What Is The Best Canon Wedding Lens?
Wedding Photo
One of the biggest debates when it comes to Canon lenses is the question of which lens is the best for weddings. The most popular Canon wedding lenses are without a doubt the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L or the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS for general use, followed by the more expensive Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II for longer range shots. Choosing between these lenses can be difficult, but in this article we hope to make the choice a little easier for you.
The first critical thing to consider is the benefit of the f/2.8 aperture of the 24-70mm versus the Image Stabilization of the 24-105mm. With the wide f2.8 aperture, the 24-70mm allows you to shoot at fast shutter speeds (where camera shake is not really an issue) in low light conditions and also gives you the ability to freeze motion. The image stabilization of the 24-105mm reduces camera shake in low light conditions, but the slower shutter speeds required by the f/4.0 aperture removes the ability to freeze motion. In our opinion, Image Stabilization can never beat the advantages of the wider f/2.8 aperture, so in this instance our vote definitely goes for the 24-70mm.
The second thing to consider is the extra reach of the 24-105mm. The important thing to take into account here is any other lenses you already have or plan to purchase. If you are looking for one versatile lens and don’t plan to purchase any other lenses, the the 24-105mm is a great choice because of it’s wide zoom range. However, if you plan to purchase a zoom lens like the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II, then 24-70mm is without a doubt the better choice because you will effectively have f/2.8 aperture all the way from 24mm to 200mm. We believe that the combination of the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L and the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II is the ultimate kit for a serious wedding photographer, but due to the cost and annoyance of having to switch between lenses there are definitely cases where a single lens like the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS could be a better choice.
Wedding Photo
Depending on your photographic style there could be cases where a zoom lens is a better choice than the 24-70mm or the 24-105mm. For example, if you like to remain unseen and prefer to capture candid moments from a distance rather than more posed and formal ones, you will generally require a versatile and fast zoom lens like the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II. In most cases though the 70-200mm makes a perfect second lens for shooting weddings (especially for those who have two camera bodies at their disposal) simply because it adds a different and varied long focal length range that allows the capture of moments that most photographers miss with a shorter focal length lens. You may already have this lens for action photography and if you do, definitely bring it along when you shoot a wedding.
Other popular wedding lenses include:
- The Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens – pefect for decor.
- The Canon 50mm f/1.8 II Lens – Affordable and super sharp.
The best Canon wedding lens is, however, different for everyone. You may even find some photographers whose style lends them to use prime (fixed focal length) lenses—these photographers have simply, like everyone else accounted for what type of lens will provide the highest quality results and what their photographic style needs out of a lens for success.
