D30 for wedding use ?

I want to start shooting weddings for cash, and at the moment only have a D30 with a 24-70 f2.8L lens.

I really intend to keep the D30 as a backup camera and buy a 1D or 10D (or whatever else comes out in the meantime) as my main camera, but need to get a few weddings under my belt to raise the cash.

Can I get away with using a D30 in the meantime ? would the results be acceptable when printed up to a typical wedding album size, and what if the customer wants bigger prints, say to put up on the wall.

I am using RAW mode and Capture One to get the best possible results from the relatively low resolution senson, although pixel count isn't everything.

I would appreciate any thoughts on this.

Andy

One advantage the D30 has is that the photosites are larger. That also what the 1D users cry as their perceived 'advantage' over the higher pixel 10D.

It really depends on how large you'll have to go with enlargements. I think the D30 can successfully produce 11x16's but that it gets pretty tough for anything above that.

Also, if you're going to upgrade, I would NOT consider the 1D or its replacement if you're doing weddings. You really do want as many pixels as you can afford when doing weddings.

I've used my D30 for several weddings with no problems except for some hunting in low light. (Just like my film camera did). I've had up to 16x20's made with it. (Well lit low ISO shots only) but mostly only up to 11x14. Haven't done any weddings since getting my 10D (I only do a few a year) but I'd use it in a heartbeat.

D30 should be OK but the AF sucks in lowlight. There are workarounds to this problem that have been addressed somewhere in this forum. But try shooting in lowlight if you can, the constant hunting get annoying.

I have a few questions:

Do you have a back up camera for the D30 in case of failure?
Do you have two flashes - one for backup in case of failure?
Do you have at least one backup lens in case of failure?
Are you completely confident in the way the flashes perform?
Are you completely confident in using fill flash outside and a combination of ambient light and flash inside?
Have you shot friend & or family weddings, or assisted a pro photographer, in both cases for at least a half dozen times?
Have you experience posing and photographing groups, posing and making portraits, and doing all this under under pressure?

If the answer to any of these questions is no, I hope that you have some really good liability insurance. Your statement, " ... but [I] need to get a few weddings under my belt to raise the cash." makes me think that you view wedding photography as a cash cow, requiring little or no experience or skills.

I've had a 10D since last March and I have no plans to use it this year for my 2004 weddings. It still controls me rather than me controlling it. I need to get this all sorted out before I make a leap to shooting digital weddings.

As I do wedding presentations each year I hear stories from my prospective brides about how their sister/aunt/friend's wedding photographs were awful. I don't mind competing against competent photographers, but the incompetent ones make my work much much harder. I just had a maid of honour sit through her friend's wedding presentation just venting her anger at me - and I didn't shoot her wedding!

For the record I've shot about 150 weddings over the last nine years, so this isn't something that I'm just making up. And I want to make it clear that I'm not trying to keep you out of the wedding photography industry. What I am saying is that wedding photography is NOT an entry level assignment and you must aquire skills and equipment BEFORE you attempt to shoot a wedding for money.

I am a long time wedding photographer and completely agree with Dave.
Weddings can't be restaged!!!

Dave pretty well said it all. Consider everything he said.

In reply to Daves post, I am not looking at wedding photography as an easy way to earn some cash, I am serious about doing it properly.

I have invested £3000 in specific training and will be doing some 'practice weddings' as a student photographer, for no cost to gain experience.

I am aware of all the items dave pointed out. I currently have a 35mm system as a backup and I do know how to use fill in flash.

I am just starting in the business and can't afford to buy all the latest kit at once, I need to start somewhere, that is why I was asking if the D30 is up to the job until I am able to get a 10D and keep the D30 as a backup.

Andy

Sorry, but I made my comment based on your first sentence which was: "I want to start shooting weddings for cash, and at the moment only have a D30 with a 24-70 f2.8L lens."

That didn't sound like you had any gear to me, and when you said, " ... but [I] need to get a few weddings under my belt to raise the cash." I thought that you would do weddings with whatever you had, no matter whether you had enough equipment or experience.

I still think that you should do other things like portraits, group photos, or commercial assignments to "raise cash". And you can do these assignments with the limited gear and experience you have. No matter how badly you (or I) screw up a portrait we can always do it over, and that certainly isn't the case for weddings.

I do a yearly lecture to photography students at a local college. They are all wannabe pro's, so I don't hold back when I tell them what they MUST have, in terms of hardware and experience, in order to photograph weddings. Obviously we don't always have all the gear that we want; and when we do we can't carry it all. But there are minimums.

If you can answer all those questions I put to you with YES, then you have the tools to shoot a wedding. But that's a chat you'll have to have with yourself, alone. I mean I really don't care. So never mind the client for the moment, think about how badly you'll feel if you were to mess a wedding up.

Thanks for your advice Dave. I am serious about getting into the wedding and portrait business, and I know that it not a walk in the park, and there is a real pressure not to screw things up.

I have been a serious amateur for aroung 18 years, so I know the technical side pretty well. I have done a series of dedicated portrait and wedding courses that specifically train you in how to take portrait and group shots, with lots of practical experience.

I have shot some friends and family weddings and intend to do some unpaid stuff for experience first.

Its the area of equipment I am trying to sort out at the moment. I have been using digital for a couple of years, and I know it is only recently that digital is becoming accepted in the wedding industry, formerly the stronghold of medium format.

My ideal kit list would be a 10D and my old D30 as backup, Metz 60CT flash with cannon 550 as backup, my 24-70 f2.8L and a 24.85 backup, plus lots of CF cards and batteries.

Does that sound a reasonable kit list ? until I can afford all of that, could I hire the 10D and extra lens when needed as the handling and controls will be very similar to my D30 ?

Thanks
Andy

Yes that sounds like you are well on your way.

Certainly a tripod would be one of the other essentials I would suggest, but you have one I'm sure. The tripod lets me establish a position when I'm doing groups otherwise Uncle Charlie and his point and shoot will stand right where I want too! The background of all the groups are more consistent since I won't move around nearly as much as when I'm handholding the camera. Of course in the church or where I'm dragging the shutter to balance ambient light with flash will require a tripod. And finally, I just get better technical negs/captures, when I use a tripod.

I also like to back/top light my outside groups shots so the subjects aren't squinting into the sun. But when I do this I'll have serious flare problems. So I use a Lee bellows lens shade to keep this flare from happening. I also have a Lindahl bellow lens shade but it's far to heavy to use on the Canon AF lenses. I cannot say how important I view having a lens shade that actually shades!

Having a third lens, even the 50 f1.8 would be a good idea as well. It'll give you a little more speed for candids, and it won't cost much.

Make a couple of 11x14's from a D30 file and look at them. Are YOU happy with them? If you are then it'll be OK. But it won't matter what I think.

Good luck.

Dave hit the nail on the head.

I will never forget my first wedding, was shooting 35mm with 2 A2E's One with a Metz 45cl and one with another metz flash on a strobeframe. I was no stanger to photography but weddings were new and soon after the first roll of film the primary Metz flash died, was almost brand new but wasnt firing. Thank good for backups. I had tons of film and used it all and will never forget how nervous I was waiting on the proofs to come back. Luckily I never did have a horror story but can see where it could happen.

When I get back into wedding will have backups for my backups. I am telling you its a funny feeling when you realize EVERYONE is expecting your prints to come out perfect, and not like you can re shoot a wedding.

I do see where digital can be an advantage being able to see the results as you go and being able to back up CF cards quickly. no fear of lost film etc.