Wedding wirh the 350D Kit - DPChallenge Forums

Carl Zeiss 35mm f2.4 Jena/Flektogon MC

10/03/2005 10:01:38 AM · #1

Hello everybody!
One of my friends asked me to shot his brother wedding tomorrow morning (12H left here in China). It was a short notice and I could not get any other gear. What I have is the very 350D kit, one battery, a 512 and a 256 flash cards. My friend will bring a portable hard disk storing device. I have a flimsy tripod and that's all. My friend will have a Fuji 5100/5500 to shot and another friend will bring another camera to do it. We are all 100% amateurs. The happy couple is on low budget and they can not afford a pro for this. Their expectations are not big but will be nice to come out with some nice memories.
I'll shot mainly indoors (Chinese Protestant Church - very interesting - and restaurant)It will be also interesting as me and I will be the only foreigners there and many eyes will be on us ;)
Any advice is more than welcome...
I go to iron my shirt, my tie and my daughters dress while I wait for your replies...
Thanks!
Edit: sorry for the misspeling on the topic. I kindly ask an admin to correct it (...with...)

Message edited by author 2005-10-03 10:03:11.

Uusilehto

Canon EOS-1D

10/03/2005 10:16:07 AM · #2

And what other lenses do you have besides the kit lens?

Carl Zeiss 35mm f2.4 Jena/Flektogon MC

10/03/2005 10:18:44 AM · #3

Originally posted by Uusilehto:

And what other lenses do you have besides the kit lens?

Unfortunately NONE!

lowonenergy

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

10/03/2005 10:20:47 AM · #4

Try to use the best lights options they have around there, this will save u some battery. If they can't afford a pro they should be happy that U (friends) do it for them. It's also a learning experience for u all too, so enjoy the wedding try makeing nice photo's !!!

Have fun!!

Uusilehto

Canon EOS-1D

10/03/2005 10:22:11 AM · #5

Oh. Well. The kit lens isn't actually that bad. The focal length range is actually pretty nice for a wedding.

Try to use f/8 if possible. The kit lens seems to be at it's best when stopped down to 8->.

Do you have flashes? How is the church lit? Be sure to check the church a week earlier to check light values, so you'll be prepared.

Edit: You might want to avoid using the on-camera flash and instead, bump the ISO to 400-800. You'll get rid of the noise (mostly) with NeatImage. Besides. The 350D handles noise pretty nicely in the first place.

Message edited by author 2005-10-03 10:24:29.

Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

10/03/2005 10:24:08 AM · #6

Originally posted by Uusilehto:

Do you have flashes? How is the church lit? Be sure to check the church a week earlier to check light values, so you'll be prepared.

No flashes! Only on-board. And the wedding is within 12 hours. I'll be there one hour earlier...
Nothing to prepare really!
Thanks for the input!

superdave_909

Canon EOS-60D

10/03/2005 10:29:34 AM · #7

get an extra battery!!!!! If you have to spend time charging yours then that is time you will be missing shots!

not sure how long the battery last on the 350 but I chew through two batteries when I do a wedding

edit:
especially if you are using on board flash!

Message edited by author 2005-10-03 10:30:21.

mcmurma

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

Nikon MF 180mm f/2.8 ED AIS

10/03/2005 10:35:41 AM · #8

Gee, just make sure the battery you do have is charged.

Apart from that, smile, and try to use all the CF you have.

10/03/2005 10:43:02 AM · #9

Originally posted by mcmurma:

Gee, just make sure the battery you do have is charged.

Apart from that, smile, and try to use all the CF you have.

I'm charging the battery right now. I still have 2X old 64CF cards. I'll take them with me. It's almost 11:00 pm here and there is no way to get an extra battery!

Carl Zeiss 35mm f2.4 Jena/Flektogon MC

10/03/2005 10:47:36 AM · #10

Now silly questions:
What mode should I shot?
P, Av or manual? Is Auto any good so I can focus more on composition?
Any flash tricks? Flash compensation? WB?
Thanks!

Uusilehto

Canon EOS-1D

10/03/2005 11:13:08 AM · #11

Originally posted by Tiberius:

Now silly questions:
What mode should I shot?
P, Av or manual? Is Auto any good so I can focus more on composition?
Any flash tricks? Flash compensation? WB?
Thanks!

Well.. Seeing as you are indoors and have access to a portable storage device, i would suggest using RAW on the very important shots, as you can tweak the white balance and such in post process.

I mostly shoot in Av mode. If you are having trouble with poor lighting, definately use Av, and select the largest possible aperture. Oh, and with the kit lens, you'll want to avoid using the tele end of the lens, and instead try to get closer as the aperture on it is only 3.5-5.6

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX Aspherical DF for Canon

10/03/2005 11:15:35 AM · #12

Originally posted by Uusilehto:

Oh, and with the kit lens, you'll want to avoid using the tele end of the lens, and instead try to get closer as the aperture on it is only 3.5-5.6

Thanks!

hankk

Canon EOS-5D

10/03/2005 11:17:16 AM · #13

Originally posted by Tiberius:

Now silly questions:
What mode should I shot?
P, Av or manual? Is Auto any good so I can focus more on composition?
Any flash tricks? Flash compensation? WB?
Thanks!

