Need some advice...

[Malaxos1]

I need a few opinions here. I have a digital Rebel with a couple of quality lenses and pretty happy. Anyway, I have done a number of weddings last year with my old Olympus E10, but because of digital noise and 1/650 max shutter speed, I decided to sell it. It's with tose funds that I got the Rebel. Well, I am worrying that I am not prepared for a camera malfunction. I have to remedy this as I have several weddings lined up, one that the couple says they want me to shoot but have not paid and another where the couple has not yet seen my photos. One of the weddings involves me flying to San Francisco and the one where the couple is coming to veiw the photos will be on a cruise. What will I do if my camera goes south while on the Job? I know the only thing I could do is get a backup. To be honest, while I love the Rebel, I am ready for something that will have PC sync and flash compensation. Because of my current lack of funds I was thionking about a D60. It seems I can get one for about $1000 and sometimes with extras like a battery grip. If I had to save for a 10D which is about $1500, I would rather hold out for an original 1D which is selling for about $2000. What should I do? BTW the D30 is going for under $600...Dean

[G3]

Well, I don't think anyone can really adequately answer that. Any of these cameras would serve the purpose. You just need to do your homework and find out which has the features you need or want. Since you plan to use it in a professional environment, I'd opt to buy the most camera I possibly could. Warranty may also be an important consideration. Buying used you will forego that. Also, I'd consider using the 10D, or D60 or whatever as my primary and the Drebel as my backup.

[slin100]

One could also possibly consider a film body as backup.

[DaveG]

I need a few opinions here. I have a digital Rebel with a couple of quality lenses and pretty happy. Anyway, I have done a number of weddings last year with my old Olympus E10, but because of digital noise and 1/650 max shutter speed, I decided to sell it. It's with tose funds that I got the Rebel. Well, I am worrying that I am not prepared for a camera malfunction. I have to remedy this as I have several weddings lined up, one that the couple says they want me to shoot but have not paid and another where the couple has not yet seen my photos. One of the weddings involves me flying to San Francisco and the one where the couple is coming to veiw the photos will be on a cruise. What will I do if my camera goes south while on the Job? I know the only thing I could do is get a backup. To be honest, while I love the Rebel, I am ready for something that will have PC sync and flash compensation. Because of my current lack of funds I was thionking about a D60. It seems I can get one for about $1000 and sometimes with extras like a battery grip. If I had to save for a 10D which is about $1500, I would rather hold out for an original 1D which is selling for about $2000. What should I do? BTW the D30 is going for under $600...Dean

Where does it say that you get to shoot weddings without having all the
necessary gear, just because you just want too?

Hey I want to do brain surgery but I have no training and no hospital but I do
have a knife! What you are planning on doing is pretty close to perpetrating a
fraud. Would any of these people have hired you if they knew the status of your
equipment? If they did and you are charging almost nothing for your weddings,
then I apologize since we all have to start somewhere. But I'm so sick of a guys
who buy a dRebel on Wednesday and then they think that it's their right to shoot
weddings on Saturday. It messes up the market place for the rest of us.

I spent the first half hour of my last wedding presentation listening to the Maid
of Honour vent about how bad HER wedding photographer was. Finally I
said that I didn't want to continue the presentation which shook up both her and
the bride. I pointed out that I have 150 weddings under my belt and that I
would happily provide references, but that I wasn't prepared to be whipped for
an incompetent competitor's inadequacies.

This is the hardware that you’ll need to shoot weddings: Two bodies. Lenses
from medium telephoto medium wide angle. If you have a 24-85 zoom that
covers it but you’ll need at least one more lens. You need twice the flash card
capacity for the wedding that you plan on shooting. And that means at least two
cards (One, one gig card gives you no redundancy, two 512 cards will.) You
need two flashes. You need a spare set of batteries for everything that takes
batteries, especially the camera.

Now here’s the mind software that you’ll need. You understand your camera
perfectly. You can do inside and outside fill flash like you are breathing. You
understand the ins and out of your flashes. You have posed group shots,
portraits and still life images.

So a) get all this stuff, or b) don’t do weddings, or c) plan on spending a lot of
you profits on liability insurance because when you screw up the wrong person’s
wedding they are going to come for you!

