p.1 #2 · Getting ready to take the jump (gear check up)
gear wise, i think you have basically everything you need besides wireless triggers & light stands if you plan to do off-camera lighting.
you definitely need more memory just in case a card goes bad, but for the most part 16GB in each body should be good. batteries, you should be good as long as you have a set charged up (both AA and camera battery)
p.1 #3 · Getting ready to take the jump (gear check up)
As far as memory goes, my belief is that you need to have as many cards on hand so that you can shoot 3 or 4 complete weddings without having to reuse/format a card.
p.1 #4 · Getting ready to take the jump (gear check up)
Inku Yo wrote:
As far as memory goes, my belief is that you need to have as many cards on hand so that you can shoot 3 or 4 complete weddings without having to reuse/format a card.
Very good rule.
With that in mind then (obviously this is subjective on each photog / equipment) how much do you a lot to each wedding? 24 gb? 36?
p.1 #5 · Getting ready to take the jump (gear check up)
JR Magat wrote:
gear wise, i think you have basically everything you need besides wireless triggers & light stands if you plan to do off-camera lighting.
you definitely need more memory just in case a card goes bad, but for the most part 16GB in each body should be good. batteries, you should be good as long as you have a set charged up (both AA and camera battery)
I do have light stands and have always used the Nikon CLS (commander mode on sb-700).
p.1 #10 · Getting ready to take the jump (gear check up)
hopefully you will present yourself in a professional manor .... including wardrobe.
Meaning: no flip flops (unless a beach wedding) - grease monkey jeans ... you get the point.
p.1 #11 · Getting ready to take the jump (gear check up)
RE: Basics...
I will add that I have registered the buisness name with the province. Volunteered registration with Revenue Canada (volunteered as i will take in less than 30,000).
And am visiting a broker today re: business insurance for liability and equipment.
p.1 #12 · Getting ready to take the jump (gear check up)
Thoughts:
1. memory. A LOT MORE OF
2. you don't mention camera batteries, I like to have at least ONE spare per camera plus an additional floating spare.
3. The 35 F2 is nice. But I thought the 35 1.8 is pretty comparable, the vignetting on FF isn't terrible... not sure I'd invest in that upgrade in your shoes. You may find the vignetting "goes well" with wedding work ... the 35 1.8 was a consideration when I bought my F2
4. Instead of SB-900 I would look into SB-800 if I were you. with the extra battery cartridge on the side the 800 BLOWS all the other flashes you mentioned out of the water in both recycle time and how long they will last you. I used to carry battery packs with Canon, when I switched to Nikon and the 5 battery SB800 I found that while not recycling as fast as Canon with battery packs, the recycle time was fast enough to make me NOT MISS the packs. Other good reasons to go with the 800 vs 900 that I won't get into right now. Oh you'll save money too.
5. Instead of PW I would go straight to Cybersyncs. Ask any owners what they think about them. Yes including the owners who strayed to fancier other brand triggers and then went back.
6. As soon as you book enough to justify it I would upgrade that D300 to a D7000, there's a significant performance delta in image quality especially in high ISO. I have one and I love it... and don't tell anyone but having video is fun
Best of luck!
Alessandro
P.S. Oh yeah... if you don't have them already get yourself two of those nice 8 battery MAHA chargers. You will thank me later. BEST purchase I've made to help me prepare for a wedding. Obviously if at some point you go with the 800 flashes you'll want to have multiple of 5 batteries rather than multiples of 4.
p.1 #13 · Getting ready to take the jump (gear check up)
Thanks Al,
I will certainly be adding a bunch more memory and I will have a bunch of camera batteries. No worries there.
I have considered just running with the 35 1.8 I will be testing it out over the next 2 months to see if it will do. I do not really like the idea of going with the 35 /2.
I will really look hard at adding a sb 800 instead of the 900. This is not the first time I have heard this. And the savings will help go towards the PWs or Cybersyncs (likely Cybers...)
Interestingly I have been toying with the idea of selling the D300 for a D7000. I will look at this a little more.
Thanks a lot for the response!
(And I do know the pain of trying to charge 16 batteries in a 4 slot Maha charger :'()
p.1 #16 · Getting ready to take the jump (gear check up)
I have a 35 f2 and I use it LOTS.
I also have a 50 1.4 which I never use.
Just my take on that.
I see you live in Markham, I have a lot of good memories playing hide and seek in the corn fields and playing street hockey when we used to go visiting out there.
p.1 #18 · Getting ready to take the jump (gear check up)
Seems a sound start to me. Just go with this set and start shooting. You find out quickly what would be missing to your style of shooting.
That's kinda the only way to find out.
+1 on the sb800 with 5th battery though
Cause when I use the flash, then I really use the flash!!! So recycle time gets so important.
And after your remarks I think
- softboxes/umbrella with tripods (as lightstands)
- some convenient way to carry both bodies at the same time
p.1 #19 · Getting ready to take the jump (gear check up)
bwield wrote:
Thanks very much!
You probably wouldn't recognize it anymore! Nary a cornfield before you start getting north now.
I have been going back and forth about getting either a 50mm 1.4 (1.8g?) or a 85 1.4
At this point though I feel like I have "enough" to use for a bit and find where the holes are.
While I did suggest that at some point (assuming you want to keep a crop body) you consider upgrading the 300 to a 7000, your lens/body kit is actually fine (I'm not going to weigh in on the wife's kit ... if her coverage is *bonus* coverage then what she's using, if used correctly should be fine).
In your shoes I'd stop thinking of lenses ... I will repeat the SB800 suggestion to kind of reinforce the fact that to put it bluntly... the less experienced you are, the more likely it is that you might NEED that faster recycle to catch the moment you just missed with your first burst of flash. (Note if you do get an SB800 you must do the mod to let it rotate farhter than 90 degrees to the right... I did it on all 4 of mine and it was a piece of cake with some good light a decent screwdriver and a sharp exacto knife. TOTALLY solid... look on youtube).
If at some point you do get a lust for a portrait prime, you should consider Sigma's 85 1.4 ... it's a great 85 on my D700 and an awesome 135-ish on the cropper.... and it's a lot cheaper than the Nikon version. But your 70-200 will serve you just fine for hte time being.
p.1 #20 · Getting ready to take the jump (gear check up)
swampcat wrote:
Seems a sound start to me. Just go with this set and start shooting. You find out quickly what would be missing to your style of shooting.
That's kinda the only way to find out.
+1 on the sb800 with 5th battery though
Cause when I use the flash, then I really use the flash!!! So recycle time gets so important.
And after your remarks I think
- softboxes/umbrella with tripods (as lightstands)
- some convenient way to carry both bodies at the same time
I do have the brolly / softbox's and may get a few more solid light stands.
Right now I am 95% sure I will be going with a TT retro 20 (30?) on me for all my carrying needs.
