If You Could Only Take One Lens to a Wedding, What Would It Be?
(Not your favourite lens. The one that actually gets you through the day.)
The Best Lens For Wedding Photography: If You Could Only Take One Lens to a Wedding, What Would It Be?
Recently, I posted this question to our community, and it sparked one of those conversations that tells you a lot about where photographers are really at.
Not what’s trending.
Not what’s aspirational.
But what actually works.
I asked a simple question: If you could only bring one lens to a wedding, what would it be?
Plenty of love for fast primes – 35s, 50s, the occasional 85. A lot of respect for the Canon 28–70mm f/2. A few photographers admitting they already shoot most of a wedding on a single zoom because… well, weddings are hectic.
But reading through the replies, I noticed something interesting.
A lot of people were answering with their favourite lens.
Not necessarily the one they’d want to rely on if everything went sideways.
And that distinction matters.
Favourite Lens vs Best Lens for Wedding Photography
My favourite lens would always be a fast fifty. A 50mm f/1.2 prime still makes my heart sing. But if I’m honest, I’d struggle to shoot an entire wedding on it – especially if timings slipped, spaces were tight, or moments stacked up quickly.
And that’s exactly what happened to me recently. I found myself in a situation where changing lenses simply wasn’t an option. No time. No margin. No second chances.
And the lens that quietly saved the day wasn’t the one I expected.
It was Canon’s RF 24–105mm f/2.8L USM.
A Lens I Fully Expected to Ignore
I’d asked Canon to send over the R6 Mark III to test its hybrid capabilities, something I’ve been leaning into more in my own work. Alongside it, I requested a new 45mm, an 85mm, and the now-legendary 28–70mm f/2 — a lens I know many of my peers have switched to almost exclusively.
Canon also added the RF 24–105mm f/2.8L USM to the case.
My honest reaction? That’ll stay in the bag.
I’m an f/2 girlie at heart.
It did not stay in the bag.
When the Plan Doesn’t Just Change – It Disappears
The wedding itself was small and intimate, taking place at my local town hall on Boxing Day. I arrived on time. The groom arrived on time. The registrars arrived on time.
The person who was due to open the building did not.
Ninety minutes later, we finally got inside.
What should have been a relaxed 2pm ceremony with time for family photos and a golden hour walk on the beach turned into a race against fading light, cold temperatures, and a reception already behind schedule.
This is the reality of weddings. Sometimes the plan doesn’t evolve. It collapses.
I looked at my bag, put the 24–105mm on the camera, and committed.
One Lens, No Margin for Error
From that point on, everything happened very quickly. And I immediately saw how versatile this lens could be as the ring-bearer bolted up the aisle but I managed to zoom in on him at the end of the aisle and go wider until he placed the ring box on a stand in front of me.
The 30 minutes of portraits in golden hour at the beach was a dream we all left behind when the sun had already set before we stepped out of their ceremony. I left the primes untouched and committed to the 24-105, pulling every variation I could before the light completely disappeared.
Back at the reception, space was tight, and the light was low. We rattled through cocktails, candids and family photos I would usually have done much earlier in the day.
Was it refined? At times, no.
Was it realistic? Absolutely.
That’s just what weddings are like sometimes.
The Edit That Changed My Mind
It wasn’t until I got the images onto my screen that everything clicked.
The files were sharp across the entire focal range.
Low light held up beautifully.
No noticeable chromatic aberration, even shooting into windows.
And at 2.8 around the 45–85mm range, the depth of field was far more pleasing than I’d expected.
Looking at the finished gallery, I had a real moment of clarity:
This lens could comfortably cover an entire wedding day.
24mm for tight spaces and energetic dancefloors.
105mm for ceremonies, speeches and discreet candids.
Everything in between, without friction.
Less Friction = Better Photography
One of the biggest takeaways for me was how much mental space this lens gave me.
No second body.
No lens swapping.
No rummaging in a bag while moments passed.
I also appreciated having an aperture ring (the 28-70 F2 doesn’t) – my left hand staying involved in creative decisions, rather than everything being funnelled through my right. Yes, it’s long. Yes, it’s heavy. But it’s lighter than the 28–70mm f/2 (I weighed them), and the trade-off is simplicity.
And simplicity matters when weddings don’t go to plan.
Comaparison with the RF 28-70 F2L USM
- The 24-105 is longer but slimmer and lighter and it has an aperture ring, which the 28-70 does not.
- The 28-70 gives you a constant F2 and the 24-105 is F2.8 but the trade off is that little extra focal width and length. I find that I want to go just slightly wider on dancefloors and slighly longer in candids than the 28-70 allows.
So… Is This the Best Lens for Wedding Photography?
That depends what you mean by best.
If we’re talking about the most romantic lens? Probably not.
The most characterful? Maybe not. The most discreet? No, it’s a whopper.
The one that quietly shows up and gets you through anything a wedding throws at you?
Absolutely.
Before this wedding, I would have said no without hesitation.
Now, I know I could shoot an entire wedding on it and do it well. If I was brand new and building my kit up from scratch, I would start here.
And judging by the discussion in our group, a lot of photographers are already intuitively moving in the direction of Zooms for weddings but this lens is not yet on their radar. Zooms are practical, flexible, and allow you to deliver under pressure at weddings.
And if you are googling it and thinking woah, that’s a hefty pricetag, it is around the same as the RF 28-70 F2L USM and it’s a heck of a lot less than three wide aperture primes.
Am I Binning All My Other Lenses?
Not quite. Whilst I did feel a little sad tucking this lens into the spongy lining of its little flight case to send it back to Canon UK, and the DPD guy might have had to wrestle it from my hand, I still love Primes for when I have the luxury of both time and control.
A few days after the wedding, I took the R6 MKIII out for a nice leisurely couple shoot and this time swapped between the new RF 45mm F1.2 STM lens and the RF 85mm 1.4L VCM and shot both stills and video. It was so lovely, to be able to take my time, to get my couple to pause while I swapped lenses and to shoot with those gorgoeus wide apertures. However,I would welcome the 24-105 to the family in a haertbeat and know that when weddings are hectic, when time is condensed, this bad boy would 100% have my back.
My one simple rule is, if I have time and I can move, I shoot Prime; if I don’t have time or I cannot move, I shoot Zoom.
Don’t Take My Word For It, Test Out The 24-105 F2.8 For Yourself
Anyone can borrow kit for 48 hours from Canon UK to try out themselves with their Test Drive service. It’s completely free, even the delivery and collection.
Join Canon Club and get an extra 24 hours as a member perk. If you decide you like the kit, you will get cashback against it.
I’ve checked and yes the magical 24-105 is available, I’d love to know if I’ve inspired you to try it out…
IMAGES: Lisa Devlin
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