[CoolToolGuy]

Have you tried a nice, warm cup of tea? How about some hot chocolate?

Relax, put your feet up, it's been a long day... :wink:

Have Fun
Rick 8)

[robertwgross]

When my partner and I shoot weddings, between the two of us we have this:

1 medium format film camera
1 Canon digital camera
1 Canon 35mm film camera
1 Nikon 35mm film camera
about four flash units with two different remote systems

... and then about three lenses per camera body.

Granted, that is overkill, but we won't tolerate a complete failure for our wedding clients.

---Bob Gross---

[Malaxos1]

I need a few opinions here. I have a digital Rebel with a couple of quality lenses and pretty happy. Anyway, I have done a number of weddings last year with my old Olympus E10, but because of digital noise and 1/650 max shutter speed, I decided to sell it. It's with tose funds that I got the Rebel. Well, I am worrying that I am not prepared for a camera malfunction. I have to remedy this as I have several weddings lined up, one that the couple says they want me to shoot but have not paid and another where the couple has not yet seen my photos. One of the weddings involves me flying to San Francisco and the one where the couple is coming to veiw the photos will be on a cruise. What will I do if my camera goes south while on the Job? I know the only thing I could do is get a backup. To be honest, while I love the Rebel, I am ready for something that will have PC sync and flash compensation. Because of my current lack of funds I was thionking about a D60. It seems I can get one for about $1000 and sometimes with extras like a battery grip. If I had to save for a 10D which is about $1500, I would rather hold out for an original 1D which is selling for about $2000. What should I do? BTW the D30 is going for under $600...Dean

Where does it say that you get to shoot weddings without having all the
necessary gear, just because you just want too?

Hey I want to do brain surgery but I have no training and no hospital but I do
have a knife! What you are planning on doing is pretty close to perpetrating a
fraud. Would any of these people have hired you if they knew the status of your
equipment? If they did and you are charging almost nothing for your weddings,
then I apologize since we all have to start somewhere. But I'm so sick of a guys
who buy a dRebel on Wednesday and then they think that it's their right to shoot
weddings on Saturday. It messes up the market place for the rest of us.

I spent the first half hour of my last wedding presentation listening to the Maid
of Honour vent about how bad HER wedding photographer was. Finally I
said that I didn't want to continue the presentation which shook up both her and
the bride. I pointed out that I have 150 weddings under my belt and that I
would happily provide references, but that I wasn't prepared to be whipped for
an incompetent competitor's inadequacies.

This is the hardware that you’ll need to shoot weddings: Two bodies. Lenses
from medium telephoto medium wide angle. If you have a 24-85 zoom that
covers it but you’ll need at least one more lens. You need twice the flash card
capacity for the wedding that you plan on shooting. And that means at least two
cards (One, one gig card gives you no redundancy, two 512 cards will.) You
need two flashes. You need a spare set of batteries for everything that takes
batteries, especially the camera.

Now here’s the mind software that you’ll need. You understand your camera
perfectly. You can do inside and outside fill flash like you are breathing. You
understand the ins and out of your flashes. You have posed group shots,
portraits and still life images.

So a) get all this stuff, or b) don’t do weddings, or c) plan on spending a lot of
you profits on liability insurance because when you screw up the wrong person’s
wedding they are going to come for you!


LOL, I have been involved in photography for a number of years but have decided that I would like to do it as a source of income while I am school. I have done a number of weddings and recently have had my phone ringing off the hook. People are starting to seek me out. They also seem to be very happy with the price and quality of my work. But I am not going into this blind sighted. Last year I took a wedding photography course and have gratuated. Before going into the class I did my first wedding as a gift, not only was the bride and groom happy about it, I loved doing it. At the first class the teacher asked if anyone had done any weddings at all, I was the only one who raised his hand. Also when he went around the room and asked what people wer shooting with, I was the only one who shot digital. The teacher then asked to see my photos in which he responded "there are nothing wrong with these, you can sell them". He also decided that he would use his D30 on his next wedding. Since that time, I have read every wedding photography book on the subject that I can find. I always try to imrove myself, and yes I am doing it as cheap as I can to get off the ground. I am not trying to fraud anyone, I love doing it, and why not get paid doing it. Oh and I have decent equipment such as lenses, flash, lighting, backdrops and everything else I think I need. I just don't have a second body, and as you have said, I don't want to continue doing this unprepared. Afterall the wedding day isn't my day, it belongs to the bride and groom...Dean

[cgratti]

Save yourself the cash for now and get a film body. You can always digitize the photos later. I am sure you can tell the bride & groom that you need an extra week or so if you do actually need to use the flm camera to process the pictures and digitize them, chances are if you used a 35mm film camera and never told anyone, most prople wouldnt even know or care.

