Category: Gear Essentials

Stay informed on the cameras, lenses, and accessories that can enhance your photography. Whether you’re choosing your first camera or upgrading your kit, find honest advice and recommendations to gear up for success.

Photography Gear For Your First Event/Wedding Shoot – Part III

It is part III about the photography gear for your first event/wedding shoot. I will talk about the accessories (what and why) I always bring for events/wedding photoshoots. If you have not read the part I and II, feel free to check them out through the links below:

Part I – The Cameras (Read here)
Part II – The Lenses (Read here)
Part III – The Accessories (This Post)

1. Camera Straps

A camera strap is highly recommended for single-camera shooters and a must-have for dual-camera shooters. It allows you to access your camera anytime without holding it restlessly. Besides, it can save your camera and lens if your hand slips.

Single-Camera Strap

The Peak Design (PD) Slide Lite is my all-time favorite for a single-camera strap. The quick-release anchor is sturdy, secure, and works seamlessly across PD accessories. PD products have a higher but reasonable price tag. Most (or all?) PD products have the outstanding build quality and a lifetime warranty (The team is generous to acknowledge and replace the faulty product without extra cost).

Sadly, PD doesn’t have any dual-camera harness or accessories to merge two single-camera straps into a dual-camera harness (Yea, I tried to DIY some “merger” but it restricts the camera movements).

Dual-camera Harness

So, I get a proper dual-camera harness from Tamrac. Its design resembles the BlackRapid dual harness, except they use different camera connectors mechanisms. Tamrac uses a so-called “TamLoc Connector” with a stainless steel core and plastic outer coating. Each strap has two anti-slip stoppers to prevent the camera from sliding wildly.

The strap is made of lightweight and durable ballistic materials, making it compact when folded. Its padding is comfortable for carrying two cameras with flashlights for a whole day. Besides, it can be dismantled to become two single-camera straps. The build quality is good but not as great as PD straps.

I tried my friend’s Coiro leather dual-camera harness in one of the wedding shoots. It has an extra fail-safe strap and is comfortable too. The leather is thick, and there are bold stitches on the edges. The movement parts are connected with thick metal rings, and the metal connectors are sturdy with a quick-release mechanism. It will be my next dual-camera harness when my current one decides to retire.

2. Flashlight

What Do I Use?

It is a big debate topic about using natural light or a flashlight, but I will not discuss it here. I use two Godox v860 III and a Godox v350. The Godox v860 III is a GN60 full-size flash, while the v350 is a GN36 compact flash. They are powered by lithium batteries.

Tips #1
Set the external flash (a full-size GN60 flashlight) in Manual mode and start with 1/8 power. Adjust the power accordingly until the shot is looked natural without any trace of the flash in the frame.

Why?

The idea of using a flashlight is to control the light on your subject and blend the flash with the ambient light. Don’t overpower it and create those typical “flash looks”. My requirement for a flashlight is simple:

Use lithium batteries instead of AA batteries (lithium battery has faster recycle time and last most than double per charge)
Can be controlled by a wireless flash trigger

Tips #2
A flashlight usually has a detachable foot with a standard 1/4″ thread hole at the bottom. Use it to mount the flashlight onto a light stand or tripod.

Ideally, we should use two same-model flashlights to share the spare batteries. I chose the Godox v350 for its compact size (almost half the size and weight of a full-size flashlight) when I first started to learn and use a flashlight in event photoshoots (I was a single-camera shooter a few years ago). Both models use different models of lithium batteries. Still, they can last approximately 500 shots at full power (they usually last more than a thousand shots for me as I generally use the flash manually at 1/8 or lower power).

3. A Handy Toolbox

Well, you already know that you need extra batteries and memory cards. There is one more step to make them more handy – keep one or two of them in your pocket! I use a hard case from Kiwi Fotos to carry 2 spare batteries and 4 SD cards. It is small enough to stuff into my jeans pocket and allows me to replace the depleted battery anytime without running back to my camera backpack.

Tips #3
Place your memory card facing down in a memory card casing to indicate it is a used card.

You may consider using soft-pouch bags with a velcro belt strap to carry the spare batteries and SD cards. It can be a soft pouch for a compact camera, a carrying bag for a flashlight, or even one made explicitly for camera batteries.

4. Cleaning Kits

What Do I Use?

A piece of microfiber cloth, an air blower, and a bottle of Zeiss cleaning fluid.

Why?

I always use an air blower to blow away the camera sensor’s dust before swapping the lens. If I realize the photo is hazy, I will

Use the air blower on the lens front glass element.
Spray a bit (a half-press) of Zeiss cleaning fluid onto the microfiber cloth.
Gently wipe the lens front glass clockwise.

Any microfiber cloth and air blower will do a great cleaning job. However, we shall look for a proper cleaning fluid from a reputable brand. It shall be able to effectively remove the oil stain while protecting the coating layers on the modern lenses’ front glass element.

Zeiss is well-known for camera lenses, and its cleaning products are inexpensive (2 bottles of Zeiss cleaning fluid with a microfiber cloth cost around SDG 20, but the price might be varied in different countries). So far, I only used half a bottle since I purchased them 3 – 4 years ago (I only use it when a lens gets stained accidentally).

5. Powerbank

What Do I Use?

I use a 10000 mAh powerbank with USB Power-Delivery (PD) protocol as an emergency backup for the cameras and phones.

Why?

Modern cameras have a micro-USB or USB-C port for in-body battery charging or even support for shooting with an external power source connected. You can charge your camera batteries on the road if you run out of batteries.

Tips #4
Some cameras require USB Power-Delivery (PD) powerbank as an external power source. Otherwise, the camera only charges the battery but cannot operate concurrently.

