As photographers, we’re naturally gear geeks. We certainly would never mind loading our bag with the best that we can buy. But the reality is if you’re shooting weddings you need to be somewhat portable and unless you have an endless checking account you have to be wise with your purchases as well.
When I think about wedding gear needs vs. wants, I break it down into 3 categories: Camera, Lenses, and Light. Here’s a quick look at what’s in my bag and why – as well as good ideas for what to buy to make the most sense for your budget and growth.
Camera
For weddings, I’m looking for a fast camera, good in low light, and has dual memory card slots. Having it boast a higher megapixel, be light and many of the other features that I love about cameras is important, but secondary to those top three. Fast is imperative because weddings move at the speed of light. Low light capability is necessary for dark churches where you can’t use flash. A dual memory card slot is a non-negotiable for me so I can have an instant backup of everything I shoot.
I’m currently shooting with the Canon 1DX (an older model to Canon 1DXII) with a Canon 1D Mark IV as a backup (which I never use because Canon’s cameras are workhorses). Can you shoot with a less expensive Canon 5d Mark IV? Absolutely, and I do recommend investing in glass (which will last you through many camera body upgrades) before investing in more expensive cameras.
Lenses
When you’re first starting, you should essentially cover as much of a focal range as you can. If I had to recommend starting with just three lenses I would recommend the 24-105mm f/4, 70-200mm 2.8, and 100mm 2.8 Macro. This covers a focal range of 24-200mm plus gives you a macro lens, which doubles as a great portrait lens as well.
When I was ready to graduate to other lenses, I moved to all primes. Like you’ll see in my gear list, I’ve got the works. Here’s the order I recommend purchasing them in:
50mm 1.2 (a most versatile lens for the whole wedding day – easily the one I use the most)
135mm 2.0 (great if you want to put down the heavy 70-200mm and need a lower aperture)
85mm 1.2 (an oh-so-gorgeous lens I use constantly for family, bridal party, and couple pictures)
24mm 1.4 (A nice crisp wide-angle lens)
35mm 1.4 (love for bridal party shots in tighter spaces)
11-24mm 4.0 (I don’t own this one yet but it’s on my list!)
200mm 2.0 (also on my dream lens list, assuming I want to carry a whole separate bag the day of)
Light
At a minimum, you’ll need to have something equivalent to a 430EX Speedlite so that you can work in dark places and receptions. There’s a ton that you can do with just this flash and even a reflector (I love the 42” 5-in-1 as well as a 12” reflector for ring shots) to bounce it off of. Eventually, you’ll want to start working with off-camera flash (like in this Breathe Your Passion Episode here) so you can start by going to the 600EX Speedlites which have internal transmitters in them, or get some real power in your light by going to strobes.
I actively use the Profoto B1s and B2s on every single wedding. The perfect balance of power and ease of use in a portable strobe that’s ideal for event photography. You can see the full list of lights and accessories I take with me at a wedding here.
Whenever you’re in a position where you’re working jobs that you know you need extra gear on, don’t think that going in over your head financially is the only option. Renting gear is a great way to fill in the equipment gaps that you may have as well as try out new equipment that you’re looking to purchase.
Happy Wedding Season!
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