My sons wedding, what camera?

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kknox

kknox
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My son is getting married in two weeks, they have someone set up for the the pictures. I would like to take some B&W shots & maybe some color in the background before and after the wedding. Should I take my M3 with a CV40 or a 50 Summicron, dont have my 35 anymore. I was going to shoot kodachrome & Tri-x, or just bag it and take my Digilux 2 for fast shots? The wedding is in the early eve outside. Thank's in advance.
 
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As it's your son's wedding (hopefully a once in a lifetime event!), I'd say take whichever outfit will distract you least when using it, i.e., whichever you can operate the most fluidly. The last thing I would want would be to be fiddling with a camera while it's happening around me.
 
Just take any camera you feel the most comfortable with. You'll only get one or two shots at any aspect of the day, and you wouldn't wanna miss that shot while tweaking your camera.

If you feel most comfortable using the M but are uncertain on the lighting conditions, bring the Digilux as well and fire a few test shots to see what lighting conditions are. From there on, use the M.

I've been known to show up at occasions carrying two cameras, shooting the M without flash will make most people forget that two-camera fool as fast as they spotted him. :)
 
My experience is that you miss an event when you are behind the lens. Hire a photographer, enjoy the wedding of your son and just take some snaps. Therefore I would use the Digilux
 
I concur - I was at a friends wedding this weekend, using my M3 and 50mm CZ Sonnar. Hopefully I'll have some good shots but the bridegroom's father wouldn't have stood a chance to take anything - he was the subject of so many and had a great time just being a big part of the day.

Lots of people will be taking lots of photos anyway, so enjoy looking at those after the event. If you want some taken with the M3 then find someone who can do it for you :)
 
Take the M3, the 50 and a couple of rolls of Tri-X. You know that's what you want to do anyway, right?

Congrats to your son.
 
Stick the 40 on the M3, use the whole finder area for framing. Let the hired gun worry about the color. Trying to get accurate exposures on Kodachrome ain't gonna be easy. Go with the Tri-X. Relax. Talk to the other photographer about making sure that he gets some shots of you shooting. Yeah, they'll be set-up shots, but they'll make for great memories. Try to pace your own shooting. Don't shoot too much. Remind yourself that you're not there to shoot! See if you can get through the entire wedding and reception with a maximum of two rolls of 36 exposure film.

When you first get to the venue go around with your light meter and check the lighting in various places in the room. Then put the meter away for the rest of the time that you're there. Your photographic endeavor should be unnoticeable to people. No fiddling with the camera either. Just raise it to your eye and squeeze of a frame.

You don't want your son to be saying that everytime he looked at you he saw you squinting through the finder. Strive for a "Dad, I never saw you shoot any pictures. Why did you bother dragging your camera along?" Those couple of exposed rolls in your pocket will be priceless.

http://thepriceofsilver.blogspot.com
 
Take NO Camera and enjoy the day and its memories live!

What are you thinking off? Photo addiction is a serious illness, too. Be careful ...
 
Well, I don't want to go too much against the tide, but...

I did take a camera to my daughter's wedding and related events.

And I got photos the official photographer did not -- simply because she was there for a short time, only for the build-up immediately prior to the ceremony, the ceremony and the shots immediately after.

I did not shoot to cover the event -- and that gave me a great freedom to relax and just capture the friends and family who were there.

Taking a camera you are completely comfortable with and taking shots while participating as a father -- are good pieces of advice.

I took a Canon G series, suppressed the flash, put it on auto, and needed no other paraphernalia -- no film, no meter, etc. Got a nice set of photos of the events to supplement the great job the photographer did.
 
Don't miss the wedding, take a P/S digital and have fun. You will get instant pictures and see later what you got.
Joe
 
I agree with the suggestions not to take a camera, and just be there to enjoy the wedding. In my experience, I'm often asked to be the photographer in family and office events, I usually missed the events when I had a camera with me cause I would be busy taking pictures. So it's like I have the pictures but not the memories.

Bob
 
tom.w.bn said:
My experience is that you miss an event when you are behind the lens. Hire a photographer, enjoy the wedding of your son and just take some snaps. Therefore I would use the Digilux
Click to expand...

Dead on. My son was married last weekend and I am so happy I had no official photo duties. I was free to be involved in the moment(s) and participate fully as well "snapshot" all I wanted secure in the knowledge that someone else was taking care of the photos.

Best regards,
Bob
 
I gave up wedding photography totally about a year ago, but I am going to buy a leica specifically for my kids weddings.
You will feel like a spare wheel without a camera I assume, just dont experience the whole thing through a viewfinder.

One thing that annoyed me as a pro wedding photographer was seeing everybody experiencing the wedding on an lcd screen. There would be times when everybody would be outside the church, just to get a crappy photo on their p&s or phone camera instead of being inside so the bride could make her grand entrance. You used to get nice candids of the guests chatting, maybe with a glass in their hand, now you get candids of them all looking at their freakin phones and taking goofy photos of each other. Instead of people giving the bride a kiss and a hug, they stick a camera in her face and take a 5 second delay triple flash photo.

Leica and tri x
 
At one time I had my own Wedding Photography business and in the last two years have done two weddings using Leica M7's and ASPH equipment and Kodachrome 64 and 200. 64 was used for flash photography and 200 for non flash, indoor photography. 200 and 64 K is gone so go to Fuji products.
I always go to the venue before the day in question at the time of the wedding and assess light levels, sight lines, lens requirements and location of various areas as well as how to get around the venue from one spot to another without interupting the ceremony. I always speak with the Server to ascertain what is allowed and what is not. I really abhor the Pro's with digital equipment that shoot endless amounts from all vantage points and are obtrusive. I have asked friends to look at these pictures and for the most part is like shotgun blast, weird angles, every concievable viewpoint with little art and composition.
If you are not able to put some planing and forethought together, I agree with the other Posters, go and have a good time, enjoy the wedding. I've married off two daughters and did not do the photography and kept my mouth shut.-Dick
 
Take the M3 and the 50. The 50 will be better for portraits.

I would definitely bring the camera. If you want to enjoy the wedding, you always can put the camera down. You can't make it magically appear if you didn't take it and there is a great photo.

There will be an official photographer taking the standard digital pictures, so don't bother with the digilux. You may want a few special photos. If it is outdoor wedding, bring KR. If it is indoors, bring the Tri-X. I wouldn't want to bother with a flash.




I find K64 tough for indoor shots and with it's picky exposure I wouldn't want to
 
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