What would you do? (Wedding Photo Equipment)

[bakerbranded]

Hello everyone,

In July, I will be shooting my Aunt and soon to be Uncles wedding on Camano Island. The location will be an outdoor wedding at the Four Spring House Nature Reserve. They are a very nontraditional couple and are open and willing to begin creative, which is right in my ally of how I want and like to shoot a wedding.

Anyways I was able to talk with my aunt and Mike some and found out that Mike used to do some wedding work, and I was expecting no compensation as I planned to do this for free for them but they want to contribute $500-600 to be invested in my photography career. Initially he talked about B&H but I'm thinking off adding my own money into the mix as well. I may purchased used equipment, new or use some for marketing purposes.

Anyways to wedding photographers with some more experience what would you do?

Current Equipment:

Canon Gripped 20D (I just sold my 40D for finacial purposes and will be buying another body by the time of the wedding. Although I was not happy with my 40D at my first wedding and only used my 20D then, I still absoulty love the quality of my 20D)
17-55 f/2.8 IS
70-200 f/2.8 IS
50 1.8
580EX II x2
Cybersyncs T&R
Light Stands & Umbrella
20GB CF

Some of my idea's:

1) Purchase a 5D or 1D MII, I want to be able to go full frame or 1x3 some day. I dont know if now is the best time but this would allow me to do that. If I did purchase one I would trade my 17-55 for a 24-70L.

2) Purchase another 20D (Becasue I absolutly love mine now, and that is why I'm also interested in the 5D because they are similar.) Then purchase a really nice prime for creative shots. For the 20D, I was thinking something in the 30-35mm range. I'm a sucker for DOF and love shooting Wide Open.

I dont know if I should go for the 35L 1.4 which I think would be amazing to have or go for the cheaper Sigma 30 1.4 and use the money for other areas like another lens or some marketing. Although the 35L sounds so freaking nice.

3) Buy a 20D and go all for marketing.


These are just a few ideas I am having, and if anyone has a opinion please add it in. Thanks a lot.

Scott

[tim]

Get another 20D or a 40D, forget full frame for now, given the cost. A 5D means you need a good full frame lens, which are expensive. You need a backup for your 17-55 too, even if it's a semi-wide prime like the Sigma 30 F1.4 (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/381615-REG/Sigma_300101_30mm_f_1_4_EX_DC.html/BI/2312/KBID/3114).

After using two 40Ds I really don't like having to use my 20D now, it's kinda slow and clunky and the images aren't as sharp and have a red color cast, so i'll upgrade it even as a backup soon.

[bakerbranded]

Get another 20D or a 40D, forget full frame for now, given the cost. A 5D means you need a good full frame lens, which are expensive. You need a backup for your 17-55 too, even if it's a semi-wide prime like the Sigma 30 F1.4 (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/381615-REG/Sigma_300101_30mm_f_1_4_EX_DC.html/BI/2312/KBID/3114).

After using two 40Ds I really don't like having to use my 20D now, it's kinda slow and clunky and the images aren't as sharp and have a red color cast, so i'll upgrade it even as a backup soon.

Hey Tim, after thinking on it more, I was also thinking this, but we are sort of visa versa when it comes to 40D and 20D. I really loved the 20D at my first wedding and hated the 40D. After using for a bit at the ceremony I put it away and interchanged lenses on my 20d when needed for the rest of the night. I did not mind doing this and I was sort of disappointed because I wanted the 40D to be great, like I think the 20D was. So I dont know maybe I will buy another.

And I think I really like the Sigma 30 as well and that will probably be the next lens I own.

Thanks,
Scott

[tim]

What didn't you like about the 40d? I find it sharper with faster focusing and faster handling, with better color. The difference between a 20D and 40D is almost as big as the difference between the original 300D/Rebel and the 20D.

The 20D is still a capable camera though, and will be available pretty cheap.

[bakerbranded]

What didn't you like about the 40d? I find it sharper with faster focusing and faster handling, with better color. The difference between a 20D and 40D is almost as big as the difference between the original 300D/Rebel and the 20D.

The 20D is still a capable camera though, and will be available pretty cheap.

I'm not sure, I had both the same settings on the 20D as the 40D during the wedding (do know I was only not happy with the 40D during the wedding) and I was loving how the photos were coming out on the 20D but not on the 40D. So I just got nervous because I did not want to miss an important shot since my 40D was holding the 70-200 and I knew the ceremony was prime for the telephoto shots. So that is why. Everything else I loved the 40D.

[tim]

Don't judge anything by the LCD, judge by the images afterwards. Go back and take a look. Also remember each camera varies, so on one camera you might need 1/200th to get a good exposure, on another 1/150th - that's just tolerances with a mechanical system. I find even my two 40Ds need slightly different settings to get a good exposure.

[bakerbranded]

Don't judge anything by the LCD, judge by the images afterwards. Go back and take a look. Also remember each camera varies, so on one camera you might need 1/200th to get a good exposure, on another 1/150th - that's just tolerances with a mechanical system. I find even my two 40Ds need slightly different settings to get a good exposure.

Ya as I sat here, I was thinking about that. So I went back to look on flickr and see which photos I took with the 40D and when I stopped and I like all the photos I see coming from the 40D. But I also love the entire wedding which was 9/10 shot with the 20D so I still love the capability of the camera and its probably not leaving until it dies permanently on me.

Thanks again Tim.

[form]

My 20D sits idle now; if I didn't want to have it for a last resort backup it would be sold. My 5D and 40D are much better at focusing in dim light, and the 40D AF is also much quicker. What's on the LCD is misleading.