Table Shots for Wedding (Focal Length)


Mythmaker

Senior Member
Oct 8, 2011
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Singapore
Hi!

Hoping to get input from the wedding photographers here... would a 35mm (on a full frame) be able to make it for the table shots? As in, would I be able to squeeze everyone in without rearranging too much? I understand every hotel is different, hence I'm asking for experience here haha.

Or do I die die have (or rather, recommended) to get a 24mm? The concern I have with 24mm is the distortion hmm...

Thanks!
 

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If you are fine using zoom lens, the standard 24-70mm should do nicely. If prime is a must, then 35mm would be just nice. The wider the more distort in corners, I avoid wide for group shots for the same reason. Though I did cover an entire table shots In a wedding with only a 50mm prime.
 

Depends on the size of the table and how much space you have. Kinda hard to give you a clear cut answer since we are not on-location.
 

some old people can't move around much other pretend to be hard of hearing, unlikely to move into ideal position. a zoom will be good, just shoot at 35mm whereas possible
 

If you are fine using zoom lens, the standard 24-70mm should do nicely. If prime is a must, then 35mm would be just nice. The wider the more distort in corners, I avoid wide for group shots for the same reason. Though I did cover an entire table shots In a wedding with only a 50mm prime.

Haha, I'm trying to avoid zooms lol. If the 35mm is workable then I would much rather have the sigma 35 1.4 haha. Quite worried about vertical distortion in the corners as well from using UWA for group shots >.<

Depends on the size of the table and how much space you have. Kinda hard to give you a clear cut answer since we are not on-location.

Which is why I'm asking here =D According to experience, would a 35mm be able to cover most of the hotels/locations in Singapore? If it cant, then what are the chances that a 35mm cannot cover? 30% to 40% of the time needing a 24mm? haha
 

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if it is held in typical restaurants, you can forget about it, you will need to squeeze thru between the tables, and most guests will refuse to move themself for table shots, so 20mm or 24mm is what you need.

if it is held in hotel ball room, that depends on how the tables being arrange, but 35mm is too risky, and too slow.


anyway, if only for table shot, don't have to use prime lens, you are wasting time. just use zoom lens and get it done FAST.
nobody bother much about table shots photos, it only printed on 4R and all they want is to see their face inside the photos.
if you take too long to shoot, people will only say you not professional, and worst, if you miss some tables, you will get it from couples, their parents, their ah gong ah meh......
 

Haha, I'm trying to avoid zooms lol. If the 35mm is workable then I would much rather have the sigma 35 1.4 haha. Quite worried about vertical distortion in the corners as well from using UWA for group shots >.<

Which is why I'm asking here =D According to experience, would a 35mm be able to cover most of the hotels/locations in Singapore? If it cant, then what are the chances that a 35mm cannot cover? 30% to 40% of the time needing a 24mm? haha

Why make your life so complicated? There's a good reason the 24-70 is so popular. You waste so much time messing around with getting the ideal angle for a prime lens.
 

Mythmaker said:
Haha, I'm trying to avoid zooms lol. If the 35mm is workable then I would much rather have the sigma 35 1.4 haha. Quite worried about vertical distortion in the corners as well from using UWA for group shots >.<

Which is why I'm asking here =D According to experience, would a 35mm be able to cover most of the hotels/locations in Singapore? If it cant, then what are the chances that a 35mm cannot cover? 30% to 40% of the time needing a 24mm? haha

Is there a reason why you would want to avoid zooms? If you are on canon, the 24-70II is of rather high quality and some have compared the IQ to primes. Might want to consider that. Then get a 20 just in case small space between tables.
 

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Thanks for all your advices! the Tamron 24-70 it is then :)
 

kit lens will do, min 24mm to be safe
 

From my experience, the versatility of a 24-70mm f/2.8 (and the DX equivalent 17-55mm f/2.8) really shines under such circumstances.

1. These are top quality zoom lenses and You'd be shooting at f/4 or smaller. From an IQ perspective, it is excellent and can hold up against most primes.

2. The ability to zoom OUT to 24mm when in tight conditions is quite significant.

3. A 24-70mm zoom is cheaper than the f/1.4 primes collection. (24mm, 35mm, 50mm)
 

1k for the kit lens and 1388 for the Tamron 24-70 lol... I'll go for the Tamron anytime haha.

