honestly im so over this kit lens its driving me crazy. i got the 20-60 with my s5ii but the aperture is just killing me for this wedding i have to shoot in montana next week. my logic was that i could just make it work but the low light performance is just trash when i zoom in.
i was thinking about these options:
- sigma 24-70 art but its basically a brick
- lumix 24-105 but is f4 fast enough?
i only have about 1200 bucks left in the budget and i need to order something today so it gets here. what do you guys actually use as a daily driver that doesnt weigh a ton?...
Re: Regarding what #1 said about Unfortunately f4 isnt... f4 is a total death sentence in dim lodges! Dont bother with a heavy zoom if you want to stay fast. You can grab both of these for under your budget:
- Panasonic Lumix S 35mm f/1.8
- Panasonic Lumix S 85mm f/1.8 They share the same filters and size which is fantastic! Much better low light performance for that Montana wedding.
Regarding what #1 said about "Unfortunately f4 isnt as good as expected for...", I totally agree. I once shot a dim lodge wedding with an f4 and it was a grainy nightmare. I would suggest being careful with the weight, but used gear is your friend.
- Buy a used Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 DG DN Art to save cash
- Pair it with a cheap Panasonic Lumix S 50mm f1.8 for extra light
Unfortunately f4 isnt as good as expected for ceremonies. Grab the Sigma 28-70mm f2.8 DG DN Contemporary.
- f2.8 constant
- 470g weight
- 67mm thread It fixes that heavy Art lens issue tho.
tbh if you want that constant 2.8 and pro-level reliability without the old brick weight, you gotta check the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN II Art. it just dropped and its way more balanced than the first version. they shaved off about 90 grams and made the body slimmer which makes a huge difference on the s5ii for a long wedding day in montana. im super satisfied with the hla motor in this thing. it tracks eyes like a dream. since you have 1200 bucks, this hits that sweet spot perfectly if you find a good vendor. its been a reliable workhorse for me and honestly works well even in nasty backlight. youll be much happier with the af speed compared to the mark i. no complaints at all on the sharpness wide open either.