6. Camera Backpack

What Do I Use?

I own a few sling bags, messenger bags, and backpacks from Sony, Lowepro, Crumpler, Tamrac, Manfrotto, and Peak Design. However, a 30L backpack is always my first choice when I go to any event/wedding photoshoot.

I use the Peak Design 30L Everyday backpack but you may consider any other reputable brand’s backpack for your need.

Why?

There are a few points for consideration when buying a camera backpack:

The size. A 30L backpack is sufficient to carry the following:

2 full-frame Sony mirrorless bodies
4 – 5 lenses (Sony GM 24mm F1.4, Tamron VXD 70-180mm F2.8, Sigma Art 85mm F1.4, Tamron VXD 20-40mm F2.8, Samyang 14mm F1.4)
2 full-size flashlights
1 dual-camera harness
1 camera strap
2 hard casings for spare batteries and SD cards
1 powerbank
1 cleaning kits

Customizable paddings. It is crucial that the padding is flexible to accommodate your gear placement.
Separated laptop compartment. Suppose you use a laptop or tablet for tethering. In that case, it is better to have a separate compartment to carry and protect it from your other equipment.
Comfort. It is essential to have a thick but cooling padded shoulder strap and lower-back padding on the backpack. Carrying a 7 – 10 KG backpack at the end of the day is no joke at all.
Accessories pockets. I separate the new and used batteries into different pockets. Hence, it is easier to get a fully-charged battery without a try-and-error. Some brands (like Peak Design) use different color markings to help differentiate the usage.
Side pocket. I always bring a compact water bottle and keep myself hydrated. It is useful to hold a compact tripod or light stand too.

Final Thoughts

Out of the mentioned accessories, only the camera strap is an important (a must-have for dual-camera shooters) accessory you have to bring along for an event/wedding shoot. Other accessories are more like a “first-aid” box to get your camera and lens back in optimal working condition ASAP.

It is a relief to have a mind of “Yes, luckily I have another backup in my bag” instead of “Ah… I should bring xx to fix this issue.” when shooting solo. How do I know what to bring along for an event/wedding photoshoot? In short, by experience. In a longer answer, create a gear checklist for the event/wedding shoot and slowly refine it after each photoshoot session.

I hope the three posts (Part I, Part II, and this post) will give you a better idea of what to bring for your first event or wedding photoshoot. Feel free to leave your comment below for discussion or sharing of your experience.

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I started this site with the intention of sharing my learning and working experience in photography. It takes significant time and cost to pick up and learn a new gear/technique, and then draft a post to share with everyone. The effort is worthwhile if it helps you and others save unnecessary time and money. I would be glad if you benefit from my content, and you may leave a one-off tip to keep this site running.

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Besides, you may support this site by making your purchase through the affiliated links below. The product price is the same when you use the affiliate link, but a qualified purchase earns me a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Mirrorless Cameras – Amazon Cameras
Mirrorless Lenses – Amazon Lenses
SD Cards – Amazon SD Cards
Coiro Dual-Camera Harness – Coiro Official Site
Imagely WordPress Theme – Protography Theme
NextGen Gallery Pro – WordPress Gallery Plugin

Any Link To The Mentioned Products?

As a regular online buyer of photography equipment, I understand the anxiety about getting a fake or faulty product. However, buying from online stores is more convenient and has a more attractive offer sometimes. Therefore, I only recommend two types of product links I generally use for my online purchase:

Official product page, for you to find out more details about the product, and buy from them directly (if applicable)
Amazon page. I recommend to buy the product with the option “Ship from” and “Sold By” Amazon “xx”, where “xx” is a country code like US, SG, JAPAN, etc.

Some product pages are affiliate links. The product price is the same when you use the affiliate link, but a qualified purchase earns me a small commission to support the cost of running this site so I can provide more photography content for free regularly.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Mentioned Product Links

Some of the mentioned products in this post are available in the following table (the official site and Amazon page). I will omit the Amazon link as “N.A.” if the product is not available or overpriced (Yea, some products on Amazon are 50% ~ 100% overpriced than their retail prices).

Products	Official Site	Amazon
Peak Design Slide Lite	Peak Design	Amazon – PD
Tamrac Dual-Camera Harness	Tamrac	N.A.
BlackRapid Dual-Camera Harness	BlackRapid	Amazon – Black rapid
Coiro Dual-Camera Harness	Coiro	Amazon – Coiro
Godox V860 III Flash	Godox	N.A.
Zeiss Cleaning Kit	Zeiss	Amazon – Zeiss
Peak Design Everyday Backpack	Peak Design	N.A.

Mentioned Product Links

29 Jun 2023

Photography Gear For Your First Event/Wedding Shoot – Part II

It is Part II about the photography gear for your first event/wedding shoot. I will discuss the lenses I use and explain why I chose them for my event/wedding photoshoot. Please feel free to check out Part I (The Cameras – Read here) if you have not read it yet.

1. Lenses

Most modern lenses (except for faulty lenses) offer a reasonably good/excellent center sharpness (corner sharpness is not my concern for any portrait shots). Instead, figure out the most frequently used focal length is the highest priority before considering other requirements.

Tips #1
Begin your first few events shoots with a standard zoom lens (e.g., 24-70mm), and use the filter function in your post-processing software (e.g., Lightroom, Capture One, etc.) to find out your most used focal length.

The following list is the lenses I always bring along (primary workhorse) and occasionally pick (supplementary/backup) for all paid photoshoots.

Primary Workhorse

a1. Sony GM 24mm F1.4
a2. Tamron VXD 70-180mm F2.8
a3. Sigma DG DN Art 85mm F1.4

Supplementary / Backup

b1. Tamron RXD 28-75mm F2.8
b2. Tamron VXD 20-40mm F2.8
b3. Samyang 14mm F2.8

Why These Lenses?

