EOS 3 and others lens for wedding

[chito_baclig]

Hi all, I just started semi-pro photo jobs, I will be selling my

Rebel 2000 and accesories and have returned 70-200mm L F4. I now have

an EOS 3, 28-135 IS USM (macro) (bought in combo), 50mm F1.8 and

550ex. For wedding events what else do you recommend? This is both no

flash and flash, indoor and outdoor. My budget is not too tight.

 

thanks, jude

[jonathan_ratzlaff]

you need a 70-200 lens,preferrably 2.8. Absolutely essential for candids and getting rid of distracting backgrounds. Preferably every lens you use should be 2.8 or faster with constant aperture. You also need a flash bracket and remote flash cable. Get at least one more spare camera body; keep the rebel 2000 as a backup. Oh and get another flash for a backup as well. Otherwise you will be screwed if sometheing breaks down during a wedding.

[peter_phan]

A back-up flash like the Sigma EF500 Super is a good idea. It's a clone of the 550EX, but sells for half the price. I just got one and am very pleased with it. I have first hand knowledge of how important a back-up is. I once dropped and broke a flash during a wedding! Not good. Thankfully, I did have a back-up. Also, if you've returned the 70-200/4L, you might consider replacing it with a 70-200/2.8L, or if you can't afford that, the Sigma 70-200/2.8 is a good substitute. You might want to consider the 200/2.8L, too, which is a beautiful lens at a good price.

[jia_shi_li]

you need a 85mm f/1.2 L and 28-70mm f/2.8 L.

[chito_baclig]

Let me think about selling the rebel 2000, 420Ex and bracket, now that you all mentioned about backups. The reason I was thinking of selling is to get zoom telephoto (70-200?) and primes for the group and portrait. But I read that the 200mm end of the 70-200 zoom is comperable to primes.

 

As for my IS that came with the body, I am bothered when the manual does not recommend action on this, which I thought was the main purpose. Hopefully walking couples in the church isle is not fast enough. I will be assisting today and this IS is not the main lens because I have not yet tested it. I will test it in this wedding and hope to get a good result and a need for an IS.

 

thanks,

jude

 

special thanks to this site for recommending one of its advertising store (i'll mention it if its proper). I mentioned this site and they will allow me to test lenses and return it if I am not satisfied. I already did to the 70-200mm F4 L. This is really a great lens (broke my heart to return it) but again, I need the 2.8 version indoors.

[steve_dunn2]

<cite>As for my IS that came with the body, I am bothered when the manual does not recommend action on this</cite>

 

<p>The IS found in the 28-135 (and the 75-300) is not designed to be used while panning. If you're just walking straight forwards or backwards, you may be OK - though I wouldn't bet on it. Don't use IS on this lens if you're panning; the lens will try to counteract the panning and you'll get a shaky image and some unpleasant noises from the lens. The pro IS lenses all have a second mode that works well for panning.</p>

 

<p>The 28-135 is fine for taking pictures of people who aren't moving around, but the 28-70 f/2.8L USM that someone else suggested would be much better if the people will be moving. If you're going to have a second body as a backup, you may wish to consider using both bodies, each with a different lens mounted on it. Mount the lens you use the most on your EOS 3, and the second-most-used lens on the backup. You'll probably find it's quicker to switch between them this way than if you have to dismount the lens, put it away, grab the other lens, and mount it.</p>

[eschrad]

The Image Stabilizer on the 28-135 does help you to handhold at slower

shutter speeds than you normally could without getting camera shake in your

pictures -- sometimes 2-3 stops slower than normal (depends on how shaky

you are!). But a slower shutter speed is still a slower shutter speed... it may

help eliminate the effect of movement by the photographer, but it has no effect

on subject movement. For that, you need a fast lens in low light so that you

can shoot at a fast enough shutter speed to stop their movement. The 28-135,

with its 3.5-5.6 variable aperture, may not be fast enough. It's a wonderful

lens... I have it myself... but, I also have a 50mm f/1.8 for those times when I

need faster shutter speeds, in which case, I won't need the IS. You may want

to look at getting the 28-70 f/2.8 L for a fast lens in this range and then the 70-

200 f/2.8L to compliment the range.

 

Since you said you will be shooting weddings, you may even want to consider

keeping the Rebel so that you have 2 bodies ready to go. You can put the

wide-short tele on one body and the tele-zoom on the other body and then

that way you are always ready to go without having to change lenses. Then,

after you have made some more money, I would suggest replacing the Rebel

with either another EOS 3 or maybe an EOS A2E (an older body also known

as the EOS 5 that is quite affordable) or even an Elan 7. The problem with the

Rebel is that it doesn't have several features that are often needed for semi-

pro / pro work, such as a PC socket and a larger viewfinder and spot metering

(the Elan 7 doesn't have this either, by the way). The nice thing about the

Elan 7 is how quiet it is. I have the EOS 3, but my brother has the Elan 7... the

3 sounds like a freight train compared to the Elan 7!

