Film as backup and for wides or. . .

[Cordell]

My current study in photography is weddings and little people sports (basketball and football). I have a D60 which I like a whole lot, but of course their is always the issue of wide lenses. I'm not the kind of guy who can afford a lot of lenses. I currently have only two, a Tokina ATX Pro 28-70, and an old 35-80 3.5 Canon that I picked up for $20. I plan to also purchase a Sigma EX 70-200 2.8 and a Canon 50 1.8.

My question is since my goal is to shoot weddings and I know I must have a backup camera, should I go for a film camera as both my backup and to help shoot wide angles. This helps eliminate the 1.6 factor on my D60 and gives me at least a true 28 instead of the 44mm. From many of the wedding photog forums I've viewed, wides are not used a heck of a lot, but they are used often (does that make sense :roll: ). This saves me money for the time being until I really get rolling.

This also leads me to another question. . . A2, A2E, Elan xx?

I'm sure it sounds like I made up my mind, but I haven't. My soul is still confused :roll: :shock: :roll:

[Vegas Poboy]

Sound like your just starting out & if so go with the inexpensive route until you generate more income & let that income pay for new equipment. I love my 10D but I also have the Elan II which is used just as much. You have a great deal of lattitude shooting with film if you have a good photo proccessor you can have great results inexpensive.
They're plenty of Canon film bodies on the market I would purchase one and use the D60 as backup for now. There is still plenty of uses for film cameras.
Just my opinion :)
good Luck

[Ballen Photo]

Hi Cordell, A good film body couldn't hurt, just beware of the crop factor when you switch between them. As you already know, this is one way to get your semi wide angles back.
TheA2/A2e is an excellent film camera for Pro use, and can be had for a whole lot less than I had to pay when I originally got one of each. Just make sure if you go this route that you're aware of the issues with breakage of the command dial if you're not careful.
I noticed that my neighbor(POBOY) has an Elan II. This camera I can vouch for also, as it's very capable. (I had the first Elan IIe sold in Vegas)
Film for Weddings? This is a good idea anyway to give your clients the option. In fact, some people still demand film. Make sure you can trust the shop that does your processing, and get to know them real well.
............Bruce

[robertwgross]

A partner and I shoot weddings. He shoots film, and I shoot digitally. Inevitably, somebody at the reception will come up and ask him if he is shooting digitally, and he points to me. Then there is always some discussion about how one technology is backing up the other. So, for any given wedding, we will have at least three cameras in operation.

When you first size up the wedding hall, you will know whether you will need to shoot long or shoot wide. We always pick some attractive bit of hallway or garden area to shoot family shots, so that will dictate long or wide lenses.

Whichever lens I have on the camera, I will have the other lens in my vest, so I can apply it within seconds as necessary. However, it is rare to need an ultra-long or ultra-wide lens.

---Bob Gross---

[Cordell]

Thank you all for your responses. I feel better now that I'm on a good track based on your experiences.

The hard part is choosing the film camera that will fit me. I prefer something that gives me the same functions as my D60.

Bruce, I did read somewhere about how delicate the A2 dial can be. Is it really that bad? I'm one to be careful with just about any equipment I use, but I don't want something that I have to handle like wet tissue. The A2/A2E is what I was leaning towards.

Again, thank you all for your opinions.