April 18, 2010

• The Ultimate Canon DSLR setup – Weddings

  At this time in early 2010, we have the 7D, 5D mk2, 1D mk4, and 1Ds mk3. This is Canon’s pro-quality lineup. Well the 7D and 5D mk2 are officially listed as “advanced amateur” or semi-pro camera bodies, but you could use them in a professional capacity.

  Questions arose from the discussion today, about which Canon DSLR body to buy. Lots of people talk about how the 5-series autofocus just isn’t good enough sometimes, in low light and at fast apertures to be specific…

  I’ll cut right to the chase: The ultimate Canon system *requires* using more than one different model of DSLR body, and at least one crop-frame sensor, if you really want to cover all your bases and do it without breaking your bank. If you did have an unlimited budget, of course you could just buy two or three $7000 1Ds mk3 cameras and be done with it. (Although if you want to do video, you’d need to get a lesser camera, or wait for the 1Ds mk4 which will cost $8000.)

  The bottom line (in my highly opinionated opinion) is that one or two 5D mk2′s just won’t cut it in a professional capacity, if you’re trying to be diverse and ready for anything. Don’t get me wrong, the 5D mk2 is GREAT as an affordable, high-res low-light camera body. It affords the best image quality for the price, when comparing all the factors. (Sony’s two full-frame DSLR’s may offer a better value and 3 more megapixels, but their low-light performance is at least two stops behind Canon’s…) The 5D mk2 is a PERFECT portrait camera, with just enough speed & accuracy to rock out great portraits of almost any kind. Bottom line: it has a resolution advantage over the Nikon D700, and a low-light advantage over Sony. So, it wins the well-rounded prize for portrait photographers.

  However if you shoot moving subjects in low light, or ANY kind of fast-action, you’re probably not going to be 100% satisfied with the speed nor the focusing accuracy. Bottom line. It CAN perform great especially if your lens is perfectly calibrated and you use the center focus point, but quite simply, there is a reason that pros use the 45-point AF system in the 1-series Canons. You can argue all night long about whether or not the 5-series is adequate for this or that job, but the bottom line is that the 1-series is still above and beyond, and any dedicated, responsible professional should probably invest in a more diverse system.

  So, what to buy?

  The main gist of this particular blog post is going to be this: Don’t be afraid to buy a crop sensor camera. The Canon 1.3x crop has been respectable in low-light and shallow DOF for two generations now; in my opinion both the 1D mk4 AND 1D mk3 are *perfect* wedding photojournalism cameras. The 1D mk2 N will even do, if you’re JUST starting out, or if you’re a hobbyist “day job” photographer simply looking for a camera body that is fast and reliable.

  The Canon 1.6x crop doesn’t have PERFECT low-light high ISO performance, but in my opinion (and reviewing hundreds of images shot by myself and others) …both the 50D and 7D are acceptable enough to be used in many different conditions. Bonus points for the 7D’s new AF system and pop-up flash with wireless capability.

  So, honestly, if I were a Canon shooting wedding photographer, I’d buy three cameras- A 1D mk3, a 5D mk2, and a 7D. I’d probably use the first two cameras 90% of the time, and just leave the 7D in my camera bag as a *backup* backup, but then again I really do like the Sigma 50-150 2.8, and I’ve heard great things about the Tokina 11-16 2.8. I might still go my route of “2.8 zooms on crop, primes on full-frame” route like I am going with Nikon.

  However, Canon’s lens situation is a little different, and that does change things. Before I go there, here’s the current pricing on new / used Canon bodies:

  1D mk3: $2000 used

  1Ds mk2: $1800 used

  1Ds mk3: $6-7K?

  7D: $1700

  50D: $1200

  5D mk2: $2350

  …So, you could pick up your THREE bodies for about $6,000. If you can’t afford that right away, pick any two and you’ll be fine until you can afford the third. Personally, I might just get the 7D and the 1D mk3. That drops you down to $3700.

  Okay, lenses. Canon has a couple key lenses that Nikon does not and it changes the game a little bit.

  * The 70-200 f/4 IS, which would probably be my bread-and-butter event photography lens on either the 1D mk3, or the 5D mk2 if in close quarters. If I were shooting something that just ABSOLUTELY required f/2.8, maybe I’d rent the 70-200 2.8, but honestly I don’t enjoy that extra weight enough to own it. I do just fine with an un-stabilized Sigma 50-150 2.8 on crop, so I could easily make do with a stabilized 70-200 f/4 on 1.3x…

  * The primes- I personally am a bit of a telelphoto shooter, so as long as I can give my subjects distance, I do. So an 85 prime on crop is awesome. Unfortunately, Canon doesn’t make an 85 1.4 and I’m not about to spend $2000 on the 85 1.2, which is a bit too slow to focus for my fast style of shooting. THEREFORE, if I were shooting Canon I’d be REALLY looking forward to the Sigma 85 1.4, hoping that it’s sharp, with good background blur, and no autofocus issues. If the Sigma is a dud, (which I doubt) …then I’d just get the Canon 85 1.8 and be happy. Or I might get the lesser known Canon 100 f/2, which is a similarly affordable yet incredibly sharp lens.

