Hey guys, hope you all are doing fine. I am starting a wedding videography business here in my country beside my regular video production where we mainly do documentaries and music videos etc. The plan is to start small and grow bigger as time goes by since i don't have too much of an investment to put in initially.
Right now i am in the middle of finalizing my equipment list and would like your suggestions on it. Keeping the budget of office space and all other things aside i am left with around $5000 for acquiring new video equipment and following is what i am looking into buying.

2 x Canon T4i
1 x Tamron 24-70mm 2.8 VC
2 x Rode Videomic pro
2 x Switronix TorchLED Bolt
1 x Manfrotto 561 Monopod
1 x Libec tripod
1 x Lowepro bag
4 x Canon batteries
4 x Sandisk Memory 32Gb
2 x Battery grip, UV filters etc.

Things i already have with me.

1 x Canon T2i
1 x Tokina 11-16mm 2.8
1 x Rokinon 35mm 1.4
1 x Zoom H4n
1 x Azden Shotgun mic
1 x Carryspeed Viewfinder
1 x Glidecam HD4000
1 x Dolly system
... and many other basic things

The decision to go for the Tamron 24-70 is cause of its excellent VC feature and it being full frame which will be needed when i shift to the 5D MK3 by end of the year. The other option could be to get the Tamron 17-50mm 2.8 VC which is for crop sensors and buy a Zeiss 50mm 1.4 as well. I have many other things lined up as well but those are to be purchased down the road and for now i am making sure i have all the must have equipment with me.

I would really appreciate if you could post your remarks and suggestions. Thanks :)

I have owned both the Tammy 17-50VC and the new 24-70VC. There is no comparison, the 24-70 is far superior. Also, as you state, it will grow with you to FF in the future. It took me a few weeks to choke down the thought of the price of the 24-70. Once it got here, like most quality gear, the price is now an afterthought. The quality shines through and is proving to be well worth every penny that it cost.

The sticks, IMO, you are overspending there. If you never used the 561, you are in for a treat !!! That is my favorite weapon of choice !!!

The advice I would give you, DO NOT buy anything UNTIL it is going to make you money RIGHT NOW! Too many fledgling entrepreneurs have gone out of business because they had too much gear that they will use "some day" and not enough working capital that they need TODAY.

Good luck !!!!

I have owned both the Tammy 17-50VC and the new 24-70VC. There is no comparison, the 24-70 is far superior. Also, as you state, it will grow with you to FF in the future. It took me a few weeks to choke down the thought of the price of the 24-70. Once it got here, like most quality gear, the price is now an afterthought. The quality shines through and is proving to be well worth every penny that it cost.

The sticks, IMO, you are overspending there. If you never used the 561, you are in for a treat !!! That is my favorite weapon of choice !!!

The advice I would give you, DO NOT buy anything UNTIL it is going to make you money RIGHT NOW! Too many fledgling entrepreneurs have gone out of business because they had too much gear that they will use "some day" and not enough working capital that they need TODAY.

Good luck !!!!

Have to echo on the above. Many people become addicted to accumulating all sorts of gear without rarely using it.

Only you know your market. And whether or not you have enough business lined up to put it all to use ...

The list you have so far looks good to me. I wouldn't bother upgrading to the 5D MK3 ... what's the point? will it enable you to deliver a better story to your clients? ultimately that's what they're looking for. A good story ... your ability to the capture the day.

"Many people become addicted to accumulating all sorts of gear but rarely use it".

Like me! I own a Philip Bloom VBag. I don't know why I own a Philip Bloom VBag. I've never used it. And I think the name "VBag" sounds weird. It's gathering dust next to my Digital Juice LowRider, my SnapTrack Cinerails, my Cinetics Cinesquid, my Aviator Travel Jib, my 35mm Redrock M2 adapter, my Rode NTG9, etc.

That said, I'd add some sort of lapel microphone to your list if you don't already have one. Sennheiser or Sony wireless, or something like Tram TR50 plus Roland R-05 to place in a groom's pocket. It's not cheap cheap, but it's worth it.

Would also add something like a Shure SM58 dynamic microphone for placing up against speakers. (This one is cheap cheap, and very worth it.)

