What is your Gear of Choice?
 

Just curious what people here use for their main camcorder for weddings and events? And what software you use to edit? Would love to hear what your setup is like.

Much appreciated as always.

We haven't switched to HD yet, not enough demand in my area yet. Our main cameras are a Panasonic DVC60 and a Canon GL2. We also have a JVC GY-DV300 for back-up. For detail and fun shots we use a Canon HV30 with a jag35 and I just picked up a Pentax K-X which will probably replace the HV30.

We have 2 edit computers with Premiere.

Canon XH A1s as main
Canon HV30 as B-roll
Zoom H4n audio recorder
Edius 5 for editing and imaginate and After Effects for creating slideshows and photo montage

Without question my favorite piece of gear is the Glidetrack slider.

Other than that, XHA1 with Zoom H4n edited in FCP multi-cam.

XH-A1s as main cam
XH-A1 as B-roll
HV30 on Merlin steadicam
Comer 1800 LED light
Rode shotgun mic
Edit with Adobe CS4 and the Matrox RT.X2 add-on card.
Export to DVD and Bluray using Encore CS4
Olympus voice recorder to record vows in ceremony
I'm thinking of getting a Zoom H2 for all sound recording.

My gear of choice or what I have? ;)

I use Canon HV40s and edit in FCP7.

We don't do weddings, but for Stage Events we use four Z5s with MRC1k recorders, plus a Zoom H4n for audio. For Sports Events we add two FX7s to the mix for their long tele lenses.

We edit with Premiere CS3. Our editing workstation is an eight core (2 x Xeon Quad 5430) PC with 20 Gigs of RAM, 25 TB of RAIDed drives, and Vista 64. Will likely move up to CS5 when all the bugs are worked out and likely will upgrade to Win7 at that time as well.

2 Sony HD1000u
1 Sony SR-11 on steadicam
Azden wireless pro audio
Sony Memory stick duo digital voice recorder
PremierePro CS3
Encore for DVD authoring

2 x Panasonic HMC72 Shoulder Mount Cams (yes, I like Panasonic and shoulder mount cameras!!)
2 x Azden wireless lav mics
2 x Rode VideoMics on the cameras

Edit on Sony Vegas 9 and author in Mediachance DVDLab

I was previously shooting on DVC20's!! and didn't have to go to HD but couldn't find an SD Panasonic camera that suited me that was true 16:9 so made the leap of faith to SD cards and HD. However at present I just transcode the HD to SD before editing as there is also no demand for BluRay here at all!!

2 Canon 7D's
1 Canon Vixia HF20

Manfrotto Monopod
Miller Tripod
Reception Lighting ( A must have!)

Glidecam 4000 works with all of our cameras

A slider would be next, but we don't have the time unless we have a 3rd videographer.

I was scared to shoot with the 7D but now I LOVE IT! It does take getting use to thou.

Sony Z1U
Sony Ax2000
NRG varilight
Frezzi mini fill
Sony LED light HVL-LBP
Samson UM32 w/ sony ecm44
Samson UM1 w/ samson QL5
2 Bogen tripods w/501 heads
Bogen monopod
Rode NTG-1
Sony LCD sunshade for Ax2000 (overpriced, but I love this thing)
Patriot 16GB cards
Sennheiser headphones
Mac Pro, FCS
burning Blu-rays with an external enclosure and Pioneer 203 drive

2 Canon Rebel T2i
1 Canon HV20
Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM
Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8L IS USM
Canon EF 100-300mm f4.5-5.6 USM
Rokinon 85mm f1.4
Sigma 30mm f1.4

Zoom H4N recorder
Sennheiser ME66 shotgun
Sennheiser Evolution wireless

Mac Pro (Early 2008) 8-core 2.8Ghz, 14GB RAM
Final Cut Studio 3

What I use now:
2 - Canon GL2's
1 - Panasonic PV GS300 (set real wide for that occasional cut away)
1 - Olympus Digital Voice Recorder
1 - Radio Shack wired lav mic
1 - Azden Shotgun mic
1- Rode Video Stereo mic
1 - Canon 50D for a few still shots to integrate into the final wedding video
Edit in Adobe Premiere Elements 4 on a 3.0 Ghz Pentium 4, Smart Sound and Digital Juice music libraries.

What I want to change to:

1 - Panasonic HMC40 (unless Canon comes out with an affordable prosumer model)
1 - Canon Rebel T2i
1 - H2 or H4N Digital Voice recorder
1 - Keep my Olympus Digital Voice Recorder
1 - Keep Radio Shack wired lav mic
1 - Audio Technica wired lav mic

Edit in Adobe Premiere 8 on a I5 Dell Studio w/23" monitor and perhaps add a bit to my music libraries.

For the limited number of weddings and short docs I do this setup will be fine. I also have a Smith Victor light kit (with 4 lights).

Main Cam: Sony Z5 (shoot in 30p)
(2) Canon HV30s (shoot in 30p)
UHF Lectrosonic Wirless Mic
UHF Sony Wirless mic
(5) I-River 700 and 800 series recorders
H2 Zoom
Sony LED light with light stick
Sony CF recorder for the Z5 w 4 16gig CF cards and 2 32gig CF cards

Monopods, tripids.

Adobe Premiere 4.0

I still have my 2 PD-150 cameras collecting duct in my closet. I just can't bring myself to get rid of them. They have come though in a pinch from time to time.

Sony FX7 with beachtek XLR adaptor (main camera)
Sony SR1 (wide shot)
Panasonic GH-1 with Pentax 50mm f/1.7, Sigma 17-35 f/2.8-4 (Haven't used this on a wedding shoot yet but am super keen to. I've just been practicing and testing heaps so that when I do use it I'll be able to nail it every time!)
Sony UWP-V1 radio mic
Rode Videomic

Sony Vegas Pro 8
Adobe CS3 Master Collection (I only use Encore for weddings because I prefer to edit with Vegas and never need AE for weddings)
Intel Core i7 920 Workstation
Toshiba Core 2 Duo Laptop

Later this year I'll be hopefully be getting an NX5, or an HMC80 if I can't stretch for the NX5. My FX7 has been in the shop getting a back focus adjustment done so I've been renting a HVR-Z1 lately. I'm worried I'll go back to the FX7 and really feel the pain at dark recepions.