  At the wider end, I must admit I have a soft spot for the Canon 35 1.4. If you’re a 50mm kinda person, you’ll want to get either the Sigma 50 1.4, or the Canon 50 1.2. The Canon 50 1.8 and 1.4 are decent backup / hobbyist lenses, but a professional should have something a little more high-performance…

  * Other lenses- Aside from the above items, the situation is about the same as it is with Nikon- Personally, I’d keep a crop-sensor camera around for specialty lens kinda stuff, and use full-frame for the hardcore, bread-and-butter images. So for me, that might mean:

  1.) Tokina 11-16 f/2.8 (crop sensor ultra-wide zoom, almost as sharp as the Nikon 14-24 and the Canon 16-35 mk2. If this isn’t your style but you still want to cover this range, PERFECT purchase.)

  2.) Sigma 17-50 2.8 OS HSM (Sigma’s latest crop-sensor mid-range zoom, should be the *best* third party mid-range 2.8 zoom considering it has both stabilization *and* the high-end autofocus system. Again, if this isn’t your style but you just want to cover the range, PERFECT fit.)

  3.) Sigma 50-150 2.8 HSM (Awesome crop-sensor lens for telephoto candids / portraits, a whole pound lighter than the 70-200 2.8′s and much, much smaller.)

  4.) Sigma crop-sensor fisheye lens, if you like that style. Sigma makes a 10mm “diagonal” fisheye that fills the entire frame, or a 4.5mm circular fisheye that literally makes a circular image. Tokina also makes a zoom fisheye, if you’re really into that. (If you’re only going to be shooting 0-1 photos with these lenses per job, why spend hundreds of dollars more and take up precious time on your MAIN bodies? Your main bodies should ALWAYS have at least one of your key lenses on, in case a moment happens. If a beautiful, intimate moment happens in front of you and your MAIN camera has a stupid fisheye lens on, you’re dead. That’s why I say use an auxiliary camera body for the specialty lens stuff. So your MAIN body can have that 35 1.4 or 50 1.2 GLUED to it at all times.)

  5.) Macro lenses: Since I’m really into macro photography, I don’t mess around. I get a real macro lens, and I use a tripod. (But yes, I still use crop for macro) Personally I have an old, old Tamron 90mm f/2.5 manual focus with an adapt-all mount so it can fit on both Nikon and Canon, but that’s a hard-to-find lens. I also have a Sigma 150 2.8 macro that does full 1:1 reproduction and is RAZOR sharp, but that lens is a little big for the average wedding photographer to lug around… I only use it when I’m shooting full-frame and want to ALSO use the lens for portraits and candids. Personally, for macro lenses I would recommend any of the Tokina, Tamron, or Sigma macro lenses in the 100mm range or wider. They are all very sharp, at least on most cameras. Sigma makes a great 50mm macro lens that is nice and compact, does full 1:1 reproduction, and has great resolution if you’re shooting around 10-20 megapixels. If you have +20 megapixels, you might need the new Canon 100mm L macro, which has superb resolution for the next generation of high-megapixel camera bodies. But again, we’re talking about specialty lenses, and if you just need one quick shot of wedding rings, maybe you should be using a crop sensor lens anyways…

  SO, as discussed earlier, my KEY lenses would be the following: (used on full-frame, or 1.3x)

  * Canon 35 1.4, or Canon 50 1.2, or Sigma 50 1.4, depending on your style / budget.
  * Canon 85 1.8, or Canon 85 1.2, or Sigma 85 1.4, depending on your style / budget.
  * For me, I’d probably really prefer a Canon 135 f/2, just because I tend to shoot more telephoto. Or, on 1.3x crop, I think the 100 f/2 would be GREAT. Almost nobody knows about the Canon 100 f/2, but it’s quite sharp, GORGEOUS background blur, and fast, light, affordable, etc.

  * ALSO, whichever zoom range is really your style on full-frame, whether it be 16-35, 24-70, or 70-200, I’d consider getting that particular lens in full-frame instead of crop sensor. Personally, the lens I’d probably get as a Nikon shooter is the 24-70, but the Canon 24-70 is not as desirable, a lot of people dislike it. As a Canon user, I don’t think I’d buy a single 2.8 zoom for full-frame, if anything I’d buy the Canon 70-200 f/4 IS. But again, if one particular lens is REALLY your style, buy the best. For me, I think the absolute best setup, the setup I could shoot 95% of a wedding with, might be a 1D mk3 with an 85 1.8 and a 35 1.4. Yes, it’s 1.3x crop factor, but the performance of the camera itself (speed, accuracy, reliability) is more important than a marginal difference in low-light, high ISO performance. Since we’re talking about weddings and you MUST always have two cameras, as I said before I would probably get a Canon 7D with a 17-50 2.8 and 50-150 2.8, just to round things out. I’d shoot most everything on a 1D mk3 with those two primes, but from time to time when “zooming with my feet” is just not really possible, I’d turn to the 7D and whichever 2.8 zoom suited the condition.

  I think that’s about it. Did I miss anything, fellow wedding photographers? I should mention that owning this gear, and knowing how to use it skillfully, are two very different things. Master your gear (and make sure you’re actually artistic) before you start taking people’s money!

  Take care,
  =Matt=

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