Best lens for Wedding Photography | AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II lens review

I have been using AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II for a while now with the full-frame Nikon D610, D750, and D810, and the image quality is incredibly awesome. After using this lens for a while, I can say that this is the best lens for wedding photography. This telephoto zoom lens has the best low light capability, the build, the sharpness, clarity, and the output color is what make this lens special. I have been using this for candid wedding photoshoots, outdoor photoshoots, travel photography, portraits, etc. I will not be mentioning the technical specifications, which you can always find on the Nikon website. This post is more about how I felt about using this lens.

Best lens for Wedding Photography - AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II lens

What is special about AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II lens

The AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II lens features seven extra low dispersion glass elements. This makes the image output full of true colors. The AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II comes with a vibration reduction system which makes it easy to capture shots without a tripod. The f2.8 makes this a fast lens with exceptional low-light capabilities. You can hardly find any kind of chromatic aberrations. The ghosting and flare are taken care of by the nanocrystal coating.

Hampi, KA, India captured using AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f28G ED VR II lens + Nikon D610

The AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II lens is a sharp, durable, and versatile telephoto zoom lens with a fast f2.8 fixed aperture making it an ideal choice for most the professional photographers. The vibration reduction VR II in this lens takes away any kind of motion blur while capturing handheld. While capturing at 200mm f2.8 makes the image background blur and gives perfect focus on the subject. A longer focal length when used in this lens, compresses the background an ideal option for portrait photographers to get flattering images.

What does VR II mean on the Nikon lens?

Nikon's latest image-stabilization technology, Vibration Reduction II (VR II), is used to minimize blur caused by camera shake. The VR II is touted to correct for up to four stops, allowing the photographer to shoot handheld at shutter speeds up to four stops slower. The longer the zoom lens, the more camera wobble there will be while shooting handheld.

How far can a 70-200mm lens reach?

When used with a 1.4x teleconverter, a 70-200mm lens becomes a 105-300mm equivalent. When combined with a 2.0x teleconverter, it becomes a massive 140-400mm lens! If you need more reach but don't want to invest in a super-telephoto lens, this might come in useful.

How far can you see with a 200mm lens? - This lens is frequently used for: Wildlife - When on safari or birding, your subject may be as far as 50 to a few hundred yards away, and if you want to fill the frame of your shot with that subject, you will need a strong magnification. The 200mm lens contributes to this.

What is a 70 to 200mm lens good for?

A 70-200mm lens is a flexible optic that may be used by photographers working in wildlife, wedding, sports, landscape, and even portraiture. The ability to have short, medium, and long telephoto focal lengths in one lens with a fast constant aperture provide photographers with many creative possibilities. I've mostly used it for wedding photography, and it's a lens that any professional photographer should have in their camera bag.

Best lens for Wedding Photography

Usage of AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II lens would be for a candid weddings, portraits, sports, and travel. There are circular polarizers and ND filters available for this lens. I use Haida filters (which was the only option that I had at the time of purchase). In short, this is a must-have lens if you are a professional photographer and is worth the money. Other than being a bit bulky, I could hardly find anything negative in this lens.

Best lens for Wedding Photography

Is 70 200 lens good for landscape?

A 70-200mm lens, believe it or not, maybe quite beneficial for landscape photography. Most people choose wide-angle lenses for this, however, if the subject is at a reasonable distance away, a wide-angle lens leaves a lot of empty space around the edges.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWfHm_yHPNg

You might also want to check - Review of the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED lens. Hope you enjoyed reading this blog post. Buy me a coffee to support my work or you can go to my store to buy some of my images. Also, do not forget to join my FriendZone by signing up for my newsletter. Consider subscribing to my YouTube channel.

Best Tripod for Landscape Photography

Planning to buy your first DSLR? or if you have already purchased one then I'm sure most of you might have got a tripod for free along with the camera. This is common practice being followed everywhere by the sales team of the shop, where shop owners sell a cheap quality tripod just to attract customers. But is this a good tripod for landscape photography? These cheap quality tripods may be good for a point-and-shoot camera but not for a DSLR.

Do you need a tripod for landscape photography?

A tripod for landscape photography can assist keep your photos stable and make them easier to piece together once you're back in front of the computer if you want to take some landscape panoramas. To capture the ideal panoramic photo, start from the left or right side of the image, whatever is most comfortable for you, and allow for some overlap between each frame. In addition, landscape photography typically involves lengthy exposures, which need the use of a tripod. Long exposure will also need the use of ND filters. Also, you must read when not to use a hard Graduation ND filter.

