My 5d mark III dilemma

mclaren777 wrote in post #17476859
Your lenses look good for what you'll be shooting, so if you don't have a second body for redundancy, I'd suggest renting another 6D.

Ok thanks. I'm still weighing the options.

I'm guessing the best way to go about shooting on a camera with only one card slot would be to use a separate card for the preparation, first look, ceremony, deception, cake & dancing, etc. That way if one card went bad or was lost then it wouldn't be the end of the world. Is there a way to "test" my SD cards for 'bad sectors'.. if they get those like our spinning hard drives of old used to get?

The best advice I can give is to adopt good card-handling practices.

• Regularly format in camera
• Don't erase individual images
• Don't fill past 95% capacity
• Replace cards every few years

I think you're being too paranoid about card failure. Besides, with two cameras, you have an automatic safety net (assuming you jump between them regularly). If you ever experience any issues with a memory card, immediately pull it out of the camera and don't touch it again until you get home to your computer. The worst thing you can do is mess with it in the field.

Bright light is when you really want lots of power and fast recharge - it goes against intuition but you need more light on a sunny day than on a cloudy day or at night. I use these Pixel battery packs, they work great and have for a few years, better than Canon as they have dual charging circuits. One pack is enough, takes 8xAA batteries.

I use white eneloop with Maha chargers like this and this. With those chargers my batteries tend to last 4-6 years.

Shooting in a tent in the daytime means you get the opposite of the back hole problem - you have to add LOTS of light otherwise you'll have ugly blown out backgrounds.

Thanks for this reminder. Do you think it would be possible to accomplish my lighting goals with say 4-6 YN speed lights? If I understand correctly, 4 lights firing at 1/2 power will last a lot longer and not burn out as quick as two lights firing at full power and will put out the same light.

I was thinking of doing most of the formals in the shade of the main building. Most likely time of time will put the steps-of-the-gazebo thing in harsh midday light.

Silver-Halide wrote in post #17477758
Thanks for this reminder. Do you think it would be possible to accomplish my lighting goals with say 4-6 YN speed lights? If I understand correctly, 4 lights firing at 1/2 power will last a lot longer and not burn out as quick as two lights firing at full power and will put out the same light.

I was thinking of doing most of the formals in the shade of the main building. Most likely time of time will put the steps-of-the-gazebo thing in harsh midday light.

You would need a lighting assistant to deal with that many lights, plus lots of bags and LOTS of batteries. Yes running flashes at 1/2 power reduces the chances of burning out a flash tube, but I've never managed to do that. I do swap flashes if I'm using one particularly hard.

Remember you can't have groups looking at the sun, regardless of whether they're in the shade. I put peoples backs to the sun and use a big strobe to light them, but you can't do that with practical numbers of speedlites. Using shade may work, but you'll need to consider sun position and the area. Putting people in the shade with a bright background doesn't work, and having a boring wall behind people is boring.

mclaren777 wrote in post #17477244
The best advice I can give is to adopt good card-handling practices.

• Regularly format in camera
• Don't erase individual images
• Don't fill past 95% capacity
• Replace cards every few years

I think you're being too paranoid about card failure. Besides, with two cameras, you have an automatic safety net (assuming you jump between them regularly). If you ever experience any issues with a memory card, immediately pull it out of the camera and don't touch it again until you get home to your computer. The worst thing you can do is mess with it in the field.

Ok cool. Good tips: thanks. I recently heard Jeff Cable (Lexar) talk about how most cards get corrupted with cheap card readers. I plug mine straight into the MacBook and use the integral card reader. I'm guilty of erasing individual images, though. Usually when I have a break when shooting and I want to save myself some time later on by getting rid of the junkers immediately.

I've had my cards for 12-18 months. so I'll take it that they're midlife but not in need of replacement before this summer. Is it healthier for the longevity of the card to do "format" or "low level format"? Thanks.

Normal formats are ideal, not low-level.

mclaren777 wrote in post #17477831
Normal formats are ideal, not low-level.

Can you explain the difference? Do you mean fast vs normal? I'm not familiar with "low level format".

tim wrote in post #17478091
Can you explain the difference? Do you mean fast vs normal? I'm not familiar with "low level format".

In the Canon 6d, I believe the "format" is a 'quick format' which just erases the file directory or allocation table or something, and all the files are basically jumbled in a blender or gerbil on a wheel or something.

There is a box that can be checked on that screen that reads "Low level format" which seems to take a second longer or so and gives me the impression that it is a more thorough deletion.

So I was asking if one or the other will keep a memory card cleaner and longer lasting.

You nailed it.

Normal format deletes the "table of contents" but not the actual files. Low-level basically zeroes all of the data from the card, which effectively causes more wear.

Ah ok, Canon use a non-standard name of it. They're usually "quick format" and "format". Quick format on a PC takes a few seconds, a full format on a card can take minutes and on a hard drive can take hours.

I would always "full" format a new card on a PC, as if there are bad blocks I think it can mark them as unused. I run card testing software across the cards every year as well.

Please describe the software to test the cards.

Don't feed into his irrational neuroses, Tim.

Silver-Halide wrote in post #17479318
Please describe the software to test the cards.

Card testing software. Professionals should either use dual card cameras or check their cards regularly IMHO.

Pulled the trigger and just bot it. 5dIII [grey market] for $2k via eBay.

Can't excuse this as a hobbyist purchase. I think I've crossed the Rubicon.

Here goes nuthin'..