I wouldn't bother upgrading to the 5D MK3 ... what's the point?
Being able to shoot at above 10.000 iso would be one, the t4i gets too noisy at 3200 iso and I often have wished I could crank the iso up more without being punished with excessive noise. You can use a light, sure, but shooting a candlelight table the way you see it instead of flooding it with a on camera light makes all the difference if you want to show the "mood". The absence of moire and aliasing is a second one, it looks like the 5dIII gets a soft image as result of whatever technique is used to reduce any artifacts but that you can sharpen up in post, aliasing and moire on a t4i however can get very nasty and you need to shoot around that. Full frame is nice on the 5d as well but for me not worth the 4 times higher price compared to a t4i, but if you have a cropfactor camerabody and get a full frame body as well you get a extra set of focal lengths with all your lenses.

Being able to shoot at above 10.000 iso would be one, the t4i gets too noisy at 3200 iso and I often have wished I could crank the iso up more without being punished with excessive noise. You can use a light, sure, but shooting a candlelight table the way you see it instead of flooding it with a on camera light makes all the difference if you want to show the "mood". The absence of moire and aliasing is a second one, it looks like the 5dIII gets a soft image as result of whatever technique is used to reduce any artifacts but that you can sharpen up in post, aliasing and moire on a t4i however can get very nasty and you need to shoot around that. Full frame is nice on the 5d as well but for me not worth the 4 times higher price compared to a t4i, but if you have a cropfactor camerabody and get a full frame body as well you get a extra set of focal lengths with all your lenses.

That's what I actually meant. It's not worth the extra ...

I am assuming Shahzad will be filming muslim weddings in Pakistan. In halls / venues with lots of colours. I doubt he will ever need to film at such high ISO levels, if anything I would buy some hot head lights to carry around in your car.

Personally I think there is a lot of point to the 5D3 if you can afford it. Noa has already the highlighted major advantages for video (extraordinary low light performance, total absence moire & aliasing, full frame look) but we shoot stills too & the 5D3 is the best stills camera on the market for a wedding photographer.

You will need a load more batteries than just four. Reckon on one batter for one hour shooting to be on the safe side. Then have spares.

I am assuming Shahzad will be filming muslim weddings in Pakistan. In halls / venues with lots of colours. I doubt he will ever need to film at such high ISO levels, if anything I would buy some hot head lights to carry around in your car.

If you have the luxury of only shooting weddings where they flood the room with lights, then yes, you wouldn't need a camera that can do high iso's but about every wedding I do I need a camera that can handle high iso, any professional video/cinematographer will say; use video lights but I think we have come in a time where technology has given us the opportunity to do without at weddings, I know guests absolutely hate it when you point a high output video light at them and the darker it gets, the brighter your light will appear, you can also add some lights which you place high on a lightstand so you won't blind people (which I had been thinking about to light up a dancefloor during the first dance) but if the couple has choosen a candlelight only venue and you add big lights of your own you ruin that "mood" the couple chose the venue in the first place for. If I would have the money now I would get myself a extra 5dIII without much thought and don't buy any extra lights but unfortunately my budget has been blown on a nex-ea50 :)

If you have the luxury of only shooting weddings where they flood the room with lights, then yes, you wouldn't need a camera that can do high iso's but about every wedding I do I need a camera that can handle high iso, any professional video/cinematographer will say; use video lights but I think we have come in a time where technology has given us the opportunity to do without at weddings, I know guests absolutely hate it when you point a high output video light at them and the darker it gets, the brighter your light will appear, you can also add some lights which you place high on a lightstand so you won't blind people (which I had been thinking about to light up a dancefloor during the first dance) but if the couple has choosen a candlelight only venue and you add big lights of your own you ruin that "mood" the couple chose the venue in the first place for. If I would have the money now I would get myself a extra 5dIII without much thought and don't buy any extra lights but unfortunately my budget has been blown on a nex-ea50 :)

I've also blown my budget on my EA50. I was tempted by the 5D MK3.

But i've bought my EA50 for all the right reasons ... it does what I need it to do, and has a serious look that people pay for.

When some ones parting with £1000+ to hire you for the day, they not only expect a good video but for you to look the part. And turning up with DSLR's just doesn't look that great.

And this guy resides in pakistan, families in Asia always try and show off their wealth i.e. how much money they've spent sending their children off in to married life. They always like to send off their children in style (explains all the expensive gold & hired cars you see in asian weddings here in London) ... which is probably even more reason to not waste any money in the 5D3. If anything, buy yourself a Sony FS100 if you really want to upgrade.

I got the ea50 because I wanted a "proper" videocamera which to me is a better allround videocamera then a 5DIII, but I didn't get it for it looks or to look more professional, I agree that if you shoot a corporate film then looks do count more but at a wedding with a 5dIII you will look equally professional as the photog who is using the same equipment you have.

