So I finally jumped ship to the L-mount system and I am so hyped to start shooting portraits with my new S5II! Ive been doing a ton of research because I have a wedding gig coming up in London next month and I need a solid prime. I was thinking about the Sigma 85mm f1.4 DG DN because everyone says the bokeh is just creamy perfection, but then I saw some forum posts saying the autofocus isnt quite as snappy as the Panasonic 85mm f1.8. My logic was that the extra light from the f1.4 would be huge for the reception, but I am worried about the weight since its a long day. My budget is capped at 1000 bucks so the Sigma is pushing it... is the native glass really that much better for tracking people?
Honestly, I would 100% go with the Panasonic Lumix S 85mm f1.8 for a wedding! I have been using it on my S5II for a few months now and the autofocus is just incredible. Since the S5II has that new phase detect system, the native glass feels way more responsive than the Sigma in my experience. Weddings are super long days and your wrist will definitely thank you for going lighter, trust me on that one. The Sigma is amazing but its kinda a brick to carry around for 10 hours. Plus, the f1.8 is basically half the price so you could even grab a Panasonic Lumix S 50mm f1.8 with the leftover cash. The bokeh is still super smooth and it handles reception lighting just fine. Youre gonna love how fast it locks onto eyes during the ceremony!
Same setup here, love it
ngl i am stuck in this exact same nightmare right now. i have a big family event coming up in a few weeks and i have been staring at my shopping cart for days trying to decide if the extra weight is gonna kill me or if i will regret not having that wider aperture for the indoor stuff. it is honestly so frustrating because:
- reviews for third party glass say the af is fine but everyone here says stay native
- my budget is basically capped out exactly like yours
- i really dont want a sore shoulder after six hours of shooting i have been scouring every single thread for weeks and still feel like i am no closer to a decision... it just sucks that there is no clear answer for people in our situation.
Facts.
