EQUIPMENT REVIEW: SIGMA 24MM F/1.4 ART LENS

EQUIPMENT INTRODUCTIONS WITH SAM

The Sigma 24mm f/1.4 Art Lens is an absolute dream. Now, if I had to pick one prime (non-zoom) lens for the rest of my life it would be the 35mm, but the 24mm is a very close second, in that, while not quite as versatile as the 35, it produces great results, and it’s a perfect lens for capturing the setting, not just the subject, which you’ll see in the example photos below. Without further ado, here’s a quick run down of why we love this lens!

Great For The Following:

• Wedding photography where the size of the space you’re in is small (the getting ready portion of the day for instance)

• Multi-Person or Large Group Portraits (including family formals)

• Taking photos that showcase more of the setting around where you were shooting

• Non-macro close-up shots (you can get fairly close to your subject with this lens)

• Low light settings like wedding receptions

• Street photography (it is PERFECT for street photography if that’s your jam)

Would Not Recommend For:

• I wouldn’t recommend this as your only lens because with any wide angle lens, there can be some distortion if you’re trying to get more up close and personal shots

• Macro shots (it’s just not a macro lens even though it has a closer focusing distance)

Overall, it’s an incredibly sharp lens at most distances (the very furthest distances are not necessarily tack sharp), that is versatile and gives a photojournalism feel to your photos by helping you showcase the setting of the images you’re taking.

Check out the images below, all taken by us on the Sigma 24mm f/1.4 Art lens, and if you’re so inclined, tell us what you love (or don’t) about the 24mm if you have one!

-Sam

Equipment Review: Sigma 35mm f/1.4 ART Lens

Equipment Introductions with Sam

I’ve been wanting to review the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 ART Lens ever since I first put it on my camera, but I’ve been so busy using it that I never got around to it, and then ultimately forgot about equipment reviews entirely for about 3 years (whoops…). Now that I’ve remembered though, the first lens I wanted to review is my all-time favorite lens, and the one both Rob and I use most frequently for weddings and portraits! For those who haven’t checked out an equipment review by us, we keep it pretty high-level and straight to the point, and our focus generally is on applications for wedding or portrait photography. With that said, here we go!

Great For The Following:

• Wedding photography where the size of the space you’re in may change frequently

• Portraits (the bokeh with this lens is amazing)

• Family formals for small groups

• Non-macro close-up shots

• Low light settings like wedding receptions

• Street photography

Would Not Recommend For:

• Wide angle photography (there isn’t much I wouldn’t recommend this lens for, clearly)

If there is any “con” to this lens, it’s that from particularly far away, it isn’t always tack sharp, but that’s asking quite a lot from a single lens that is so amazing in all other ways. This lens is so incredibly versatile (whether you’re on a full-frame or crop sensor), and the bokeh is so beautiful (have I mentioned that yet?!) that I wouldn’t hesitate to use it in nearly any situation. It’s even amazingly sharp on fine detail, despite not being a macro lens.

Hands down, if I could only shoot on one lens for the rest of my life, this would be it! Check out the images below, all taken by Rob or I on our Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art lenses (we each have one, that way we don’t have to fight over it), and if you’re so inclined, tell us what you love (or don’t) about the 35mm if you have one!

-Sam

What's In Our Camera Bag?

A Look At The Photography Equipment We couldn't do Without 

If you're like me, you probably love looking at what equipment other photographers use! I find it endlessly fascinating (although admittedly, I'm a photography nerd). So, since I totally dig it when other photographers share what equipment they're using, I wanted to do the same!

Camera Bodies

• Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless (Sam’s primary camera)

  • After making the switch to mirrorless, I can see what folks are raving about! The moveable LCD screen is very handy for getting shots from odd and interesting angles, and the performance of the camera is excellent. I love everything about it except that the battery life isn’t quite as long as DSLRs, so if you’re shooting weddings or other longer events, just make sure to have an extra battery on hand

• Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (Rob’s primary camera)

  • This is a badass camera body, and it's the one Rob uses in his day to day and for weddings, and while it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of the R5 (the LCD screen is stationary for instance), it produces excellent images and is the best DSLR for weddings hands down

• Canon 6D Mark II (Sam’s backup camera)

  • I wanted a full-frame sensor for my backup camera body, since I do shoot with two camera bodies on wedding days to avoid a lot of lens switch outs, and the 6D Mark II is a great backup body that performs well in low light

• Canon EOS 7D Mark II Rob’s backup camera)

  • If you don't need a full-frame sensor, the 7D Mark II is the way to go! It's a workhorse camera with excellent low light performance and so is great for wedding photography if you’re on a tighter equipment budget

Lenses

• Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art Lens for Canon

  • I have barely taken this lens off my camera since I got it! It's sharp, fast and accurate auto-focus, and has the dreamiest bokeh imaginable (seriously gorgeous) and the focal length also makes this a very versatile lens as well - this is definitely my go-to lens!