How do I choose a tripod for landscape photography?

If you prioritize versatility above size and weight, a full-sized tripod will often allow you to compose from low to well above eye level. Independent, multi-angle legs are required for a tripod for landscape photography to be put up securely on rugged and uneven terrain.

Here are a few things that you need to look for while buying a tripod for landscape photography. Check if the tripod can handle more weight, this is important when you attach the lens to your camera. This happened to me when I used a cheap quality tripod over which I had my Nikon D610 camera. To this, I attached 14-24 lenses and it couldn't handle the weight.

What type of tripod head is best for landscape photography?

A ball head or pan-tilt head is generally better for landscape photographers. I can't suggest a gimbal head highly enough if you're a wildlife photographer with a long lens. They are more expensive, but purchasing a gimbal head is one of the finest investments you can make if you are serious about photography. When it comes to filmmaking and photography, I recommend employing pan-tilt. In addition, if you enjoy timelapse photography, you can attach this tilt motor to the top of your tripod and put your camera on top of it, as demonstrated in the video.

https://youtu.be/y7pu3-OpfQk

Tripod has to be sturdy - this is very important to get razor-sharp images. A Ball-head would be a good one to attach on top of your expensive tripod. But, if you have plans of making a few videos as well then you can go for a 3-way head which I use. Using a 3-way head helps you in panning but you will have to do the level adjustments individually which is not the case in ball-head.

What tripod height is the best?

A tripod should be tall enough to support your camera at eye level. Unless you're shooting on a hill, want a higher viewpoint, or have items at eye level that are obscuring your vision, 5 to 6 feet is plenty. This is the height with all of the legs extended but not the center column extended. Avoid lifting the center column since this may cause camera wobble; alternatively, put some weight on the bottom of the center column as a counterweight.

A tripod is essential if you want to capture razor-sharp photographs or if you want to be a landscape photographer. So, get yourself a nice tripod for landscape photography. Instead of going for the complimentary tripods, ask the shop owner to lower the price of the camera and then buy a decent quality tripod. If you buy a cheap tripod, you will wind up buying a better tripod and spending more money later on.

Tripod for Landscape Photography while hiking

For individuals who enjoy walking or hiking, such as myself, I prefer carbon fiber tripod legs, which may be rather pricey. As of this writing, I have an aluminum body, which weighs one kilogram more than the carbon fiber body. It may not seem like much, but when you're trekking and every gram counts, it's a major deal.

Another alternative is to avoid carrying any of these bulky tripods and instead choose a tiny ultra-flexible tripod or a Gorillapod, which can be used to connect your mirrorless DSLR to an action camera. The nice part is that you can put it on almost anything.

https://youtu.be/pnpEHgYPUsc

Best tripod for landscape photography

I use MHXPRO-3W X-PRO 3-Way Head (You may this from Flipkart - Manfrotto MK055XPRO3 which has around 10 years warranty - Manfrotto landscape tripod). You can buy the tripod legs and the head separately. When you buy see that the two are compatible. If the use of a tripod is for studio or wedding/outdoor shoot then the above tripod should be fine. But if you want a tripod for travel and hiking then go for the carbon fiber version of it, which is lighter by one kg. So, what tripod do you have in mind and what is the purpose?

https://youtu.be/mBg7rw8eOFo

Hope you enjoyed reading this blog post. Buy me a coffee to support my work or you can go to my store to buy some of my images. Also, do not forget to join my FriendZone by signing up for my newsletter. Consider subscribing to my YouTube channel.

11 Essential Candid Wedding photography gear for indulgent assignment completion

People frequently ask me what equipment I use for candid wedding photography. You are free to use any camera equipment you choose, but I enjoy using the equipment I've listed and encourage others to do the same. The majority of the equipment I own is from Nikon, however the same is true of other manufacturers as well. One thing to keep in mind is that the equipment is significant but not crucial. The photographer and his originality will still be there. Otherwise, you'll just be another expensive-gear-wielding monkey who has no idea how to take the greatest possible pictures.

Candid Wedding Photography gear

Let me start with the gear that I use:
Body:
Full frame DSLR camera body. Backup camera. Ex: I have been using D610 AND D750 cameras. You may get the backup camera for rent, as these cameras are super expensive.

