5DSR into the sun wedding as a spectator

was in Saskatchewan last week for a family wedding as a guest
i brought the 5DSR, a 24-70II and a 100-400II with me to shoot various stuff
there was a paid young lady pro covering the wedding and I was there to relax
the ceremony took place out at the end of a dock straight into the half setting sun
the guests, including me, were about 75 feet back on land
when i saw the setup i grabbed the 100-400 and a 600EX-rt from the RV and just prayed i could get some small amount of flash out to them
i shot 1/200, F8 (mostly) and lots of flash
if it was my gig, i would have set-up a light stand with 3 flashes each on either side of the dock - i used a similar setup a few weeks back and it worked well enough - she did the ceremony without a flash (or the pop up on the 6D which I believe she was using)

with the amount of backlighting (it was brutal), i have taken a somewhat artistic spin on the PP to try and extract something that I liked

the bride was a stunner - the formals should be very good

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Tough conditions.. It does not look like the camera handles the files very well. IMO

scorpio_e wrote in post #17615976
Tough conditions.. It does not look like the camera handles the files very well. IMO

After reviewing everything in LR and PS my comments would be:
- the detail with this camera / lens combo is amazing
- I didn't do the best job of exposure with the crazy backlighting and my distance to them - I overexposed it too much hoping to still be able to pull it back in post and at the same time trying to help the flash get detail on their clothing and faces. In my last wedding, which was a beach wedding, I was determined to capture the great background and also properly light the couple - for this I had 3 600EX-rts on a stand 25 feet away and it just worked - I tried for too much and as a result my chosen exposure was off - trying to get everything - and that led to the less than optimal outcome given the situation.

I can comfortably say that I think the 5dsr produces better images than the 5D3 in all situations - all.

I was shooting nearly straight into the sun and I was a little too far away with not enough flash power to do what I was trying to do - and I guessed wrong - I don't blame the camera at all - another 5 stops of DR would have helped however.

I think it's funny you were there to relax....with almost $10k in gear.

sourcehill wrote in post #17616721
I think it's funny you were there to relax....with almost $10k in gear.

I thought the same thing myself, especially after reading that a 600ex was pulled out as well. Hope it didn't screw up the paid photogs exposures.

yikes, are you shooting in RAW or JPG?

WOW !!! not a good WOW either.

PA Dreamer wrote in post #17618252
WOW !!! not a good WOW either.

Sorry, I see you have 4 posts. If you wouldn't mind posting some pictures taken in similar conditions for comparisons (75 to 100 feet away, as a guest watching a wedding from the seats, through the heads of people sitting in front of you, an extreme back lit middle of the summer sun sitting just above their heads and out the frame for comparison - we could then compare how the 5DSR with a 100-400 did versus whatever camera and lens with you pushing the button. 3 weeks ago, when I was the paid pro during a beach wedding with 2 lowly 5D3s and a 7D2, I had plenty of lighting to handle the situation and the pictures were properly exposed and the clients loved them.

You either have no idea what you are talking about or you have a magic camera with 18 stops of DR that you are making in your basement for personal use only.

I stated upfront that I deliberately chose a strategy of somewhat heavy processing to try and make 'something' out of pictures that were not lit to my liking - and I wasn't going to spend hours upon hours editing because these were not my clients - if they were I would not be shooting from the pews through heads into a massive sun with no lighting - maybe your camera can handle that. If it is just my processing then I completely accept that it may not be your thing - but you haven't seen the raw files and where I started.

Looking forward to your follow up pictures - I'm always trying to learn.

My opinion of the 5DSR has only grown more positive - I now travel with it and the 7D2 and I leave my 5D3s in one of my kit bags - not sure if I will ever use them again.

The topic is your pictures not someone else's. Playing the "Well let us see your pics" is never a good look.

Here are some pics... here are all my excuses and reasons they aren't great... but you're not allowed to say they aren't great and I'll get all defensive if you do.

What do you think comments will be likely to be like when you post pictures which you know full well have a lot of problems? WB on them is all over the place and the exposures aren't great either.

