Do you often find yourself shooting at weddings?
If so, then you know how important it is to have the right equipment.
There are many different Sony lenses for wedding photography to choose from, but which one should be your top choice?
I’m a wedding photographer for 7 years now. One thing I’m always getting questions about is how to handle your first wedding day.
And obviously, I have full wedding day behind-the-scenes and videos, which will help you out and give you some tips.
And I recommend you my favorite 9 best Sony lens for wedding photography.
Let’s drive-in:
What lens is best for wedding photography?
Here are my recommended top 8 best Sony lens for wedding photography:-
Image | Product | Best lens for | View on Amazon |
---|---|---|---|
Sony 70-200mm F4 | (Best Sony e mount lens for wedding photography) | View on Amazon | |
Sony 55mm F1.8 | (Best wedding lens for Sony A7riii) | View on Amazon | |
Sony 24-70mm F2.8 | (Best zoom lens for wedding photography Sony) | View on Amazon | |
Sony 16-35mm F4 | (Best Sony Full frame lens for wedding photography) | View on Amazon | |
Sony 85mm F1.8 | (Best Portrait lens for wedding photography Sony) | View on Amazon | |
Sony 24mm F1.4 | (Best lens for wedding photography Sony A6000) | View on Amazon | |
Sony 16-35mm F2.8 | (Best Sony ultra-wide-angle zoom lens for weddings) | View on Amazon | |
Sony 35mm F1.8 | (Best lens for wedding photography Sony A7iii) | View on Amazon | |
Sony E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 | (Best sony lens for pre-wedding photography) | View on Amazon |
Sony 70-200mm F4: (Best Sony e mount lens for wedding photography)
The 70-200 millimeter f4 is my favorite choice for a telephoto lens for Sony because it’s compact, has an excellent focal range, and it’s just an all-around awesome lens.
This one comes in at 1.8 pounds, which is nearly half the weight of the 2.8 version, so that’s why we’ve chosen to go with this one because we often hike and climb with our equipment.
So having something lightweight is important.
If you’re shooting within low-light environments, we typically shoot outdoors where there’s plenty of light, so this is adequate.
The other thing that really stands out to me about this lens is how sharp it is.
I would say it’s on par with most prime lenses, as far as sharpness, which is a really excellent quality to get, and a zoom lens gets a little bit more difficult.
I love having to tack sharp images, and this lens delivers one characteristic that surprised me: the unique lens flare that this lens creates when you shoot.
The other advantage of shooting with a 70 to 200 as opposed to a prime is it gives you that focal range.
So, at 70 millimeters or closer to between 70 and 85, you can get a really nice portrait lens, and you can get relatively close to your subject.
Or, if you want to zoom out to 200 millimeters, you can get amazing compression and really bring that subject close to the background in that field of view.
I also appreciated that this lens is full-featured; it comes with optical stabilization and all your expected functions.
On a professional-grade, 70-200 at a great price point, and that’s probably one of the biggest factors for people in choosing this lens is that it’s less expensive than the 2000 plus dollar f 2.8 version.
The main advantage for us was the weight, but I think many people will appreciate the less expensive option.
In summary, if you want a lightweight, high quality, and affordable lens. The 70 to 200 is the best option for a telephoto zoom lens for a Sony full-frame e mount.
Sony 55mm F1.8: (Best wedding lens for Sony A7riii)
It’s exceptionally well made, it’s a very loving finish, it’s an excellent build that you can feel this is much more substantial.
It’s a little bit bigger but not that much bigger; It just feels lovely in hand.
It’s an excellent clean design, It is heavier coming in Act, but it’s still a very lightweight lens.
The focus ring is super smooth, exactly what you’d expect, and what you’d hope for the autofocus is exceptional as all of these lenses are, to be honest with these primes.
In particular, I pick ones that perform extremely well in all conditions with autofocus.
It just needs to do its job. I tend to use this 55 sparingly, especially with regards to weddings.
It’s a great mid-range portrait lens, and it does produce stunning results.
Because you’re interested in one for wedding photography, I tend to use this more once the bulk of the day is done, once the speeches are finished.
I can put that away if I have been using zoom; I generally tend to get more creative, especially in the summer and autumn months after the speeches, the sun is starting to go down.
I will use this in a wide-angle fashion, and it gives it a really unique look to the picture.
I sometimes use it a little bit for prep, but it comes out later on. I do like to use it on first downs as well.
