Today = My first wedding.

Gary.D

Gary.D

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Gary Derbridge
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Today I experienced my first wedding as a second shooter.
I thought it went really well but I am already relising I am going to need some more gear.

At the moment I have:

* Canon 400d
* Speedlite 580ex
* 2 tripods
* Numerous Batterys plus a grip
* Numerous 4gb memory cards

Lenses

* Canon 70-300mm f.4-5.6
* Canon 28-105mm f.4-5.6
* Canon 50mm f.1.4
* Canon 18-55mm f.3.5-5.6

I am going to need one more body.
I am considering anything from a 40d to a 5d
Have any of you guys got suggestions?
I know a lot of people will say buy the best you can afford, or is there any of you that disagree with this.
Should I go for the 5d?

Next I need one more lens at least.
During the group shots we were using a 28-70mm I think and we were having troubles with some of the larger groups.
What lenses would you promote?
Maybe 1 wide lens
And one quick lens with zoom?

Thanks for your help
Gary
 
If you can afford a 5D? Buy one. They are wonderful, wonderful cameras and in many ways the ideal wedding camera.

Buy that, and then save up for a good 24-70 (the sigma one is grand). Your 18-55 will be useless on a 5D, so the 24-70 would become your 'walkabout' lens.

After that, a 70-200 f2.8 would be my next suggestion as it'd help with candids.

Cheers,
James
 
Moos3h said:
If you can afford a 5D? Buy one. They are wonderful, wonderful cameras and in many ways the ideal wedding camera.

Buy that, and then save up for a good 24-70 (the sigma one is grand). Your 18-55 will be useless on a 5D, so the 24-70 would become your 'walkabout' lens.

After that, a 70-200 f2.8 would be my next suggestion as it'd help with candids.

Cheers,
James
Click to expand...

Thanks Jay
all im considering is the 24-70 is overlapping the 28-105?
Or is the 24-70 much better quality?
Same with the 70-200mm overlapping the 70-300mm
Thanks for your comments
Gary
 
Well done on going out as a 2nd shooter to begin to learn and also well done on realising what level of equipment is needed including back ups.
I'm sure you will do well.
On the equipment side I notice that almost all of your lenses are slow and this may be an issue later on
I cant advise totally as I am a nikon user and not familiar enough with canons range
However I would suggest a mid range zoom with a constant 2.8 aperture as a solid investment
I would also suggest get another flash as one is not enough and the damm things do pack up !
 
isnapped said:
Well done on going out as a 2nd shooter to begin to learn and also well done on realising what level of equipment is needed including back ups.
I'm sure you will do well.
On the equipment side I notice that almost all of your lenses are slow and this may be an issue later on
I cant advise totally as I am a nikon user and not familiar enough with canons range
However I would suggest a mid range zoom with a constant 2.8 aperture as a solid investment
I would also suggest get another flash as one is not enough and the damm things do pack up !
Click to expand...

Ok thanks very much isnapped!
Any more suggestions guys :)
Gary
 
The 24-70 and 70-200 are F2.8 so faster than what you have, which you will need for weddings, they are also L glass which is far better quality
The 5D is a nice camera for wedding and portraiture work, although it's af system can let it down sometimes.
 
scraggs said:
The 24-70 and 70-200 are F2.8 so faster than what you have, which you will need for weddings, they are also L glass which is far better quality
The 5D is a nice camera for wedding and portraiture work, although it's af system can let it down sometimes.
Click to expand...

andrewc said:
5d
24-70 f2.8
70-200 f2.8
or fast primes
Click to expand...

Ok thanks
Is there any othere camera bodies, that anyone would advise apart from the 5d
 
The Sigma CAN be a fanastic lens, but rather more than its Canon equivalent, you have to ensure you get a good one.

Whilst horror stories exist of getting ones that are soft as jelly, those are in the minority (think of how many must have been sold) - however it is important you check that you're able to change if it you particular sample exhibits any 'peculiarities'.

Cheers,
James
 
Another vote for a 5D!

As already mentioned it's the apertures that matter along with the focal range.

My ideal setup is one wide lens, I currently use a 15-30mm Sigma but would like to replace with Canon 16-35 when funds allow.

One 24-70mm f2.8 is an absolute must. The Sigma is OK quality wise but is a little slow to autofocus in low light. Still, for the money, not bad.

One 70-200 f2.8 is an absolute must for close shots in churches and candids.

