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If you could only pick one of these lenses for events, which?

Started Jan 15, 2017 | Questions thread
OrdinarilyInordinate
OrdinarilyInordinate Veteran Member • Posts: 3,741
Re: If you could only pick one of these lenses for events, which?
2

50-140mm f/2.8 for the reasons of silent and fast AF (56mm f/1.2 is generally not at all fast in low light--I know well because I use it regularly indoors with X-T1, all on the latest firmware), very good OIS, and versatility of focal length range. It's a very nice sharp lens too. When it comes to capturing the moment quickly, I'd trust that lens more than 56mm f/1.2 to do it on split notice.

The 90mm f/2 is by all accounts a gorgeous lens, but more limiting in terms of being quite long. For staged portraits, any of those lenses will be great. For continuous event photography where people are moving about and doing different things, I'd go with the 50-140mm f/2.8.

Also for event photography, I hope you are able to use flash (either bounce on the camera or some strategically-placed light stands), in which case the fact that the zoom is only f/2.8 at the brightest should not be an issue.

With all that said, I had a great time with the little normal prime 35mm f/1.4 at my friend's wedding where I was a guest. I unobrtusively captured a few photos of my friends and the wedded couple, and that focal length was great for almost everything, and the f/1.4 aperture was very helpful, because I did not use flash (and limited myself to full electronic shutter for silence).  It was a great documentary type lens for the general party scenes.

 OrdinarilyInordinate's gear list:OrdinarilyInordinate's gear list
Nikon Coolpix A Fujifilm X-T2 Fujifilm XF 55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS Fujifilm XF 23mm F1.4 R Fujifilm XF 56mm F1.2 R +4 more
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