Again with low light, autofocus is superb at F1.8 is super sharp to get some stunning results.
I’ve taken some stunning images over the last six months.
You’ll see the bokeh on that is absolutely beautiful, super-sharp into the evening shots.
As I say, I like to get some lovely shots when the sun’s gone.
This is 100% super-sharp, stunningly sharp I do love how good this lens is.
So, in summary, is this any good? Of course, It’s a superb lens, extremely well built, super sharp across the whole frame.
If I’m picky, as you sometimes get capsized in the bokeh, the only real negative is not massive problems for clients and me; they wouldn’t even need to sit. They see great results.
There’s a little bit of vignetting around the edges, especially at 1.8, but most lenses have that, and it’s quite easily overcome in Lightroom and Photoshop.
In the end, it is very well balanced, lightweight, super sharp across the frame, extremely well built.
I do get this lens at weddings, and it is just that little bit extra special when you’re looking for something to make a difference; this gives you a totally different look, obviously, when it comes to budget primes.
This isn’t really a budget prime, but when you want a 50 mil and keep it small and sharp, this is the one to go for.
It’s always going to be in my kit bag; it’s one that I will never sell.
It is the most expensive 1.8 on the market, but you’re paying for the sharpest Sony price there is out there at the moment.
What is the best Sony lens for wedding photography?
Sony 24-70mm F2.8: (Best zoom lens for wedding photography Sony)
So I’ve played with this lens for quite a bit now. I’ve taken it to a few weddings.
So first off, let’s talk about build quality; it’s a tank, it’s solid as you guys know what all the GM lenses are like; they are flawless.
It’s the same as all the other G Master lenses; it just lacks the aperture control dial like the prime lenses have, but it still has the function button on the side and the AF mF switch.
It is a full-weather sealed lens, and it does have an 82 mil filter through it.
A strange question I got the other day was how does the lens feel, and I’m going to say, it feels hard feels it is a little bit of a heavy lens.
It’s not stupidly heavy, but it does feel a little bit front-heavy when you have it on a small camera.
There’s nothing to really complain about in terms of size; it’s definitely quite a bit taller and a little bit fatter.
But to be honest, there are not really any issues with size to 24-70 zoom; it’s probably going to be what you expect.
With these things, I wanted to talk a little bit about who it’s for and why you might use it instead of a prime lens.
Now, in my opinion, I’m going to say the 24-70 GM is definitely better in all areas, not by such a massive margin, and it has a really excellent lens, and it’s really sharp.
There are not really any issues with that; I’m going to say the 24-70 is definitely a faster focusing lens; it’s better focusing with video.
So, probably the biggest thing is 24-70 is built like a tank, and if you’re a professional, if you’re doing photography full time, if you’re doing something that you really need reliable solid equipment, then possibly 24-70 would be the way to go.
If you want the best of the best and money isn’t too much of an issue, go for the Sony GM.
For example, during the ceremony, I could use 24-70 without any issues, just having that one lens, which was fantastic.
So I think it’s a really versatile lens, and it’s definitely something many people have been like.
When I’m photographing the reception and low light, and I’m doing the bridal portraits, I really prefer this lens if I’m getting ready photos in the morning when it’s slow-paced.
So let’s jump into image quality. Now, it’s really nice. It’s excellent at sharp at 2.8, and the image is sharp all the way through the frame, and you’ll be pleased with it.
The colors and contrast are really awesome, just like any other GM lens; they are really punchy, vibrant, and accurate.
When it comes to color tone, chromatic aberration is actually really well controlled.
At 2.8, you can’t really see any chromatic aberration unless it’s in a really extreme highlight situation.
Now talking about focus, this means it’s fast; it’s really quick to focus.
It’s definitely a strength over the prime lenses, no issues tracking a bride walking down the aisle or anything like that.
Now another question guys asked me was how to focus in low light.
Now that’s a perfect one because the biggest thing I noticed with this lens is that it’s not unusable if you’re in a really low-light situation.
Still, it’s pretty close to switching over to manual focus, so low light focusing’s okay as long as it doesn’t get too dark.
Now video focus with this lens is really great; I had no issues with video focus. It’s fast and smooth.
I would really like to have this lens in my bag for ceremonies.
If you are making money and you’re a full time professional or your event photographer, wedding photographer, and this is your main lens, then I would go for the Sony GM because it’s going to last you longer I’m sure you know you have to weigh it out for yourself.