I also have a 50mm f1.8 and just ordered an 85mm f1.8 both to give me those wide apertures and allow shooting in ambient light for longer. Neither of these exactly break the bank and can be upgraded to the f1.4 equivalents when I'm more established. In the meantime I'll happily hire some fast glass from lensesforhire.

Ooh and I have a 100mm macro f2.8 for the wedding ring shots and it doubles as a handy portrait lens too.

Hope that helps and well done on the second shooter and identifying the path to take. :)
 
Buy yourself a new body, use your current one as backup and hire whatever lenses you need for the job you'll be doing.

You'll save yourself a bit of cash in the short-term, find yourself a 'style' of shooting and then be able to splash the cash at a later date when you not only have more of it to spend but know more how to spend it.
 
isnapped said:
Well done on going out as a 2nd shooter to begin to learn and also well done on realising what level of equipment is needed including back ups.
I'm sure you will do well.
On the equipment side I notice that almost all of your lenses are slow and this may be an issue later on
I cant advise totally as I am a nikon user and not familiar enough with canons range
However I would suggest a mid range zoom with a constant 2.8 aperture as a solid investment
I would also suggest get another flash as one is not enough and the damm things do pack up !
Click to expand...

thats a good, measured and helpful reply. Thank you Starman willhill petera Isnapped :D
 
:thumbs: tis what I use my wide angle for but the Sigma 15-30 that I currently have is pants at autofocusing in low light, it's so slow I need to send the ruddy thing a telegram to let it know when to focus!:thinking:

Yup, 16-35mm here I come...........
 
God took you long enough !!
But well done
I look forward to my next ban
 
AliB said:
85mm f1.8
Click to expand...

Great lens for low light when you can't use a flash. Love mine!

Not a wedding, but inside a pretty dark garage:

Tamas_02.jpg
 
God took you long enough !!
But well done
I look forward to my next ban
Click to expand...

well actually weve known since you signed up, but dont let that worry you..play nice and you are welcome, especially if you have good, solid posts to contribute
 
Mike Hoyer said:
Great lens for low light when you can't use a flash. Love mine!

Not a wedding, but inside a pretty dark garage:

Tamas_02.jpg
Click to expand...

That's quality Mike, thanks for that.

I ordered mine on the 7th Jan before the price increases and I'm still waiting!!! I think another little reminder tomorrow might not go amiss! Grrrr
 
matty said:
well actually weve known since you signed up, but dont let that worry you..play nice and you are welcome, especially if you have good, solid posts to contribute
Click to expand...

Thanks but I think Ive had my fun ...
I'm off to play with the big boys for a while now
Have fun chaps !

infantile comment removed
 
Eventually for weddings ill have two bodies (why I sold my D300 I do not know). And just primes because I love them and im used to them.

Ideal world- D700 (full frame to take advantage of wideness) with wide angle- 30mm ish

D300 (crop for reach) anything 85+

Primes are so good for low light and DOF, I shoot at f/1.4 all day long.

I also don't think you need a 70-200 for candids (maybe close ups in big churches), I use my 50mm all day long in the street.
 
For weddings I'd say they were pretty much an essential for candids. I like to try to remain somewhat unobtrusive doing candids and while there is nothing wrong with mixing it up and shooting wider, a lot wider....(I've seen WeddingHack shoot 35mm!) I still reckon that most guests are somewhat uncomfortable having a camera with a 50mm shoved in their faces. (I shoot on full frame bodies so I'd need to be really close) The 70-200mm allows me to stay on the fringes and snipe away, still filling the frame.

Also the longer lens is much more flattering with the perspective.
 
isnapped said:
Thanks but I think Ive had my fun ...
I'm off to play with the big boys for a while now
Have fun chaps !
Click to expand...


Bye, see you again soon.
 
removed some unwanted stuff from the thread, carry on
 
AliB said:
For weddings I'd say they were pretty much an essential for candids. I like to try to remain somewhat unobtrusive doing candids and while there is nothing wrong with mixing it up and shooting wider, a lot wider....(I've seen WeddingHack shoot 35mm!) I still reckon that most guests are somewhat uncomfortable having a camera with a 50mm shoved in their faces. (I shoot on full frame bodies so I'd need to be really close) The 70-200mm allows me to stay on the fringes and snipe away, still filling the frame.

