The importance of backup equipment

[blackshadow]

On Sunday I was shooting a wedding and my 24-70 f2.8L lens failed on me. It's zoom was stuck - it would normally be my primary lens for a wedding shoot.

Rather than worry about it I just grabbed out my 16-35 f2.8L II and used that for the majority of my shots in combination with my 70-200 f2.8L IS.

If I hadn't had the 16-35 (I also had a 35L and 50 f1.4 in my bag) with me it would have made covering the wedding a much more difficult job.

When the 24-70 stopped working I just changed lenses and carried on. No one but me was aware of the problem and most importantly I got some wonderful shots of the wedding.

It just goes to show the importance of having back up equipment when covering events such as weddings where there will never be the opportunity for a re-shoot.

[Patrick]

You're absolutely correct.
Sadly, I suffer from canon OCD and just one backup (camera or lens) isn't enough.

[SDavis Photo]

My 17-55mm 1:2.8 IS auoto focus went out at a wedding this weekend and I had to go to my backup 28-135 lens. Frist time this has happened and now I am thinking I need to get another 17-55mm or a 16-35mm. Normally my 30D has my 70-200mm on it and now I am thinking I need one more body as back up too.

[stathunter]

Good save. I could not agree with you more. I had a malfunction about a year ago and fortunately I had a backup. Now a days I have several backups for my wedding days. You can never be too safe.......no one waits for the photographer to have everything in order.....things just progress and there is noooo excuse to miss them.

[Sledhed]

If you are shooting ANYTHING professionally you need back up gear. I was shooting the Cubs at White Sox earlier this season and the shutter blew on my MKIIN before the game started and it only had about 60,000 clicks on it. You never know when Murphy will show up but I guarantee he will at some point. I'm not trying to steal your thread by posting the pic but I thought some people might like to see what a blown shutter looks like.

[Jim G]

Good to keep this in people's minds - I wouldn't dream of shooting a big paid gig without at least one backup of everything essential.

[PhotosGuy]

I'm not trying to steal your thread by posting the pic but I thought some people might like to see what a blown shutter looks like.

There's another current thread where someone had the same problem. Mr. Murphy will always find the weak spot you left open for him!

[amfoto1]

Yep...

Three cameras go with me to any paid gig, plus enough other lenses that can stand in if one or another gives problems, extra flashes, etc.

Typically 13 compact flash cards and at least two spare, charged batteries per camera, too.

There's even an extra monolight, extra flash tubes, spare flash meter, extra cords, a couple spare umbrellas and other backup stuff in my location light kit.

Don't forget fuses for monolights and power packs...

And at least one spare of those little memory cells hiding inside your camera, too.

Rules of thumb: If you can keep easily shooting without it, you don't need a backup. If you wont be able to get some of the shots if an item packs it in, back it up somehow. If you absolutely can't imagine ever shooting without any particular item, double backup.

[Zansho]

Same, I feel for you, it sucks when things break.

I usually bring my 5D and 40D with me to a wedding, and I also have a XTI with me too - just in case the sh!t really DOES hit the fan. Lately, I've been debating getting another 24-70 2.8 or a 17-55 2.8 IS, but I find myself using my 85mm 1.8 a lot, and my 50mm 1.4 quite a bit too. Something about prime lenses that just draw me in.. I don't know what it is.

I'll never have to worry about lighting in terms of flash equipment though - two Norman 200B's, 1 580 EX II, and a Quantum Flash are my lighting stuff, and I know how to use each and every one of them effectively. If I really had to pick something I couldn't go without, I'd probably pick the Quantum, with the norman 200B's a close second. I really like the quality of light they put out.