 

Also, the Rebel, since it is a consumer body, is not designed to take the wear

and tear of frequent lens changes (it has a plastic mount) and the shutter has

a much shorter life span. When you are shooting weddings, you go through a

lot of film, which means a lot of shutter clicks. I think the rated life of the EOS 3

is like 140,000 shutter clicks, or something like that (it's actually more than the

published lifespan, according to a Canon guy I talked to)... the Rebel is

probably around 50,000. This may sound like a lot, but if you are doing a lot

of shooting, this goes fast. Now, I don't think you need to run and replace your

Rebel just yet, but while some may say it is a good backup body, think about

this: if something really does happen to your EOS 3 and you are forced to rely

on your Rebel... well let me just say that I wouldn't personally have a lot of

confidence in it. I almost want my backup body to be as good or better than

my main body. I have gotten very used to my EOS 3 and the way it works and

the things it does... if it broke and I had to use a Rebel, I would be very

frustrated because it doesn't have the features I am accustomed to. This is not

to say that I couldn't make it work... I used an old manual system for years...

but I want to intuitively know how to use my camera and the Rebel is

physically different from the EOS 3. Also, I wouldn't expect the Rebel to be

able to put up with the wear and tear of professional use, and I would be

afraid that it would be even more likely to break down than my main body.

 

Anyway, that is just some things to think about. Good luck!

[colin_jones]

Two bodies at a wedding is vital as nobody wants to be hanging around too long whilst you change films also it is often mentioned as above about different lenses or B+W film in one and colour etc even if you dont use it the backup is there and as you are familar with the body it wont be a wrench.

Primes are fine but often it is easier to crop the image at the front end than have to manipulate it after developing, so a zoom 70- 200 will allow this and will also allow more candid shots as the day wears on and the more interesting action starts.

As time wears on it will be plain after your first attempts what else you would do differently and what you need to achieve it, you may have a plan to do x,y,z during the day but each event is different and what each bride too so you will need as flexible kit as poss.

No Medium Format!!! Shurley Shome Mishtake.

Good Luck.

[chito_baclig]

I just came back from a wedding (few minutes ago), but as a video backup. I brought my EOS 3 and all. Guess what guys,gals: correct the shutter is like a freight train (louder than the rebel), the pro photo guy I am with with using a medium format (I will back him up next time) jokingly said that it is good, so that if I am not using a flash, the subject would know the picture was taken.

 

And guess again, at some of my test in the church, I really need more than 135mm and at the lower aperture, correct again, 2.8. I might consider a Tamron or Sigma. I wish I can afford the Canon 70-200 f2.8L. This makes me really think of selling my rebel 2000 gear and check out ebay for manual 35mm camera as backup.

 

I was not ableto use my 50mm 1.8. The church is really bright.

 

As for the "IS", it is amazing, 1/45 f3.5-5.6 (or f8) in programme mode is almost constant. I shot a few 1/30 5.6. As much as this is amazing, I am still planning to use a tripod in low light, that makes this "IS" unecessary. Like my previous 70-200mm f4L, I am again stuck with another amazing lens. But again need something else. Hmm, sell the IS lens and the rebel kit, I should be able to get the 28-70 mm 2.8L.

 

With my real test, research and this forum, I should be able to buy (or sell) smarter. Yap, smarter, not for the love of a "L" or "IS". No longer emotinally attached to my lens.

 

great post, kudos to all.

 

jude

[derrick_morin___fallon__ne]

Also consider an inexpensive reflector set for more natural lighting effects when able (I like Photoflex products), and a soft focus filter for the bride's portraits.

[kyle_burt]

You may also want to think about adding an Elan 7 for use in churches, it's significantly quiter than the eos 3.

[chito_baclig]

I will try the soft focus and the reflector, thanks for the reminder. My main wedding event is March 2003, most of the time before that I will be assisting, which should be a great time to try things out and sharpen my skills both technical and eyes.

 

Elan is out of reach right now, but will consider. I still am towards selling the rebel kit while it is hot in the used market. Then ofcourse grab a cheaper/older EOS for backup. I see that the rebel G body is quite cheap at the moment. I do not mind getting more cheaper even if I am to use my existing EF lens manually.

 

I will not including the speedlite 420ex when I sell the rebel kit. I have been reading the 550ex wireless setups and hope this 420ex works as slave (manual said anyway). Hope I can use like a small studio setup, and outdoor/indoor light direction.

 

Regards to all,

jude

[derrick_morin___fallon__ne]

The 420EX works just fine for me as a slave in a E-TTL wireless setup. I use 2 550EXs and one 420EX and the system provides very good results.

[chito_baclig]

thank you all

[cliff_lesergent]

"This makes me really think of selling my rebel 2000 gear and check out ebay for manual 35mm camera as backup"

 

Why???

 

If you sell your Rebel and purchase a manual body, you will need to acquire another set of manual lenses to use on that body, and you'll have twice as much equipment to carry around, and none of it will be interchangeable. Why not keep the Rebel until you are earning enough money from your photo work to buy a second EOS 3, or perhaps even a D60, if you are doing a lot of wedding work?

 

Based on your initial question, the first thing I would add to your list would be a spare flash unit, like a 380EX or a 420EX. Use the EOS 3, 28-135mm IS, and 550EX as your main unit, and the Rebel, 50mm f1.8, and the second flash as your backup. You really don't need more than this to photograph a wedding (think of how many pro's used to do it with just a single Hasselblad and an 80mm f2.8 lens).