Camera Labs

Hi Rune, if it was a full-frame Canon, I'd bet one of the lenses was a 24-70mm f2.8L... very popular wedding and portrait lens and supremely quick focuser...

Two 1Ds Mark IIs though? Nice kit!

Oh boy! This is getting a bit over my head/wallet
What type of investment are we talking about here? Two Canon 1D MII plus 24-70mm/2.8L plus another lens plus flashes? >= 8,000 EUR
Did the guy use flash, Rune? How did he work with the light??

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Thomas (beware: Nikon-fanboy and moderator!) My Lens Reviews, My Pictures, My Photography Blog
D800+assorted lenses

I can't remember seeing a flash on either of his cameras, and looking at the pictures he took it's obvious hi didn't use flash for any of the shots - but it was a shiny day I'm not sure I agree on the way he did the couple alone, as they were partly in the sun and partly in the shadow of a tree, though it created a nice natural effect. Even indoor pictures of the reception was taken without flash, and in one of those you can actually see that it's a wide angle lens, so the 24-70mm might be a very good guess. I actually got a picture of the lens but unfortunately not the entire camera.

When you think about it, 500-1000€ per wedding session (prices in Denmark where the wedding took place) the equipment could be payed of in 3-6 months on weddings alone. That the backup camera also was a 1DsII was under the assumption that it looked exactly like the primary one, that was a 1DsII, but I guess it could be a 1Ds "only".

@ tomtomba

€ 8000 + ?

What do you think of like € 15000 +

1 1ds mk2 costs about € 6500 and he had two. So thats € 13000. A 24-70 f2.8 on the first body and probably a telezoom (70-200 f2.8 IS) on the second. Those two lenses cost about € 3000 togheter. + 2 flashes or something. Really really expensive kit .

Yeah, you're right. I looked for the wrong 1D markII

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Thomas (beware: Nikon-fanboy and moderator!) My Lens Reviews, My Pictures, My Photography Blog
D800+assorted lenses

95%+ comes from you - the photographer. The equipment you use can make it easier and faster for you, but in and of itself it will not make "the difference" between good and bad shots.

Any camera can take great shots if the objects are "posing" - i.e. arranged shots. As I think Thomas mentioned, the lighting becomes paramount. Lighting can come from existing non-camera sources and be assisted by your equipment, flashes, screens/reflectors and whatnot.

The more challenging part of wedding photography are the shots that capture the "feel" of the wedding - i.e. those shots that are taken without any posing. The bride's eyes when her father is speaking, the grooms face as he sees his bride for the first time, the children running around, laughing faces as the brother fires off some raunchy jokes, Uncle Bill's inebriated smile as he raises his glass in a toast. The focus of the bridesmaids as they dive for the thrown bouquet of flowers.

From your post, it seems that you are not a veteran in wedding photography, but your dedication to saving for equipment suggests that you will go to great lengths to get some great pictures.

My personal advice - such as it is - is to get something sooner (i.e. save for a shorter period of time) and start practicing composition and shooting people. Get a camera quick and start taking shots at every single party you can get to. That practice will have a much higher impact on the quality of your photos than any equipment will.

Grab the Nikon D80 with the very versatile and reasonably fast 18-200mm VR lens and a flash or two and you'll have more than enough to create world-class wedding photos. Or, grab a Canon equivalent. It matters very little, compared to practicing and composition.

Most importantly, get out there asap and shoot people in similar settings - play with the lighting, different diffusers on your flash(es) see what works with the kind of pictures you want to get. Visualize the great moments in a wedding - and there are many - and try to grab as many of them as you can.

Whatever you choose to do, I wish you the best of luck. Giving the gift of great photos from a wedding is something to be very proud of - of they're good

Cheers!

I think you have to buy a Canon camera which is right for a beginner wedding photographer. It is much cheaper than the other cameras and it has a great picture quality also.

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elliottimages Wedding photography Glasgow

i shoot with the nikon 300s and i shoot weddings with it nice and fast good range ( but the equpment is not as inportant as the skill ) i once had my camer break in the good old film days and i had to use the bride maids camer it ws just a point and shoot and the pics i was getting out of it were just as good so dont get hung up on the kit hone your skill