2 bodies, 2 lenses but which 2 lenses

[DonJuanMair]

I am doing a friend of a friends wedding next year and I'm not going to charge them. I was thinking of using 2 bodies mine and renting the 7D. I have the lenses in my signature and was thinking of renting the 17-55 f2.8 for the 7D and then using my 100mm f2 for my 5D mkII.

What do youbguys think?

[jonwhite]

I think whatever lens you rent as your primary workhorse should at least work on both bodies you intend to use otherwise your completely screwed if your crop body fails on the day. Shooting groups shots at 100mm wouldn't be much fun I reckon.

[DonJuanMair]

Like a 35L?

[Peacefield]

I have a 5D2 and a 50D and enjoy the flexibility of having FF and 1.6. If it were me, leave the 200 home, use what you have on the 7D, and rent a 24-70 L 2.8 for the 5D2. I use that lens for well more than half my shots at a wedding. Then it's just a matter of cycling through your other lenses on the 7D as necessary for the situation; long, wide, macro, etc.

[Red Tie Photography]

What i am going to do, and mind you i have little experience in wedding photography but am planning to do much more, is get a 5dmk2 and use my 24-70mm f2.8 lens on it. That way i would get a nice wide shot and would provide the highest quality pictures, the ones most important for printing. Then i will use my 40d with my 70-200mm f2.8 for candids, pictures that are great to have but the bread and butter shots will be with the 5d

[sando]

With that kit, I'd go for a 24-70 2.8 and a 7D.

I just shot a wedding with just a 16-35 on a 5D and 17-55 on a 20D - oh, and a 30mm 1.4.

I use longer lenses less and less, apart from postage stamps, I don't use them at all.

[Eric]

I agree with what has already been said. You'll want the lens to work on both bodies incase anything happens. I would also rent the 24-70, its a very useful lens for wedding work. You could essentially mount the 17-40 on the 7D and the 24-70 on you 5D and have almost the same FL with both bodies, a good plan incase anything happens at a crucial moment. Then mix them up for other scenarios.

[sando]

I agree with what has already been said. You'll want the lens to work on both bodies incase anything happens. I would also rent the 24-70, its a very useful lens for wedding work. You could essentially mount the 17-40 on the 7D and the 24-70 on you 5D and have almost the same FL with both bodies, a good plan incase anything happens at a crucial moment. Then mix them up for other scenarios.I'd go the other way round;

17-40 on the 5D

24-70 on the 7D.

[tim]

I'd probably want a good standard zoom on the 5DII (for best image quality), then a longer lens on the 7D. I'd put the fast prime on the 5DII when you want really narrow DOF.

[DonJuanMair]

What about the 24-70 for my 5D and the 70-200 for the 7D

[tim]

What about the 24-70 for my 5D and the 70-200 for the 7D

That's what I said. 24-70 or 24-105 F4L, i'd get the 24-105 if you can cope with F4 instead of F2.8.

[DonJuanMair]

I think the f2.8 would be really helpful as I'm shooting the reception after too

[jonwhite]

What about the 24-70 for my 5D and the 70-200 for the 7D

That's pretty much mine and Nicks standard setups when we shoot weddings, we both have a 5D MKII + 24-70 f2.8 L and a 40D + 70-200 f2.8 IS L and its a great starting point.

The 24-70 isn't nice on a crop body imo but if my 5D MKII failed I could cope with shooting most things with it and vice versa if a 40D failed (although we have spares of that anyway so would be a straight swap for another body) I could cope.

We also have 100mm macro, 60mm macro, 2 x 50mm F1.4 and 2 x Fisheyes but 85% of shots are taken with the 24-70 and 70-200

[Philco]

If you're going to rent another body, I'm not sure what the appeal of a 7D is versus having another FF body? Keeping both FF makes juggling focal lengths a lot easier. If I were going to rent a lens, it would a 70-200 f2.8L. Between that lens and a 17-40, you'd be pretty much covered for the whole day. Hopefully you have another speedlight too.

[DonJuanMair]

Well ones 195 and the others 295 that's all. Just price difference that's all

[Philco]

Aha. Calumet charges $125 for a 5D and $150 for a 5DII, weekend rate...probably not worth the drive.

[tim]

17-40 seems a bit wide on a full frame body for the standard zoom. Sometimes you'll want a longer lens for the compression effect, and also if you want a narrower slice of the background in the shot. 100mm will work well for that though.

[DonJuanMair]

The 70-200 on a 7D will be kind of long, don't you all think id better with the 17-55 on the 7d and the 70-200 on my camera

[Philco]

I would think your 17-40 on a 7D would be fine, w/ the 70-200 on the FF. You can crop plenty if you need more reach w/ the 5D2. One of my second shooters uses a 24-105 F4 all the time and he does fine. The 17-40 is almost a 24-70 on the 7D , so close enough, though one stop slower. (not a big deal)

[tim]

The 70-200 on a 7D will be kind of long, don't you all think id better with the 17-55 on the 7d and the 70-200 on my camera

I use the 70-200 on a 40D/7D all the time - ceremony, speeches, and occasionally portraits.

[bric-a-brac]

not to throw another wrench into the complex workings of this infernal machine, but IF you like using primes:

if I were in your shoes and renting a 7D, I could happily shoot all day with the 50/1.4 on the 5D2 and your 100/2 on the 7D... I use a 135/2L on a 50D for my low light telephoto and have found the field of view on a crop camera to give me more than sufficient reach. then just keep the 17-40 handy for ultra-wide shots of the ceremony and reception hall or large group shots on the 5D2.

[jonwhite]

The 70-200 on a 7D will be kind of long, don't you all think id better with the 17-55 on the 7d and the 70-200 on my camera

And then your back to the previously mentioned problem that if your crop body fails, or you have issues with it (not unusual if your renting it and aren't familiar with it) then your screwed for a lens that will be used for taking the majority of your shots.