Help. I think I have over complicated my situation.

[imagesliveon]

Hi,

For many years I have been keen in photography. In the last two years good family and friends have helped me towards becoming a professional photographer. In a rather short time I have enjoyed watching my photography skills grow and my photographs improve. Just through word of mouth I get offered paid work on almost a weekly basis ranging from family portraits to weddings and Landscapes.

I enjoy my limited experience shooting in my own studio (Time constraints, family etc) and I have shot several weddings. I have struggled a little with the weddings as I feel I take too much camera gear with me and end up changing at the last min which body/lens to use only to find I have lugged that weight around for nothing.

I know this question has probably been done to death, but can you guys :hail:advise me which of the gear listed below YOU would take and why? I can't afford any faster glass at the moment but it would be nice to scale my bag back.... Would love your take on this.

I have three bodies... I know I don't need three but a backup is always good.

Canon 5D3, 5D2, 7D

Lenses I carry... ( do I really need them all)

Canon 24mm-105mm
Canon 17mm-40mm
Canon 85mm -1.8
Canon 100mm-400mm
Canon 50mm 1.8

Mecablitz 58 Flash
Spare batteries and cards
Lens cloth
Light meter (Never used it yet)

I have three weddings coming up and it would be lovely to make my bag a little lighter.

Kind Regards
Simon :blushing:

 

[robbins.photo]

Ok, well opinions will probably vary on this one but generally when I am going to a location to shoot something I'll load up my backpack with pretty much everything, and throw it in the car. When I get to where I'm going, I'll break out either one or two cameras depending on what I think I'll need, mount my two lens choices and then leave everything else in the car. If I am only going to be using one camera I'll mount my first lens choice, then I've got a smaller bag I use to carry extra lenses - so I'll put a couple of lens choices in it that I think will come in handy and the rest of the stuff stays in the car.

Pretty much gives me the best of all worlds, I don't need to lug the stuff around other than too the car and back, I have it if I need it but not forced to carry it if I don't. Normally for a zoo walk, for example, I'll have the 70-200 mm mounted on one camera and the 50 mm or 85 mm mounted on the other - so I usually don't have to swap lenses. At the lake I'll normally only take one camera, usually with the 70-200 mm and the 2x TC mounted, and then I take my smaller lens bag with the 50 mm in it. I have the 50 with me in case I see something that calls for a bit wider angle than the 70-200, and I have the ability to remove the TC and store it in the bag if I just want to shoot the 70-200 mm without it.

I've found this the best method for me personally, I've got everything I might possibly need just by walking back to the car, and everything I'm likely to use on me and ready to go at a moments notice.

 

[Designer]

I'm not a pro, and I don't do weddings, so take this for what it's worth.

One backup body is good insurance, but don't take two.

I'd probably take just the 24-105 unless the 17-40 has outstanding image quality that you just can't live without.

How often do you actually use the long zoom? That's pretty long IMO.

The 50 and 85 might be useful, and they don't weigh much.

I see only one speedlight and no modifiers. I think you should increase your bag to include a second speedlight, maybe a light stand, and at least one white umbrella at the minimum.

 

[Vince.1551]

Try to know the sequence or schedule of the wedding and use/bring appropriate lens or lenses for that particular time of the day. Some pre-planning is recommended and I meant bring only lenses that you require for that day or event. You have zoom lenses so that makes it easier.

 

[TCampbell]

I noticed you don't list a 70-200 f/2.8 -- which is a fairly common gear for weddings. Usually it's 24-70 f/2.8 + 70-200 f/2.8... done.

I'd use the 24-105 and the 85mm f/1.8.

I'm not a huge fan of the 50mm f/1.8... better to use the f/1.4 version.

You will NEED back-up gear. E.g. bring the 5D II body. When I did weddings, the backup body and lenses were just that... "backup" gear. They stayed in the case, but they were always available should they become necessary.

We had some gear that would leave in the car... there is *some* risk here because if gear is in the car, people know it's the "photographer's" car and contains expensive gear, that may be a invitation for theft. So for example, we had a tripod that would come into the church, but we never brought that to the reception. If you do leave gear in the car, it should be in unmarked bags, preferably not visible at all.

If you're tired of lugging it all, you can get a rolling camera bag. I have one of these: Roadie Universal ? Black | 638-327

 

[imagesliveon]

Thanks guys...

Are monopods worth there weight??

Sorry...forgot to mention I do have some flash modifiers.

Regards

 

[The_Traveler]

Never shoot wedding but do shoot events.
My backup body doesn't sit idle.
I always use the second body for another lens. If I am using 24-70, I put a 70-200 on my second body.

 

[imagemaker46]

If you're driving, just take it all.

 

[Ido]

If I were you, I'd sell all of these lenses for a 24-70mm f/2.8 + 70-200mm f/2.8 pairing. Maybe keep the 17-40, though, and the 100-400mm might be necessary for you if you also shoot a lot of wildlife.
I'd also sell one of the three cameras. Probably the 7D.
You don't have to buy Canon's own 24-70mm and 70-200mm. Tamron does an excellent job for these two lenses, and they even have optical image stabilization (Vibration Compensation in Tamronese) for the 24-70mm, which Canon doesn't offer. The two Tamrons are also significantly cheaper than their Canon counterparts - I think the Tamron 70-200mm VC is around $1,000 cheaper than the Canon IS II...