Wedding photography Advice

bumpintheroad wrote in post #17709216
Actually, given the skill level and expected final result, renting a Canon G30 or Sony CX900 would do the trick and be much easier to wrangle around than a C100.

In fact, just about any of the mid-level camcorders would do the trick. The OP doesn't need manual focus or large sensor. Image stabilization, decent zoom and low-light capability and touch-screen focus selection would do the trick.

If I knew what a mid level camera was I could perhaps go that way

cdiver2 wrote in post #17709764
If I knew what a mid level camera was I could perhaps go that way

What?

cdiver2 wrote in post #17709764
If I knew what a mid level camera was I could perhaps go that way

The clue is in the description.......

Really, for the purposes you intend, even decent consumer camcorder will fit the bill.

Look for a camera with decent low-light performance, good image stabilization, ideally with a touchscreen to select your focus point and manual white balance capability. I'd also avoid something with a huge zoom range because usually the optical quality will suffer. For a wedding 10x with a bias on the wide (at least 30mm equivalent) is more important than the long end. The Canon HF G20 will fit the bill at $799 with current promotional offers.

I would still suggest a shotgun mic, and I've used a $30 Takstar SGC-598 with good success. You might need a hot shoe adapter for the G20 to accommodate a standard size hot shoe foot. But the mic can plug directly into the camera without the need for a separate audio recorder. A set of noise isolating headphones would be a good idea to monitor sound levels.

You will still need a gray card or some kind of neutral target to set your white balance at each location (don't use the brides gown as these usually have additives to make them appear whiter). And something to help stabilize the camera, such as a tripod or $30 Cowboy Studio shoulder mount (my daughter swears by the latter for cheap and effective run-and-gun video)

bumpintheroad wrote in post #17710273
Really, for the purposes you intend, even decent consumer camcorder will fit the bill.

Look for a camera with decent low-light performance, good image stabilization, ideally with a touchscreen to select your focus point and manual white balance capability. I'd also avoid something with a huge zoom range because usually the optical quality will suffer. For a wedding 10x with a bias on the wide (at least 30mm equivalent) is more important than the long end. The Canon HF G20 will fit the bill at $799 with current promotional offers.

I would still suggest a shotgun mic, and I've used a $30 Takstar SGC-598 with good success. You might need a hot shoe adapter for the G20 to accommodate a standard size hot shoe foot. But the mic can plug directly into the camera without the need for a separate audio recorder. A set of noise isolating headphones would be a good idea to monitor sound levels.

You will still need a gray card or some kind of neutral target to set your white balance at each location (don't use the brides gown as these usually have additives to make them appear whiter). And something to help stabilize the camera, such as a tripod or $30 Cowboy Studio shoulder mount (my daughter swears by the latter for cheap and effective run-and-gun video)

Thanks bump a starting point

Also consider one of the high-end, fixed-lens, mirrorless cameras such as the Panasonic LX100, Sony RX100m3, Canon G1Xm2. I'm pretty sure autofocus works with them all during video recording, they do 1080p plus take good quality stills. Zoom range will be shorter at the long end and they don't have mic inputs, but you can get a cheap digital audio recorder (or even use an iPhone with an adapter) to capture audio off the shotgun mic.

I've even used $40 Olympus audio recorders with external mics to record audio. Still better than the camera's built-in mic.

Did the job with the 7D 24-70, it could have been better but on the whole I am pleased with it. The main part that my daughter asked me to get, the wedding vows came out very well. The part of the bridle party coming down the isle could have been better. I was shooting into the sun for this and the bridle party was coming from shade into sunlight so some of it was over exposed and some rim lighting that I did not want, but happy I got the part my daughter wanted.
Video now being worked on and rendered for DVD by a professional.

I did speak to the pro photog before we started and we worked very well together in fact during the wedding we had a drink together and talked shop.

Attached one of the still shots I got.

cdiver2 wrote in post #17716047
Did the job with the 7D 24-70, it could have been better but on the whole I am pleased with it. The main part that my daughter asked me to get, the wedding vows came out very well. The part of the bridle party coming down the isle could have been better. I was shooting into the sun for this and the bridle party was coming from shade into sunlight so some of it was over exposed and some rim lighting that I did not want, but happy I got the part my daughter wanted.
Video now being worked on and rendered for DVD by a professional.

I did speak to the pro photog before we started and we worked very well together in fact during the wedding we had a drink together and talked shop.

Attached one of the still shots I got.

Hosted photo: posted by cdiver2 in
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forum: Weddings & Other Family Events

To each, his own.

idkdc wrote in post #17716402
To each, his own.

Precisely, as long as one gets what he/she wants. It would be a sad world if we were all the same.

Glad it worked out.

One more thing though. Before you go posting pics on Facebook, it's bridal, not bridle. Doubt your daughter or her best friends would want to be loosely referred to as horses.

Left Handed Brisket wrote in post #17716537
Glad it worked out.

One more thing though. Before you go posting pics on Facebook, it's bridal, not bridle. Doubt your daughter or her best friends would want to be loosely referred to as horses.

ops Thanks for that and all the members that have helped