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 06/06/2006 09:22:23 PM · #1
So Im getting hitched soon and my fiancee's mother will be shooting some photos of us before and after the ceremony. So far the following is the list of equipment we.she will be using:

2 x rebel xt's (lenses canon unless otherwise noted)okina
50mm 1.8
24mm 2.8
tokina 12-24mm f4
70-300mm
28-135 IS
70-200 f4L
ext. tubes
2x extender
580 ex w/ mini softbox
sigma super dg 500 w/ mini softbox
3 tripods
sekonic L-358
epson 4000 and a macbook for storage and previewing....and ofcourse various filters..

Do you guys see any other items i may need or want for this shoot? Im looking to rent an 85 1.2L and 17-40L...maybe. I appreciate any advice on this matter!!

Dustin
 06/06/2006 09:23:29 PM · #2
what no fisheye?
 06/06/2006 09:25:32 PM · #3
Originally posted by rex:
what no fisheye?


What he meant was "What, no Nikon."
 06/06/2006 09:27:22 PM · #4
Originally posted by ericwoo:
Originally posted by rex:
what no fisheye?


What he meant was "What, no Nikon."


or, "Good! No Nikon!"
 06/06/2006 09:30:41 PM · #5
It looks like you're pretty well set. A fisheye gives some great, creative images. Much more and you'll spend more time switching gear than taking photographs.
 06/06/2006 10:20:30 PM · #6
i see your point. The wedding is really about 3 days of shooting out of 10.. the wedding is at turks and caicos and id like the 17-40L just because I want to test it out before I buy! I figure I was pretty well set..but ill look into the fisheye!

dustin
 06/06/2006 11:03:04 PM · #7
how many CF cards? Didn't see that- or is that what the macbook is for?
 06/06/2006 11:05:39 PM · #8
Originally posted by dustinwilson:
So Im getting hitched soon and my fiancee's mother will be shooting some photos of us before and after the ceremony. So far the following is the list of equipment we.she will be using:

2 x rebel xt's (lenses canon unless otherwise noted)okina
50mm 1.8
24mm 2.8
tokina 12-24mm f4
70-300mm
28-135 IS
70-200 f4L
ext. tubes
2x extender
580 ex w/ mini softbox
sigma super dg 500 w/ mini softbox
3 tripods
sekonic L-358
epson 4000 and a macbook for storage and previewing....and ofcourse various filters..

Do you guys see any other items i may need or want for this shoot? Im looking to rent an 85 1.2L and 17-40L...maybe. I appreciate any advice on this matter!!

Dustin


WOW! My guess is most "Pro" Wedding photogs go with one camera, one flash unit and one lens .. maybe two. If you need more than one lens ya should have two camera bodies and two lenses. If you have something like a 24-70mm zoom you really can get just about 99% of what you need to shot. Sounds like fun, I think ya should hire another photog to take pics of the first one changing lenses and equipment ;) fun fun indeed.
 06/06/2006 11:23:52 PM · #9
Originally posted by PhantomEWO:

WOW! My guess is most "Pro" Wedding photogs go with one camera, one flash unit and one lens .. maybe two. If you need more than one lens ya should have two camera bodies and two lenses. If you have something like a 24-70mm zoom you really can get just about 99% of what you need to shot. Sounds like fun, I think ya should hire another photog to take pics of the first one changing lenses and equipment ;) fun fun indeed.


it is an absolute must to have two camera bodies.
 06/06/2006 11:26:38 PM · #10
Sounds like a bad idea to me.
 06/07/2006 05:49:07 AM · #11
i believe we'll have 3 x 1gb, 1 x2 gb, and 3 x 512 mb cf cards...
 06/07/2006 05:58:37 AM · #12
I'd say put hte 70-200 on one body and the 50.. f1.8 on the second body, and a flash with a diffuser on both.

when the ceremony is over switch the 50mm with the 12-24 for the outside groupshots and use the flash.

at the reception use the 24mm prime and the 50mm prime with flash on both cameras, and remember to use a diffuser and try to bounce the flash.

the rest of the lenses you can leave at home, I doubt the church is so big that 200mm on the rebel can't reach the altar from the last bench.

use the tripod for the groupshots, outside and inside setups, but handheld for the ceremony and reception.

I photographed a wedding a few weeks ago, I used the 24-70L and the 70-200L on different bodies, that was enough for me.
 06/07/2006 08:39:33 AM · #13
Originally posted by PhantomEWO:


WOW! My guess is most "Pro" Wedding photogs go with one camera, one flash unit and one lens .. maybe two. If you need more than one lens ya should have two camera bodies and two lenses. If you have something like a 24-70mm zoom you really can get just about 99% of what you need to shot. Sounds like fun, I think ya should hire another photog to take pics of the first one changing lenses and equipment ;) fun fun indeed.


When I was shooting weddings, we (there were always 2, sometimes 3 photogs) took a minimum of two 35mm camera bodies each, everyone had several lenses, though mostly we stayed in the 24-200 mm range. We brought at least 500 frames of film per photog. Everyone had a flash on a bracket for the reception (and the ceremony, when allowed) and there were always backups in the van. We also had a power pack and 3 strobe heads for formals along with a Mamiya 6x7 kit consisting of 2 bodies and 3 or 4 lenses.