I used and tested many lenses before I selected the lenses above to shoot in events, weddings, and lifestyle portraits. There is only one must-have requirement when I look for a lens for portrait shoot – a responsive and reliable continuous AF. The reason is simple. People are moving in the event/wedding most of the time. Continuous AF can better track your moving subjects and capture more sharply-focused shots.

Besides the continuous AF, there are some other good-to-have requirements for consideration:

Flare resistance (some march-in sessions will have a strong backlight and mess up the contrast of your subjects)
Large magnification ratio, e.g., 0.25x or higher (it saves you from having a separate macro lens to shoot the accessories, e.g., rings)
Dust and moisture resistance (you might encounter drizzling during the outdoor photoshoot)
Same filter thread size (it is easier to buy and share filters)

Why Sony GM 24mm F1.4?

GM is the highest-quality lens Sony offers. The AF, optical performance, and built quality are top-notch. Besides, you hardly find GM’s creamy Bokeh rendering in other brand lenses.

Sony GM 24mm F1.4 is my #1 go-to lens for environment portraits and group photos. It is also incredibly useful in a less-spacious place like a hotel room or bride preparation room where it is too restrictive for a 35mm or even a 28mm lens (Yea, I’m talking about Tamron 28-75mm F2.8).

The F1.4 aperture at 24mm offers an excellent background separation from your subject. It renders a silky smooth Bokeh background while keeping the environment recognizable.

Why Tamron VXD 70-180mm F2.8?

This lens is exclusive to Sony E-mount cameras, but you can find the equivalent 70-200mm F2.8 for other brands’ cameras. The 70-200mm F2.8 lens usually represents the best quality lens from the manufacturer. VXD is Tamron’s latest linear motor AF mechanism that offers the highest accuracy and AF speed, and it is comparable to the XD linear motor found in Sony GM lenses.

Tips #2
A constant F2.8 aperture is highly recommended (or a must) for a 70-200mm zoom lens

Using such a telephoto zoom lens gives you the flexibility to have photos from different perspectives in the album – 70mm, 85mm, 135mm, and 180mm.

Why Sigma DG DN Art 85mm F1.4?

The Art series offers the best optical quality performance among the Sigma lenses. This lens even outperforms Sony’s GM 85mm F1.4 in sharpness, Bokeh, and AF. The DG DN is the newer version with a much smaller and lighter body than its older DG HSM version.

Tips #3
F1.8 aperture is an excellent alternative to F1.4 on an 85mm lens. It usually costs half or even 1/3 of the F1.4 85mm lens price.

It efficiently isolates subjects from busy backgrounds and gives a WOW micro-contrast effect. I used my friend’s Sigma Art 85mm F1.4 in a wedding shoot and loved the photo’s look. I eventually bought one for my next photoshoots.

In case you are unaware, using a 70-200mm F2.8 or 85mm F1.4 lens in an event/wedding shoot is constantly debated among photographers. There is no right or wrong. Rent and try them out to decide which lens is more suitable for you.

Why Tamron RXD 28-75mm F2.8?

It was the first F2.8 compact zoom lens exclusively available to Sony E-mount cameras in 2018. Other brand equivalent lenses will be the 24-70mm F2.8.

It rivals the 1st gen Sony GM 24-70mm F2.8 with half the size and weight but at the expense of losing 4mm at the wide end. Besides, it has a softer corner sharpness (As mentioned earlier, I don’t care about corner sharpness in any portrait shots).

Tips #4
Tamron introduced its successor (the VXD version) in 2021 with an improved Bokeh, sharpness, and AF performance.

I have used this lens in numerous seminars, workshops, town halls, and company events photoshoots since 2018, and it never let me down. The 28mm is sufficient in these event venues as there are a lot of space for me to move around. However, 28mm could be restrictive in certain places, e.g., hotel room, bedroom, bride preparation room, etc.

Why Tamron VXD 20-40mm F2.8?

It is another unique lens exclusive to Sony E-mount cameras. Other brand equivalent lenses will be the 16-35mm F2.8. This lens is not a replacement for a 16-35mm lens. The 4mm difference between the 16mm and 20mm is too significant to be ignored.

Tips #5
For a single-camera shooter, a standard zoom 24-70mm F2.8 or even Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 is a better option for an event/wedding shoot.

However, I get it as an upgrade to the Tamron RXD 28-75mm F2.8 for the broader 20mm view and better AF performance. Since I’m a dual-camera shooter, it is not an issue with missing the 41 – 75mm range because I will always pair it with a telephoto lens.

Why Samyang 14mm F2.8?

You may use the 16mm from a 16-35mm zoom lens for similar ultra-wide-angle shots. It is a very situational lens, so there might only be one to two photos (or none at all) from this lens in the whole album. I use it to exaggerate the environment for an epic effect.

Tips #6
When using a UWA lens, you must place your subject in the center of the frame to avoid crazy distortion.

Any Difference Between OEM and Third-Party Lenses?

In short, the differences are unnoticeable in general photoshoots. There are some advantages to using Sony OEM lenses, e.g., a maximum of 30 fps (OEM) vs 15 fps (third-party) burst shoot, exclusive in-camera features, more reliable AF, etc. In fact, most full-frame cameras only support up to 10 fps, and some OEM lens benefits only applies to video recording. By spending a little bit of time and effort, you can get some third-party (Tamron, Sigma, etc.) lenses that offer similar/on-par optical performance as Sony’s highest-quality GM lenses and have a comparably reliable and responsive AF system.

Zoom Lens Or Prime Lens?