Then when you get the cash from a few weddings, buy another digital camera, and keep the 3 cameras for your events.

JMO

[CoolToolGuy]

A film body as a backup is not a bad idea, and unless you have committed to provide a product in a digital format, you don't really need to say anything to the customer - prints are prints. You can get an Elan 7 for about $300, and it has similar flash capability as the Drebel. Live like that until you can get a new prime body or a backup for the Drebel. :wink:

If you do that, though, I'd suggest shooting some practice with it to get used to its peculiarities as well as the absence of the crop factor. But, then, you should do that with any backup, film or digital. :D

Have Fun
Rick 8)

[Malaxos1]

A film body as a backup is not a bad idea, and unless you have committed to provide a product in a digital format, you don't really need to say anything to the customer - prints are prints. You can get an Elan 7 for about $300, and it has similar flash capability as the Drebel. Live like that until you can get a new prime body or a backup for the Drebel. :wink:

If you do that, though, I'd suggest shooting some practice with it to get used to its peculiarities as well as the absence of the crop factor. But, then, you should do that with any backup, film or digital. :D

Have Fun
Rick 8)

The film idea is a good one. The thing is that I was in a major accident back in December and will be getting some money from my insurance company because of my injuries. Anyway, I am not sure how much I am getting, but I am starting spend it, at least in my mind anyway. I do know i will get enough to by another body. However I have some debt that needs clearing as well, that's why the D30, D60 or D1. I know I have left out the 10D, that's because I either want to save money but get something decent, or spend a little extra for something better. Either way, I want something that will allow PC sync without an adapter and have flash compensation...Dean

[cgratti]

A film body as a backup is not a bad idea, and unless you have committed to provide a product in a digital format, you don't really need to say anything to the customer - prints are prints. You can get an Elan 7 for about $300, and it has similar flash capability as the Drebel. Live like that until you can get a new prime body or a backup for the Drebel. :wink:

If you do that, though, I'd suggest shooting some practice with it to get used to its peculiarities as well as the absence of the crop factor. But, then, you should do that with any backup, film or digital. :D

Have Fun
Rick 8)

The film idea is a good one. The thing is that I was in a major accident back in December and will be getting some money from my insurance company because of my injuries. Anyway, I am not sure how much I am getting, but I am starting spend it, at least in my mind anyway. I do know i will get enough to by another body. However I have some debt that needs clearing as well, that's why the D30, D60 or D1. I know I have left out the 10D, that's because I either want to save money but get something decent, or spend a little extra for something better. Either way, I want something that will allow PC sync without an adapter and have flash compensation...Dean

dont count on the money coming anytime soon, they will drag it out... if your in need of a camera backup real soon, then film is the cheapest way to go, you will also need a scanner to transfer the prints/negatives to digital format I recommend the EPSON Perfection 2400, it does both flatbed and negative scanning, and you will be amazed at the quality it puts out. The price is reasonable at about $139US. Its a little more work but you have to do what you have to do, there is NO WAY you can take a chance on going to a shoot with only 1 camera, thats just crazy.

[Malaxos1]

Thanks for the advice. Perhaps when the money does come the price of the D1 will come down because of the new one...Dean

[Andy_T]

Thanks for the advice. Perhaps when the money does come the price of the D1 will come down because of the new one...Dean

... for the quoted prices of an Elan7 (300$) and a film scanner (139$), you're about 2/3 of the way to a D30 ... if your wedding photography class teacher uses his with good results, why don't you think about it ?

BTW, what did you use as a backup for your E10?

Best regards,
Andy