Sony 16-35mm F4: (Best Sony Full frame lens for wedding photography)
I got this lens about a month and a half ago, and I’ve been using it for various shoots, weddings, in particular, and a lot of videos for my corporate clients.
I’m just going to go over my pros and cons for this lens; then, you can decide if this is the lens you want to invest in.
So first off, this is by far my new favorite lens in my bag, such a versatile lens.
I know that’s a bit extreme, but the quality of this lens blows that one’s out of the water.
So my first Pro is sharpness; the sharpness of this lens, considering it’s a non-prime lens, is believably sharp.
And I’m saying that because of the detail that you get in the shots and the bokeh, I was really surprised at how much bokeh you get with this lens considering it’s an f4.
The bokeh, even at 16 millimeters, when you’re vlogging or doing anything in the close range, you get a pretty decent amount of bokeh.
The second Pro is quality; this lens feels like it weighs about 2 pounds; I know it doesn’t, but that might be kind of close, definitely the heaviest lens that is in my bag.
Now focal length, we all know it’s a 16 to 35. Obviously, the 16 millimeter on a full-frame camera is really wide.
Like with the 16, It’s so good for those wedding shots where you’re just trying to capture the entire moment; I found this lens to be really good at 16 millimeters.
Now it goes to 35, which’s like a semi portrait focal length and the bokeh you get at 35 is actually really good.
So the cons, the cons about this lens, like I said, are a little bit heavy, so it is a little bit more difficult to use on the crane all day long type thing.
But the heavy build quality is also noted as better build quality and a better image.
So it’s a pro, but I’m considering it a con that it’s a little bit heavy, but definitely not a deal-breaker for me, and of course, the other con would be that it’s an f4. I wish it were like an F2 or f 1.4
I’m using it mainly outdoors to get the super-wide parallax shots and, considering it’s like an f4. Not a big deal because I do mainly use this lens outside.
I use this lens for a very large portion of the day.
Whenever I’m on my gimbal, I will use the 16 to 35 to get some nice wide shots or venues or details of anything outside.
If I need anything more of a shallow depth of field and brighter, I use my 35 millimeters.
So this lens has worked really well for me for most of the time that I’ve been filming weddings, generally for the evening.
Sometimes for the first dance and things like that, I generally use a 16 to 35 millimeter.
Sony 85mm F1.8: (Best Portrait lens for wedding photography Sony)
We are talking about the best budget lens for wedding photography.
Why I like this real-world lens scenario on why I use this lens, and why it’s something that I’m actually reviewing and want to recommend to you.
I go over a couple of the key features about the lens that makes it worthwhile to buy it.
So best budget wedding photography went, what would it be for you?
This is going to differ from one person to another.
Their favorite lens might be this lens because this is my personal favorite lens for a budget, and I could shoot a whole wedding with this one lens and be fine.
It’s going to kill it; it’s never failed me; it’s always done a great job, great photos every single time, and that lens is Sony 85 millimeter 1.8 this lens.
The focus rings super smooth, and the glass is so pretty.
You know, gear lovers, that’s something I look forward to always just that pretty glass that a prime 85 usually gives, and Sony gives it with no exceptions.
So why is this lens my favorite wedding photography budget lens to get? And a lot of reasons why.
Number one, I think the best thing about it is you’re getting such a good quality lens for an amazing price.
So if you are a photographer, you’re getting a really sharp piece of glass with a 1.8.
If you are a videographer and use this as in weddings or even just events and concerts, whatever you’re using it for, this is a stellar lens to use because the focus in it or the motor in it dead quiet.
One thing I do wish you had was image stabilization.
That is the one crucial thing, but again, these alpha series cameras are really good with the five-axis stabilization already built into them, that it really doesn’t offset it too much.
This thing is dead tack sharp, even at F1.8.
If your subjects are in the middle of the frame, you will not have an issue getting a nice sharp image out of this lens.
Those quarters at 1.8 kinds seem to start fading away a little bit. It’s almost to be expected at this price point, but again it is nothing that will take away from the image at all.
The 85 focal lengths, in general, are go-to for most wedding photographers that I’ve talked to you that I’ve seen, and even for myself It’s just such a classic.
Great, go to a vocal range that you’re just going to get a perfect impression.
