wedding photography help using the d3100

[Richichi]

my recommendation to you would to kindly say no - they are your friends now but will they be after - you don't have the equipment or skills to handle it - purely an assumption based on your question - there are no do overs, if your not in the right place at the right time with the right set-up well then ... what happens if your camera decides to die on you ... **** happens !!

Have you ever been even say a second shooter at weddings? Enjoy the wedding as a guest and you won't regret it. Your friends are asking you to capture the most important day in a young woman's life - its all about the bride. In worse case scenario, as a good friend, lend them some money to hire an established wedding photographer.

 

[Pallycow]

I see a lot of positive here. Um, I guess I'll be negative.

I owned a d3100, it is terrible for weddings. Unless you are in a perfect lighting condition and everyone is helps you by standing still so you can shoot. You will get a good shot or five. If none of those things happen...as they usually don't in weddings...they will not be good images.

This is not a slam on you, but the equipment. Sure you "can" use it as stated here, but you "can" use a point and shoot too if you wanted, or a cell phone.

The 3100 is terrible at handling low light and you will have very noisy images from having to bump iso and the camera not handling that high iso well. Yes, it boasts you can shoot at 6400, and yes you "can", but it won't look good.

I shot a wedding as second shooter with my D90 and my 3100 as a backup. I shot a few with the 3100 and put it back in the back. I could tell right away it sucked. I had a kit lens, 50 1.4 , and a 80-200 2.8. I shot with the 50 1.4 and the 80-200 2.8 (I had a sb600 flash) so I had nice lenses. The camera is just not a wedding camera, period.

"can" you use it, yes. I'm just shedding light on you, you won't like the results.

Of course, all of this is for indoor shooting with crap lighting and the sort. If you're outside, you should do well.

 

[greybeard]

How in the world did anybody ever create a successful wedding album 30 years ago with a Mamiya C330 f/3.5 80mm lens and ASA 100 film and a POTATO MASHER? And, you had to change the roll of film every 12 exposures.

Rent or borrow a SB800 or SB900 or SB910 flash, and your equipment should be fine from my old school standpoint. If you have to buy a flash, the YONGNUO 565EX has worked well for me and has plenty of power. You may also want to consider buying or renting a flash bracket and sync cord.
This bracket enables you to shoot in vertical or horizontal while keeping the flash directly above the camera. This diminishes red eye and those ugly side background shadows that are produced when you shoot vertically with a camera mounted flash.

Are you being paid for this?