mike_hodson

First answer this question...Why on earth would you want to do this with a digital camera?

 

A digital SLR and image editing software go hand in hand...and it's very, very easy to layer one image onto another with most software.

 

I believe that some DSLR cameras do have this ability, Pentax maybe? But no Canon EOS cameras, as far as I know.

Forget about the X "magnification" factors when talking about lenses. That is just what point & shoot cameras use to tell you the range of the focal lengths...not the actual magnification. For example a zoom lens that goes from 100mm to 300mm would be called 3X because 300 is three times as long as 100.

 

A 50mm to 500mm lens would be a 10X lens.

 

The magnification of a lens is dependant on the focal length...not the range of focal lengths. You will get more magnification with a 1X 600mm lens than with a 10X 50-500.

 

Go into a camera store and ask to try different lenses on your camera (or similar display camera). Then you will have a better idea of the focal length you will need.

For portraits or similar shots, why not set your exposure in manual mode? Then all you have to concentrate on is focus and composition.

 

There are, of course, several methods to determine your exposure.

I don't know about the weather sealing of the Pro bodies but my 20D has stood up to some torture.

 

I was in Costa Rica and we went on one of those zip-line canopy tours. They get you up on a hill and then you strap on a harness and get attached to a zip line. Then you go from tree to tree in the rain forest canopy. Anyway, the only camera bag I had with me was my backpack style Lowepro bag. They said I couldn't take it because I would have to have a harness on. It wasn't raining so I brought my 20D with no bag.

After traveling to the staring point by horse, we got rigged up. It was starting to rain but not too bag. I used a plastic zip-lock back and a shower cap from the hotel, to keep the rain off of the camera.

 

However, once up in the trees, it rained very, very hard. Every bit of us was soaked, and it was all I could do, to keep the camera out of the rain. But when I was actually zipping on the wire, I couldn't protect the camera much at all.

 

I was quite worried (although I do have the camera insured). When we got back to our taxi/guide bus the LCD had started to fog up on the inside. It got worse for a few hours and then started to dry out. (I tried to air it out and/or keep it in the camera bag with some silica gel packs).

 

Point of the story: The camera was fine. It dried out and has worked perfectly ever since. This is not something I would subject my camera to, or recommend...but it's nice to know that it did withstand the torture.

*disclaimer advise*

If you have to ask, you should not be shooting a wedding professionally.

 

That being said, you will probably want to use flash, or more likely you will probably have to. The idea is to balance the sunset exposure with the flash exposure on the subjects. You have lots of time before then so practice, practice, practice.

It depends on where & how you make your money on the job. If you include a CD of images you are not likely to get any (or any additional) print sales. If you do provide a CD, then make sure your prices reflect that.

Thanks.

 

That's kind of what I thought. I even guessed that it would be a 13mm (like most bolts on my car). I didn't want to go taking it apart without a bit of reassurance though.

I inherited a Manfrotto 190 Tripod but someone has cut off the stud

on the mounting plate. I bought a new centre column, the short

version was all that I could find without making a special order.

 

My question is; How would I go about taking the mounting plate &

stud off of the short column and putting it onto the longer column?

 

Ideally, I do prefer to keep the column retracted for maximum

stability but it's not the tallest tripod and that extra height can

be useful.

Canon 1D Mark II N

8.5 FPS

 

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Canon/canon_eos1dmkiin.asp

You should be using a tripod and a remote for anything under 1/30 (give or take)...let alone bulb mode.

As far as flash being too intrusive...unless flash (and for that matter, guest cameras) have been banned...there will probably be 35 other flashes going off. I've found that 80% of the guest will be shooing the processional...most of them with their digicams out at arms length.

 

It often seems that the processional is an important moment to capture...but if there are formal photos taken at a different time, the processional shots usually don't end up being the more important or treasured ones.

If you plan to buy more batteries for that camera, I recommend Sterlingtek.com

 

I've purchased batteries from them, they last longer than the Canon ones and are 1/3 the price, or less.

What about the EF-S 18-85 IS?

 

It will give you a fairly wide view on your 1.6X camera...and the IS might be helpful while shooting hand held, which is typical for a family vacation. (probably wont be toting a tripod around Disney Land).

 

As long as you don't plan to upgrade to a full frame camera...this EF-S lens is a good lens to have.

Unless you have to shoot in burst mode (sports etc)...I don't see much need for a faster card. If the buffer can handle your shooting, then why pay more for 'fast' card?

 

I've got several different brands and speeds of cards for my 20D. When they are in the camera, I can't tell the difference.

Get the 18-55 kit lens and a 50mm F1.8

I think that should be IF you are enlarging it to the same print size. If you are comparing it...pixel for pixel...shouldn't it be theoretically the same? I do so the logic though, thanks for clarifying that.

Not to drag this too off topic...but does the shutter speed/focal length rule of thumb really need to be adjusted for the 1.6 crop factor? After all, the length (and therefore instability) of the lens does not change when it's being used on a 1.6 sensor. The only difference is that the sensor is seeing the centre portion of the image projected by the lens. That center portion would be just as shaky on either a full frame or a crop camera.

Are you sure it's in Banff ONTARIO? And not Banff Alberta?

This may be two different issues. One is out of focus...one is blurriness due to camera shake (from slow shutter speeds).

 

Did you know that the actual focus sensors are slightly bigger than the rectangles in the viewfinder screen? You have to make sure that what you are want to be focusing on...is actually what the autofocus sensor is seeing.

 

I.S. will help you to get sharper shots...at slower shutter speeds that would normally be possible. It will not help, if you can't get the focus right in the first place.

 

With your "out of focus" shots, what was the shutter speed? If it was slower than the reciprocal of your focal length, chances are higher that what you are seeing is camera shake...in which case, I.S. may help.

 

Also, do you mean the EF-S 18-85 IS lens? I haven't heard that Canon makes a 17-55 IS. They also make an EF 28-135 IS, which is supposed to be a pretty good lens on the full frame format.

Tim, you must mean "One man's Wilderness" An amazing thing to watch.

 

I'm guessing that shooting a wedding "minimalist style" is more common than we know. Just think of how many posts there are here, from people (non-pros) being asked to shoot their friend's wedding. A lot of the time they probably say yes, no matter what we tell them...and there are probably many more that don't bother to come to P.net to ask the question.

 

I was taking a metering class, a few weeks ago. There was a girl in the class, who had one camera, one lens and a flash. She said that she had done two weddings for friends who could not afford a pro. She was very nice, but I had to explain basic exposure and how to use her shiny new 20D, to her because she hadn't taken Photography Fundamentals, that was next week.

Of the buttons on the top, above the small screen, it's the one on the right, also used to change the metering mode.

Does it have an FEC button? I know it has Flash Exposure Compensations. Just push the button and rotate the dial to add or subtract from the flash output.

It might be hard to pull off...but how about replicating the old 'deer tied to the hood of the car' scene. But with either the bride or groom as the deer?

 

How about having the groom trying to hide behind some plants or trees...while the groom's men (or bride) are desperately trying to find him. (worryingly looking at watch etc.)

This might be obvious...but remember that all that ice will trick the camera's meter and cause underexposed shots...so don't forget to compensate for that.

It obviously depends on the film.

 

AFAIK, digital has more latitude than slide film but less than color print film.