• Sigma 24mm f/1.4 Art Lens for Canon

  • In my time as a wedding photographer, I’ve struggled to “zoom out” and get those beautiful, wide-angle shots, in part because I’d never found a wide angle lens that I actually liked, but now that I’ve got the 24mm from Sigma, the world of stunning, scene-capturing wide angle shots is mine!

• Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art Lens for Canon

  • Okay, this is also an amazing lens, and I just love all of my Sigma lenses so much it's not even funny

• Canon EF 100mm Macro f/2.8 Lens

  • This lens is a great prime lens to use as a telephoto during wedding ceremonies (particularly outdoors) and a great macro lens to capture close-up details like rings, etc. (This lens seriously takes the best ring shots)

• Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L Lens

  • We call this lens The Beast, and with good reason! It's not for the faint of heart, or weak of arm! It's a heavy but magnificent lens that's sharp, great for getting that close up feel I love during moments where perhaps we can't get that close (wedding ceremonies anyone?) Be prepared to have sore arms the next day, but at least you’ll be able to admire the gorgeous images you got while you were getting in that upper body workout!

• Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L Lens

  • This is such a versatile lens, particularly for wedding photographers, and even though I generally prefer prime lenses (lenses that don’t zoom), the 24-70mm will always hold a special place in my heart

Lighting

• Godox V1 Speedlites

  • I cannot say enough wonderful things about this flash. We have 5 of them, and coupled with using one as a wireless transmitter (that can also itself fire flash or not, as you choose, or we also have several wireless transmitters), they create the easiest and quickest-to-use wireless lighting setup for off-camera flash imaginable! Plus the batteries are rechargeable lithium ion batteries, so gone are the days of bringing 50+ AA batteries with us to every wedding! (The flash recycle time can wane sometimes if you’re shooting on ETTL, and that’s my only complaint about these, but that’s an issue with all speedlites, which is why I tend to shoot in manual mode on my speedlites and when I do that, the recycle time is much faster)

Accessories

• SanDisk 64GB and 128GB Extreme PRO Memory Cards

  • You can also never have too many memory cards, and these are our favorites 

• Peak Design Camera Bag and Straps

  • I just ADORE this brand! It's stylish, unisex, and sturdy. <3 

• Rose Anvil Two Camera Leather Harness

  • I like this first and foremost because I look like a badass in it (very important), but second, because it allows me to have two camera bodies on me at all times, with different lenses, so I’m always ready whatever the shot calls for, and it takes all the pressure off my neck and lower back (yay!)

• Sipsey Wilder Hip Bag

  • Yeah…. I know fanny packs were unfashionable for a very long time, but they’ve come a long way since the eighties and nineties, and Sipsey Wilder makes super stylish hip bags (i.e. not your mama’s fanny pack) that I can throw a few extra batteries, memory cards, and chapstick in so I’m prepared during the wedding day

Photo Editing Software

• Adobe Lightroom 

  • Lightroom for LIFE! I've been hooked ever since the Beta came out back in 2006, and although I've shopped around, nothing beats it for intuitive workflow. There are also mobile versions that make on-the-go editing and culling a breeze

• Adobe Photoshop

  • There are certain things Lightroom can’t do as well as Photoshop (though very few in my opinion) and adding texture to images for a more fine art feel is one of them, so we use Photoshop for that

In Closing... 

I am so excited to share our camera bag info with you, and if there is anything in particular you'd like to see a review on, leave us a comment and let us know! 

-Sam

Equipment Review: Canon 24-70 mm 2.8 Lens

Equipment Introductions with Rob

Today I'm introducing the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L.  We call it a Walk Around Lens; Walk Around Lenses being our favorite lenses for multiple conditions.  At a little over two pounds, the 24-70 is not our lightest lens, but its versatility makes it worth the haul for weddings.  It syncs well with our Speedlite 600EX-RT flashes (look for a future review), but as a f/2.8 it does well in lower light situations as well, and also has some macro capabilities when at full zoom.

Great For The Following:  

• Wedding Photography
• Portraits
• Family Formals or Large Group Photography
• Macro Photography (if you can't yet invest in a Macro lens) 

Would Not Recommend For:

• Street Photography (too bulky) 
• Sharp Wide Angle Shots
• Super Low Light 

Outside of the convenience and quality afforded by this zoom lens, it's worth noting that the focus is sharpest when zoomed all the way in.

I took this picture of a dried flower on my Field Notes, zoomed all the way out to 24mm:

However, as shown in the picture below, the sharpness does not lend itself to cropping during editing:

Keeping all other things the same, I zoomed to 70mm:

The refinement gained really pays off in editing:

There's no definition to those hairs at 28mm.  Are tiny hairs on a dried flower often important during a wedding?  No, not really, but you can only edit what you record.  If the subject of photograph is the details, you are better off if you keep in mind to shoot at 70mm with this lens.  Rarely when moving within crowds am I looking for that level of detail; the ability to pull back to 28mm allows me to capture more of the spirit of things without being obtrusive.  The ability to slide back and forth between these strengths is what makes this such a fantastic lens for weddings.

Stay tuned for more equipment reviews from me in the coming weeks, and check out the album below, all taken with the 24-70. 

--Rob