In today's article I am going to talk about the most recommended lenses for social photography. Because if you have to photograph a social event, contrary to what many people think, the most important thing is not just the camera, no matter how much it helps. The crux of the matter is more in the objectives. That is where you should focus your efforts if you are considering taking up social or event photography. Most of today's SLR or EVIL cameras can offer you a medium enough quality to cover all kinds of events. But without the right goals you can miss half the event
If you want to go more in-depth about objectives, their characteristics, terminology, compatibilities, etc., do not miss the mega buying guide that we have prepared for you.
BUT... WHAT IS SOCIAL PHOTOGRAPHY OR EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY?
Social photography is one that focuses on the human subject and when we talk about event photography it includes any celebration that involves a gathering of people (in smaller or larger numbers), so it can be anything from a wedding to a concert.
In this article we are going to focus on the social photography of events that is mainly dedicated to immortalizing weddings ( here you will find the most complete guide to get started in wedding photography ), baptisms and communions, although birthdays, anniversaries are also included in the package and any other celebration worthy of immortalizing.
WHAT LENS TO CHOOSE FOR SOCIAL PHOTOGRAPHY?
Before leaving you with the recommendations, so that you can decide for yourself, I am going to tell you what you should take into account when choosing.
FIXED LENS OR ZOOM?
Both fixed and zoom lenses have their pros and cons. The former are usually brighter and offer softer backgrounds, as well as being more compact and lightweight. This makes your presence less intrusive. The latter allow you to get closer without moving. With the same objective you can cover different types of planes and/or distances.
To cover a large event, the ideal is to take a fixed lens for portraits and documentation and a zoom lens to be able to respond more quickly to different situations.
If you can't carry more than one lens, a variable focal (zoom) lens will be the best option.
OPENING
Especially if the light conditions are poor or you don't use an external flash , you're going to need a very bright lens. The bigger the opening, the better. Mario's go-to is the king of lenses, and his f/1.4 maximum aperture is one of the main reasons. Later I will tell you about it, because it cannot be missing from today's list.
When using a zoom, if you can choose one that has a fixed aperture, much better. That is to say, that it has the same maximum aperture if you photograph at 50mm as at 105mm, for example. Take note because this is not normally the case and the maximum aperture varies according to the focal length.
STABILIZER
Having a stabilizer on the lens is especially important under the following circumstances:
- When the camera does not have a stabilizer in the body.
- When light conditions are insufficient.
- When using telephoto lenses.
FOCAL DISTANCE
The focal length of the lens is what will determine the type of photography you can take. We always say that the photo is taken by the photographer, but we cannot forget the tool. Can you imagine peeling a watermelon with a spoon? Well, taking a photograph of a very large group with a telephoto lens in a small space would be something similar. Each situation calls for a specific type of goal.
To take portraits, the best lenses are those with a focal length between 50-135mm, to photograph the context, a focal length between 24-50mm would be more appropriate. If, for example, you want to photograph the entire interior of a church or a very large group of people, you need an angle of approximately 10-14mm. To photograph from afar and achieve close-ups, you have no choice but to use a telephoto lens.
In the following graphic you will see a summary of the different focal lengths and the angle of vision that they cover.
HOW MANY LENSES SHOULD I BRING TO PHOTOGRAPH AN EVENT?
Obviously, the equipment you need to photograph a wedding is not the same as a birthday. The more important and unrepeatable the event, the more you have to cover your back, and not because you might miss a goal, which may seem strange, but hey, you never know, accidents are not planned ? , but because of what we mentioned in the beginning.
So far I don't know of a goal that will solve an entire wedding for you. Maybe your cousin's baptism, yes, but a wedding is big words. And not only because it is unrepeatable, but because the variety of situations is such that you have to have a team that responds to each and every one of them. From the preparation of the bride and groom at home to the invitation and the dance, going through the church or the court, the family portraits or the details that they prepare with so much care.
Nor is an outdoor wedding the same as an indoor one. An event in a small space that is very spacious.
In short, you will have to assess what type or types of events you are going to face and in what capacity, to choose which objectives you take with you. Planning is always essential.
THE BEST LENSES FOR SOCIAL OR EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY
As always, the objective or objectives you choose will depend on the event and the needs. Being the photographer hired at a wedding is not the same as photographing your child's birthday or your parents' 50th anniversary. It is not about losing your head or letting yourself be carried away blindly by the objectives recommended here. If you are not going to take photos at a professional level, take photos with what you have, which in the end is what it is about. If you are considering making the leap to professional photography, you know, start scratching your pocket and invest in good material.