If you’re doing a headshot, if you’re standing back doing a full body shot, no matter how good your angle is, this is like a great most flattering for the bride and groom focal length that you could get.
If that made sense, I hope I didn’t confuse that, so why this one in particular, again? It’s that budget.
So that being said, this is my favorite budget lens for wedding photography.
If I had to recommend one lens for you to only have on your camera the whole wedding day for whatever it is for the ceremony, the reception, just the getting ready photos, the detail shots, whatever it is the one.
This will listen to the lens I would recommend to you; it’s going to crush it, it’s going to do whatever you need it to do, and it’s going to do a great job doing it and on top of that.
Again, it doesn’t have that image stabilization, but the fact that it has the camera’s stabilization and the fact that this thing is just so buttery smooth quiet.
It’s just not a distraction for anyone, and if you’re recording with the mic on top of it, it’s not going to get picked up.
This is the go-to; you don’t even have to swap it off.
So I highly recommend that you check out this lens if you haven’t already.
Sony 24mm F1.4: (Best lens for wedding photography Sony A6000)
I’ve had this lens for over two years now, and I take it for every single wedding I shoot, but then it stays in my bag for an almost full day until it gets dark.
I really love that G Master build; it’s lightweight, it’s super compact, and yet, it doesn’t feel cheap at all.
It’s already been well known for its outstanding quality.
This lens has amazing quality in a very small, compact body, but what kind of use did I found it for my wedding photography?
For most of the day on my main camera, you will find a 35 millimeter; I feel very comfortable shooting a 35-millimeter lens.
And then on my second body, I usually have my 50, which is now 55 1.8, So I can reach a little bit longer so shooting with two bodies, 35 and 55.
And of course, I know that 24 can be very useful during the day, and having it in my back, I find on numerous occasions to use it instead of my 35.
When I’m in like, maybe some tighter space, or maybe I’m shooting in some amazing space that I want to showcase like surroundings.
For example, when I want to show everything around, this 24 comes very in handy. Like at 1.4, it has amazing separation, beautiful smooth background blur.
So yeah, it’s a great lens overall, like for portraits and stuff, especially if you feel comfortable trading wide-angle lenses daily.
It gives you amazing opportunities, but all of this is like a bonus because I mostly use it for the dance floor stuff.
After all, when I’m at a party, taking photos, I’m actually the party animal, and at the party, 24 mil is amazing for that.
I prefer 24 as the widest because this lens at 24 has almost no distortion; other than general perspective, I have no distortion.
So 24 is also good for that because I kind of know that I’ll probably catch whatever I see with my eyes.
Plus, this lens has amazing exceptional sharpness and contrast, even shooting against the DJ light.
So that’s really helpful shooting parties, and as I said, I’ve been using it for two years, mostly mainly at the parties, partying like crazy.
So yeah, that’s my take; 24 GM highly recommends that.
Sony 16-35mm F2.8: (Best Sony ultra-wide-angle zoom lens for weddings)
It’s heavy and expensive. The autofocus is very fast, and I really loved its capabilities because I’m very used to shooting primes.
And so, having the range from 16-35 really comes in handy when you’re shooting a wedding or an event where you need to be really close and tight.
There are some things that I want to mention for people who are exploring this length or trying to figure out whether or not it’s something that they should buy.
So let me go over the pros and cons that I found with my limited time with it.
I had it for two weeks, and I brought it for a wedding and a few personal events of my kids and family.
So let’s start with the pros.
There’s a lot; it’s a lens that has a really great range. The perfect range efficient wide very often 16 to 35 is like basically all you need.
Another pro is that this lens is incredibly sharp and another great thing about this lens is that it focuses credibly fast.
There are some cons to this. One is the weight; it is quite heavy.
Another issue big issue is that when I was shooting the wedding, on multiple occasions.
The camera would lock up, so I would not be able to change my aperture or my shutter speed or, I couldn’t change anything.
So apparently, this is a problem that a few other people have experienced.
Even with all the cons, I think I’m actually going to go ahead and buy this lens because it works amazing for reception photos when people are dancing and stuff like that.
I love getting that super-wide when I need to be able to like get close.
Sony 35mm F1.8: (Best lens for wedding photography Sony A7iii)
We got a couple of different reasons why I really love this lens, and it’s probably my most used lens.
When I’m doing commercial videography, I’m doing anything like anything with my camera; this is my go-to lens.
