Do you generally carry around 2 cameras when shooting a wedding?

Question

I've done several weddings and only shoot with one camera (on my person). But I am wondering if I should start carrying a backup if the 1st one fails midway. It sounds logical to do so, but I'm wondering if it'll be too cumbersome. Let me know what you all do. Thanks! :)

ps- I always bring a second camera, I'm wondering if it should be hanging off me. haha.

Answer 1

Shoot with your favorite camera, carry backups in a secure location, easy to get to. You dont have to carry it around your neck.

You dont want to get hired for something as important as a wedding, mitzvah, etc..., and not complete the job, cuz your shutter sticks, or something...

Answer 2

I do carry two on my body with a third in my bag. At the reception sometimes I only carry one after the cake cutting. I just have a fear that one might fail during the processional or ceremony. If it does, I can casually switch and no one will know the difference. It would be hard to say to the bride and dad, "Hey, wait a minute while I go to the other room to get my spare camera."

I thought I might add, when I am shooting with another photographer, (usually I shoot alone, but there is another local photog that I help out from time to time) I usually carry just one on me, sometimes two if I'm shooting b&w film as well as digital.

Answer 3

I'm probably a little unusual, but I carry a backup photographer. ;-)

Actually, I always have an experienced assistant photographer when I shoot weddings. We both have a backup camera close by but not on us, backup batteries, backup flash, extra film if we are using film (bride and groom choice), and tons of memory cards (4 4gigabyte cards and 4 1 gigabyte) when shooting digital.

At the wedding itself we both shoot the important shots with similar setups. At the reception we both shoot important shots such as cutting the cake, etc, but go our separate ways during much of the time to shoot candid photos. I often have a 2nd camera at my table during the reception so I can have two different lenses handy and can switch at a moments notice, but never carry both at once.

Having two experienced photographers allows us to charge a premium for doing weddings, and gives us assurance of nailing all the important photos.

Answer 4

I always had two main cameras, but only used one, the other was a back up, and in the case of an extreme run of bad luck I even had a good point and shoot camera in the car as a last resort if both my main SLRs would fail (thankfully they never did.)

Some photographers might use two cameras if shooting film (which fewer and fewer do now) and the couple wanted both color and black and white photos (one camera loaded with color film, the other loaded with black and white.) When doing candids before the ceremony and at the reception you might want to have two cameras with two different lens focal lengths. Sometimes you might see a great photo but not be able to "get over" to it so you could have a camera with a bigger lens for such instances. But normally weddings aren't such hectic events that is necessary.

Answer 5

I never go to a wedding with only one camera. Out of about 100 shoots, I had to use my back up camera once. It is worth carrying it around and not using it 99 times to have it for the one time your main camera goes down.

Answer 6

People are paying you (me) so I have to that extra mile.

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I used to carry an extra camera for backup only. Then when I switch to digital, I quickly started actually USING 2 cameras. The reason is that I like my ultra wide angle during the reception but I still need to have my regular lens close by. And the CCD is just too sensitive to dust so I rather not change lens during a wedding.

But even if I only used one, I would always carry a second camera & lens & flash. I also carry extra car battery, GPS. I never had to use my "backup" camera (the primary never failed) but did have to use my extra car battery once when it died because I was rushing and forgot to turn the headlights off. I also had to use the GPS once because I got lost to the wedding hall.

Good luck.
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