A zoom lens is more convenient (and addictive) to use in events/wedding shoots. It saves you from the hassle of swapping lenses and gives multiple perspective shots in your album within seconds (e.g., use the 24mm to capture the environment and zoom in 70mm for the close-up shots of your subjects).

On the other hand, a prime lens generally has a one/two-stop faster aperture (2-stop faster on an F1.4 prime lens over an F2.8 zoom lens) in a more compact and lighter build. A faster aperture lens has better low-light performance and a more creamy Bokeh rendering. It is good to have the option to use F1.4/F1.8 when necessary.

If you are a single-camera shooter, I suggest you use a fast standard zoom(e.g., 24-70mm F2.8 or Tamron 28-75mm F2.8) in your first few events/wedding shoots. It helps you to determine your most used focal length and decide how many fast prime is required. As a dual-camera shooter, I always pair an 85mm F1.4 and 24mm F1.4 fast prime on both cameras. A 35mm fast prime could be broad enough, depending on your shooting location.

2. Lens Caps And Hoods

What Do I use?

The lens cap and hood that come with the lens purchase are good enough. I only put on a lens cap when the lens is in the bag during transportation. However, I always keep the lens hood on the lens during a photoshoot.

Tips #8
Lens hoods are not interchangeable because they are specifically designed for each lens to maximize the lens’ contrast/saturation while minimizing vignetting.

Why?

Put on a lens hood will make the lens looks bulkier, but it has more advantages to do so:

A lens hood will minimize/eliminate the unwanted flaring that could result in a washed-out/low-contrast shot.
Protect the lens from bumping anything
Prevent anyone from accidentally touching the lens front glass element and leaving any fingerprint/stain on it

You may take it off and let the flare spread across the frame for a specific atmosphere/look.

3. Lens Filters

What Do I Use?

I have UV/protector filters from brands like B+W, Tamron, Hoya, K&F Concept, and Nikon. I always put a UV filter on the lens for any photoshoot. I used to be a B+W UV filter user, but the Nikon Arcrest protector has recently earned its place on my primary lenses.

Why?

One simple reason – protection. UV/protector filter offers a quick solution to clean your lens – simply remove it, and you are good to continue the photoshoot. There are two essential factors when I am looking for a UV/protector filter:

Multi-layer coating. A filter with a multi-layer coating tends to have a better light transmission rate. Higher light transmission usually results in lesser light reflexion, brighter color, and better contrast. For example, a filter with 99% light transmission has 1% light reflexion.
The thickness. A thick bezel filter can cause vignetting, especially on a wide-angle lens.

A good UV/protector filter usually has minor/unnoticeable impacts on the image quality. However, different filters behave differently on different lenses. For example, an ultra-wide-angle lens is more prone to heavy vignetting when using a thick filter; a telephoto lens is more prone to softness when using a lower-quality filter (could be a defective variant, a counterfeit, or a worn-out copy).

Tips #9
There are many counterfeit filters in the market. Try to get an authentic filter from reputable retailers.

When you get a new UV/protector filter, test it against the lens without a filter for the contrast in backlight, color cast, sharpness, and internal ghosting. Most multi-layer coated filters from reputable brands (e.g., B+W, Hoya, Nikon Arcrest, etc.) have similar performance (when comparing their same tier of products). Some brands have different tiers in their filters. The more expensive one is generally made of better quality materials, like more rigid glass, more efficient coating, sturdier brass frame, etc. It helps the filter to minimize the impact on the image quality in challenging lighting.

Tips #10
Some manufacturers have a “Protector” version of the UV filters. They are cheaper than their UV counterpart but have similar optical performance.

I recently bought a few entry-level filters for some side-by-side comparison to determine the difference between a cheap and expensive UV filter. I will share the finding with you in a separate post.

Any Other Special Effect Filters?

Yes! There are a few worth-mention filters, but I only use them in casual photoshoots. I prefer to keep my formal shots clean and clear, and there are workarounds to achieve similar filter effects.

Close-up filter. A screw-on type filter acts as an alternative to a dedicated macro lens. It has different multipliers, e.g., +2, +4, +10, etc. The larger multiplier, the higher the magnification effect. Besides, you can stack them to achieve a more significant magnification effect. However, the close-up filter has a limited close-focus distance range that restricts your lens from focusing anything further away. Therefore, you must take it off for regular shooting.

Tips #11
Some non-macro lenses can achieve an impressive 0.5x magnification ratio (e.g., Tamron VXD 70-180mm F2.8), thus reducing the need for a close-up filter.

ND filter. A black glass filter that darkens your exposure. It has different values, e.g., ND8, ND400, ND1000, etc. The higher value, the lower exposure. A professional camera has a native flash sync speed of 1/250s (some cameras only support a slower sync speed at 1/200s or 1/160s). An ND filter allows you to use a fast prime at F1.8/F1.4 with a flashlight on a sunny day.

Tips #12
Use a High-Speed Sync (HSS) instead of an ND filter if your camera and flashlight support HSS. It allows your camera and flashlight to sync at the fastest shutter speed your camera supports (e.g., 1/4000s, 1/8000s).

Blackmist filter. It softens the highlights and renders a dreamy effect. It has different strengths, e.g., 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8. The higher strength, the blurrier effect.

Tips #13
You can achieve a similar soft rendering in post-processing by adjusting the clarity of the highlights using luma-range selection.

Closing Thoughts

The lens is as critical as the camera in a photoshoot. Its focal length, optical rendering (sharpness, contrast, Bokeh, etc.), and AF performance dramatically affects the photo’s overall look and feel. For comfort-wise, you might start with a zoom lens and convert it to fast prime for a specific look when you are more comfortable in an event/wedding shoot.

