struggling with 1 FF body at a wedding

mattertea wrote in post #16661137
Does anyone even consider a mirrorless camera for a second body?

No, I don't think the AF tech is quite there yet - and the lenses aren't really either. But would you really want to be using a 70-200 handheld on an EOS M or A7R or something? Super uncomfortable.

As for the flash I would up the ISO and try to shoot at half power so you don't need to worry about recycle time as much. Unless it's a night wedding you only want to balance it with ambient anyhow.

A socond body as a backup is a must. The 60D should be fine, especially since you are using flash. While at it, a backup flash is also a must. Vivitar 285 or similar if you can't stretch to a second Canon.

I photographed weddings on medium format for years with only a 50ish mm FF equivalent lens. A zoom is not needed for weddings, IMHO. If you have the 24-70 2.8, then by all means use it. Remember that these are people photos so perspective matters. The advantage of just using a 50 (or crop equivalent) is that it is dang near impossible to make an unflattering people photo with one. Zooming to 24 to include a group gives a different photo than stepping back to do the same.

Regarding flash, try an external battery pack. One can do the whole wedding or most of it and you will have fast recycling for a good bit of it (depending on a bunch of factors of course).

Most of all, try to relax and have some fun. The pictures will be better for it.

Gobeatty wrote in post #16663415
A socond body as a backup is a must. The 60D should be fine, especially since you are using flash. While at it, a backup flash is also a must. Vivitar 285 or similar if you can't stretch to a second Canon.

I photographed weddings on medium format for years with only a 50ish mm FF equivalent lens. A zoom is not needed for weddings, IMHO. If you have the 24-70 2.8, then by all means use it. Remember that these are people photos so perspective matters. The advantage of just using a 50 (or crop equivalent) is that it is dang near impossible to make an unflattering people photo with one. Zooming to 24 to include a group gives a different photo than stepping back to do the same.

Regarding flash, try an external battery pack. One can do the whole wedding or most of it and you will have fast recycling for a good bit of it (depending on a bunch of factors if course).

Most of all, try to relax and have some fun. The pictures will be better for it.

right. Too often, I see noobs with a zoom, stand really close, then question why their photo looks so crappy. Never spent any time paying attention to perspective. Sometimes you'll have to use 24 when the space is too tight and you need to take a group photo. Those bland group photos are pretty damn popular too......

Yup - hate those bland group photos but people still want them....ugh

This sort of ranks up there with the "Struggling with a 35mm prime for wildlife" threads.

Glad you didn't have any major mishaps in the process of learning the importance of duplicates.

I am set that I need a second body (5Dmk3. As I am not really feeling my 60d anymore) with another flash..
So body number one has a 70-200 2.8
And body number 2(also5dmk3) with a prime OR a new 24-70 2.8?? <- this is the question!
If you would choose a prime over the 24-70 would you choose a 35mm IS or the 50mm 1.4 or something else???

35mm on FF would be too wide for most wedding shots, IMHO. Maybe a different story if you are shooting two bodies (not just carrying the second body as a backup) and you have longer on the second body. I prefer not getting too close to people - feels intrusive and yields odd perspective. The 35 might work for large group shots, but I've *never* not been able to set up a large group shot and capture with the 50. You know how large the groups will be and you choose where to shoot It sometimes can get tight if you are stuck indoors (rain, etc). I might have a 35 with me and carry it in a pocket if I see a lot of tight shooting is in the cards, but a 50 would be my vote.

As to which one isn't so obvious, but I expect the 50 1.4 will get the most votes between the 50's. I know several wedding shooters who use this as their main lens. That said, one shooter is on her third iteration due to focus failure and I had to return mine due to inability to focus. I got a 50 1.8 for $80 including filter. It's a tad fragile so I would take a backup lens (zoom probably) on the backup body. The cheapie lens is also as or near as sharp as the 24-70 L due to not having to zoom. I'm hoping Canon comes out with a revised, sub $500 USD 50 1.4 that updates the AF and is more robust. The 24-70 is, these days, regarded as THE wedding lens, but as noted before I prefer primes.

Gobeatty wrote in post #16663935
35mm on FF would be too wide for most wedding shots, IMHO. Maybe a different story if you are shooting two bodies (not just carrying the second body as a backup) and you have longer on the second body. I prefer not getting too close to people - feels intrusive and yields odd perspective. The 35 might work for large group shots, but I've *never* not been able to set up a large group shot and capture with the 50. You know how large the groups will be and you choose where to shoot It sometimes can get tight if you are stuck indoors (rain, etc). I might have a 35 with me and carry it in a pocket if I see a lot of tight shooting is in the cards, but a 50 would be my vote.

As to which one isn't so obvious, but I expect the 50 1.4 will get the most votes between the 50's. I know several wedding shooters who use this as their main lens. That said, one shooter is on her third iteration due to focus failure and I had to return mine due to inability to focus. I got a 50 1.8 for $80 including filter. It's a tad fragile so I would take a backup lens (zoom probably) on the backup body. The cheapie lens is also as or near as sharp as the 24-70 L due to not having to zoom. I'm hoping Canon comes out with a revised, sub $500 USD 50 1.4 that updates the AF and is more robust. The 24-70 is, these days, regarded as THE wedding lens, but as noted before I prefer primes.

THANKS

picking up my 2nd mk3 today