Should I shoot RAW?

[mercersmoments]

Shooting my friend's wedding tomorrow, using my 30d with grip 17-40L
300D with grip
50mm 1.8
28-80usm
speedlite

I have 3 sandisc ultra II 1G cards
3 512 cards

Should I shoot some RAW?


MY PICS:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mercers_moments/

[gheesom]

Get more memory, you'll only get about 40 RAW files on each card no where near enough.

[mercersmoments]

Bit late now to get more cards, what if I fill one card with RAW say for the formal shots and the rest shoot in fine JPEG?

[gheesom]

how much do you know about the processing of RAW?
Please buy even one more 1Gb card!
I'd work out how many pics you're going to take and work from there. RAW is the best quality but the biggest files. JPEGs are compressed to take up less space, but have a lower quality.

[GertS]

You can get about 110 raw files (20D / 30D / 1 DMark II) on a 1GB card.
Raw is great if you know how to process the shots later. DPP is included with the camera, but the new version 3.0 can be downloaded.
There are several threads regarding processing raw. In Tim's signature, there is a link too.

Personally, I wouldn't mix JPeg & Raw, therefore get more memory, as memory is cheap, memories are unpayable.

Good luck

[mercersmoments]

Ok, suppose I could find a camera shop on the way would a 2G card be enough on top of all the others?

What about my gear, anything else I should take?

[TeeJay]

I personally don't do weddings, but I wouldn't shoot any event with less than about 12Gb in my pocket!

But, as they say, the choice is yours.

TJ

[gheesom]

it looks ok, I'd want to take more, but you should just get by. you may have to go through the pics inbetween the formals and the evening and be ruthless with the pics you delete.

[gheesom]

Oh and GOOD LUCK

[Scott_Quier]

With a 20D or 30D you are going to get right at about 100 RAW exposures per gig of memory (at least that's what it's been running for me). So you've go enough memory for 400-450 shots. Cut 10% just because I make mistakes all the time. Can you do the job on 350 - 400 shots? And, what if one of your cards wont write? By way of example, I have 5 x 2GB and 2 x 1GB cards and decided Wednesday to buy 2 more 2GB cards.

Pick up one or two 1 or 2 GB cards. This way you won't have to worry about how many shots you are taking and how many you have left.

Just my $.02

[mercersmoments]

ok, great thanks. This is a very small wedding, 1 bridesmaid 1 groomsmen
garden ceremony backyard reception.

I think I will be fine, but for future weddings I'll need the memory

[csm328]

Don't shoot RAW if you don't know how to do post processing. Would be pointless. Set it to JPEG and you'll do fine. I'm assuming that the B&G's expectations aren't too high?

[tim]

LMAO. Beautiful. I'll have to add this to the bingo game.

Dude, put the camera on large/fine JPG, put it in P mode, to the flash onto auto, and shoot away. Forget the technical stuff and worry about capturing the emotion.

[mizuno]

I personally don't do weddings, but I wouldn't shoot any event with less than about 12Gb in my pocket!

I shoot weddings with 10GB and other events with much, much less.

I try not to take a 'spray and pray' approach to photography, in general.

[csm328]

I shoot weddings with 10GB and other events with much, much less.

I try not to take a 'spray and pray' approach to photography, in general.

LOL @ 'spray and pray'.

[gheesom]

How did the wedding go?
Care to upload some pics?

[JMHPhotography]

Get more memory, you'll only get about 40 RAW files on each card no where near enough.

Huh?!?!?!?

1 Gig cards give me about 100-120 RAW images per card with my 30D. The OP has 3 of those and 3 512MB cards which are good for about 50 +/- 450 images (on the conservative end) should be more than enough to shoot a "friend's" wedding completely in RAW.

[bestfromnw]

go to CIRCUITCITY and pick up 2gb ultra II sandisk card for $35! or pick up couple of them

[gheesom]

Huh?!?!?!?

1 Gig cards give me about 100-120 RAW images per card with my 30D. The OP has 3 of those and 3 512MB cards which are good for about 50 +/- 450 images (on the conservative end) should be more than enough to shoot a "friend's" wedding completely in RAW.

I meant 40 RAW per 512 it was an estimate.

How many shots do you take as the main shooter?

[JMHPhotography]

I meant 40 RAW per 512 it was an estimate.

How many shots do you take as the main shooter?

This may seem a bit conservative, but I don't spend the day with my finger on the shutter button. I tend to look for the shot more so than just shooting everything. I take roughly 600 photos. I have a 4 Gig ExtremeIII, two 2 Gig Ultra II's and four various 1 Gig modules... but I rarely get to the 1 Gig cards. I just bring them to be safe. My 4 gig card gets about 480-500 shots.

[gheesom]

Now how many when you were just starting out? double that maybe?
The majority of advice says you need around 10Gb for a wedding.
In fact that may be an interesting thread, how many shots do you take at a wedding