k8 Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 Simple and quick question! I currently have a NikonF65 and will be purchasing a Nikon D200 for wedding photography etc. Am I able to use my Nikkor lenses from the F65 with the digital? Any advice appreciated. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sattler123 Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 Yes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter_in_PA Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 Are you doing pro wedding photography? If so, what lenses do you have? Because the kit lens from the F65 won't be good enough, probably. Plus, one body probably won't do it either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k8 Posted March 10, 2007 Author Share Posted March 10, 2007 I have 70-300mm f/4-5.6 AF, and 28-80mm. It's my first wedding (for a friend). Do you think the lens' I have would be suitable? Despite it being my first wedding shoot and for a 'friend' I of course would like the photos to be of a high standard and quality. Do you suggest more than one body to save changing lenses? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 Kate, there is no such thing as "analog(ue)" lenses. Lenses originally designed for film bodies can be used on digital SLRs, although some provide better results than others. The main challenge for a first-time wedding photographer is not equipment but experience. The best way is to start as an assistant or 2nd/3rd shooter under an experienced wedding photographer. The Wedding Forum here in photo.net has a lot of beginner discussion: http://www.photo.net/bboard/forum?topic_id=2021 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellis_vener_photography Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 they will be fine. Worry more about what's in front of your camera than what is attached to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Ingold Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 Because of the cropping factor in Nikon DSLRs (1.5x), a 28mm lens is the equivalent of 42mm in field of view. That's not nearly wide enough for event or wedding photography. At very least you should get an 18-70 kit lens. Shun's advice regarding starting as an assistant shooter is sound advice. Like most things, wedding photography looks easy when a pro is doing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nico_. Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 Wow, shooting your first wedding with a totally new platform! That's either very bold or very stupid. I'm sorry if this sounds rude but unless you have a few weeks to practice with the D200 beforehand do yourself and your friend a favour, shoot with your old camera and have the film scanned. That's of course assuming you are the "official" photographer. If not have fun fooling around. I second Edward's recommendation for the 18-70 lens. It's an excellent allrounder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilly_w Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 < Wow, shooting your first wedding with a totally new platform! That's either very bold or very stupid. > Such tact! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter_in_PA Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 Q. How do you lose a good friend? A. Be their official wedding photographer when that's not your stock and trade. Voice of experience here. If you do not REALLY know what you are doing, do NOT be the official wedding photographer for a friend. Disaster is waiting to happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick_nikolaev Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 What a jump from a technical question to personal... Wow, indeed! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k8 Posted March 10, 2007 Author Share Posted March 10, 2007 All responses appreciated, thanks. Hmmm...from being confident in shooting my first wedding to feeling sick about it - is a bit of a shock, and worry. I have been assistant wedding photographer in the past and use a digital SLR every day at work. Will have 8 weeks of practice with my new camera so hopefully all will be okay. Then again, maybe I'm stupid. Thanks again everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim_gifford Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 Kate, you have the opportunity to do wonderful photographic work for your friend at the wedding. How comfortable are you with flash? Do you have an SB800 speedlight for that lovely D200 body... and a bracket on which to elevate the SB800 above the lens? Those two things will expand your options for where and how to shoot the formal pictures, and can make a world of difference in candids, too. Your current lenses cover a nice range of focal lengths for film. They do not give you a particularly wide angle when mounted on the D200. Do you know the location for the wedding photos well? You might want to buy, borrow or rent a wider lens to allow for group shots in tight quarters. (There's a fine 18-70mm Nikkor zoom you could get for roughly $300 that has pretty much the same field of view on a D200 body as you would get with a 28-105 zoom on your film body.) Tripod for formals? Makes your life easier... keeps the horizon where you want it, allows for slower