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I am quite new to photography I recently purchased a used canon 5d mk 1 I would like to buy a used wide angled lens but have not got a clue what to get I would like to do wedding photography so would need a lens that I could do group photos with I have a limited budget of about £175 Would be grateful for any advice or even better if anybody has a lens for sale would be appreciated thanks
 
What lens(es) do you already have?

And weddings are not really a good idea for a beginner. They are much harder than you would think.

--
Albert
The lazy photographer
 
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Yongnuo 35mm f/2 (a lens that lets in nearly four times the light over the one you have,) $92; if you don't have a big flash on your hotshoe (because that kind of flash is many times more powerful than the tiny one included on a camera,) a Yongnuo 560IV speedlight, $70.

--
Digital Camera and Adobe Photoshop user since 1999.
Adobe Lightroom is my adult coloring book.
 
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Your 28-135mm is about the best lens you could use for the wedding, AT THIS TIME..
Get to know your camera and lenses before you buy another lens.




I assume you are NOT the official photographer, just occasional candid shooter.
Unless you are the "official photographer", make sure you get out of the way.



BTW, what is the max aperture of your lens, f/3.5?
I also suggest for you to buy a Canon dedicated flash and not rely on the built-in pop-up flash.



Currently have canon ef 28-135mm
 
I am quite new to photography I recently purchased a used canon 5d mk 1 I would like to buy a used wide angled lens but have not got a clue what to get
I would like to do wedding photography
If you are going to do wedding photography for hire – as opposed to simply acting as a secondary photographer at a friend's or family member's wedding, you'll need to
  • Learn the technical aspects of photography
  • Learn the artistic aspects of photography
  • Learn the business aspects of photography
  • Acquire sufficient equipment for the types of photos you will need to take
  • Acquire duplicate equipment, so that the last-minute failure of a camera body, a flash, or (less likely) a lens does not ruin someone's special day.
A Canon 5D Mk 1 is a nice camera body to learn on. However, at the end of the day, it is only a tool to record the light. Until you learn photography well enough to offer consistently good results, there's not much point in trying to shoot weddings for money. Concentrate on learning the basics, and on practice, and the skills may come with time.
 
Get your feet wet with what you got, then rent/borrow to try before you buy.
 
I am quite new to photography I recently purchased a used canon 5d mk 1 I would like to buy a used wide angled lens but have not got a clue what to get I would like to do wedding photography so would need a lens that I could do group photos with I have a limited budget of about £175
With that budget? Stick with your current lens or deal with the fact that you can really only afford a 50mm f/1.8 STM.

That money would probably be better used on learning materials to master the camera, if you don't know how to use it. Or, if you have to spend on gear, get a flash--particularly if wedding photography is going to be your thing.
 
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Yongnuo 35mm f/2 (a lens that lets in nearly four times the light over the one you have,) $92; if you don't have a big flash on your hotshoe (because that kind of flash is many times more powerful than the tiny one included on a camera,) a Yongnuo 560IV speedlight, $70.
The YN560 speed lights are not eTTL compatible, which IMHO is preferable for shooting events, and none of the 5D models have built-in flash.

I do agree that an off camera speed light is a necessity, but would not dismiss the OP's zoom. I would not recommend anybody to shoot a wedding with just one prime, let alone a beginner.
 
Yongnuo 35mm f/2 (a lens that lets in nearly four times the light over the one you have,) $92; if you don't have a big flash on your hotshoe (because that kind of flash is many times more powerful than the tiny one included on a camera,) a Yongnuo 560IV speedlight, $70.
The YN560 speed lights are not eTTL compatible, which IMHO is preferable for shooting events, and none of the 5D models have built-in flash.
+1. A TTL flash is much handier for run'n'gun event shooting. Yongnuo makes a bunch (565EX, 568EXII, 685), but the main crunch here is that the 5D Mk I is too old to have the flash control menu in it (that only came along with Digic 4), so Yongnuo's 622 TTL trigger functionality is very limited, as it relies on that flash menu.

Frankly, a used Canon EX unit is likely to be a better pairing than a YN-560IV/YN-660, just for compatibility. A used 430EX or 580EX doesn't cost that much these days.

And I would also advocate going for a Godox TT600/X1 combo vs. the YN-560/-TX combo. Costs roughly the same, but there's a lot more elbow room for growth.

Also, for anybody wanting to start out with professional wedding photography, I offer the three following links, so you'll get some idea of what you're getting into. A full frame camera doth not make you a wedding photographer. It just makes you the owner of a full frame camera.
  • The Fred Miranda board's Wedding forum's FAQ. Motherlode of information. Like the importance of having backup gear, because ain't nobody stopping their wedding to wait for you to run to Best Buy when your memory card/flash/camera/lens go bad or get broken.
  • "FWIGTEW and other First Wedding Acronyms" by Roger Cicala on the lensrentals.com blog. Again, a wealth of wisdom. To quote: " One should view their first attempt at wedding photography as they would getting into the ring for their first professional Mixed Martial Arts bout: without a lot of planning, preparation, and advice you are likely to get hurt..."
  • How Jeff Ascough, one of the top wedding photographers in the UK, prepares to shoot a wedding.
 
The YN560 speed lights are not eTTL compatible, which IMHO is preferable for shooting events
Agreed, but man, a full-frame camera with an f/2 lens and a speedlight for under $600..
 
Agreed, but man, a full-frame camera with an f/2 lens and a speedlight for under $600..
The perfect gear for shooting yourself in the foot :-P
 
The perfect gear for shooting yourself in the foot :-P
But isn't the criteria really "does it look better than the cell phone pictures?" Even just trial-and-erroring the manual flash during rehearsal, surely everyone would prefer your photos over their own..

[I'm going with the assumption that OP is a guy who just wants to get good pictures of a particular wedding and is not asking "what settings" to use to become a professional wedding photographer.]
 
The perfect gear for shooting yourself in the foot :-P
But isn't the criteria really "does it look better than the cell phone pictures?" Even just trial-and-erroring the manual flash during rehearsal, surely everyone would prefer your photos over their own..

[I'm going with the assumption that OP is a guy who just wants to get good pictures of a particular wedding
"I would like to do wedding photography"

It looks to me like he is going into the wedding-photography "business" .... YEAH

(is he in for a shock)
and is not asking "what settings" to use to become a professional wedding photographer.]

--
Digital Camera and Adobe Photoshop user since 1999.
Adobe Lightroom is my adult coloring book.
 
[I'm going with the assumption that OP is a guy who just wants to get good pictures of a particular wedding
"I would like to do wedding photography"

It looks to me like he is going into the wedding-photography "business" .... YEAH
I'd agree, based on the original question about shooting groups. When I go to a wedding as a guest I don't start trying to organise group shots in tight quarters, that's for the pro to faff about with.
 
The perfect gear for shooting yourself in the foot :-P
But isn't the criteria really "does it look better than the cell phone pictures?" Even just trial-and-erroring the manual flash during rehearsal, surely everyone would prefer your photos over their own..
I wouldn't count on that. The picture you take with your phone testifies you were part of the proceedings. Most people will compare the pictures and expect much more from the one with a "pro" looking camera and forgive their own errors.
[I'm going with the assumption that OP is a guy who just wants to get good pictures of a particular wedding and is not asking "what settings" to use to become a professional wedding photographer.]
Your assumptions are as good as mine. My assumption is that the OP is in it way over his head, and one camera with a prime and a manual flash will limit him beyond his capabilities - actually, you'd have to be HCB to pull that off! I hope for the happy couple that I'm wrong or that he's their second shooter.
 

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