Today I want to share about my favorite lens of all time, the Cannon RF 28-70 2.0 f/2 lens for wedding and portrait photographers. If you’ve had your eye on the new Canon RF 28-70 2.0 zoom lens, today’s your chance to see why I LOVE this lens and believe it is the single most versatile lens you could ever own. I use this lens for weddings to shoot couples getting ready, group photos including wedding party and family portraits, veil flowing in the wind shots, during wedding receptions, and for every exit photo I’ll ever shoot! I also shoot just the Canon 28-70 RF along with the RF 70-200 2.8 for all portrait sessions. No more switching lenses all the time! Yah!

 

The Canon RF 28-70 2.0 f/2 Lens for Wedding and Portrait Photographers

 

First off, I just want to start by saying I have a  blog post from years ago where I talk about the Canon 24-70 2.8 L II.  I share how I shot my very first wedding with just this lens and all of the many reasons why I believe this is the most important, most versatile lens you’ll ever own.

But when I switched last year, I upgraded both of my camera bodies to Canon R6’s. So when I shoot a session, if it’s a portrait session of some kind (like maternity, engagement, or senior) I shoot with two camera bodies and two lenses. I leave my bag in the car, and I don’t take anything else with me. I’m able to do that, because I have the spider belt system. When I arrive for any given session, and I’m still parked in my car, I put my spider belt on, then I put on the R6 with the 70 to 200 as well as an R6 with the 28 to 70. Just like that, I’m ready for the day! My hands are free, and I’m not carrying anything around. I don’t have to worry about leaving anything behind either! It just makes for a nice, flawless session when it comes to your gear and carrying things around.

Now, the 28 to 70 I upgraded to in the Fall sometime, and let me tell you… I love this lens! If you do go back and read those old blog posts, you’ll find out that my other most favorite lens is a 70-200, and that lens is a beast! If you’ve ever seen me work or you’ve ever worked beside me, you’ll see that I put the 70 to 200 on my camera body and shoot with it for a good portion of the day. I don’t care how heavy that lens is. I’ve been carrying the ef version for years. I shoot almost all of my portraits as well as many of my sessions with it. I just love the compression and the bokeh. It is noticeably heavier than the 70 to 200, but some things are absolutely worth it. If needed, grab a 15 pound barbell, and do some workouts and get used to carrying this lens- trust me, it is 100% worth it!

Today, I’d like to share with you how I utilize this lens on wedding days. Usually I start out wedding days by shooting flat lays and detail photos. I don’t use this lens as much for flat lays and details unless I need a wider photo. I usually shoot my flat lays and the rings with my 50 millimeter 1.2 and my 100 millimeter macro 2.8. After that, those two lenses can get put away and aren’t really touched for the rest of the day.

Next on most wedding timelines is typically getting ready shots. Keep in mind, the getting ready space can be dark. The aperture on the Canon RF 28-70 goes to 2.0, so you get so much more light, so much more bokeh. However, I don’t always shoot wide open if there are lots of people in the room. It just depends, because of course you’re going to want to watch your aperture if you’re trying to get multiple people in focus in the getting ready space. However, the wideness of the 28 really allows you to get kind of a photojournalistic shots of the ladies getting ready, drinking mimosas, laughing and hanging out.

Going in to getting the bride dressed- I used to use the 5o a lot, unless I had a videographer with me. Because when you’ve got a videographer, you’re sharing the space, which can make ensuring you’re not getting the videographer in your shot challenging when you’ve got a prime lens on. You’ve got to do a lot of moving, and sometimes there’s not a lot of space to use. So that’s why I love the zoom lens! I can just zoom in to crop and make sure that I’m capturing the bride without getting anything or anyone else in my shot. I can stay in the background to capture scenes with movement, laughter, etc. and still crop out anything as needed. That is the benefit and beauty of having a zoom lens!

During the bride and groom first look portraits, I use my 70-200 and during the ceremony, I mostly use my 7200. But right after the wedding ceremony is the family photo session. Having the zoom lens (wide lens) really pays off here. You could any number of people to shoot during your family photo session. It could be anyone from just the bride and her father, to the bride and her entire family from all over the world! My largest family photo count was over 60 people within a church! That’s why you have to have a wide option ready.

I’m actually known in my area for the veil in the wind shot. Brides love this romantic shot! I do that with this lens. I shoot somewhere between 2.0 and 2.8 at 70 to ensure there’s compression and beautiful scenery visible in the background while the couple is still perfectly in focus.

Reception. This is my fastest lens. I’ve tried to shoot the reception with just the 50 before, but the 50 is slow to focus in the dark even with speed lights with flashes and the infrared beam on them. I realized that by the time the 50 would get focused, the shot was gone. When I did upgrade to this lens, it’s important to note that it was so heavy my arms started shaking. So, know that it may take time to get used to how heavy it is. But it’s faster, crisper, and gives more light. It’s just so versatile!

If you have any questions about the rf 28-70 2.0, this is one of my favorite lens and I’d love to chat about it with you. It’s the first 2.0 lens of its kind in a zoom. If you’re looking to upgrade and you can afford it, I highly recommend renting it first to see how you like it. I’m willing to bet you’ll fall in love with it. Even if you can’t afford it yet, but you’re looking for what kinds of lens you need for your photography business, consider the the ef24 to 70 2 for its versatility, but don’t buy it new. Lots of people are upgrading and they’re selling theirs, so you can get that one used for a great price!