Everyone has a different vision and preference in lens choice. You may use a 35/50mm fast prime, an F2.8 standard zoom, or a telephoto plus wide-angle lens combo. Regardless of the selection of lenses, the most important thing is to focus sharply on your subjects and capture the precious moment.

Feel free to leave your comments below if you have any doubts or suggestions for the lenses. Besides, I will discuss the accessories I used in events/wedding shoots in Part III (read here). Peace!

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Mirrorless Cameras – Amazon Cameras
Mirrorless Lenses – Amazon Lenses
SD Cards – Amazon SD Cards
Coiro Dual-Camera Harness – Coiro Official Site
Imagely WordPress Theme – Protography Theme
NextGen Gallery Pro – WordPress Gallery Plugin

Any Link To The Mentioned Products?

Official product page, for you to find out more details about the product, and buy from them directly (if applicable)
Amazon page. I recommend to buy the product with the option “Ship from” and “Sold By” Amazon “xx”, where “xx” is a country code like US, SG, JAPAN, etc.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Mentioned Product Links

Some of the mentioned products in this post are available in the following table (the official site and Amazon page).

Products	Official Site	Amazon
Sony GM 24mm F1.4	Sony	Amazon – Sony
Tamron VXD 70-180mm F2.8	Tamron	Amazon – Tamron
Sigma DG DN Art 85mm F1.4	Sigma	Amazon – Sigma
Tamron VXD 28-75mm F2.8 (I recommend the 2nd Gen as it is a vast improved successor)	Tamron	Amazon – Tamron
Tamron VXD 20-40mm F2.8	Tamron	Amazon – Tamron
Samyang 14mm F2.8	Samyang	Amazon – Samyang

Mentioned Product Links

29 Jun 2023

Photography Gear For Your First Event/Wedding Shoot – Part I

Are you curious about what photography gear to bring for your first paid event or wedding shoot? And the worst, you are the sole photographer for the whole photoshoot. You might hear that the essence of shooting solely is backup. You must ensure you can carry out the photoshoot even if any part of your equipment breaks.

Yea, they rarely break, but the accident does happen in the least expected way. Is it necessary to bring your entire collection of photography gear along? In short, no. I compile the following list to show you what gear I use and why I use them during an event/wedding shoot.

I am a Sony shooter; hence I will always refer to the gear available to Sony cameras. However, the rationale behind this also applies to other brands (I also indicate a general spec/model for other brands). I split this topic into 3 posts to avoid a “mega post”, and I will talk about camera-related items in this post.

1. Cameras

What do I use?

Sony A7 III and A7 IV.

Tips #1
Use the same brand’s cameras in order to share the batteries, lenses, and similar control interface.

Why?

There are a few important factors to consider when choosing a camera for an event and wedding shoot.

A responsive and reliable continuous Auto-Focus system is the highest priority
Dual memory card slots (always have the photo written into two memory cards simultaneously)
Good battery life that can sustain 600 – 700 shots per charge
Good high ISO performance (usable at least ISO 3200. Indoor event/wedding shoots can quickly go up to ISO 12800 or higher to maintain a minimum required shutter speed)
Good range of lens selection from OEM and third-parties.

I believe most modern full-frame mirrorless cameras from any brand can easily fulfill the criteria above. However, it was not the case before the Sony A7 III was introduced in 2018. The earlier generation full-frame mirrorless cameras undoubtedly failed all the above requirements (with a day and night difference).

Tips #2
The same brand’s cameras in the same-generation/one-generation-different usually offer similar image quality and control interface. Therefore, the primary and backup camera is not necessary to be the same model.

Sony A7 III and A7 IV offer indistinguishable image quality despite having 24MP and 33 MP sensors, respectively. I bought the A7 IV for its improved AF performance and upgraded video functions for other projects.

Full-Frame Or APS-C?

In short, full-frame. Full-frame cameras still have an edge over APS-C cameras in the high ISO performance. In order to prevent motion blur, you have to set the shutter speed to at least 1/160s. You will be surprised that many indoor shots will easily hit the ISO 10000 mark with that shutter speed at the F2.8 aperture.

Tips #3
Full-frame Sensor ISO = Crop Sensor ISO * Crop Factor * Crop Factor

Generally, APS-C cameras produce comfortable/acceptable noise at ISO 3200/6400. In contrast, full-frame cameras can comfortably handle noise at ISO 6400/12800. Still, please don’t forget to factor in the crop factor. ISO 3200 on an APS-C camera with a 1.5x crop factor will produce noise level equivalent to ISO 7200 on a full-frame camera (things get more complicated when factoring in the sensor resolution difference, but let’s keep it simple here).

Are Super High Megapixel Cameras Suitable For Event And Wedding Shoots?

I will say no. There are some considerations if you intend to use high-megapixel cameras (e.g., 61MP Sony A7R IV/V) for event and wedding shoots:

The high ISO performance is not as good as the lower megapixel cameras.
It is easier to get blurry photos as higher megapixel sensors amplify everything, like handshakes, movement, and shutter vibrations.
When shooting uncompressed RAW, A 61MP RAW is double the size of a 33MP RAW (135MB vs 70MB) or nearly triple the size of a 24MP RAW (135MB vs 50MB). You need a more powerful workstation for culling, editing, and exporting. A less-than-ideal workstation could significantly prolong the post-processing when handling a few thousand shots for a single session.
If you shoot in burst mode, you need an SD card with a faster write speed (e.g., UHS-II 312 MB/s vs UHS-I 104 MB/s) to prevent the camera from filling up its buffer (the camera will lock you from taking new photos when the buffer is full). Such high-speed UHS-II SD cards cost 4 – 5 times more than the fastest-speed USH-I SD card.
You need more SD cards for shooting and storage space for archival.
The super high megapixel camera is more demanding in lens resolving power. Otherwise, the photo could be soft.

