Shooting my first wedding as primary next weekend!

[sacral]

needless to say, I am terrified, and I have another wedding the very next weekend, again as primary shooter. I've done 2 or 3 weddings as secondary. There are tons of threads here with great advice, but i haven't found too many about gear-management. I'll have a total of 2, maybe 3 cameras for this event, and if the wifey allows, maybe 4:

Bodies:
Gripped 40D
30D, 40D
May end up purchasing a 5D classic before the weddings...

Lenses:
17-40/4.0
50/1.4
70-200/2.8 IS
Will probably rent an 85/1.2 mkII, and thought about renting a 24-70...still don't know.

Flashes:
580 EX II x 2
430 EX II
ST-E2 for indoor triggering
Elinchrom Skyports for outdoor triggering

Flash modifiers and camera supports:
two light stands (8')
45" Westcott shoot-thru white satin umbrellas x 2
36" Westcott shoot-thru white satin umbrella
Manfrotto tripod and monopod, with one head
RRS B87 portrait bracket on an L-plate, which fits the gripped 40D

Any advice on gear management? My wife will be helping me, but she doesn't have too much photography experience in terms of tehcnical aspects. She's very creative, but i need to teach her how to use a 40D before next weekend, along with some photography basics (ISO, aperture, DOF, shutter speed...) haha!

I was thinking about keeping the gripped 40D + 17-40 with RRS bracket + 580 EX II in my right hand, possibly on a Blackrapid R-strap, and then having the 30D with 70-200 on the monopod (also with a flash?) that i'll cart around with me on my person. The wifey will have the 40D with 50/1.4 and 430 EXII (i'll likely have to set the settings on manual whenever we switch venues for her...)

If i end up purchasing the 5D, i'll have that around my neck or on another strap with the 85/1.2 attached...

But all this just seems like a lot of stuff to cart around and manage. I'd rather go light, than go heavy...i was just thinking, 2 cameras on my body (one with a fully assembled bracket + flash), the keg (85/1.2), as well as holding/managing a 70-200 on a monopod??! Seems like a lot...

Thanks in advance!

Edit: my family members who own the 40Ds have been gracious enough to let me borrow their equipment. :) I only own the grip and 30D, + the lenses. And hopefully...the 5D. :)

[stathunter]

The first thing I would like to say is.......... yikes! I mean that with all sincerity. I am not sure you should be shooting a wedding without having and understanding the bodies and equipment. Let me explain a little here -- every body acts differently -- some underexpose--- some over expose-- some work better with certain lenses etc. My 5D tends to underexpose compared to my 1D3 -- the 24-70 is sharper on my 1D2 than 5D etc.

[sacral]

Well, i mean - i understand all my equipment quite well, and i've shot quite a bit with the 40D. Quite a bit... It's more a matter of teaching the wifey...

[timnosenzo]

Do you really want to use a monopod with the 70-200? That seems like it would be a real PITA.

I'd say if you have the 5D + 24-70, use that along with the 30D + 70-200 or 85L, whichever you're most comfortable with.

If no 5D, then I would say you with both 40D's, one with the 17-40 and the other with the 70-200.

The 5D + 30D have the same controls, as do the 40D's obviously, that is why I am suggesting keeping them together.

Honestly though, I would use gear you are comfortable with. The 85L is a very tricky lens to use, and takes a lot of practice to master. Even the 24-70 is a little different with the way it zooms. A wedding might not be the place to give unfamiliar lenses a go. At a wedding the last thing I want to think about is using the gear I have, that whole part of it needs to be seamless.

[tim]

Thoughts:
- Forget the monopod and the 85 F1.2, you'll have enough to worry about without them
- Forget the 5D, you don't want to learn a new camera in a week
- Only use the flash bracket if you really, really must. I photograph 20-30 weddings a year and haven't used my bracket in two years. I just shoot landscape and ambient when the bride's coming up the aisle. I use off camera flash other times, so a bracket's useless to me and makes things more difficult
- Keep your wife's camera on P, let the camera work things out. Shoot RAW so you can fix it later. Teach her about the histogram, EC, and FEC, set everything else yourself.

