First 2nd Shooter Gig!!! :) Lens Advice?

[listenthenspeak]

Hey everyone,
I'm SO excited to share that I got my first 2nd shooting gig!!! Ahhh! I'm stoked and super nervous at the same time. It's in a week and a half, and I'm trying to decide which lens(es) to rent. SO, dear friends, what do you think???

I'm shooting with a Canon Rebel XSi (dying to upgrade soon, but not wanting to buy on credit and perhaps just exercising some self control and patience...it is what it is, and I know the camera well, so I'm okay with it).
Lenses that I own are:
--18-55mm kit lens (don't use it much unless I want a wide angle, as it's my only wide angle)
--50mm 1.8 (first love)
--85mm 1.8
--35-135 f/4-5.6 (don't use this much in any low light/indoor situations, as it doesn't capture as much of the ambient light and just isn't as pretty...I guess I like my primes).
(Oh, I have a 430 EXII flash as well)

I'm not trying to go into debt from working a job (as that's the opposite of what is supposed to happen), but I am willing to spend a bit to do a great job and get some experience. Unfortunately, the 1st shooter uses Nikon, so I can't "borrow" any lenses from him. I'm thinking of spending (ballpark) $100 for the rentals.

A couple ideas I had:
24-70 f/2.8L and the 135mm f/2L (since it's a crop body this would get me the longer range of about 200mm. but it's not a zoom for the ceremony. Then, I have the 85mm to fill the gap between the 24-70 and the 135.)
OR, possibly the 24-105 f/4 L IS

(Each of these lenses are around $45-60 on lensrentals.com)

Anyway, I would love any feedback, ideas, thoughts...prayers! Thanks so much!
-Naomi

[listenthenspeak]

Lol....I didn't mean to go that crazy with the smilies. : / hehe

[nickbedford]

What sort of shoot is it? Your 1.8's will come in handy in low light for portraits. Also, I like your photos (website)!

[listenthenspeak]

Oh, haha, I guess it would help if I told you what the shoot is....it's a wedding!
And yes, I LOVE the wide apertures, and I LOVE primes...but for a wedding I think I'd like the convenience of a zoom, at least for the ceremony and probably reception. But it's my 1st one, so note sure.
Oh, and thank you!

[Jim Bryant]

The 24-70 and 135mm are perfect lenses to rent for a wedding. When I shoot a wedding I use the 16-35, 28-70 and 70-200 most of the time. But found I used the first two lenses more than the 70-200.

Depends on what your duties are, but I typically just wander around with the 50mm (the Sigma 1.4) and a good flash (580exII) attached. I take a lot of artsy shots of all the little details in a nice low DOF...flowers, rings, back of the dress, shoes, the program (extra points if you can get just the names in focus ).

Otherwise, a nice long lens in the ceremony is nice. The XSi only goes up to ISO1600, which might not be enough in some places. The 70-200 f2.8 is good to have for the ceremony, but otherwise I find it a bit long on the XSi.

[nickbedford]

I had my 50D with my 18-55mm at a friend's reception as there was only a videographer. I didn't have my 50mm 1.8 yet or an external flash other than the built in one, but the wide and semi-portrait focal lengths of that lens (even if it was too slow for comfort) fitted the candid nature of the party.

[funcrunch]

The 24-70 f/2.8L is a really sweet lens, and what I use most on my 5D MkII including for weddings. When my 40D was my primary body though, I used the EF-S 17-55 f/2.8, which is equivalent focal length for a crop-sensor body and has the added advantage of image stabilization. Might be more useful for your XSi if you want/need to take some wider angle shots.

And ISO 1600 should be fine for indoors without flash; I've taken thousands of good photos with those settings. Though the full-frame bodies are better at noise reduction, software tools are getting better all the time; Lightroom 3 in particular has noise reduction functions built-in. Of course, if the primary shooter instead of you is doing the editing, then that might make a difference in the photo quality they are expecting you to deliver. (Part of why I've yet to be a second shooter is I'm extremely reluctant to hand over my unprocessed RAW photos to anyone...)

[Niresangwa]

Originally Posted by Photoboothguy

Depends on what your duties are...

This.

Have you checked with the primary to ask exactly what they're going to want you to cover? No point loading up with zooms if he wants you to take care of wide environmental shots and accent work, but no point going with short primes if he wants back up on clutch moments...

...f he hasn't given you guidance so far, press him for it, and ask him to be fairly specific.

[candleman]

Originally Posted by Niresangwa

This.

Have you checked with the primary to ask exactly what they're going to want you to cover? No point loading up with zooms if he wants you to take care of wide environmental shots and accent work, but no point going with short primes if he wants back up on clutch moments...

...f he hasn't given you guidance so far, press him for it, and ask him to be fairly specific.

yup..

and... stay out of the way,
dont stand anywhere near in front of him.
dont stand behind him getting exactly the same shot.
unless instructed otherwise.. dont distract his subjects....