The Three Lens’s that changed my life.

Tom Sivell - DoP/Editor

Now look, I know that Title sounds dramatic, but it’s still pretty true. I work with a camera in my hand every day, it’s how I make my living, so these lens’s are no different to that of the Hammer and Nails of a tradesman. Side Note, I absolutely would not recommend using a 50mm lens to try and help you fire a few nails into that lovely new Chest of Draws you’ve picked up from IKEA.

I should preface this by saying these are MY favourite lens’s, there’s no right or wrong approach to this, it’s all just down to preference. I head up all the goings on at Weddings By LIAV, and this is because I like to be around people, and I feel this is reflected not only in my approach, but in my work too. I’m most at home in Candid, Documentary environments, Filming things as they happen, in real time, and there’s no better set up for this than Weddings.

But you’re not here for my life story, you’re here to nerd out about lens’s with me, aren’t you? So let’s get to it.

SONY 135MM G-MASTER
First up on my Holy trinity of Lens’s has to be the Sony 135mm G Master. This is hands down, my favourite lens I’ve ever used. In fact, it’s not even close. I could go on and on about all the finer details of what I love about this lens, but I’m going to pick three key points and go in on them instead.

First up, it’s the Sharpness of the Lens. I rarely shoot a Lens wide open, for fear of getting a nose or lips in focus instead of an eye, but this lens hits different. Shooting wide at F1.8 is an absolute dream, and with the Eye AF on modern day Sony Mirrorless Cameras, you just can’t miss. I’ve used A LOT of different Sony Lens’s, and I just don’t see any coming as close to this when it comes to your overall sharpness.

Following on from that last point, it’s the F Stop. F1.8 is so, so useful for someone who shoots in high pressure run and gun set ups like us. Low Light is always the enemy (unless you’re trying to use it intentionally) so being able to hit that F1.8 is an absolute god send. Shooting a couple portrait at 135mm, down at F1.8 is unreal. The background Compression isn’t just mush, it’s more like Butter. Everything sit’s beautifully, and if you’re lucky enough to land on a banging golden hour too, the rest just falls into place effortlessly.

My last point, and this one is a touch random, is the overall size and weight of the lens. This thing is so much smaller than I was expecting. I’m not going to hit you with random weights and sizes, nobody got time to be working out how much a bag of sugar weighs, but, know that having this on your camera isn’t nearly as strenuous as that of a 70-200mm. The front element is huge, and I was expecting the Lens to not only be massive in size, but also weight too, but that isn’t the case at all.

I made the mistake of using this lens like a Telephoto lens when I first began shooting with it, but the sooner you realise it’s a portrait lens, your whole outlook on how and when to use it changes. It’s obviously not going to be ideal for every scenario, but when the time is right for it, it’s an absolute game changer, and basically my idea of perfection when it comes to Portrait work.

SONY 85mm FE F1.8
I would argue that this is probably my most used focal length and lens throughout my work. It obviously isn’t quite as aggressive in terms of focal length as the 135mm, but it’s still very much in that ‘Portrait’ lens world. I always find that I want to get really close to my subject, to help hone in on the emotion in the scene, and I’ve always found that it can be easier to do this by using lens’s with a little more reach, than having to be stood on the toes of someone to make sure I’m really filling up the frame. Having the 85mm on hand allows me to capture those closer moments, but from a distance that doesn’t impact what’s happening in the scene.

This actual Lens is one of the more affordable options (when I say affordable, I mean that with a huge grain of salt, and aim it more towards the camera world) than that of the G Master option. The performance is absolutely spot on every time, and this lens just doesn’t miss a beat. It’s one that I never leave the house, and is generally part of my dream team on a Wedding Day.

Sony Zeiss 35mm F1.4
This is the second half of my Dream Team Wedding Set up. The Salt to the 85mm’s Vinegar. The Jack to it’s Rose. You get the picture. Having a 35mm on hand helps me tell a story perfectly, without having to move my feet all that much. I’m someone who favours Prime’s, and this Lens is absolutely essential to the way I work. While it’s not in that typical ‘Portrait’ group, I shoot a huge amount of my portrait work on the 35mm.

Being able to fit the couple in, as a whole, feet too, is really important to me, and this lens is the master at it. Again, as I mentioned before, this isn’t going to be for everyone, but it’s the closest I use to a real ‘All Rounder’ and I’d be utterly lost without the lens on a shoot.

The F1.4 is crazy useful in low light, and while I don’t tend to open it up fully, knowing the option is there should I need it is always useful. The build quality on this lens also needs a mention to. This thing is built like an absolute tank. Really hefty, and it just feels like a high end piece of equipment in the hand.

So yeah. I’ve rambled for long enough, but those are my Golden Three. Definitely not the most versatile, but without a doubt my favourites.