This is the lens that I’m going to most of the time when I’m trying to get really cinematic shots because it has that low aperture, it has that really sharp image, and I love the 35-millimeter focal length.
It has an amazing image quality the image that you get out of this lens’s optics was excellent.
There’s not much distortion, there’s no chromatic aberration or not that much that I can see, it’s an excellent lens and out of all the 35.
This is an easy choice to pick. It’s also a lot more affordable, so it just makes more sense to me.
This is a perfect length; as I said, the G Master has a shallower depth of field 1.4, but unless you’re really concerned about that for photography for video production.
I think 1.8 is a bit of a better lens because of the value and stuff.
I love manual focus, and I use manual focus, like if I need to focus on certain things manually.
So compact, it is really easy to carry around, and it makes the whole kit a lot smaller, which I like when my hands really close under the lens.
It’s great for, like, environmental portraitures, and when I say that, I mean like environmental portraiture compositions in the video so when you have a subject and kind of a wide background shot of them.
Still, I also use this for the close-upshot.
I get a lot closer to my subjects, and it gives it a really cool perspective because it’s a little bit wider, but you get that depth of field with this, which is just one of the reasons I love this lens at the end of the day.
So, if you’re looking for a 35 millimeter, or you’re looking for your first prime, or just maybe in your first lens for your full-frame Sony camera, I think this would be a great option now for a first lens.
Sony E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3: (Best sony lens for pre-wedding photography)
Every pre-wedding photographer knows that they need to get as close to a fantastic shot as possible, and the Sony E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 is the only lens for this job.
This lens is designed for the photographer who values quality and dependability while building a stunning portfolio of images that are sure to wow their soon-to-be newlywed clients!
This is an excellent lens for pre-wedding photography.
It’s lightweight and powerful, with the perfect zoom range for capturing both close-ups of the individual couple and distant scenes that will provide context at dramatic moments in their love story.
This lens will capture all the professional quality images you need to make your wedding memorable!
Its bright f/5.6 aperture makes it appropriate for shooting in low light conditions like a church or hotel ballroom without the flash on! Plus, with its quiet autofocus motor.
The wide zoom range lets you take pictures of family and engaged couples from afar while also being great for portraits and nature shots!
This lens takes distortion-less quality pictures that are easy to share on social media due to its built-in Optical Steady Shot image stabilization and high-definition video capabilities.
Manual focus capability and a non-rotating macro ring during AF are ideal for precise adjustments when shooting in low light conditions.
Or they are capturing difficult angles like children running through a field (which is where amazing candid shots come from!).
Its ISO capabilities make video capture smooth and flawless – ideal for any occasion you may find yourself shooting.
When you’re capturing moments on a pre-wedding shoot, you need to have everything perfect, and this lens is the best way to do it.
You can’t go wrong with this excellent all-around lens at an affordable price!
Is Sony A7iii good for wedding photography?
The Sony A7iii is a third-generation full-frame mirrorless camera that has been making waves in the industry. It’s known for its high ISO performance and 42MP sensor, with a BSI design that offers better color reproduction than previous models.
The A7iii also features an advanced autofocus system with 425 phase-detection points and 169 contrast-detection points to help you capture sharper images quickly, as well as live view AF capabilities to allow photographers more control over their focus point.
This makes it great for capturing fast-moving subjects like weddings!
The Sony A7iii is a solid option for wedding photography due to its high-quality imaging, and fast focusing abilities that let you capture those moments before they happen.
What lens do most wedding photographers use?
“Many photographers have asked what lens they should use for a wedding day. The best answer is that it depends on the photographer’s preference and style of photography.”
The most common type of lens that photographers use is 85mm. This will help you get shots from a distance, but it also has some drawbacks like distortion around the edges or corners of photos. Other lenses that are great for weddings are 55mm, 24-70mm, 35mm, 16-35mm.
Related posts:
Best Prime Lenses for Wedding Photography:
Best Sony Lens for Wedding Videography:
Best Lens for Wedding Videography:
I am a professional photographer born in the USA. I have been in this field of photography for 22 years now, and in these years, I used many photography lenses, which I want to share here on this website about my experience of it. The idea for Bestoflens.com is to provide honest information about different Lenses products in the format of a “Best lenses for AYZ” list. I want this website to be the last destination for people to pick the best lenses to fit their needs. You can find our unbiased reviews here on Bestoflens.