A MUST ( personal inexperience some CF cards, several external hard drives for backup and editing software and you are good to go.
I started with 5d original body, EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM, Speedlite 580EX II, several CF cards and battery pack.

Hope this was helpful.

[RichardTaylor]

I am a hobbyist who doesn't shoot weddings however I occasionally cover an event (as the only photographer) with the expectation that I will always bring back photographs.

I always have two bodies, with suitable zoom lenses, as well as a pair of back up primes (just in case). I will have two flashguns (one with a battery pack) and spare batteries & cards etc.

[adqueen]

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

Stop, put the camera down, and take a step back. Do some research first.

I have done sooo much research I'm pretty sure I'm confused. I understand everyone has an opinion, but I've researched myself to death.
I thought I knew what I wanted after Research, purchased a lens and hated it. It was the Tamron 16-270. But it had terrible zoom smoothness. Kinda discouraged me.

[Saralonde]

To do wedding photography well, you are most likely looking at two camera bodies as well as some pricier lenses. The are pricey because a lot of wedding photography is done indoors (dimly lit churches and reception halls) and you need lenses that can give you an aperture of 2.8 or better to deal with that. Popular ones include:

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS
Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS (EF-S mount only)
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II

Or you can use primes:
Canon EF 24mm f/1.4 L
Canon EF 35mm f/1.4 L
Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L or f/1.4 or f/1.8 (incredibly cheap)
Canon EF 85mm f/1.8
Canon EF 135mm f/2.0 L
Canon EF 200mm f/2.0 L IS

You can spend a lot less, but it will be difficult if you find yourself in a poorly lit church a fair distance from the bride and groom with no way to get close. That Tamron you bought might be nice for travel when you don't want to carry much, but it generally will not work for wedding photography. Some of the newer and more expensive dSLRs will allow you to take shots at a much higher ISO than the consumer grade Rebel series, too.

Of course, if it is an outdoor ceremony and reception you may get by with less, but if you are serious about a wedding photography business, you need to keep all this in mind.

The reason that the equipment plays a significant role is because in wedding photography there are no do-overs. If you don't get the shot, you can't ask them to stage it again.

Try to see if you can become a second shooter for another established wedding photographer. The experience will be invaluable.

[Elmo]

Research what is research? Before I go any further, I shot many weddings using a single camera an one and only one fixed FL lens. The key is knowing limitations and strengths of what you have. The only way to do that is to shoot and shoot a lot.

To start your research, go to public events where public photography is expected. Look for things that emulate wedding events and photograph them using what you have. Review your images to see what you might need need. This allows you to make a determination on your shooting style. (Without a personal style you have nothing to offer future clients). Then and only then graduate to taking "snapshots at a several weddings. Again review your images to prefect your style and make additional equipment determinations. You might use these images in a portfolio to sell your self as a second shooter. After shooting second at several weddings you should have honed your style and know what equipment you need. That is research

Rest assured there are many different equipment combination all of which work for their shooters style.