Wedding Photography lens

Hi Guys I just joined last week, I just need a few ideas I had a k100s super, which came with a Tamron 70-300mm and 18-55mm kit lens. I have also bought a few months ago a k10d which came with Pentax DA 50-200mm and an 18-55mm as well. In total I have 2x 18-55mm, 1x Tamron 70-300, 1x 70-300mm sigma APO which I bought separately. I also bought Sigma 28-80 mm aspheric macro and a 50mm Pentax smc 1.4 manual. Please guys do I need anything else as I do photography. I have purchased a kood 5 in 1 reflector, 3 umbrellas white, gold and silver. My last purchase was last week for a heavy duty interfit backdrop support and a white muslin background. Sounds like and displaying all I have but the more I keep reading the forum the more thing I think I need to buy need. I use a Pentax AF360FGZ flashgun. I do all my printing from home as I have an Epson 4800 stylus pro, and a HITI 730PS. Please help if I want to achieve a pure white background do I need to invest in studio lighting as I travel to peoples homes to do family shoots. Is there anything else I need as there seem to be an unending purchasing in this business.

Thanks guys

If you're doing wedding photography then you tend to need fast lenses (like your 50/1.4) as you will be shooting in a lot of dimly-lit interiors where flash isn't generally allowed. For portrait photography where you can control the lighting conditions then I'd say the lenses you have already are probably suitable to start off with. If you're creative with your reflectors then you'll get the images you want with a single off-camera flash, but you'll probably find an investment in some studio flashes will make life easier for you in the longer term.

Welcome to the forum.

If I were you I'd be considering which of the 70-300's to put on ebay along with the spare 18-55, and probably also the 28-80. That should help offset the cost of these endless purchases.

I think those would be to slow, probably the Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 or sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 might do (maybe not wide enough?) or the DA*16-50 with the DA*50-135 but sadly those are quite high in price right now.
You could also get the third party equivalent, the Tamron/Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 with the Sigma 50-150 f/2.8.

With one of these lenses or combination you're pretty much covered for portrait shoot of various group sizes and it does not get better then f/2.8 with zooms which is fast enough most of the times.

For portable studio, for portrait you might consider going the strobist way. A collapsible background with a stand and 2 flash stands with two umbrella's and normal flashguns would get you pretty far.

I meant as a general suggestion for restructuring a kit that has lots of duplication, and unleashing some capital for flash purchases - rather than suggesting lenses specifically for weddings. (And I'd try and get by with my 16-45 and 50mm, speaking personally!)

Not that I would ever dream of doing anything so stressful...

Hi Spacus and welcome to the group. If I may be so humble, I would suggest not running around and buying up tons of gear (kit). Become used to what you presently have and learn to work within it/their limitations. Yes its wonderful to have strobes, stands, umbrellas, soft boxes, etc. if you have money to burn. But struggle along and add equipment as proficiency increases. I hate to say it, but we learn most from mistakes and adversity. I would suggest one (1) more flash to bounce or use as fill against your muslin. Go to You Tube and watch some videos on lighting techniques. Practice, practice, practice, that's the joy of digital - no film/processing cost.

Regards and good luck,

Stephen

Hi and welcome to the forum...do enjoy!

You guys have been really helpful, I should have joined this forum earlier. I will consider selling my Tamron 70-300mm and the Pentax 18-55mm and posissibly the sigma 28-80mm

The key to wedding photography is an absolute total knowledge and control of your equipment. After that is achieved, you get on with the more serious people handling matters.

When we shoot weddings almost all my shots are made with the SMC Pentax-DA 16-45mm f4 lens, even indoors without flash if necessary. I use a fast 40mm or 50mm lens when shooting in disco lighting in the evening, but for no other purpose.

I have often wondered if a really good photographer could actually shoot a wedding with a compact digital camera, and I suspect it might be possible. I'm not going to try that on a paying customer though! But the principle is that you don't need masses of equipment. Things move too fast for that.

That's is really kind of you to mention, I have a collapsable background I bought two weeks age to help me get the plain white background. what do you think about the infterfit studio lighting there is one on ebay am watching. Do you recommend it, and how does these work and bearing in mind I have a K10d and k100d super I have been watching you tube and learning alot there, but I need to be certain how its used. would I need to buy any cables

thanks

The only time I would dream of using studio flash for a wedding is if the weather was atrocious and I needed to do a lot of indoor formal portraits. Even then I would prefer a location background rather than a plain white one. See the picture I've just posted in the Gallery as an example of location use.

A portable flash (I use the Pentax 360)is essential for fill-in flash outdoors in very sunny weather. This minimises harsh shadows and is a technique that should be learned.

I do actually carry an Interfit EXD200 set with me to weddings, but only for emergency use and I've never used it yet. There isn't time really.

You have been really helpful, please could you also recommend an all in one lens for me. Ideally I would like to keep the sigma APO 70-300mm , 50-200 and 18-55mm is they are any good. and also the 50mm 1.4 manual

Best regards

Also I willing to buy a second hand one so if any of you guys come accross any good one please give me a shout you have really helped me.