I think the most important thing is composition. (be aware of the background as well as the subject). If you've got a hard disk to dump data to, use RAW instead of JPG so you can correct any errors.

Set your white balance manually without flash at each location (church, reception hall, etc) before the action. If you don't have a grey card, the coffee filter trick (put a coffee filter or white paper napkin, etc) over the lens, take a picture and use that to set WB).

Depending on how your church is lit, you may need to do Av with the widest possible aperature. Use Av so your flash is fill-flash (you get the background ok and maximize battery life.)

If you use Av and fill flash, and you have a long exposure time, hold the camera as steady as you can. Even if the background shows some camera shake, the subject will be sharp because of the flash (you may wnat to get this effect by stoping down to f/8 or so.) And if your camera can do second-curtain sync, do it because people will move after they see the flash.

Consider using your tripod as a monopod; extend all the legs, but leave them together.

The 350D on board flash has a guide number of 13 meters at iso 100. To find the real distance the flash is effective, multiply 13 times (the iso you use divided by 100) and then divide by the aperature number you use.

Watch the lighting with the flash. If you use Av and flash the flash and abient light will be fighing, so the correct setting is somewhere between "flash" and the WB you set earlier. If you shoot RAW, you can correct this later. (Note that if ambient light is incandescent lights, the background will be very warm, which is nice. If fluoresecnt, the background may have a green cast).

Message edited by author 2005-10-03 11:36:58.

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED

10/03/2005 12:23:30 PM · #14

Thanks! I'll try to keep all of these in my mind.
I'll let you know how it came up. Cheers!

Ennil

Nikon D200

10/03/2005 12:25:58 PM · #15

So if I understand correctly you're getting married to your Kit? Well I won't be the judge! Congratulations!

Brad

Olympus OM-D E-M1

Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO M.Zuiko

10/03/2005 12:38:57 PM · #16

After using the kit lens, and finding it rather of decent quality, have only been disappointed with the the lack of speed. 3.5 - 5.6 hurts at times. Focal length is great for normal shots and has a great wide angle apsect ratio. Off-camera flash would be best to eliminate harsh shadows, especially in portrait mode. If indoors and using flash, a few things to remeber about flash photography - high ISO settings will use less flash and have brighter backgrounds, low ISO will have darker backgrounds and will use more battery. In all reality, the camera is pretty darn smart to expose well in most conditions in Green mode (full auto) and works well as a point & shoot.
Older CF cards do not write nearly as fast as the newer types. I have a Sandisk 512 Ultra II and it zips right along, and when I swapped out to a conventional 512, noticed a huge write/read difference.
I have yet to find the need to set the WB to anything but AWB, and if color casting occurs, is a very easy fix in PS. RAW would be ideal if you have storage capability.
I prefer to shoot in Av mode, having control of DOF, and if shooting without flash, and shutter speed is under 1/60, one touch of top joystick control on teh back marked ISO will get you to the ISO adjsutements real quick. Don't be afraid to shoot at ISO 800 - it is pretty clean. Take test shots and hit the info button and check histograms to be sure.

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

10/04/2005 12:45:17 PM · #17

Ok! I did it. Weddings are not easy! And what I have learnt more is that you need guts to push and ne everywhere to get what you want.
I listened to your advice (... less to shot in RAW, even if I had the storage device, but my PC is a lazy 1.1M celeron with only 128 RAM and I just think that poor thing it would have died)
As the storage device was not mine lots of pics are on it and I'll get them next days.
I emptied twice the 512 and twice the 256 cards. The battery lasted well and I shot at ISO 800 with the flash (on-board one)
Anyways the couple saw the pic and they called me and they are happy with them...

Here are 3 examples (with what I had)

Nuno

Nikon D700

10/04/2005 12:57:23 PM · #18

Good pictures, nice for iso800. Did you take some of the noise with any program? There are some color aberration that is almoust unnoticed. I notice that in my d70 it happens more in jpeg than in raw though.

GoldBerry

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

10/04/2005 01:05:09 PM · #19

Tiberius, all things considered I'm sure they'll be super duper happy with these shots. Congrats on surviving and doing such a good job :-)

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX Aspherical DF for Canon

10/04/2005 01:07:33 PM · #20

I admit that I couldn't refrein from using NI. Anyways is just a try of post proccesing. I might give up...
Anyways many pics look printable quite out of camera.

hankk

Canon EOS-5D

10/04/2005 04:23:33 PM · #21

WOW! Great job!

I especially liked the first picture--the way that you used the off-center flash on your left and had the bride's head turned toward your left; this lighting works well (Thanks, I hadn't even considered it before!)

10/05/2005 11:28:27 AM · #22

Got some more pictures. This time I refrained from NI and the only PS actions were levels, USM, crop eventualy, resize and add border. ISO 800!
Here they are.

There are couplr of more in the portofolio

Message edited by author 2005-10-05 11:32:23.

Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO M.Zuiko

10/05/2005 01:06:29 PM · #23

bump for some commnents...

Brad

Olympus OM-D E-M1

10/05/2005 01:10:46 PM · #24

Very nice!

ISO800 isn't all too shabby on the 350D huh?
By using a higher ISO, you cut down on the flash output, making it more like fill flash, and lightening the backgrounds more. Big help for battery life too.
I have been very pleased with the 350D so far, and can see by your results, you are too.