Nikon Wedding Camera and Lenses

[zenrhino]

Unohu, one lens to think about is the nikon 105mm f2.5 AIS. If you want to try one out, let me know and I'll lend you mine. I can also point you to shots on my flickr site that use that in tandem with my N90s.

 

[ajuk]

35mm zoom lenses are better than my two primes for 645.

Hmm!!!

 

[Sportera]

I have shot several weddings with and F100 mounted to a stroboframe with a 28-105mm. I also used a 50mm F1.8 and 85mm F1.8 for posed portraits, along with the Hassy for formals.

The F100's flash exposure nails the exposure almost every time.

For night weddings use 400 speed film and shoot in Manual mode with a shutter speed of 1/30 and f4.5~5.6 this will allow some ambient light in thge background.

 

[rjas]

I read the entire thread, but is there something I am missing? Pocket Wizards work the exact same with Minolta cameras as they do with any Nikon or Canon. There is absolutely no difference in function, so what do you mean they don't work with Minoltas as they do with Canons?

You have a beautiful selection of lenses and the 7 is regarded by many as one of the most ergonomic 35mm bodies ever. If you really insist on dumping all that fine minolta gear give me a PM / Email and I'll take a few of those lenses off of you.

I'm just a bit confused why no one has mentioned any of that yet.

 

[BrianShaw]

For example, you turn to look at the bride and you smack your camera flash into a child who was below your vision (ouch), or you smack your flash into a door jam, a little here and a little there. When an accident(s) happen, after a while something has to give. The newer metal/stronger hot shoe actually sends the breaking point to your cameras body/shoe loosening it from the camera over time. I had to send my cameras in to have repaired which is more expensive than fixing the shoe on the flash.

Sorry to hear about your broken camera, but how's the kids head... healing properly I hope.

 

[Claire Senft]

They only thought that I have is that whichever body is chosen that the backup be the same model. Wedding are hectic and hard enough without getting confused by two different ways of doing the same thing.

 

[unohuu]

Pocket Wizard

I read the entire thread, but is there something I am missing? Pocket Wizards work the exact same with Minolta cameras as they do with any Nikon or Canon. There is absolutely no difference in function, so what do you mean they don't work with Minoltas as they do with Canons?

The PW will not mount in the flash shoe because of the proprietary shoe that Minolta/Konica Minolta and now Sony have used since the 7000/9000 cameras.

 

[rjas]

You can get a $20 adapter that either puts a regular hotshoe on, or a PC sync cord if you don't have a slot. The better maxxum bodies have PC sync slots.

 

[Dave Parker]

All of the Maxxum bodies I shoot with the 8000i and the 9xi as well as the Maxxum 9 have PC sync attachments and have worked just fine.

Dave

 

[Matt5791]

I have shot 7 weddings this year and I use the following:

1 Nikon FE2 with motor drive loaded with B/W
1 Nikon FE2 with motor drive loaded with col. neg
1 Hasselblad 500C/M
1 Mamiya C33 (emergency back up, or loaded with E6 for cross process)

20mm f3.5 Nikkor
28mm f2.8 Nikkor
50mm f1.4 Nikkor
80-200 f4 Nikkor
80-200 f4.5 Nikkor

80mm Planar
250mm Sonnar

I use the Hasselblad for all formal shots and any other shot where there is time to use it, for reasons of quality.

However I have just bought a Nikon F5 which I am going to trial for the next 3 weddings. If I find I get on with AF I want to buy a new F6.

The F5 looks like an awesome camera and I'm very much looking forward to trying it.

In my opinion I would keep the Minolta gear and invest in some Medium format gear for formals - for me 35mm is just not good enough for Wedding formal and group shots, especially if the groups are large - although I know people may disagree with me here! But MF gives you a guaranteed level of detail, which wedding formals need.

 

[unohuu]

Unohu, one lens to think about is the nikon 105mm f2.5 AIS. If you want to try one out, let me know and I'll lend you mine. I can also point you to shots on my flickr site that use that in tandem with my N90s.

Would love the link to your Flickr images with that lens!

Thanks

 

[unohuu]

Nikon and Minolta

I read the entire thread, but is there something I am missing? Pocket Wizards work the exact same with Minolta cameras as they do with any Nikon or Canon. There is absolutely no difference in function, so what do you mean they don't work with Minoltas as they do with Canons?