Equipment failures can and do happen. Sometimes its operator error, like forgetting to bring a sync cord or to charge batteries. Other times, stuff just breaks. One thing that differentiates a professional from an amateur is that when these things happen, the pro is prepared to deal with it and it doesn't affect his work. The amateur may be out of commission.

Message edited by author 2006-06-07 08:45:56.
 06/07/2006 09:07:23 AM · #14
Originally posted by dustinwilson:
Do you guys see any other items i may need or want for this shoot?


A huge camera bag will be a necessity.


06/07/2006 09:39:36 AM · #15
I just did my second wedding last weekend. i mostly used the 18-70mm on one d70 w/ my new sb-800 and the 50mm 1.8 on the other d70 w/ no flash.

for the formals, i borrowed a second sb-600 so i had one on each side w/ difusers and the sb-800 on my camera controlling them wirelessly... that was fun. now i know for sure i need to buy another flash...

i _only_ took about 750 photos though... and _only_ 700 of those would i consider usable... first thing my wife said when it was over is "you seriously undercharged them..."

yep. but that's what friends are for...
 06/07/2006 11:57:49 AM · #16
The wedding will be at 430pm and be on a deck outside a resteraunt overlooking the ocean. I fully expect it to be quite bright outside. I haven't yet seen the area with my own eyes. We leave the 20th. I realize that the wedding and other photos can be shot with 2 maybe three lenses easy, but I plan on only getting married once so ill take extra gear if it means one more good shot. the photo gear will be split be split between two of us for the trip down. so its really just two medium bags worth. I think ill still try and get the 85L just because its known as a great/super sharp portrait lense and it will allow me great DOF options. oh..i forgot...i have a 30" silver/white reflector too..... I really appreciate the ideas and comments!

dustin

06/07/2006 12:13:44 PM · #17
Originally posted by PhantomEWO:


WOW! My guess is most "Pro" Wedding photogs go with one camera, one flash unit and one lens .. maybe two.


Try 4 to 5 bodies and about $9,000 in flash, plus lenses and backups for everything. Often two shooters and 2 assistants as well.

I shoot with a 30D and 20D - a 70-200 on one and 18-50 2.8 on the other. I need to get a super wide/fisheye (tokina 10-17 zoom fishey this fall probably) and occasionally the 50 1.8. this allows a variety of shots - close wide deep dof and shallow too. Many pros shoot with mostly these two lenses (or canon 16-35 and the 70-200 IS lens).

two bodies with different leses means no time wasted swapping lenses (and except maybe for the posed formal shots there isn't a lot of time to fumbling with the equipment)

Slow glass is worthless at weddings unless maybe it's outdoors. Too wide and people get distorted and they don't like to look distorted. the 70-200 lets you get in close and not be in their faces.

flash has it's place but it create as many problems as it fixes. Mixed light issues, shadows, and something else to break. You kind of need it for th ereception as 95% of receptions are just too damned dark. 95% of pastors won't let you use flash during the ceremony, and if you do you take away from the mood of the ceremony do i'd advise against it.

The drawback to two cameras is you shoot more. lots more. My first wedding I shot one body and the 18-50 2.8 and took 260 images and about 200 of them were good, worthy to show the client (friend of a friend, i shot for the experience and portfolio material). My last wedding I shot 791 images...technically 700 are probably fine (flash was acting up at the reception, the 30D started backfocusing during the ceremony). I experimented a bit with shutter dragging, etc so not all 700 pics are worthy to show the client. You don't want to drown them in images.

get a belt system or some other way to hang things on your belt - i have a tenba memory/battery wallet to hold flash and camera batterieds and 8 CF cards. My sigma flash same with a lens case that can be belt hung - it holds the 50 1.8 (or the 18-50 if i switch them). i need another pouch or two - backup flash, 1.4 TC and teh wide/fisheye lens when i get that. If you have to run to a bag to get stuff you are missing shots. And you only get one shot at some...

06/07/2006 12:27:08 PM · #18
I don't see the point in a 2x teleconverter because you'd only use it on the 70-200 correct? You'll lose auto focus and be limited to F8 with a 2x. There shouldn't be a reason to go past 200mm at a wedding.
 06/07/2006 03:14:39 PM · #19
good point...i think illleave that back if room gets tight...
 06/07/2006 06:36:50 PM · #20
Ok I give in ;). For a single photographer like I said two bodies and appropriate lenses. If one photog is all you have and they have a half dozen lenses the whole wedding better be very scripted and slow. The skill is in the setup. A day wedding is completely different than an evening or night wedding, different lenses and different use of flash (fill versus highlight). I also believe that to be successful most wedding need two photogs for a small wedding. One focus on formal poses and one to focus on candid and special shots. Now if you are willing to spend a lot then get 3-4 photogs, two bodies for each one and still I'd not have more than a wide angle zoom and a 70-200 to reach out. No need for tubes or extenders unless you want to take a closeup of the charcoal spots in the dimond ring ;). Two many photogs and too many lens cahanges takes spontaneous fun out of a fast moving wedding or reception. Hope all goes well, have fun and don't worry so much about having every possible combination of lenses.
 06/07/2006 08:28:57 PM · #21
The point is not to be constantly switching lenses, but to have the lens you need, when you need it.

When I said each photographer had several lenses, that doesn't mean we spent all of our time switching them back and forth. Most weddings are pretty slow and scripted. The advantage to having a few photographers on hand is that it's highly unlikely that every one would be switching lenses should one of those sponateous monents occur.
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