So many photographers have questions about what lens they should get next! For many, a new professional lens is a big commitment and this isn’t a decision that is taken lightly. While I wish I had all of the answers and the perfect opinion about gear and lens priorities, I can only offer what I have learned from my own personal experience. When I started my business, I was young and in college. Every payment that came into my account was spent on gear and equipment. Someone once told me that I shouldn’t expect to make any money my first year in business and they were right.
It’s hard to know where to invest and in what order you purchase certain lenses. In my opinion, certain lenses are more versatile and useful that others. I LOVE prime lenses and so that affects my opinion about this topic as well. So! Lets say you’re a new photographer and all you have is a 50mm prime portrait lens. This is a GREAT first lens to own for wedding photographers. However, there are three things that the 50mm can’t do. These three areas are:
- Longer focal length for ceremonies.
- Macro capabilities for details and ring shots.
- Width for large family formals, bridal party shots and tight location situations.
So if you’re primarily shooting weddings and you only have a 50mm, you may want to choose between either a macro or a 35mm lens for your next purchase. Here are some things to think about:
- The 35mm would ensure that you would never have trouble fitting in large group shots throughout the wedding day.
- The 35mm will not fix your issue of not having a long focal length.
- The 100mm Macro won’t fix your width issue but it will fix your macro needs AND it can also provide a longer focal length for ceremonies! A macro lens doesn’t only have to be used for tight, close detail shots!
- The 35mm will give you some variety for your portraits.
- The 100mm can give you a similar look to a 70-200 or 85mm if used for portraits but you have to have plenty of space to step back from your subjects.
So, if you’re in the market for a new lens and you already have a 50mm, my advice would be to invest in either the 100mm macro or 35mm and rent whichever lens you don’t choose to invest in until you can afford it. In my opinion, you would get more out of the macro because of the focal length and the fact that every bride wants a ring shot! However, if you’re shooting with a cropped sensor, the 35mm would be nice because it would actually feel like a 50mm and would give you some more width. Whew. So much to think about!
We actually don’t use the 100mm macro for ceremonies anymore because we invested in the 135 2.0 and we LOVE it! However, we do use the 100mm and our 35mm at EVERY single wedding and we couldn’t live without them! I hope this was helpful! For more tips and advice, signup for our monthly newsletter!
Thanks for reading!
— Katelyn
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