Second body or New lens

Hi All
I am doing a first wedding soon, this is a family wedding and not a paid job. What I was wondering is how important a second body is over a better quality lens. I am in two minds about a new lens (24-70 f2.8) but then I see a lot of people with a second body. At present I cant justify a body and lens.

What I have in my bag at present:
Canon 70D
Canon 50mm f1.8
Canon 24-105 f4
Canon 70-200 f4
Tokina 11-16 f2.8 wide

2 x yongnuo flash 568 ii
2 x Triggers yongnuo 622
1 x controller

1 - 75 x 75 softbox
Light Reflectors

You don't have to buy either, but rent a backup body for sure. Since you're doing it for free, maybe someone in the family has a T3i or something they can loan you?

If you see a newer model used Rebel for sale around $350, they make a great second/backup in case things go south.

I own a company that rents lenses. In my experience, the 24-105mm f/4L is not nearly as nice or useful as the Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 VC, or Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 IS. While the Canon logo means great service and support, you're paying a premium price for it if you're an end user who takes good care of your equipment and you buy new.

If I were you, I'd be eager to sell the 70-200 f/4 for either a used Canon 70-200 f/2.8L IS (classic model), Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 VC, or maybe a Sigma 50-100 f/1.8.

A Sigma 18-35 1.8 ART will fit into your kit perfectly! You will be amazed with it's sharpness! Just get the Sigma Dock with it and dial it in first.

Also, you have everything you need to shoot a friends wedding, but isn't this a great excuse to get a new lens?!

Although... the First rule of weddings is backups backups backups...so yea, you should prly have a 2nd body. :/

Heya,

I would go with a 2nd body. You don't need the best glass for a wedding. You need bullet proof reliability at a wedding as there's no do-over. A slightly soft photo due to miss-focus, or soft glass, etc, is actually quite fine if the composition is good. A super sharp photo is pointless if it's just a snapshot or bad photo to begin with. So I would not stress new glass. I would however want two cameras. Less down time, swapping lenses for each stage of the ceremony.

I'd put the 50 F1.8 on one camera.

And put the 240-105 on the other camera. Or, the 11-16 if it's an intimate/small venue. Just be very mindful not to put people in the corners when shooting ultrawide or even wide, as in, don't get hands/feet in the corners, and you'll avoid some obvious distortion.

I'd leave the 70-200 out, if shooting APS-C, it will be really long and you'll spend more time at the short end, unless you just want face-shots or want to stand back over 40 feet.

A 2nd camera will let you seamlessly move between without stopping to change lenses for whatever. You don't want to ask a ceremony to hold while you change lenses. This is also when the bad stuff happens--the drop, the fumble, etc.

If you were to get another piece of glass, I would actually argue for a 17-50 flavor to have a standard zoom and still use the 50 F1.8 for the formal/lowlight/creati​ve stuff.

Very best,

My problem with the rental option is I have no stores close by and havent the time to go pick up drop off gear.

Lensrentals and Borrowlenses are pretty decent options for most of us. Where are you?

Ireland

6d full frame or a similar body to the 70d what are the benefits of a full frame?

If the couple would've hired a photographer if you didn't offer, I'd get a second body. Maybe a cheap 5D2/6D.

If there are no expectations at all, don't buy anything. Shoot with what you have.

frugivore wrote in post #18074748
If the couple would've hired a photographer if you didn't offer, I'd get a second body. Maybe a cheap 5D2/6D.

If there are no expectations at all, don't buy anything. Shoot with what you have.

This, I think. Borrow another body if you can, but don't spend $2K because family either can't afford or is too cheap to hire a photographer. Can cameras fail? Yes, I've had cameras fail multiple times at weddings, sometimes because I dropped them, sometimes for no apparent reason. But if I wasn't getting paid I wouldn't be spending my money unless it was something I'd have done anyway.

Looks like there's plenty of camera rental places in Ireland, 6D is E125 for three days. Full frame cameras (since you asked) tend to give you a better quality image and in practice a narrowed depth of field given the same lens. I think your lenses all fit on full frame.

If I had your setup I'd want a faster wide lens such as the 28mm f/1.8 or the 35mm f/1.4 (ver I). I agree with Tim that you shouldn't be renting a body when you're not getting paid. Make sure you also get a signed model release so if you get some great photos they can become a part of an online portfolio down the road.

Silver-Halide wrote in post #18075855
If I had your setup I'd want a faster wide lens such as the 28mm f/1.8 or the 35mm f/1.4 (ver I). I agree with Tim that you shouldn't be renting a body when you're not getting paid. Make sure you also get a signed model release so if you get some great photos they can become a part of an online portfolio down the road.

First wedding and a freebie for people that can't afford anything great is not likely to end up in any portfolio down the road, and even less chance that those images would be used as an actual advertisement for a business. I'd be willing to put down a fair amount of money that most people here don't have photos of any of their first wedding in their portfolio, for the simple reason in that they've gotten so much better over time.

The point of buying is to maybe make a business out of wedding photography at some point. I have to start somewhere and a family non paying is a good start. I wouldnt be buying just for this wedding.

Also they have offered to pay I just dont want to accept money so there is no pressure on me. They would also pay a rental charge on a body but my issue is getting a rental body to me and returned. I am out of work into the wedding and back to work after it. Nearest rental options are 30-40 miles away.

Just seen a local company that offers postal delivery and collection so I think that may be the best option. Also offers me time to see what the camera is like before I buy.