I wouldn't take hot lights to a wedding. There are bad enough when it's a controlled environment but the idea of guests knocking over redheads or tripping on the wires is just awful

Echo Nigel's comment above - I use these when I need more light than my hot shoe LED

http://www.amazon.co.uk/NP-F570-Battery-Charger-Camera-Camcorder/dp/B009WKRPHK/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1369305995&sr=8-7&keywords=led+video+light

And even then I use standbags on my lightstands in case anyone bumps into them

I wouldn't take hot lights to a wedding.
You don't need to, there are enough cheap led lights out there that don't run so hot and are battery operated and which can be remotely controlled to switch on/of or to dim. You only need to secure the lightstand feet to the ground with tape or place it nearby the dj's equipment.

Echo Nigel's comment above - I use these when I need more light than my hot shoe LED

LED 5080 Video Light + NP-F570 Battery + Charger For DV: Amazon.co.uk: Camera & Photo (http://www.amazon.co.uk/NP-F570-Battery-Charger-Camera-Camcorder/dp/B009WKRPHK/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1369305995&sr=8-7&keywords=led+video+light)

And even then I use standbags on my lightstands in case anyone bumps into themThose look like the 8 LED version of the 6 LED 5010As that we use (thanks to the tip from Chris Harding). The 5010As are much brighter than the 160 LED lights also available at around the same price so I guess that these would be really bright. They run for a good hour or so on clone Sony camcorder batteries.

I only mentioned hot lights because I thought that James recommended the OP get them.

You can also rent gear as you need it. Especially when you are first starting out and may not have the income from weddings to support purchasing gear. It also gives you the option to try out gear without destroying your budget.

I don't shoot weddings but for how I would imagine shooting one I don't think having a 70mm as your longest focal length would be enough.

Those look like the 8 LED version of the 6 LED 5010As that we use (thanks to the tip from Chris Harding). The 5010As are much brighter than the 160 LED lights also available at around the same price so I guess that these would be really bright. They run for a good hour or so on clone Sony camcorder batteries.

I only mentioned hot lights because I thought that James recommended the OP get them.

Yes ... just watch Asian/muslim weddings on Youtube to understand why red heads are better than LEDs.

I have only ever been hired to cover the RECEPTION / WEDDING party of a muslim wedding.

But usually they have a Mehndi Ceremony where you'll have family doing full on bollywood style dance routines etc prior to the wedding/reception day.

Times like mehndi, you can't light the dance area with LEDS ... you need a permanent form of lighting. So redheads would be the most efficient thing to do the job to be honest.

We still need to hear back from the OP as i'm answering and recommending based on assumptions.

Why the T4i? I'd suggest either the T3i to save, or the T5i since it fixed some more issues with the T4i.
If you want full frame, a mark ii can be had for around $1200-$1400 (including on this site).

I notice you don't have primes on your list. I use two or three all the time, along with
zoom: either a 28-135mm or a 70-200mm
Primes, I use the 50mm f/1.8 ($100). or a 35mm f/2 ($300-$400) are great for low light.
For a nice wide shot, I'm fond of the Rokinon 14mm ($350ish)
Good audio is so important, a respectable on camera mic like the Rode, and one or two external recorders, like Tascams.
Portable light like a shoe mounted LED

But usually they have a Mehndi Ceremony where you'll have family doing full on bollywood style dance routines etc prior to the wedding/reception day.

Times like mehndi, you can't light the dance area with LEDS ... you need a permanent form of lighting. So redheads would be the most efficient thing to do the job to be honest.Those 5010A or 5080 LED lights chuck out plenty of light if you have the right camera. As the 5D3 can shoot by candlelight even if they were dancing in near total darkness a couple of those LEDs will lift the light levels enough without the danger of 800W tungsten lights.

I have a sigma 50-150 2.8 but I never use it. I mainly use the tamron 17-50 2.8, canon 50 1.8 and a sigma 30 1.4 which I got on sale last week for 320 €. Having a 1.4 lens in your bag really makes a difference. I had to shoot a dance in almost no light and the 1.4 saved the day as even the 1.8 was struggling. I have found that I prefer wide lenses in situations which are more chaotic and I only use the 50 (or my photographer's 85 1.8) when things are calmer. I also shoot alone so I don't like to be changing lenses all the time incase I miss something

"I wouldn't bother upgrading to the 5D MK3 ... what's the point?

My main reason of upgrading to 5D MK3 is to have less noise in high iso(i will like to have natural light in footage and this way i can set up shots quickly), no moire(am fed up of it, specially in 720p 50/60fps) and the timecode to sync up multicam footage.
"That said, I'd add some sort of lapel microphone to your list if you don't already have one. Sennheiser or Sony wireless, or something like Tram TR50 plus Roland R-05 to place in a groom's pocket. Would also add something like a Shure SM58 dynamic microphone for placing up against speakers.

