What should be my next purchase / which order should I get the following items? I am itching to spend somewhere between $1000 or $2000 to make my kit more wedding or event ready soon, and plan out future purchases. I would prefer to spend only $1000 now, but like anyone, can find the money for the things I really need uhm - want. I don’t currently shoot weddings, but would like to develop the skills and kit to be able to do so. I like shooting small light primes, but it seems zooms make for the ideal wedding kit – specifically the 24-70 2.8 ii and the 70-200 2.8 is ii.
I have been trying to think how I could incorporate these lenses into my regular shooting, but don’t see myself choosing them for anything other than specific purposes or events. Ever since I started shooting small light primes, I actually take my DSLR with me. The thing that made me stop carrying my 35mm SLR was it’s size with the mid-range zoom semi-permanently mounted on it, and the bag full of several other lenses and accessories that I carried it in. Now I just pick small prime, and maybe stuff a second prime in a pocket or bag to leave in the car, and head out. I feel so liberated, enlightened and empowered! And I have a lot more fun taking pictures!
So what to buy next? I would like some L glass (reading this forum gives me L fever – LOL!), but the L primes are even bigger (4 inches long) and heavier (19 oz) than my non-L midrange zoom that I haven’t used in years.
I think I need an L quality midrange zoom, an L quality long zoom, and I know I also need to eventually get a second body (I want a 5D3),. My considerations are price and size, and how much I would actually use them. My gear current gear list is listed below in my profile.
So do I get the second body next? I am thinking no because I am planning to second or third shoot before I take on being the primary photographer, so a backup body isn’t as necessary yet. The only thing that makes me think body first is because I could use two bodies at the same time, each with a different fl prime attached to it for quick use (or one with a prime and the other with a zoom). Also, I am thinking a 5d3 would improve the IQ of my existing lenses, having built in auto color fringe correction, better focus system, and higher ISO - all making photos from my current lens kit higher IQ. So should a body be next?
If not a body next, which lens then? A mid-range zoom? Or a long zoom? Or something else? I am thinking midrange zoom because wedding photographers use them more than long zooms, right? Also, my current 70-300 IS does ok inside and for outdoor sports, and my 100 f2 is long enough for portraits and many indoor telephoto applications.
If mid-range zoom next, which one?
24-70 2.8 ii $1800 new? Cons: big, expensive, heavy, would rarely use it for walk around. The main cost of this lens is for f/2.8, but do I need to pay premium for f/2.8 on my mid-range zoom? I am thinking not for bokeh, because I would use a fast prime if I wanted bokeh, and bokeh isn’t usually a primary goal when shooting wide fl. I have been reviewing wedding portfolios with bokeh in mind, and some photographers overuse bokeh so much that you can’t even tell who was at the wedding besides the bride and groom! So it seems like wider DOF is more useful than narrow in wedding shooting – rendering the premium paid for f/2.8 mute, right?
The only other reason for going for f/2.8 is because I want a better 50mm lens than my nifty fifty, but is 2.8 really an alternative to an 1.4 or 1.2 prime? The 1.4 and 1.2 have really been catching my eye lately, with the 1.2L in the lead because of all the negatives I’ve read about the 1.4. I think I would buy a 50mm 1.2L next if I wasn’t trying to tailor my kit more toward wedding / social event stuff.
24-70 f/4 IS $900 new? Pro: f/4 results in wider DOF, and IS still allows low light. Cheaper than 24-105 new. Cons: would rarely use it for walk around because of it’s size, f/4, and limited FL range compared to 24-105.
24-105 f/4L IS $1000 new? Pro: wider fl range than 24-70. Cons: older and not as sharp as the 24-70 f/4 IS.
24-70 2.8 original $800 used? Not as sharp as the f/4 IS, and has the added difficulty of finding a good used copy.
28-70 2.8L $800 used? Second sharpest mid-range L zoom (according to DXO only the 24-70 2.8 ii is sharper), but has the added difficulty of finding a good used copy.
If long zoom next, which one out of these five?
70-200 2.8 IS II $2000 new? Cons: Expensive and conspicuous. At this price, I would like to use it for more than just weddings, but it’s really too short for my kid’s soccer games, and while I could use it for portraits, my passion is not head shots, so my 100 f/2 is plenty capable for portraits.
70-200 4 IS $1150 new? Pros: small and light enough for a long zoom, and priced right. Cons: limited bokeh
70-200 2.8 new? Pro: great price and sharpness. Con: No IS. Does anybody use this lens for weddings handheld?
70-200 2.8 IS used? Con: least sharp long zoom (at least according to DXO), and the difficulty of finding a good used copy.
100-400 f/4-5.6L IS II new? With it’s 4 stop IS and great sharpness, this lens definitely catches my eye. I just wonder how useful this would be for weddings or portraiture with an aperture of f/5 at most focal lengths? I would really love to have this lens for soccer, but soccer isn’t important enough to me for it to have it’s own exclusive L priced lens.
Summary – so long story short: What order should I add a second body, mid-range zoom, and long zoom to my wedding / event kit in? And which ones should I get with my considerations above in mind? Are there any alternative suggestions I should consider?
Thanks in advance
