After receiving so many submissions via Shotkit from around the world for the wedding photography genre, (the majority of which haven’t even made it to Shotkit), I feel like I’m in a good position to show what is currently the most popular wedding photography camera gear.
Of course, if you have the skill and ability, you can shoot a wedding with whatever camera gear you want. This list is just to show what camera gear is the most popular among the professional wedding photographers on Shotkit, who have no doubt used a vast array of different gear over the years, and have settled on what they consider to be the very best.
If you’re just setting out on becoming a wedding photographer, or wish to expand your gear collection, rest assured, every item on this list has been tried and tested by the some of the world’s best wedding photographers.
This is the first post in a series to show what is the most popular camera gear in a particular genre. Whilst not everyone wants to have the same gear as the majority, there is a certain reassurance in purchasing a popular piece of equipment. I hope that this list will help both professionals and enthusiasts who want to purchase new wedding photography camera gear. Click the links to see more impartial owner reviews from B&H Photo.
Popular Wedding Photography Camera Gear
Cameras
Canon 5d Mark III
This camera is a true all rounder – great image quality, high resolution, responsive operation, 6 frame per second continuous shooting, excellent build quality, high resolution LCD monitor, excellent 100% viewfinder, full manual video mode and dual SD and CF card slots. As an added bonus for fans of multiple exposures, Live View features a handy ‘overlay’ function (to help align 2 or more images) which none of the Nikon camera lineup currently have. The Canon 5D Mark III is by far the most popular camera of the wedding photographers featured on Shotkit.
Who uses it? Ben Sasso, Ross Harvey, Benj Haisch… and many, many others!!
Nikon D4
Due to its high price, the Nikon D4 was a surprise entry at the no.2 position of most popular cameras for wedding photographers. However, for working pros, to have a very robust camera with such long life expectancy (shutter life-cycle of 400,000 – double most pro camera bodies), combined with incredible low ISO performance, first class image quality, every physical control you could ever want, uncompressed 1080p video output and machine gun like frame rate, the asking price is completely justifiable. The Nikon D4 has recently been superseded by the Nikon D4S as the Nikon DSLr flagship camera, but only time will tell whether owners of the D4 will see the need to upgrade.
Who uses it? Ross Harvey, Sam Hurd, Cliff Mautner, Ryan Brenizer…
Nikon Df
A bit of a rogue entry, this retro-styled camera that has polarised opinion since its launch in November 2013. Featuring the same sensor as the Nikon D4, many photographers have jumped at the chance of having Nikon D4 image quality in a body that is both twice as compact, and twice as affordable. Image quality is excellent, with many direct-access external controls, 100% viewfinder, dual SD card slots and the ability to mount almost all Nikon F-mount lenses ever made. Let’s face it, personal image is important to the new breed of fashionable wedding photographer, and the Nikon Df is by far the most stylish dslr on the market today.
Who uses it? Fer Juaristi, Jay Cassario, Nordica…
Lenses
Canon 50mm f/1.2L
Two words. Incredible bokeh. For those wedding photographers searching for a lens that will obliterate the background into a creamy, dreamlike blur, Canon’s range of f/1.2L lenses is where it’s at, and the Canon 50mm f/1.2L is the most popular of them all. 50mm is a classic, versatile focal length, and even shot wide open at f/1.2, this lens has incredible image quality. There simply isn’t another lens in the world that can replicate the look of the Canon 50mm f/1.2L. Indeed, some diehard Nikon shooters have purchased a Canon body just so they can use the 50mm f/1.2L! (I’m looking at you Ross Harvey…)
Who uses it? Luke Chisholm, Gene Pease, OAPD, Nirav Patel and many others.
Canon 85mm f/1.2L
Surprise surprise, another Canon f/1.2L lens in the list of most popular wedding photographer lenses! Since there’s no direct competition on the market for lenses of this speed, Canon’s prime lenses are in a league of their own. The Canon 85mm f/1.2L is half a stop faster than its Nikon equivalent (the excellent Nikon 85mm f/1.4G), and has a cult following. Despite the high cost, heavy weight and painfully slow focussing, wedding photographers the world over have fallen in love with this lens’s unique rendition of out of focus areas, tank-like build, tack sharpness and excellent contrast.
Who uses it? Brett Butterstein, Jonetsu, Love is a Big Deal, David Pullum
Canon 45mm f/2.8 TS-E
Tilt Shift lenses have witnessed a surge in popularity in the wedding photography industry in recent years. The ability to throw selective areas out of focus to draw attention and create a dreamlike effect has somewhat answered the wedding photographer’s need to differentiate his work from his peers. For those who use the Canon 45mm f/2.8 TS-E expertly and for full creative effect, the resulting images can be incredible, and impossible to replicate with any fancy Photoshop plugin. The Canon 45mm f/2.8 TS-E is a super sharp lens at a versatile focal length, ideal for both portraits and for shifting the perspective in architecture photography (its original use).
