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Possible Duplicate:
Which one wide-medium lens to buy as the main lens for an outdoor wedding?

I am an amateur photographer. I have taken senior and family photos for friends. However, my cousin just asked me to take her wedding photos. (I have always been afraid of weddings because I do not want to take poor photos of a the best day of a couple's life.) I have a Rebel T2i (which feels inadequate to shoot a wedding) and the basic kit lens. The wedding is supposed to be outdoors (late afternoon/evening) with an indoor reception with about 100 people. Which lens should I get to make sure I capture every moment on her special day?

Are there any accessories I must have for a wedding?

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  • \$\begingroup\$ I believe that the main question here "what 1 lens for wedding" is a duplicate of the above. For that reason this question should be closed. I would recommend opening up a new question to ask about what accessories must you have for a wedding. Accessories and lenses are not the same thing and each deserve their own answers. \$\endgroup\$
    – dpollitt
    Jan 21, 2013 at 3:44
  • \$\begingroup\$ See also: How do I prepare best for my first wedding photography event? \$\endgroup\$
    – dpollitt
    Jan 21, 2013 at 4:00

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Nothing is must have but good gear is strongly recommended. The thing about weddings is that there is lots happening and there are pretty much no second chances. This means you have to work fast so you will rarely see wedding photographers with tons of gear unless they also have an assistant.

For Canon users, standard wedding gear would be a 5D Mark III, 24-70mm F/2.8L and 70-200mm F/2.8L. Compared to your Rebel T2i, these are rather expensive but they are so common that almost any place that rents photo gear will have these. Reserve as fast as you can and take them at least one day before the wedding so that you can practice. Gear that you are not familiar with is more dangerous than poor gear.

The other thing that is common is an external flash to light up your subjects and freeze the motion of people, particularly indoors. Since direct flash is rarely flattering, you need one that swivels to be bounced on walls and the ceiling. Check the wedding venue first. In some places, this is impossible to do. In that case, you should go with an off-camera flash either held by someone else or by a flash bracket that attaches to the bottom of your camera.

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    \$\begingroup\$ If you decide to stick with your Rebel, note that due to the crop factor you will have an added 60% zoom to all the lenses you have. In an indoor environment, this can make shooting quite difficult if you do not have a 24mm as a max angle. You will be simply to close to everything. \$\endgroup\$
    – uncovery
    Jan 21, 2013 at 3:23
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    \$\begingroup\$ Right. For a cropped-sensor model (Rebel or faster 7D), replace the 24-70mm with a 17-55mm F/2.8. You'll have a gap in coverage but it does not have to be much of a problem. \$\endgroup\$
    – Itai
    Jan 21, 2013 at 3:31
  • \$\begingroup\$ I would argue that for a wedding, good equipment is a must have! With a T2i and a 18-55mm kit lens and pop-up flash, you won't even get proper exposure indoors at a wedding, let alone anything that looks better then a pocket point and shoot. Don't bring a knife to a gunfight! As I noted in the linked to "duplicate" I referenced above, I do think good equipment is a need and not optional. This is my opinion though, I know not all share it. Other then that, yes I agree with your other sentiments. \$\endgroup\$
    – dpollitt
    Jan 21, 2013 at 3:46
  • \$\begingroup\$ Oh god, I hope no one uses a popup flash at a wedding! Yeah, I would need better equipment too but budget not permitting, you can still do with what you have. \$\endgroup\$
    – Itai
    Jan 21, 2013 at 3:59

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