[form]

Sell your 17-40 and buy a 17-55 f/2.8 IS unless you really intend to go full frame soon. The convenience of IS and f/2.8 is worth a lot more than the difference in price.

You can shoot a whole wedding with 17-55, 50 f/1.4 and 70-200 f/2.8 IS.

[Peacefield]

I agree with Form on lens selection, though my personal preference is the 24-70. I will also echo the thought to drop the monopod. I bring a fast opening tripod for when I REALLY need the support, and shoot freehand the rest of the time. And the reality is that I rarely need the tripod.

I would also tell you (as I do myself with three bodies), keep a wide angle, mid-range, and telephoto on each camera at all times. It's so much easier and faster to switch cameras then swap out lenses.

Regarding your wife, not to worry. My wife helped me when I started, my teenage sons help me now. The key items I look for my assistants to focus on (in order):
- carry the bags, make sure nothing gets broken, make sure nothing gets stolen.
- Next comes knowing what everything is called so when I say give me the 5d2 with the 24-70, they know what I'm talking about.
- Next, they're cheap and fast light stands. It's so much easier to do off-camera flash with someone just holding the flash than troubling to mount it to a light stand. They also hold reflectors for me.
- Finally, though least essential as it's really my responsibility, they should keep their eye peeled for details; the gown is laying nicely on the ground, nothing distracting in the background, etc.

Lastly, to address one of your specific questions: how do you manage all the gear? I would tell you to leave the lightstands, umbrellas, brackets, and tripods in the car. Like you, I like to bring all that stuff, too, in case I need it, but I rarely do. What you need are two bags that allow you to carry all your camearas with the lenses already mounted plus the other essential equipment. I use an ApeCase 1400 plus a large Lowepro backpack. That way, I'm able to carry everything at once on the occassions that I do work alone and it makes things fairly simple on the days I have some help.

Good luck.

[form]

I use the light stands, etc., for every reception that's in a decent sized room, especially with a dance floor.

I've used 3 bodies and it definitely has the advantage of speed over 2 bodies, but only if all 3 bodies are going to be used often. Otherwise it's extra weight and strain.

[stathunter]

I've used 3 bodies and it definitely has the advantage of speed over 2 bodies, but only if all 3 bodies are going to be used often. Otherwise it's extra weight and strain.


I have been using 3 bodies lately and two is easier-- three takes some practice so you do not choke yourself to death with the straps--- the tangled mess sometimes takes someone to cut you out!

[form]

I found myself almost never using the third body, which had the ultra-wide lens on at all times. I thought at the time that the most practical combination I had was ultra-wide, fast prime, and standard zoom between the three cameras. Now I'd probably be inclined to split my two fastest primes between two bodies and the standard zoom on the third.

[scobols]

If you're going to buy a 5D, don't get it right before a wedding. There is a learning curve when switching to FF. If you rent it and use it the first time at a wedding, you may end up with a lot of photos with not enough DOF.

I'm not saying don't get a 5D, just make sure you get to know it before you use it at a wedding.

[sacral]

Wow - tons of great info here. Thanks everybody, and keep it comin'!

i'm still debating on using a 5D during these weddings. I would really love my wide angle to be really wide...truly 17mm. I know there's a learning curve, but with that in mind, i wonder if i would be alright to stop down a little more to increase dof? I'll likely be shooting mostly in manual during these weddings, and i'll have several flashes as well. Just a thought... :)

Thanks again!

[form]

If you want greater DoF you should stick to crop sensor cameras.

[jongobongo]

if your wife is going to also be shooting, teach her to use AV mode? You'd might also want to show her how to do the basic setup of the flashes and umbrellas.

Agree with the others and drop the monopod.
With the bodies you currently have, take the 40D gripped, 30D and the 70-200 & 17-40
Rent the 24-70.
Give your wife the other 40D and 50 1.4

I haven't found a need for a flash brackets, especially with our multiple camera/person setup (My wife & I shoot with 4 bodies, split evenly, and shootsacs to carry the extra lenses)