Who uses it? Max Wanger, Hugh Forte, Miki, Ed Peers…
Nikon 24mm f/1.4G
The incredible Nikon 24mm f/1.4G has stellar performance at all apertures, and wide open at f/1.4, delivers a sharpness that is unrivalled by any other current Nikon f/1.4 lens. It is arguably the best wide angle f/1.4 lens in the world. Being wide angle, it is forgiving when hand held at slow shutter speeds, meaning you can shoot at one-stop slower for similar sharpness as you’d get from the Nikon 50mm f/1.4, for example. The Nikon 24mm f/1.4G is bright, sharp and contrasty at every aperture edge to edge, with minimum distortion and coma. For wedding photographers who like to get up close to the action, or who want to achieve a wide angle and subject separation even in low light, the Nikon 24mm f/1.4G is the perfect lens.
Who uses it? Sam Hurd, Nordica, Ross Harvey
Canon 135mm f/2L
For many Canon prime lens shooters, the Canon 135mm f/2L has gained an almost legendary status. Whilst not being the most versatile of focal lengths for wedding photographers, for those times where you can back up for a portrait, or need to stand back and out of the way in the church for example, the Canon 135mm f/2L is is an unrivalled lens. It has a reputation for its insane sharpness, possibly the sharpest L lens in the Canon lineup. The build quality is top notch, the focus speed is fast, the bokeh is creamy and gorgeous, and surprisingly for an L series lens, the Canon 135mm f/2L is actually quite affordable too. No wonder it’s up there as one of the most popular lenses for wedding photographers.
Who uses it? Jonas Peterson, Love is a Big Deal, Nirav Patel, Ed Peers…
Flash
Canon 600EX-RT
This big, fast and powerful flash holds a trump card up its sleeve, making it by far the most popular flash for wedding photographers. Canon beat its competitors once again, by producing the first camera-maker flash with a built in radio trigger system. No longer do wedding photographers who wish to take advantage of off camera flash, need to use a 3rd party wireless trigger – it’s all in the one unit. The only catch of course is that you’ll need two (or more) Canon 600EX-RT‘s if you want to use the radio trigger to fire the other flash off remotely. However, seeing as an wedding photographer worth his salt will always have more than one flash even its just as a backup, the awesome Canon 600EX-RT‘s are a no brainer.
Who uses it? Samuel Luna, Jonetsu, Luke Chisholm…
Nikon SB-910
Nikon flash users could argue that whilst Canon may have been the first to the post at creating a flash with a built in radio trigger system, the Nikon flashes always had the Nikon Creative Lighting System – namely, the ability amongst other things to trigger remote flashes using the camera’s built in flash. The upside, only one flash is necessary; the downside, it’s infra-red, not radio, which means line-of-sight only. Be that as it may, the Nikon SB-910 is still the biggest, fastest, brightest and most feature-rich flash that Nikon produces. The super-fast recycle time of 2 seconds even at full power is especially useful for wedding photographers wishing to over-power the sun for some dramatic outdoor portraiture. The Nikon SB-910 also features a huge zoom head range from 17mm to 200mm, making it especially versatile for the zoom lens shooter.
Who uses it? Sam Hurd, Fer Juaristi, Fiona Kelly…
Bags & Straps
Think Tank Retrospective 30
I’m probably a little biased since I own this bag and have loved using it for the past 3 years (my review of the Think Tank Restrospective 30), but I truly believe it’s the best in its class, and perfect for a wedding photographer. You can carry two pro dslr bodies with their lenses attached, and a few other small lenses, plus a couple of flashes and more. The build quality is excellent as you’d expect from a Think Tank bag, and everything on the bag is functional and very well thought out. My two favourite features on the Think Tank Retrospective 30 are the big, strong and comfortable shoulder strap and the ‘stealth’ styling, with virtually no branding whatsoever.
Who uses it? Gold Hat Photography
Shootsac
Most wedding photographers take a large bag full of all their gear with them to weddings, then leave it in a corner somewhere, removing only the bodies, lenses and small nicknacks (cards, batteries etc) needed for 90% of shooting. In order to carry the lenses, it seems the Shootsac is the most popular option as a bag for wedding photographers. Sleek, strong, comfortable and light, the Shootsac‘s trump card over other lens bags is that its design means it curves around your body, even when lenses are in it.
Who uses it? Miki, Ed Peers…
Holdfast Money Maker
This great looking, durable and incredibly well balanced strap just gets better and better looking with age. Made with the best quality materials and built to last in the USA, the Holdfast Money Maker can be seen on the shoulders of the new, hipster breed of wedding photographer. Having said that, I’m not a hipster and I’ve got one! Check out my review of the Holdfast Money Maker, where I go into more detail about why this strap has been one of the best gear purchases I’ve ever made. For wedding photographers who want to look good carrying two bodies at the same time and don’t want to end the day with too many aches and pains, look not further than the Holdfast Money Maker.
Who uses it? Ben Yew, Ben Sasso, Fer Juaristi, Gold Hat Photography…
The post Wedding Photography Camera Gear appeared first on Shotkit.