You have a beautiful selection of lenses and the 7 is regarded by many as one of the most ergonomic 35mm bodies ever. If you really insist on dumping all that fine minolta gear give me a PM / Email and I'll take a few of those lenses off of you.

I'm just a bit confused why no one has mentioned any of that yet.

The cords and adaptors add another layer of complication for the Minolta/Konica Minolta user. I worry that having an adaptor in the flash shoe with the PW will add another thing that can go wrong. Last time I shot with strobes every Dick and Jane was busy setting off my Vivitar 283 which then triggered my strobes. The lighting was tough enough as it was. I am looking for simple.

The manual Minoltas I have kept have a regular flash shoe. That gives me 4 extra bodies and lenses I can work with in addition to the Nikons ( 28mm f/2; 35mm f/2.8; 50mm f/1.4 and 1.7 [both x2]; 58mm f/1.4; 85mm f/1.7; 100mm f/2.5; 135mm f/2.8 [x2 with Tamron]. So a bit of the best of both worlds.

BTW, I bought the F100 with SB-26 and SB600; the 35-70 f/2.8D; Tamron 20-40mm f/2.7-4; 80-200mm f/2.8 AF-ED; and 28-105mmD. I used that kit at a birthday party [minus 80-200mm) and it worked like a charm. Beautiful exposures.

Thanks...now to track down one more F100 body and a second MB15

 

[unohuu]

In my opinion I would keep the Minolta gear and invest in some Medium format gear for formals - for me 35mm is just not good enough for Wedding formal and group shots, especially if the groups are large - although I know people may disagree with me here! But MF gives you a guaranteed level of detail, which wedding formals need.[/QUOTE]


what a timely suggestion. i have now 2 Mamiya 645s and I am inquiring about a 645Super for sale here now.

 

[Black Dog]

You don't want to get your bodies mixed up at a wedding now.........

 

[JohnArs]

Did not know thad Nikon makes a wedding camera must be a special edition ;--)))
Its great news anyway!

 

[unohuu]

Oh John...you are too funny. Nikon makes everything...they just market it like Vivitar used to contract. Those fine L Canon lenses are really made by Nikon/Leica/Zeiss/Panagor/Pentax/Mitsubishi/Sony/Samsung/Panasonic/Ford/GMC. All the money made in the world ends up in the hands of the CE/F/I- O of one mega corporation. The marketing is just all hype so we continue to buy the mass produced inferior but superbly advertised/hyped/marketed goods.

 

[Bromo33333]

Oh John...you are too funny. Nikon makes everything...they just market it like Vivitar used to contract. Those fine L Canon lenses are really made by Nikon/Leica/Zeiss/Panagor/Pentax/Mitsubishi/Sony/Samsung/Panasonic/Ford/GMC. All the money made in the world ends up in the hands of the CE/F/I- O of one mega corporation. The marketing is just all hype so we continue to buy the mass produced inferior but superbly advertised/hyped/marketed goods.

As per Scot Adams - You forgot to add that all work is outsourced to one pperson. and we are scr*w*d when that person calls in sick.

 

[epatsellis]

All the money made in the world ends up in the hands of the CE/F/I- O of one mega corporation. The marketing is just all hype so we continue to buy the mass produced inferior but superbly advertised/hyped/marketed goods.

Guessing his name might be Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg?

erie

 

[norazli]

Hi there

Hope I'm not too late to share.

I'm not a wedding photog but from my recent wedding for brother in law I found F5 + 28-70f2.8 and 105mm f2.8
is sufficient to cover everything.

For flash I used Metz 70 MZ5.

I have 17-35 as backup for group but never use it.

 

[Trask]

Last time I shot a night-time wedding party I tried to use my Contax 167MT with Zeiss 28-85 zoom, figuring that that would cover everything. Trouble was, it was too dark to focus properly. OK, if I weren't autofocus-phobic maybe I'd own an autofocus camera, but I don't. In retrospect, next time I'll use one of my Leica M's so at least I can focus in dim light. Yes, I've got lots of Nikons, and maybe I'd have been better off with my FE2 and 35mm f/2. But I do think a rangefinder would be better in marginal light.

 

[ehparis]

I used to shoot weddings with N90s and F5 cameras. I had various combinations of two bodies with one wearing the 35-70mm f2.8 zoom and the other the 85mm f1.4. I had a few other lenses in my bag like the 180mm f2.8 but they were seldom used.

You need to have at least two bodies so I see nothing wrong with having two primary lenses.