As for the 5DSR being better than the 5D3 in all situations... given the incredibly limited ISO range I find that hard to believe. Chalk and cheese on that front. Personally I wouldn't go for either new body, the Sony A7R II is on my list instead.

memoriesoftomorrow wrote in post #17618492
given the incredibly limited ISO range I find that hard to believe..

I have already posted pictures in another thread showing at iso 12,800 the pictures of the 5DSR with NR are clearly better than the 5D3. I am not here debating whether or not 12,800 is limited or not - I never shoot the 5D3 above ISO 3200, but I posted these picture shooting straight into the sun on a brand new camera because I thought people would be interested.

Please go ahead and purchase the A7II

The exposures are not bad at all given the condition, but the WB is all over the place though as some images shown her dress as white while others as cream. It would be extremely tough for the paid photog using her 6D with nothing to fill.

With that said...

I hope you know the bride and groom well, and that they (and the paid photographer) knew you were there to "relax" with your 100-400 and 600EX popping around. Using flash in a wedding should be discussed with the B&G first; sometimes they and the officiant see that as a constant distraction, especially you are a "guest". Sure hope you didn't ruin the paid photographer's work...she probably think you are an ass trying to show off ߘ

I'm not sure I understand the purpose of this post. It's like you're comparing your photos to the paid photogs photos, only we can't see hers, only yours. Maybe you thought you would use this wedding as an opportunity to see what the camera was capable of, the conditions were awful, and now you're walking back your expectations. You said if these were your clients you wouldn't be shooting into a massive sun with no lighting, and yet that's exactly what you did, hoping against hope that the camera would save you. It didn't. I have to agree with the previous posters; who brings $10K of gear to a wedding to 'relax'.

In this situation you had two options, expose for the highlights and bring it up in post.

Or bracket your exposure, Lightroom CC makes a doddle out of "HDRing" with quite natural looking results, alternatively use the photoshop method.

Digital is not an overexpose and bring it down medium, sure you can get away with it when the conditions are not so dynamic, but once the highlights are blown it is game over with a digital sensor.

I have a feeling that a more "correct" exposure would of been in the ball park of 1/8000 f8 iso 100. Your flash wouldn't have reached them being so far away. A exposure like that would have given you a more workable file. No harm these days in being a stop or two under. Especially with a brand spanking new camera.

I might be wrong but I think you have used auto ISO which defaults to 400 when using a flash. Nothing wrong with auto ISO, I use it myself, but you have to remember what the camera will do vs what you want it to do.

Any new camera needs to be relearned and evaluated, at least you now know the limits of your camera and you didn't have to find out on a paid gig.

I think the critiquing which is asked for, has somewhat to do more with you as an observer pulling out your camera while another photographer is doing their work. A thread was just posted about people taking their cells out or cameras and taking photos at weddings and then getting up on social media before the person hired to do the job has shown theirs. I understand the bride is beautiful and what a great opportunity in this case, but they will come over time I am sure for you. You stepped on toes a little and I know I would have been a little upset if a guest pulls out a new 5D with a flash and a couple lens and start shooting away. If your wedding as the shooter, you probably would not have been happy. Just my opinion.

Amadauss wrote in post #17619570
I think the critiquing which is asked for, has somewhat to do more with you as an observer pulling out your camera while another photographer is doing their work. A thread was just posted about people taking their cells out or cameras and taking photos at weddings and then getting up on social media before the person hired to do the job has shown theirs. I understand the bride is beautiful and what a great opportunity in this case, but they will come over time I am sure for you. You stepped on toes a little and I know I would have been a little upset if a guest pulls out a new 5D with a flash and a couple lens and start shooting away. If your wedding as the shooter, you probably would not have been happy. Just my opinion.

I find it amazing when people comment and have no idea.
The couple asked me to take pictures if I was able to - but I do not like to intrude in anyway with the getting paid pro.
My partner married the couple, we flew 2000 miles to get there, we are the closest of family friends - I came last minute and they asked if I could also take a few pictures if I brought my gear - I brought my gear for another wedding were I was the photog.

My single reason for posting the pictures was because I thought people may be interested in the new 5DSR in a less than optimal conditions.


over and out