2. Memory Cards

What Do I Use?

Sandisk Extreme Pro and Sony UHS-I SD cards with 64GB or 128GB storage space.

Why?

I use a 128 GB SD card in the camera’s slot 1 as the master memory card for the entire event. I put a 64GB SD card in the camera’s slot 2 as the backup and changed it at each logical event break, e.g., bride’s house, solemnization, banquets, etc.

Tips #4
Smaller storage space SD card could have slower read/write speed. Watch out for the specification when getting SD cards of different speeds.

This setup allows me to:

Use a single master SD card to import all photos
Have a few copies of different parts of the event in case the camera is lost

Tips #5
Please do not delete the photos from the SD cards until your clients receive their shots happily.

In case you wonder, a 128GB SD card is sufficient for a 8-hour full-day event/wedding shoot with Sony A7 IV’s 33MP lossless RAW + medium size X.FINE Jpeg (it can hold approximately 2200 shots).

Tips #6
UHS-II SD cards have a few different read/write speeds. Some are even slower than a UHS-I SD card.

UHS-I SD cards have fast enough writing speed for shooting “MID” bursts in uncompressed/lossless compressed RAW. Interestingly, SanDisk dramatically increases their UHS-I SD card read speed from 95 MB/s to 200 MB/s (it means the speed of transferring a photo to a computer is 2 times faster). As a rule of thumb, always purchase the memory card from a reputable retailer/brand.

3. Batteries

How Many Battery Is Required?

It depends on your camera model and your shooting style. For example, the original Sony NP-FZ100 battery lasts approximately 700+ shots on Sony A7 III and 600+ shots on Sony A7 IV. You usually get more shots when taking burst shoots. However, burst shoot intensity does impact the battery life differently. For example, using the “HI” or “HI+” settings in burst shoot will significantly drain more battery life than the “MID” setting.

I made the following table for a clearer view of the battery usage according to my camera setup.

Event Duration/Type	Sony A7 IV (Mounted with telephoto lens)	Sony A7 III (Mounted with wide-angle lens)
1 – 3 Hours Seminar/ Workshop/ Townhall	1 Battery	1 Battery
6 – 10 Hours Wedding Actual Day	2 Batteries	1 – 2 Batteries, depends on the scenes
10 – 14 Hours Wedding Actual Day	3 Batteries	2 Batteries

Battery Usage Reference

I use a dual-camera setup, with the Lossless Compressed RAW + X.Fine medium-size JPEG written into two SD cards simultaneously and “MID” in burst shoot. I usually bring 6 Sony NP-FZ100 batteries for my two-camera setup on a full-day wedding shoot (around 10 – 12 hours). It is always good to carry extra one or two batteries in case any battery gets faulty.

4. Camera Vertical Grip

What Do I Use?

I use a Sony VG-C4EM vertical battery grip on my A7 IV. A few third-party manufacturers make brilliant vertical grips. Unfortunately, only a few reviews were available for Sony A7 IV’s third-party vertical grips when I looked for one in 2022.

Why?

The vertical grip holds two batteries simultaneously to double the battery life. However, I choose it for another reason – the ergonomics.

I tend to shoot vertically more often when using telephoto lenses. I usually pair an 85mm fast prime or the Tamron VXD 70-180mm F2.8 on my Sony A7 IV. The higher megapixels sensor allows me to have more room for cropping to get a closer look. A vertical grip helps a lot to relieve hand fatigue from the over-arching posture. It can reduce the front-heavy issue if you use a heavy lens on a mirrorless camera body.

Closing Thoughts

It doesn’t matter if you choose Sony, Nikon, or Canon. Modern full-frame mirrorless cameras introduced after 2018 are sufficient for most events and wedding photoshoots. When allocating the budget, you must cater for the primary camera, a secondary (or backup) camera, 2 ~ 3 lenses, 3 ~ 6 camera batteries, 1 ~ 2 chargers, 6 ~ 10 memory cards (recommend at least UHS-I 64GB), some accessories, and a PC/laptop that can smoothly process thousands of RAW photos at one go (if you don’t have one currently).

Choose the one you prefer and fits your budget, then familiarize yourself with the camera. The customized shortcut buttons, continuous AF performance (some brands call AI/Servo/AF-C), and ISO limit (modern full-frame cameras are great at ISO6400/12800). It helps ease your tension during the actual photoshoot as you know your camera is “in-controlled”.

This post wraps up the camera-related topics for the event/wedding photoshoot. Below are the links for parts II and III.

Part I – The Cameras (This post)
Part II – The Lenses (Read here)
Part III – The Accessories (Read here)

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Mirrorless Cameras – Amazon Cameras
Mirrorless Lenses – Amazon Lenses
SD Cards – Amazon SD Cards
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Any Link To The Mentioned Products?

Official product page, for you to find out more details about the product, and buy from them directly (if applicable)
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Mentioned Product Links

Some of the mentioned products in this post are available in the following table (the official site and Amazon page).

