Handling two lenses at a wedding?

[nickbedford]

I'm photographing a wedding for a friend of mine this Saturday and we've been planning every detail of it for a while now. I'll be using my Canon 60D body with battery grip, a 430EX II he's hiring and for lenses I have the 17-55mm F/2.8 IS USM lens that I'll be using and he's hiring a 70-200mm F/2.8L IS USM telephoto lens for me to use.

What is the best way to handle the two lenses in terms of carrying cases or such. While I plan to use one or the other for more than a short time each, I will need to swap them at certain times to get both wide and telephoto.

I thought of getting a large LowePro lens case that will fit the 70-200mm F/2.8 and having hanging from a strap or a belt or even my existing camera holster bag (LowePro Toploader 70AW) something. Obviously I don't want to spend too much since this is currently once off event for me.

Any suggestions? I do have a BlackRapid RS-7 strap to use.

[Jim Bryant]

Originally Posted by nickbedford

I'm photographing a wedding for a friend of mine this Saturday and we've been planning every detail of it for a while now. I'll be using my Canon 60D body with battery grip, a 430EX II he's hiring and for lenses I have the 17-55mm F/2.8 IS USM lens that I'll be using and he's hiring a 70-200mm F/2.8L IS USM telephoto lens for me to use.

What is the best way to handle the two lenses in terms of carrying cases or such. While I plan to use one or the other for more than a short time each, I will need to swap them at certain times to get both wide and telephoto.

I thought of getting a large LowePro lens case that will fit the 70-200mm F/2.8 and having hanging from a strap or a belt or even my existing camera holster bag (LowePro Toploader 70AW) something. Obviously I don't want to spend too much since this is currently once off event for me.

Any suggestions? I do have a BlackRapid RS-7 strap to use.

By using two camera bodies. That way you won't miss a shot when changing lenses.

[RichardTaylor]

See if you can get (even borrow) another body (also can be a backup) and put the other lens on that.
Just sling least used unused body & lens over your shoulder.
Saves messing about changing lenses.

That's what I do when covering "events".


Here's a couple of examples (not of me) from my flickr stream
(1)


(2)


(3)

[nickbedford]

I may be able to borrow the 50D which I sold to my house mate which I know has a battery grip and a few batteries, although it has CF cards of which she only has an 8GB card. I suppose I could take my laptop and download the card in downtime between events in the day. Hmm...

Update: Looks like I'll be using the 50D as well then... I can fit about 350-400 raw shots on 8GB card.

I have three 16GB SD cards and five batteries (3x 1800mAh Canon, 2x 2600mAh sterling batteries) for the 60D which will be the main body. If anything happens to the 50D (battery, capacity) I can just switch over to that.

[OsmosisStudios]

Definitely borrow or rent something. You'll thank us later.

[nickbedford]

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

Definitely borrow or rent something. You'll thank us later.

Yeah I'll have the 50D that I used to own. Now just to choose which one gets the 70-200 and which one gets the 17-55mm.

I think for the ceremony at least, I'll use the 70-200mm on my 60D as I will most likely be using that more often than wide angle shots in the church to zoom into the subjects from afar.

Wide-mid angle will be less needed than tele shots as the church is large enough to need a long zoom most of the time.

The reception is probably where I'd be using both the lenses the most. I would probably swap the 17-55mm to the 60D at that stage as I'd be using that with a flash and it's generally a better camera for that lens.

[kirbinster]

I never like to change lenses in the field. When one lens won't do I use multiple bodies.

[Tzetsin]

this is exactly why i didnt sell my 60D when i bought my 5D. Aside from having the added benefit of the crop sensor. ( I keep my 70-200 on that body for the extra zoom)

[gturner]

If you can... rent a 5D mkii with that 70-200... you will not regret it.

[Lute]

Two bodies is always a boon. Put the 70-200 on the best body, it'll be the most used. 17-55 and wider is more in the "novelty range" as far as weddings go. It's a great range, don't get me wrong, but 70-200 (more specifically >130mm) is where a lot of weddings hang about in.

That said, I only use one body (for now), exchange lenses in the field. I have an over-the-shoulder bag, easy access to my other lenses in pouches. Kinda unnerving on a beach, but very do-able. It's good to practise at home or something, the photographers' equivalent of cleaning your gun

The *most* important part is to wait until nothing is happening or about to happen when changing. The must-get shots/moments typically (not always) have a cue, or lead-up that if you have enough experience it will be very hard to miss Changing in the middle of a speech usually means anything you miss will happen again at some part through the rest of the speech anyway :P