Lens:
A must-have lens - Nikon AF-S 24-70mm F/2.8G ED
Must have a lens. Useful for candid shots - Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II
Prime lens - Nikon AF Nikkor 50 mm f/1.4D
Wide-angle lens for some shots of the location of the place where the event takes place - Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S

Others:
External flash - Nikon Speedlight SB-910
Additional camera batteries - Nikon EN-EL15 Lithium-Ion Batteries - 4 to 5 of them.
Maha Charger to charge Speedlight batteries (8 batteries at the same time) which has independent circuits and a display that show the charging of each of the batteries.
Camera bag - Lowepro Transit Backpack 350 AW
Tripod - Manfrotto - MHXPRO-3W X-PRO 3-Way Head - I just carry this just in case

Wide angle for Candid Wedding

Few may question why I would use a wide-angle lens to photograph a wedding. Let me tell you, in addition to the standard photographs, it is a good idea to include a few wide-angle images just for those dramatic shots. I would advise renting the 14–24mm lens, which is another pricey lens. Note that this should not be your primary lens when doing candid wedding photography.

For photographing many of the scenes that frequently occur at weddings, a wide-angle lens is a really powerful instrument. It is the perfect choice for photographing rapidly because of its wide angle of view, which encompasses more of a room than a typical viewpoint, and its ability to generate fine focus quickly and with a lot of depth of field. If you want to make the bride and groom appear to be in their own little universe, a wide aperture can be employed to emphasize the shallow depth of field impression.

The must-have lens for candid wedding

The 24-70mm f2.8 and the 70-200mm f2.8 lenses are a must-have for candid weddings. If you can buy these two, I would say it's worth buying. The reason is simple f2.8, has amazing sharpness, clarity, and low-light performance. A lens with f2.8 can do magic when compared to a zoom lens that has f4.5 to 5.6.

70-200mm f2.8 is something that I use to get candid shots where I get some natural shots of couples in the event without them knowing anything about me capturing them. You need not stand too close and 70-200 f2.8 is an ideal lens for candid shots. Note that as a candid wedding photographer, these zoom lenses will play an important role in capturing the photos of the subject from a distance. Candid wedding photographers here in India are in high demand as they use these telephoto lenses to capture casual, unplanned, natural photos of people, basically capturing the moments.

The basic lens everyone should buy

I use 50mm f1.4 to get that extra blur in the background. Many ask me if I do that in the post-editing. Not much, it's just the lens. Another lens capable of capturing crystal clear images is really sharp and has good low-light capabilities.

Candid wedding photos - Indian wedding

Why not a camera body with an APSC sensor?

This is a common question many people who are interested in getting into this business ask me, but not sure or not ready to spend money on expensive camera gear, I would say go ahead and use it. No problem. You can get amazing shots using APSC sensors as well and need not always go to full-frame. That's good to start with, also you might consider getting the expensive camera body for rent.

Also read: 19 Reasons Why a Professional Photographer Won’t come cheap

Why do I carry 2 camera bodies?

1. As a backup, what if one camera fails, what if the shutter stops working, what if the memory card fails? You cannot give this excuse at a wedding event, the event is gone. You cannot ask them to get married again.

2. To get shots from different angles - we usually go for an event with 2 photographers me and my assistant who is also a photographer, will be standing on the opposite side and doing exactly the opposite of what I do. By doing so we get images from different angles. An example would be the first kiss, tying the knot, etc. No one wants to miss that shot.

Indian weddings usually happen indoors in a wedding hall or in a temple. And most of the time under poor light and colorful background cloth is another thing to keep in mind. Too many people on the stage or the place where the event takes place. At some of the wedding events, you will even find miniature bulbs, odd color lamps, and bulbs. The best is to take two umbrellas or some bright light source.

You might be interested in reading - 11 Ideas to think like a Professional Photographer

Candid wedding photographer's nightmare

The worst thing that can happen in an event is power failure which happened in one of the recent wedding events that I went to. It was almost dark inside the wedding hall and luckily someone switched on the backup generators in the wedding hall and power had come back in 10 minutes. But during this time you might miss out on some of the important shots like tying the knot etc and this is where I used speed lights / external flash.

So, either have a backup power supply for your external lights or mention that in the contract under risks. Hope you have learned something today by reading this blog post. Buy me a coffee to support my work or you can go to my store to buy some of my images. Also, do not forget to join my FriendZone by signing up for my newsletter. Consider subscribing to my YouTube channel.