Products	Official Site	Amazon
Sony A7 III	Sony A7 III	Amazon – Sony A7 III
Sony A7 IV	Sony A7 IV	Amazon – Sony A7 IV
Sony VG-C4EM vertical battery grip	Sony VG-C4EM	Amazon – VG-C4EM
Sandisk Extreme Pro SD cards	Sandisk Extrem Pro	Amazon – Sandisk Extreme Pro

Mentioned Product Links

29 Jun 2023

Photography Tips: Deal With Camera Sensor Dust
I recently noticed some interesting dim spots that appear in my landscape shots, and they appear at the same place consistently, as shown below. I realized that I faced the common issue that annoys all the interchangeable-lens camera users: the sensor dust.
Camera sensor dust is unavoidable for interchangeable lens cameras, especially when we have more than one lens to switch between, so it is good to know how to deal with the camera sensor dust. Therefore, I decided to compile a quick guide to share with you guys when cleaning my camera (Sony NEX-6). I hope it can help those who need it. The guide consists of two parts:
Identify Steps and Cleaning Steps.
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19 Jul 2014
Photography Tips: 5 Reasons to Own a Zoom Lens
Sony SEL2470Z
Zoom lens usually consists of one focus ring and one zoom ring, and the focal length indicator as shown above.
We discussed the reasons to own a prime lens in the last post – 5 Reasons to Own a Prime Lens, but that does not mean we should always use prime lens. Today I’m going to tell you why we should get a zoom lens as well.
1. Convenience
Would you like to bring along your whole prime lens collection that covering 24 mm to 200mm (5 to 7 lenses) when traveling? Or do you prefer to travel in a lightweight and enjoy your trip? If that is the case, a lens like 24-105mm standard zoom or 18-200 mm full-range zoom is the ideal choice. Of course, I assumed you did not take the constant F2.8 cannon-size zoom into account.
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2 Jul 2014
Photography Tips: 5 Reasons to Own a Prime Lens
The last photography tips discussed about 10 Factors to be Considered Before Buying a Lens, and basically, we know that there are two types of lenses, the prime lens, and the zoom lens.
Sony SEL55F18Z
Above is the Sony Zeiss SEL55F18Z prime lens, which provides one wide and smooth focus ring. You don’t get the second zoom ring here because it does not change the focal length!
Many photography amateurs and professionals are in love with the prime lens or even insist on using it whenever possible. However, many people who just migrated to interchangeable-lens-camera (ILC) are intimidated by the prime lens. It is because we have to move closer or get away from our subject physically. And we will think, “it is for professional use, not for me.”
So let’s get rid of that mindset. We will find out why so many people are in love in the prime lens in today’s post.
1. Fast Prime
We always hear people talk about “fast prime,” so what is it? The prime lens usually comes with a larger aperture like F1.8, F1.4, or even F1.2 that we never see on any typical zoom lens (usually we see the zoom lens comes with the max aperture at F2.8). A larger aperture allows more light to hit the image sensor in a shorter time, which means we can use a faster shutter speed to avoid any motion blur. It is handy when we are shooting in the low-light scene.
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30 Jun 2014
Photography Tips: 10 Consideration Before Buy a Lens
IIn the previous posts, we discussed 5 Considerations Before Buy a Camera, 5 Reasons to Own a P&S camera, 5 Reasons to Own a Mirrorless Camera, and 5 Reasons to Own a DSLR camera. If you buy a Point and Shoot (P&S) camera, then congrats, you can start your photography journey immediately. However, if you want to buy a mirrorless camera or DSLR, you must have at least one lens to pair with your camera before starting shooting.
Sony A-Mount Lenses Image taken from: Sony Official Website
So which lens should you buy? How to choose a proper lens for yourself?
1. Kit Lens
Kit lens, a standard zoom lens that comes with purchasing your new camera at a very low price. It covers the standard zoom range from 28mm to 70 mm in 35mm equivalent for normal daily usage. If you are new to photography, a standard kit lens is enough for you to learn all the necessary skills for photography.
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15 Jun 2014
Photography Tips: 5 Reasons To Own a DSLR
Nowadays, the Mirrorless camera system has become a trend in the camera world. It provides the same image quality as a DSLR but has a smaller size and lighter weight. So why do you still have to bother to get yourself a DSLR? Let’s have a look together.
1. Professional Look and Feel
Sony Full Frame DSLR – A99 Image taken from: http://www.sony.com.sg/product/slt-a99v
Regardless of you are carrying either APS-C or Full-Frame DSLR, you will give people an impression: “Wow! This guy is a professional photographer”. Why do you want to give people such a feeling? It is because you are running a photography business or paid to shoot some events.
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7 Jun 2014
Photography Tips: 5 Reasons to Own a Mirrorless Camera
Mirrorless cameras have become more and more popular in the current market. Many camera manufacturers like Sony, Fuji, Olympus, Leica, and others had put in effort into research and developed some excellent Mirrorless cameras. So let’s see how a Mirrorless camera fits you the best.
1. Large Image Sensor in Smaller Camera Size
In general, a Mirrorless camera is equipped with a Micro 4/3, APS-C, or Full-Frame image sensor. These sensors are much larger than the typical image sensor (1/2.3″) provided in the P&S. You may read my 5 Factors Affected By Image Sensor Size to get more details regarding the image sensor size.
Mirrorless vs DSLR (Image retrieved from Sony Official Website: http://www.sony.com.sg/product/nex-6l)
Although the DSLR camera is also equipped with either APS-C or Full-Frame image sensor, the Mirrorless camera is much smaller in the camera body design. The Mirrorless camera does not have a mirror reflection board that reflects the light to the optical viewfinder. Therefore, the Mirrorless camera body can be much thinner than the DSLR camera body, resulting in a lighter camera.
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7 Jun 2014
Photography Tips: 5 Reasons To Own a P&S
When the smartphone camera becomes more powerful, and the mirrorless and DSLR becomes cheaper, why do you still bother to get a Point-And-Shoot (P&S) camera? Well, let’s go through this post today together.
1. Convenience and Easy to Use
Point and Shoot (P&S) Camera
P&S is lightweight, small, and compact. It is easy to fit into your pocket and carry around. It only provides an auto mode to you, no fine focus-adjustment, no aperture adjustment, what you need to do is really “point” the camera to your subject and “shoot” it, then it will give you the best result as it could.