50MM F/1.4
This objective is the most similar to human vision, but not because of the viewing angle, but because it does not cause distortions. It is ideal, for example, for taking pictures in a more documentary way or when there is a lot of disorder in the space and you want to clean up the scene by closing the frame. You can learn more about this king of objectives in this special article.
Next, I leave you the link to this lens for Nikon, but there are also those for Canon, Pentaxand Sigma, the latter also for Sony (Mount A)and canon. For FujifilmIt is with a maximum aperture of f/1.2.
85MM F/1.8
For more posed or planned portraits it is ideal, as it is a lens that gets you very close to the subject and generates greater intimacy .
Here I leave you with the recommendations for each type of frame.
- Canon EF: Canon Prime lens for professionals, with f/1.4 aperture, excellent image quality, image stabilizer up to 4 stops and fast and precise focus.
- CanonR: Samyang lens with f/1.4 aperture for Canon mirrorless, with aluminum mount and 584g.
- Nikon-Z: Eye detection AF and multi-focus system, dual-motor ultra-quiet AF motor, 67mm filter diameter and 470g weight.
- Nikon F: For use with FX- and DX-format SLR cameras, excellent optical performance, SWM (Silent Wave Motor) for quiet, precise autofocus, and 350g (approx).
- SonyE: From the VILTROX brand, with STM silent focus motor, metal structure, 72mm filter diameter and 484g in weight.
- SonyE: Prime lens from Sony for professionals, with an aperture, in this case f/1.4, extreme sharpness and bokeh of heart attack.
- Samyang f/1.4-22 AS IF UMC: 8 diaphragm blades for smooth bokeh, internal focusing or anti-reflective coating are some of the features of this quality lens at a reasonable price. For Nikon F mounts, Canon EF, Fuji X, Micro Four Thirds, Olympus 4/3, Sony A., Sony Eand Pentax.
24-70MM
This variable focal length is quite versatile and allows you to take pictures in small spaces, covering a more or less wide scene and also take portraits or get a little closer to the scene. Many photographers agree that they started with this focal length. If you use a camera with a cropped sensor (not Full Frame) this focal length is better than the following 70-200mm.
SIGMA 24-70MM F/2.8 DG
for canon, Nikonand Sigma.
TAMRON 24-70MM F/2.8
Versatile, with stabilizer, fixed f/2.8 aperture and Canon compatibility, Nikonand Sony E.(28-75mm).
CANON EF 24-70MM F/4L IS USM
With stabilizer and f/4 fixed maximum aperture, it is from the Canon L series (premium series).
NIKON 24-70MM F/2.8G ED
It is not exactly an economic objective but its evaluations are excellent. Aperture f/2.8, 9 diaphragm blades and 15 elements in 11 groups make up an optical construction with excellent results, here you can see some examplestaken by users of this lens.
70-200MM F/2.8
This is a must , the one that cannot be missing in the backpack of a professional event photographer. If you can only choose one lens, this is the most recommended when doing a wedding if you use Full Frame because in an APS-C the crop will make the focal length too long. It is very versatile in terms of focal length and very bright. Compact the planes and at the same time you can get a completely blurred background. But most of all, it will bring you closer to the scene when you can't get closer, for whatever reason. Sometimes you have to keep your distance and these types of objectives are necessary to not miss anything.
CANON EF
CANON RF
FUJIFILM X
NIKON F
NIKON-Z
PENTAX
SIGMA
Also for Canonand Nikon.
SONY A
SONYE
ANGULAR
And what if you need to capture an entire altar, stage and seats in a theater or a concert with a large crowd? For certain types of photography you need a wide angle: like the ones I just mentioned, a graduation, a conference, a corporate event, etc. Here are some recommendations depending on the brand of your camera:
- Canon wide angle lenses for all budgets
- Very cheap angle lenses for Fujifilm
- Wide angle lenses for Nikon for all budgets
- Sony's best angles
This is an example of an image photographed with a wide angle . It is not that you will always need it, but if you want photos like this, you will have no choice but to resort to them.
To finish, I leave you with a video in which Liz tells you what equipment she uses for her weddings, specifying in each part of the wedding what objectives she uses.
We have reached the end. I hope this article is useful to you and helps you find what you are looking for. If you have any questions leave it in comments. I will be very grateful if you share it, so we can help more people to find the goal they are looking for.
