My photography equipment

In my last post I posted about what gear I thought professional wedding photographers should use. In this blog, I will explain what I have and why I use it. Please ask if you have any questions.

My gear: 

Bodies

Canon 5d Mark 2 (gripped) : 

See above why I love this camera. It is amazing, and I dont hesitate to use high ISO range on it. Receptions I will often shoot ISO 3200 at f2 and get some great results.

Now, why do all my bodies have battery grips on them? Because they work better. Not only do they give it better battery life (and the battery life on these new cameras are amazing, but having 2 batteries means I never have to worry about it running down) it gives much better balance to the camera. I tend to use long, heavy lenses (see below) and having the extra grip is so important to how the camera feels. I really tried to go without a grip on my 7d and it really caused strain on my wrists. Basically, if you are using big lenses, a grip is a must in my opinion. If you are going to be using light primes for short term shooting, going without a grip is more comfortable.

Canon 7d (gripped):

As I mentioned previously, this is a great compliment to my 5d2. The ergonomics on it are great, and all of the new modes will keep a gear lover like me busy tinkering with it for a long time (at least a few months). What I love is the extreme flexibility with the setup, and you can customize many of the buttons to do exactly what you want them to do.

 

Canon 40d (gripped): 

I think this is probably the best bang for your buck camera out there.  It can be commonly be found on Craiglist for $500 for the body alone, and can produce stunning images. Although the high ISO isn't as great as my other bodies, it makes for a fantastic third backup for me.



Zoom's

Canon 24-70mm f2.8L:

This, along with the 70-200mm f/2.8L are typical to see in a wedding pro's bag. Although some may prefer primes over zooms, most can attest to the practical value this has for a wedding. It has a great range (better on a full frame camera like the 5d series than on a cropped sensor) and is very versatile. I find it is wide enough to do almost everything I need, and give me just enough zoom to cover quite a bit. This will normally be on my 5d2 and my 70-200 on the 7d during the ceremony. Fast focusing, good picture quality, but is often nicknamed "the brick" due to its size and weight, which I use gripped cameras to help even it out. Not a light lens, but definitely a solid performer. 

Canon 70-200mm f2.8L:

Another of Canon's workhorses, and a great lens for getting those candid shots of guests or when you do not want to be right in someones face, like during the ceremony. The compression this lens gives is great, and pairing it with the 7d gives me a nice little reach advantage (Look up the crop sensor vs. full frame sensor debate to clarify this). All that being said, this is not the Image Stabilized version. At the time I bought a Tamron 70-200mm f2.8, and think it is a good lens, but had a few issues with it. The autofocus was a little noisy and somewhat unreliable. While I dont think this makes a big difference when photographing things casually, when you have to get the shot, these things are key. I do think I will sell this eventually and get the 70-200mm f/2.8 IS II, but its still a great lens. Having image stabilization would be nice when I am looking to use slower shutter speeds though.

Canon 28-135mm (backup)

When I bought the 7d this lens came with it for an extra $100 (I caught a sale). Although I find it too slow to use for most of my stuff, its still a solid lens to use as a backup if all my other lenses get destroyed. 

Tokina 11-16mm f2.8

I did quite a bit of research when looking to buy my ultra-wide lens, and it came down to this lens and the Canon 10-22mm. I figured the differences as follows: The Tokina was cheaper at the time (it keeps raising in price, and I am not sure what it will come out to be soon), it was solidly built and was a constant 2.8 aperture. The biggest pro I could find on the Canon was that it was a wider range, but the important things to me were in the Tokina. Its a great lens, and even though it is not designed to, it will mount on the 5d2 and still take photos. Although it vignettes heavily on the wide end, it is very usable at 16mm, and I have no qualms using this as a prime. 

Primes

Canon 15mm f2.8 Fisheye

I arranged these in the order of focal length, not importance or usage. That being said, I really like this little lens. This is not a lens that I recommend for beginning photographers for a few reasons. It is not the cheapest and it is a special effect lens. It is very easy to overdo it, and the effect can be cheapened really quickly. Looking back, I think I probably should have gotten a macro lens first, but I still do enjoy having this when I need it.

Canon 28mm f1.8

This is a great lens too. Perfect for shooting wide without having to carry "the brick" around with me. I don't shoot wide very often, but this is a perfect lens to put it my bag for when I need it. Engagement sessions I shoot only with primes for the most part, and this fills in my wide option. That being said, I do plan to replace this with the 35L sometime later this year.

Canon 35mm F1.4L
The newest addition to my bag, and I love it. It has a great focal length - not too wide, but gets a good amount of information into the scene. Its great for dancing photos, and using throughout the day.



Canon 50mm f1.2L 

This bad boy is a beast. The bokeh is amazing, and build quality is superb. Canon L primes are some of the best autofocus lenses out there, and I don't think this is an exception. I love shooting at this focal length (as you can see from the lenses I have owned) and feel I can shoot an entire wedding with this lens. 

Canon 50mm f1.4

This is a great lens as well, but I got a little nervous with the focusing. New Years Eve I was taking some photos at Disneyland and it wouldn't focus closer than about 3 feet. This made me nervous, and gave me a good excuse to upgrade. This is now another backup lens, and I do not have plans of selling it anytime soon. 

Canon 50mm f1.8 (broken)

This lens is great bang for you buck as well, but it has some problems. Slow, inconsistent autofocus combined with the cheapest build quality you can find is what this "nifty fifty" or "plastic fantastic" lens is comprised of. Can it take amazing photos? Yes. Is it reliable enough for a professional to rely on it, no. The first wedding I shot, I brought it out of my bag and sure enough, it would refuse to focus. Lesson learned, backups purchased. 

Canon 85mm f1.8

Canon 135mm f2.0L

Tokina 500mm f8 reflex lens

Lighting

Canon Speedlight 580ex2 (2)

Yungnuo YN-560 (flash) (3)
 Reflector, umbrellas, stands, Cactus V5 wireless triggers.

Current as of May 5th, 2011.