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7 Jun 2014
Photography Tips: 5 Factors Affected By Image Sensor Size
Do you ever hear about “full-frame”, “APS-C”, “Micro 4/3”, “1-inch”, “1/2.3 inch” when you are choosing the camera? Does the salesperson tell you, “This DSLR provides better image quality than the P&S because it has a larger image sensor”? Or “This camera has a crop factor of 2, so blah blah blah…”? What does the image sensor size mean?
Before we discuss the topic today, let’s have some idea about the different sizes of those image sensors.
Image Sensor Size Comparison
The comparison chart is scaled with the actual size of an image sensor. It shows the name/size of each image sensor followed by the crop factor in the bracket. To give a clearer comparison chart, I omit some “not-so-standard” sensor sizes (e.g., Canon has a slightly different APS-C format with a crop factor of 1.6).
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5 Jun 2014
Photography Tips: 5 Consideration Before Buying a Camera
Photography starts by getting yourself a camera and taking the shots. Regardless you are using a phone camera, point-and-shoot, mirrorless, or DSLR, a camera that is always with you is the best camera. Nowadays, the camera has become more and more common and cheaper in the market. If you are new to the camera market, buying a camera is always a headache problem.
Leica, Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fuji, and many other brands are now in the market. Each of them has its good and bad. That’s the reason that people always confuse – which camera brand is better? Which camera performs better? So, will you get the answer from this post? No, I’m not going to tell you which camera is the best or which brand is the most preferable, but I will give you some guides to assist you in listing out your criteria yourself.
1. Budget
Photography isn’t cheap entertainment. It isn’t something like, oh, it is just buying a camera, and that’s it. No, when you are serious in photography, you may want more than just a camera.
You will think you need an extra battery, a faster memory card, and maybe a tripod? If you bought a point and shoot initially, you may start looking for an APS-C or even a full-frame camera when you become a more advanced photographer. Once you get a better camera, you will look further for a better lens, and it will be the beginning to cost you an arm and a leg (or even more than that).
So never spend your entire budget on a camera. Keeping some spare money is always a wise action. Check the prices of the extra battery, external charger, memory card, tripod, camera bag, and so on, then deduct those costs from your budget. The leftover will be your “actual budget” for your camera.
2. Purpose
What is your purpose in buying a new camera? First camera? Replacement? Backup?
Travel Light
If you want a camera to shoot during your traveling or journey, a lightweight camera like point-and-shoot or mirrorless may be your choice. Because you have to enjoy your travel, a light camera allows you to carry a whole day without much effort or tiredness.
Enthusiast
If you are an enthusiast, choose a micro four-third or APS-C camera with interchangeable-lens capability. You have the joy of exploring different lenses, especially the prime lens (you may love it or hate it), and having more user controls in the aperture, shutter speed, exposure, and DOF (Depth of View), etc.
Going for Business
If you run a business, it is recommended to use a full-frame camera, either a mirrorless or DSLR. Let’s imagine, if you go to a photography shop to take a portrait or hire an event photographer (wedding, sport, etc.), then what do you feel when you see the photographer use a point-and-shoot or handphone to do the job? Yea, you got the feel, right? A black square-ish big camera always gives people a “wow”, this photographer is a professional!
Backup
When you are going to buy a backup camera, I guess that you are likely shooting some severe events that you couldn’t afford for any loss of a moment. At this stage, get yourself the same model camera, or at least the same brand camera that utilizes the same lens mount. By then, you will save tons of money by sharing the lenses and boosting your efficiency during the shooting, as both your primary and backup cameras are using identical/similar settings.
So please be clear with yourself otherwise you might regret that why you get something doesn’t fit your purpose.
3. RAW Capable
RAW format is a handy and recommended image format. Almost all the mirrorless and DSLR are RAW-capable. However, if you intend to buy a PAS (point and shoot), it is better to choose the RAW-capable one. You may not understand the advantages of using RAW yet, but a RAW-capable camera is always a good-to-go. You will appreciate that you bought a RAW-capable camera when you need it or just realized how powerful it is.
As compared above, the sky is overexposed. I adjust the highlight and exposure settings in post-processing. The JPEG photo overexposed area is dead-white, while the RAW photo overexposed area still preserves the color and sky details.
4. After-Sale Services
How convenient are you able to reach the service center? How long the service maintenance take? You definitely won’t want to ship your camera/travel for a few hours to send your camera for service and wait for a month or two to get it back (if you purchased from another country). So check with your local retailer about the warranty and service, like how long does the maintenance take or is there any service charge. Knowing more about the after-sale services before buying the camera will keep your money safe in your wallet.
5. User Review
You can get a lot of user reviews from Amazon, BHPhoto, and other websites. These user reviews are very helpful to assist you in understanding more about the camera in a broader manner which you might never know before you own the camera. Besides, reviews from some personal or professional camera sites provide good technical analysis data and more accurate/real-life sample shots or even compare your “wishlist” camera. Read those reviews to narrow down the choices, keep in mind those reviews about your “final choice”, and then try it out at the retail shop.
Bottom Line
Want to know more about which kind of camera suit you the best? A point-and-shoot? a mirrorless? Or a DSLR? Then stay tuned, and you may find it out from my coming posts: 5 Reasons to Own a point-and-shoot, 5 Reasons to Own a Mirrorless, and 5 Reasons to Own a DSLR. Hopefully, the points mentioned above will help you in buying a camera that fits your needs.
Thanks for your reading and I hope you like it =)
29 Mar 2014