I will be going to my son's small wedding. We will be in the courthouse, in the restaurant and a small amount outside (some after dark). I want to bring one lens that will be good in the low light situations. I read that with the APS Sensor a 35mm would be better than a 50mm. Then I read the 35mm has an equivalent 202.5mm focal length. What would you recommend for some people, group, low light situations.
Sony 50mm f/1.4.
Sony 35mm f/1.4
Sigma 85mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM
Sony 135mm f/1.8 Carl Zeiss
Thank you for any insight. I will be renting not buying and get it a few days early to work with it.
I'm not any kind of expert but I'd select f1.4 35mm. It's super fast and you want the widest lens when shooting inside or shooting groups. You can still get closeups of people with it too - just go closer :) Also, you're probably shooting handheld, and wider lenses are less susceptible for camera shake --> slower shutter speeds are possible, to compensate poor lighting.
The APS-C sensor shouldn't really have more than a 1.5x magnification factor which is going to make your 35mm lens a 52.5mm lens equivalent.
If you are shooting in low light then you will need a higher ISO (watch out for grain), a larger aperture (watch out for very shallow depth of field) and / or a longer shutter speed (watch out for camera shake).
Had you thought about using flash? It might bail you out!
I would also think that a variety of lenses or a zoom lens to cover most of what you wish to shoot might be a good idea.
@jannkc it well depend on how close you will be to the action and what crop factor your camera has. Most non full frame DSLRs are around 1.5 to 1.6 that means a 35.. lens on a crop factor 1.6 gives about 56mm full frame angle.
Sooo if you want a good standard lens then a 35mm f1.8 will give you that, for portrait stuff a 70mm is close to the recommended 105mm.
after that I'd look at a nice fast 10-20mm for indoors close work.
Hope this helps :-)
@jannkc I am taking some casual pictures at a friend's son's wedding in June. I have just rented one of the two lenses I am thinking about using on the day, and am glad that I did so so far in advance because it took me quite some time to get used to the shallow depth of field, and has made me (possibly) re-think my original choice. Would it be possible for you to do similar so you are not stuck with your choice if you decide it might not be quite right.
As @chippy1402 Peter says, it depends on what you will be shooting, single people or couples close together, or wider views of 4-5 people, or even wider of the whole room. You can't do all that with one lens, that's why high quality fast medium zooms are so popular for enthusiasts. The 24-70 f/2.8 EX DG Sigma (the mount for your Sony) would be an example. The f/2.8 will lose one stop to the 1.8, two to the 1.4, so instead of say ISO 400, you would be shooting at ISO 800 or 1600, perhaps a problem? Not if you use a good editor post though I'd say. If you only have fixed length lenses and only one camera, then you'll have to choose, and that depends on how close you are willing to get for the "close" shots. If you can get in close, the 35 would seem to be called for to allow you to step back for the wider views. Good luck!
I photograph at church a lot and just bought a "faster" lens that what I had. I think the 135mm will not work because you may be in close quarters. I like what Frank has recommended, renting a zoom. It will allow you more flexibility and the one stop loss shouldn't be that bad. Most likely you won't be able to use a flash. I often use 3200 ISO. I would experiment before his ceremony if you can.
Look for the Minolta "mini-beercan" lens. It is 24-70mm AF lens and is sharp. In low light consider shooting ISO 1600 or 3200. Do not use flash during the ceremony. Your Sony should still be good at the these higher ISO's. Study about DOF so you can get things in focus that you want. You should be able to find the lens I metioned for under $100, probably in the $60-70 range. Low light photography is more about the sensor than the lens. Sony sensors are very good in low light. As most others are saying there are ways to get more light with smaller apertures (higher number).
@frankhymus The only 24-70 with Sony mount for my camera I found at Borrowlens.com has a constant aperture of f2.8. Is that common? I am afraid of not having any control of that and then it said minimum focal distance of 12'- I assume that means I have to be 12' away from subject? It will be a small group but I want photos of things (Champagne glasses, hands, etc) and rooms and buildings. The couple does not want alot of shots of them but more of the atmosphere.
DOes this mean I can adjust f/2.8 to f/22? Would this be a nice choice?
Specifications
Focal Length: 16-50mm
Maximum Aperture: f/2.8-22
Minimum Focusing Distance: 1.0"
Angle of View: 83°- 32°
The Sony 16-50mm f/2.8 Standard Zoom Lens is a compact DT fast aperture, standard zoom lens developed specifically for use with APS-C sensor cameras with the Sony A-mount. This lens has Sony's SSM focusing motor for quick, silent autofocus. @frankhymus
The constant aperture really means "constant widest aperture" irrespective of the focal length. Less expensive zoom lenses typically will have smaller "maximum" apertures at longer focal lengths. f/2.8-f/22 is a specification for the total aperture range and is again typical of this type of zoom. Check the "specifications" tab on the links above. I think you will find the minimum focus distance is more like 1 foot than 1 inch. :)
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If you are shooting in low light then you will need a higher ISO (watch out for grain), a larger aperture (watch out for very shallow depth of field) and / or a longer shutter speed (watch out for camera shake).
Had you thought about using flash? It might bail you out!
I would also think that a variety of lenses or a zoom lens to cover most of what you wish to shoot might be a good idea.
Sooo if you want a good standard lens then a 35mm f1.8 will give you that, for portrait stuff a 70mm is close to the recommended 105mm.
after that I'd look at a nice fast 10-20mm for indoors close work.
Hope this helps :-)
Specifications
Focal Length: 16-50mm
Maximum Aperture: f/2.8-22
Minimum Focusing Distance: 1.0"
Angle of View: 83°- 32°
The Sony 16-50mm f/2.8 Standard Zoom Lens is a compact DT fast aperture, standard zoom lens developed specifically for use with APS-C sensor cameras with the Sony A-mount. This lens has Sony's SSM focusing motor for quick, silent autofocus. @frankhymus
http://www.uniquephoto.com/lenses-lenses/16-50mm-f-2-8-standard-zoom-lens-sal1650
It should work OK, but I was thinking more along the line of this Zeiss lens which is a superb classic A mount lens. It will get you that little bit closer with 70mm without having to be in people's faces, if you can see what I mean. It is not often available for rent though.
http://www.amazon.com/Sony--70mm-Sonnar-Digital-Cameras/dp/B0013GWBIE/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1394022336&sr=1-1&keywords=Sony+24-70+a+mount
The constant aperture really means "constant widest aperture" irrespective of the focal length. Less expensive zoom lenses typically will have smaller "maximum" apertures at longer focal lengths. f/2.8-f/22 is a specification for the total aperture range and is again typical of this type of zoom. Check the "specifications" tab on the links above. I think you will find the minimum focus distance is more like 1 foot than 1 inch. :)