Also the longer lens is much more flattering with the perspective.
Click to expand...

Is the 70-300mm any good for candids?
 
AliB said:
For weddings I'd say they were pretty much an essential for candids. I like to try to remain somewhat unobtrusive doing candids and while there is nothing wrong with mixing it up and shooting wider, a lot wider....(I've seen WeddingHack shoot 35mm!) I still reckon that most guests are somewhat uncomfortable having a camera with a 50mm shoved in their faces. (I shoot on full frame bodies so I'd need to be really close) The 70-200mm allows me to stay on the fringes and snipe away, still filling the frame.

Also the longer lens is much more flattering with the perspective.
Click to expand...

I guess its just personal styles, I find people at weddings love have the camera in their face, I don't over do it though, get a good shot and move, get a good shot and move..... and to be honest I find people are so rapped up in the day they don't really notice.
 
Gary120190 said:
Is the 70-300mm any good for candids?
Click to expand...

I know your asking Ali but ill give you my imput anyway :) Its all subjective to styles, I love getting in close as do a few people I know but I also know people that shoot from further away. Work out what your comfortable and like doing and what works best for you :)
 
As long as the light is good it's OK. Indoors, I hate to think!

You don't get the narrow depth of field that isolates the subject from the background as well either. There's a fair difference between f2.8 and the apertures you get with the 70-300mm. It's f4.5 at the short end and f5.6 at the long end. The 70-200mm f2.8's are f2.8 throughout. The extra apertures also allow you to raise the shutter speeds which helps when dealing with the longer optics. :)
 
lukewoodford said:
I know your asking Ali but ill give you my imput anyway :) Its all subjective to styles, I love getting in close as do a few people I know but I also know people that shoot from further away. Work out what your comfortable and like doing and what works best for you :)
Click to expand...

Thanks Mate
How many weddings have you done luke?
Gary
 
AliB said:
As long as the light is good it's OK. Indoors, I hate to think!

You don't get the narrow depth of field that isolates the subject from the background as well either. There's a fair difference between f2.8 and the apertures you get with the 70-300mm. It's f4.5 at the short end and f5.6 at the long end. The 70-200mm f2.8's are f2.8 throughout. The extra apertures also allow you to raise the shutter speeds which helps when dealing with the longer optics. :)
Click to expand...

ok thanks ali
 
I reckon you must shoot younger people than me Luke! lol

Most of the time I get complimented on my candids which is a right royal PITA! since I'm working so hard to get the rest of it up to the standards I want! My Bride and Groom shots are the ones I need to work on most right now.
 
I definitely have a 70-200 2.8, it's the ideal lens for all sorts of things. It's another one I use for candids and casual portraits, and people generally act more natural if you're back a bit, rather than right up close. Not sure about the 70-300 though, I think you'll definitely need to spend the money on the 2.8L if you're going to be indoors.

Essentially, if I was doing weddings I'd have:

2xbodies - 1 series or 5d/5d mkII.
16-35mm f2.8 if I could afford it, or 17-40 f4. I use a 17-40 all the time, and it's fine indoors. You can get away with hand holding it at a lot slower shutter speed than a long lens.
24-70mm f2.8.
70-200mm f2.8
85mm f1.8
50mm f1.8. Don't use this quite as much now I've got the 85mm, but it does have it's place. I was in a wind tunnel the other day, and needed something shorter.
2 decent flashes (Canon 580ex/II).
That's good for a start anyway...

So basically what I use for racing, however I don't think you will need 300mm or 500mm primes!
 
AliB said:
I reckon you must shoot younger people than me Luke! lol

Most of the time I get complimented on my candids which is a right royal PITA! since I'm working so hard to get the rest of it up to the standards I want! My Bride and Groom shots are the ones I need to work on most right now.
Click to expand...

Yes thats probably true, to be honest ive only shot two and they were both quite young. Maybe a different stratergy when I do the older couple later this year :)
 
Yes, I do find younger people generally more comfortable with a camera around but I've shot some older people from distance and got them looking really good. Follow the light around a group and shoot what lights up for you.

Good idea to look at shooting longer with a more mature crowd! :thumbs:
 
Gary120190 said:
Ok thanks mate
How did you go about getting into it
How did you advertise
thanks
Click to expand...

My best advice for you at the moment is use facebook. I did the first from free, im now doing them cheap for 2009. I have done a few other things but USE FACEBOOK :)
 
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