shutter speeds without blur, etc. You will want to have a backup for everything that might fail. Spare camera body, flash, memory -or- film, batteries, etc. There is a wealth of info here in this wedding forum so read through the various discussions. I learned a ton of helpful info here before shooting my sister-in-law's wedding a year and a half ago. The shoot went fine. It would *not* have been fine if I had not paid attention to many helpful threads in this forum. Be well, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k8 Posted March 10, 2007 Author Share Posted March 10, 2007 Thank you Jim. I have a METZ on the other side of the world - at home which I will get posted if it is compatible with the D200. Am crossing my fingers! From your advice I'll be investing in a new lens before the shoot. Invaluable advice. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick_nikolaev Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 Returning to the subject... Kate, my advise will sound like: Nikon 12-24 f4 + Nikon 24-120 3,5-4,5 VR. On my Nikon D70s- the best solution kit for a wedding photosession! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter_in_PA Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 Kate, That is a horse of a different color. Your original post made it seem like you were a newbie at this wedding photography thing. I can see that is not so... That said... even so, I would myself avoid being a friends official wedding photographer. I've done it, and I'm not going back. But then I did NOT like doing wedding photographer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim_gifford Posted March 11, 2007 Share Posted March 11, 2007 A few of the newer Metz models can work in TTL mode on a modern DSLR like the D200, but only if you use an appropriate Metz adapter for digital Nikon cameras. Most Metz models cannot be adapted to work in TTL mode on a D200... but they can work in manual flash mode and Auto flash mode. You will need the little widget from Wein or Nikon that slips into the hot shoe and then lets you connect an old-school PC cable to your flash. The Nikon will then trigger the Metz at the right time. You can be a 1960s sort of photographer and do the calculations in your head (to determine appropriate f/stop, divide flash guide number by distance to subject) using manual flash. You can be a 1970s sort of photographer and set the Metz to (A) mode, which uses the onboard autothyristor technology to sense light reflecting from your subject and quench the flash at the appropriate instant during exposure. Both those methods work fine. Or you could get an SB800 speedlight and really enjoy the iTTL Creative Lighting System electronics you pay for in the D200. The main thing is: whatever flash system you use at a wedding should be one you are confident and comfortable with... and one for which you have a backup. One beautiful aspect of digital SLRs is the instant feedback you get while trying our different flash exposure techniques. You do not need to burn through roll after roll of film, bracketing and tweaking and fiddling with options, and then wait for a lab to process the film. The digital process is simpler: Attach the flash and shoot. Look at the histogram and the image. Adjust the flash. Shoot again... Try a slower shutter speed. Change the ISO. Click to a different white balance. Shoot again and again, and for each shot, know right away how the new camera and flash settings affect the image. Find a few basic settings that work well for the situations you expect to encounter at the wedding. Be well, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenneth_dougherty Posted March 11, 2007 Share Posted March 11, 2007 While not the best, your 28-80 will work for weddings but a faster (f/2.8)lens of around the same focal length would work better (the Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 EX DC is under $400) and I'd get at least a 50mm f/1.8 for portrait and low light work (can be bought for under $150). Get the SB-800 and learn how to use it, as Jim Gifford wrote, you will not be sorry. Get several EN-EL3e batteries, the D200 has an appetite for batteries. Get several 1-2 GB compact flash cards, don't put all your images on one 8 GB card, they do occasionally go bad and all could be lost. The D200, shooting RAW (NEF) gets about 60 exposures per GB, and I've shot over 400 exposures at a small wedding and well over 1200 at a large one, you do the math. Get many AA batteries, I use the Energizer 2500 mAh rechargable, they last longer and recycle faster then regular batteries but if you bounce your flash they will still need to be replaced. As many have suggested, take a backup camera, another D200 or D80 body would be great but your F65 will work, just remember to buy film for it. I make a check off list and go over it prior to every wedding to make sure I have everything I need, but that just me. For what it's worth, I found it very difficult for me to participate as a guest at a friends wedding and be the "official" photographer at the same time, I chose to be the photographer and missed most of the "fun"(dancing, drinking etc.) but again, that's just me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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