One of the concerns I have on zoom is the f2.8 aperture... that's a lost of 2 full stops of "ambiance" light :( Of cos, one can argue that you dont shoot group shots at f1.4 but I personally do shoot group shots at f1.8 every now and then due to poor lighting conditions lol. Had to rearrange the people in a slight semi circle though so all will be in focus...
 

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1k for the kit lens and 1388 for the Tamron 24-70 lol... I'll go for the Tamron anytime haha.

One of the concerns I have on zoom is the f2.8 aperture... that's a lost of 2 full stops of "ambiance" light :( Of cos, one can argue that you dont shoot group shots at f1.4 but I personally do shoot group shots at f1.8 every now and then due to poor lighting conditions lol. Had to rearrange the people in a slight semi circle though so all will be in focus...

Slight semi circle....? The focal plane is flat, not curved
 

1k for the kit lens and 1388 for the Tamron 24-70 lol... I'll go for the Tamron anytime haha.

One of the concerns I have on zoom is the f2.8 aperture... that's a lost of 2 full stops of "ambiance" light :( Of cos, one can argue that you dont shoot group shots at f1.4 but I personally do shoot group shots at f1.8 every now and then due to poor lighting conditions lol. Had to rearrange the people in a slight semi circle though so all will be in focus...

As far as I can remember, most of the time for table shots, people will use flash. Like uncle catchlights say, the emphasis is on being able to see the face, not blur... If you shoot shallow DOF you're asking for it, some relative's face will be blur, and they will complain. Don't need to be work of art. Of course, different couples may have different expectations.
 

Safest bet is to use flash. Wedding is once a lifetime thingy don't take chances
there is no 'sumulah'
 

you want to use f1.4 to f2.8 to shoot table shot? got shadow boh?? (in hockkian)

if you are shooting with full frame, on a 24mm lens, f5.6 may not giving enough depth of field. don't be naive, you think very easy to arrange people for table shot? that takes many years of experience and know how to sweet talk people.

the ballroom very bright izit? don't be hero, just use flash, else off white balance, corners not sharp, motion blur, don't tell me you want to photoshop every table shots photos? and not everything can be photoshopped FYI!



btw, is this another case of "my friend ask me to help, this is my first time shoot wedding" thingy?
 

you want to use f1.4 to f2.8 to shoot table shot? got shadow boh?? (in hockkian)

if you are shooting with full frame, on a 24mm lens, f5.6 may not giving enough depth of field. don't be naive, you think very easy to arrange people for table shot? that takes many years of experience and know how to sweet talk people.

the ballroom very bright izit? don't be hero, just use flash, else off white balance, corners not sharp, motion blur, don't tell me you want to photoshop every table shots photos? and not everything can be photoshopped FYI!

btw, is this another case of "my friend ask me to help, this is my first time shoot wedding" thingy?

knowing how to shoot beautiful photo is not equal to becoming a wedding photographer.

I fully agree that learning to sweet talk and manage ppl is the key.
 

Last time we use 28-70 known as "The Beast" it's an even bigger lens than 24-70 and when people see you hold that they used to automatically move to give you space. Gone are the good old days now its trendy to rock the primes.

35mm at 1.4 or 50mm at 1.8

Yeah you gotta push the creative limits, be special and make DOF mistake a style, color temp problem a signature and messy shadows a trend. Because all these are way more important than distortion.

Or you can do the time tested method and reread Catchlights posts.
 

To TS, Actual Day is once in a lifetime event so dun be a idealist or perfectionist thinking big aperture can solve everything. A pic with bad lighting is a pic with bad lighting. Period! Imagine if this is your wedding and all your table shots turned out dark and OOF or motion blur. You are gonna be in deep "sai" if that really happens. Catchlights's advice are cold hard facts and not just for tcs sake.
 

Mythmaker said:
1k for the kit lens and 1388 for the Tamron 24-70 lol... I'll go for the Tamron anytime haha.

One of the concerns I have on zoom is the f2.8 aperture... that's a lost of 2 full stops of "ambiance" light :( Of cos, one can argue that you dont shoot group shots at f1.4 but I personally do shoot group shots at f1.8 every now and then due to poor lighting conditions lol. Had to rearrange the people in a slight semi circle though so all will be in focus...

Wait... You intend to use large apertures and ambient light to capture your image? That's quite fatal, in my opinion. Even f/4 is testing the depth of focus for anything greater than 1 row.

In addition, ambient light is rarely sufficient, you'd really need to tweak your white balance, and you would have weird shadows everywhere.