Well we don't have any vows in our weddings so i wont be need any wireless mic. For the mic against speaker i think i can place my zoom h4n there and record sound through its own mic.


When some ones parting with £1000+ to hire you for the day, they not only expect a good video but for you to look the part. And turning up with DSLR's just doesn't look that great.
And this guy resides in Pakistan, families in Asia always try and show off their wealth i.e. how much money they've spent sending their children off in to married life. They always like to send off their children in style (explains all the expensive gold & hired cars you see in asian weddings here in London) ... which is probably even more reason to not waste any money in the 5D3. If anything, buy yourself a Sony FS100 if you really want to upgrade.

About looking the part that's not a major concern as here you get a lot of unwanted attention from people when you are shooting so the less you are visible the better it is and beside you can put on a shoulder rig with matte box and follow focus etc on your cam and it will definitely look the part :)

You can also rent gear as you need it. Especially when you are first starting out and may not have the income from weddings to support purchasing gear. It also gives you the option to try out gear without destroying your budget.
Unfortunately we don't have much gear renting services here and the ones available are big studios and they charge pretty high for it to be a viable option for me.

Yes ... just watch Asian/muslim weddings on Youtube to understand why red heads are better than LEDs. Times like mehndi, you can't light the dance area with LEDS ... you need a permanent form of lighting. So redheads would be the most efficient thing to do the job to be honest.

I do have 4 of those red head tungsten lights with me but they are all 1000w and i cant find any lower watt bulb here :/ so i don't usually use them much cause they are a pain in the u know where :P The reason i am getting those Switronix TorchLED Bolt led's is cause i can tune in color temperature and match it with my environment and they have a strong throw as well.

Why the T4i? I'd suggest either the T3i to save, or the T5i since it fixed some more issues with the T4i.
If you want full frame, a mark ii can be had for around $1200-$1400 (including on this site).

I notice you don't have primes on your list. I use two or three all the time, along with
zoom: either a 28-135mm or a 70-200mm
Primes, I use the 50mm f/1.8 ($100). or a 35mm f/2 ($300-$400) are great for low light.
For a nice wide shot, I'm fond of the Rokinon 14mm ($350ish)
Good audio is so important, a respectable on camera mic like the Rode, and one or two external recorders, like Tascams.
Portable light like a shoe mounted LED
I am assuming you haven't read my first post completely. I do have Rokinon 35mm 1.4 and a Tokina 11-16mm 2.8 for wide use. Also i mentioned purchasing the rode mics and an on-cam led's as well.
About the T4i and not T5i or T3i, well not T5i cause its more expensive here and nothing much changed from T4i and for no T3i cause i get a 29min multiple file record time on the T4i. here in our country the T4i is priced around 600$, the T3i is around 550$ and T5i is around 700$ for bodies only.

Well we don't have any vows in our weddings so i wont be need any wireless mic. For the mic against speaker i think i can place my zoom h4n there and record sound through its own mic.

Shahzad, maybe no vows, but I bet you do have a priest (or more than one priest) who does a lot of talking! Does he need to be miked up?

All this stuff on "to spend or not to spend" is at the end of the day pretty subjective, I have to admit. Can you "get by" with on-camera sound for ceremony and a Zoom's internal microphones for speakers? Well, people have disagreed with me on this point before, but I do think it's your personal taste as to what you consider "acceptable" or "good enough" sound.

Shahzad, maybe no vows, but I bet you do have a priest (or more than one priest) who does a lot of talking! Does he need to be miked up?

All this stuff on "to spend or not to spend" is at the end of the day pretty subjective, I have to admit. Can you "get by" with on-camera sound for ceremony and a Zoom's internal microphones for speakers? Well, people have disagreed with me on this point before, but I do think it's your personal taste as to what you consider "acceptable" or "good enough" sound.

hmmm yup we do have a priest who do take vows from the bride and groom separately like in different rooms, i shouldn't have mentioned no vows in earlier post though. Anyways don't u think the Rode Videomic's on cam will sound good enough or do i need to hook them up with couple of lavaliers which do remember will be intrusive specially in the case of the bride. On the H4n against speakers, i will look into getting the Shure SM58's if they sound much better and beside i will have 1 direct input from the dj system into my H4n as well.
Right now i am looking to cover my bases and have a balanced set of equipment and will for sure be getting more stuff soon enough.