You aren't kidding! I used to work in Greenock and when I started, someone said "you'll be buying an umbrella then!" I thought they were joking.....they weren't! As soon as you hit Port Glasgow....the clouds turn black and the rain starts. I think flood lights and some flares may just be enough in Port Glasgow.

Many Thanks to all you guys for your help. I am also getting good help on another forum recommended above (fredmiranda).

In doing video, I can't think of a single occasion when I have ever witnessed a photographer use more than one flash and I've worked with guys that charge £2500 a go!

Lens choice appears to be much more important than I even realised.

Front runners so far seem to be the Nikon 70-200VR and the Nikon 50mm/1.8.

That along with the D80 body eats probably too deep into my budget.

Whats your thoughts on the 18-200VR and the 50mm 1.8? The 18-200 just seems to get SO many good reviews it's hard to ignore.

That's pretty good money, almost worth learning to drive on the wrong side of the road and speaking a new language ;) The guy that did our wedding showed up with a 35mm Olympus, which surprised me, up until that moment I'd only seen Hasselblads used for weddings. So I'll concede that my interpretation of the norm may not be valid beyond a 10 foot radius of my desk.

I have a 50mm 1.8. I use it for portraits on a D80. The results are always fantastic. I shoot at f8 with strobes. From what I read, the 1.8 is a little sharper than the 1.4 at f8, but the 1.4 is sharper at wide open. If you plan on covering the Port Glasgow market, consider the 1.4 or 1.2 (or some night vision goggles).

I've read some posts about the 18-200 being too soft, but one of my friend has one and has nothing but good things to say. In our shop, we're using 28-80mm 2.8 and 80-200mm 2.8 lenses (older ones). We're fond of them, but haven't gotten a chance to test the VRs to see what we're missing.

the 18-200 is a phenomenal walk-around lens but too slow for most indoor weddings, especially if you are relying on auto focus. It's certainly not as sharp as the 70-200 and the 17-55 but that pair costs 3x the price, are waaaaay heavier and still leave out the 55-70 range

I am doing both. Ive shot on medium format in the past, using Rollei 6008, but as customer tastes have changed im now using two canon digital cameras. An eos 20d and 30d, one with an 18-85mm the other with a 100-400lL. I use a Canon XL-H1 for video`s

hey steven, have u wacked on that 18-85 on the H1? would be interestin to see some shots taken with the h1 using some eos lenses..

There is MUCH more that can be done in terms of improving your product before you look at getting multiple flashes. If you worried about competition from friends offering free services I would suggest your in the wrong business or don't know enough to be in business yet. The quality you can attain from having a good eye, good glass, one to zero flashes and excellent post production is more than enough to distinguish yourself. I'm not saying multiple flashes cannot add to certain shots, but should be way down the list when talking to a new photographer.

Hey Peter,

I have a recent highlights clip shot with a VX2100 with a letus adapter and a 50mm 1.8 nikon lens on front. Let me know if you want to check it out- the 4-5 shots I got from that adapter really stand out.

Patrick

would love to :)

i can imagine imagine the differences being more cinematic due to the short DoF... but wold love to see it in action

Peter, I sent a link to the clip to your email that is attached to the forum.

Patrick

Not yet! I hhope to get the adapter early next year.

If I called it a back-up flash, would you consider moving it up your list?

hey patrick i dont have anything :(

Hmm, I'm not sure what happened. I will just link to it here.

http://www.smcouples.com/gooley/highlights.mov

All the best.
Patrick

My Head Hurts Now!
 

I've been touting myself about the various forums mentioned by you kind guys.

The reply that seems to have found the most praise and common ground amongst all the replies I have had here and elsewhere recommends the following.

Based on what you said I reckon we are looking at

Tokina 12-24 £268
Nikon 35mm £184
Nikon 50mm 1.8 £76
Nikon 70-200VR £916
TOTAL - £1444

After buying the camera, my lens budget is a measly £771. Obvioulsy, this isn't going to cover everything listed, which is why I had considered the Tokina 12-24 and the Nikon 18-200VR as they would at least cover my bases and be closer to my budget at £789.

The recommendation re the 18-200 is that, fine all round lens that it is, it isn't fast enough for darker churches.

My question is, if you reckon the "cheap" option is false economy, in which order would you recommend I buy the recommendations in? I appreciate the obvious answer is...you need them all but......until funds permit, doing it this way will buy us some time, and let us get to know the camera and initial lenses.

Many Thanks!

I am not specialized in weddings, but I do concert photography regularly. I usually do not use a flash indoors, and find that photographing using available light only is an easy way to make my work look different than the one of people using their P&S camera... Your mileage may vary, but you should know that a digital SLR has the capability to photograph under very little light indeed. If you choose that option, I also advise to use the raw format, as it allows to correct the color temperature afterwards.

I use a flash outdoors, BTW...

These would be my suggestions for a wedding:

-get a spare battery
-get a big memory card or two, especially if you use the raw format
-a very interesting lens is the Sigma 18-50 f/2.8. Fast aperture, and the focal lengths you will most often use. Top optical quality, but check the one you get, as Sigma quality control is not always very consistent (I had to send one of those back).
-the 50 f/1.4 is not worth the extra cost over the 50 f/1.8, which can be had for very little money used. Remember: testing a lens is very easy once you own a digital SLR...
-get a monopod and learn to use it. It can also be used for vertical framing, folded and used against a wall/pilar.
-try to visit the wedding location beforehand and get an idea of how the light will be at various times of the day
-for the outdoor static shots, go to your nearest DIY store and get one or two white polystyrene boards (cheap). They are very useful as reflectors. You'll need someone to hold them, of course. The luxury version are the aluminized car windscreen sunshield, but you may not find them at this time of the year.
-for outdoor shots, a cockin filter mount with the following two filters is useful: polarizing and gradual grey G2. All the rest can be done in post.

As to your choice of lenses: I think that you are unlikely to use an lens longer than 80-100mm at a wedding.