Camera Accessory Help Please

Reefing102

Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori
Premium Member
Ok, to start off I hope this is the right forum for this, even though it is not reef-related. I have an Olympus E-Volt 410. In November I will be taking pictures for my grandmothers wedding. I need an external flash and tripod at the minimum. I did a quick look through the forum, but did not find too much on my camera and/or wedding photography (since this is a reef forum I wasn't expecting much on the wedding part).

I would like a recommendation for the following items:

  1. External/Slave Flash
  2. Tripod
  3. Wide-Angle Lens (I think I need this, I'm not sure. Use for taking a pic from the back of the Chapel of almost everybody)
  4. Any other lens you would recommend.
  5. Anything else you would like to recommend.
I currently have the following lens'

  • 14mm-42mm Lens
  • 40mm-150mm Lens
Those came with the camera when I bought it.

My price point: $200-$250

I found these two kits on ebay. Are they any good?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Accessory-kit-O...0-/360287253236?pt=Digital_Camera_Accessories

http://cgi.ebay.com/Digital-Camera-...E-520-/360286019925?pt=Digital_Camera_Flashes

Thanks in advance for any help, I hope I got all the basics listed. :wave:
 
First things: any type of professional photography equipment is going to be expensive. I'm not saying you have to get the best-of-the-best of everything, but if you're trying to light a Chapel with a flash, then you'll need something heavy duty. Which means you'll be looking at a minimum of $200-250 (and that's being quite conservative) for each component - you won't be able to get everything on your list for that much.

With that in mind, most of the weddings I've been to (not as a photographer, mind you, I flat-out refuse to get into that hornet's nest :p ) does not have the photographer using a flash (or if they do, during the ceremony, it's rare at best). Most invest in lenses that have a wide aperture in order to create a shallow depth of field and enable the photographer to shoot without a flash. With this in mind, the large-aperture lens ought to have a fast enough shutter speed to let you use it without a tripod.

And, on the topic of the tripod, I would probably advise against it. It's too cumbersome and you'll want to get different angles for your shots instead of having to maneuver it through people and church pews. Feel free to try and use it, but advice on tripods: there are three primary features - how light it is, how sturdy it is, and how expensive it is. You can choose two of those. E.g.: You can have a light and sturdy tripod, but it's not going to be cheap. You can have a sturdy and cheap tripod, but it will be heavy, etc.

If you're convinced you need to use something to steady your camera, consider a monopod. It will keep your camera still and offer you a little more mobility. Look for something from Manfrotto if you want quality. Though companies like Velbon offer inexpensive (yet inferior) alternatives.

As for lenses, you'll want to get one that has a large aperture. It will give you a shallow depth of field to really highlight your targets (bride and groom, for example) while giving you a nice blurred background. You can play around with your composition to find something you think is nice.

Your 14mm lens is already quite wide and I'm not sure you'll want to go with anything wider for your wedding shots. This is for two reasons: the first is that 14mm is wide enough for most applications; and second that anything wider starts at about $700 - substantially out of your proposed pricepoint.

I was going to try and find some lens options, but Olympus' website is devoid of any large-aperture prime (or non-zoom/fixed) lenses. I've found some older lenses for an Olympus body, but they are quite old and I don't think offer automatic focus.

Sigma has a few lenses offered like this one here however, it is also well outside the price range you've mentioned. There are also 30mm and 24mm sizes with a large aperture except that those are probably too wide for your application.

I couldn't find anything from Tokina or Tamron that can help you.

Also, I'd very much suggest taking an afternoon off (preferably about the time the ceremony will take place) and visiting the church with your camera. Take as many pictures as you can from as many different angles as possible. If you can, bring some people to stand in for the bride and groom so you can get an idea of what the lighting conditions are and what will pose problems for you come the day of the wedding. This will also let you identify which of the products on your list are most needed for the big day.

And, I hope this goes without saying, make sure you have 2-3 sets of extra batteries in your case on the day of the wedding. If I remember right, the Olympus uses AA-size batteries. Buy the Lithium ones. Alkaline might not cut it. You'll be taking a lot of pictures and if you end up using a flash, you're going to need all the spares you can hold.

Hope this helps!
 
Your 14 will be enough. I shot a wedding this weekend and I kept my 17-50 on pretty much the whole time. Another thing you need to be aware of is that some priests will not allow flash photography during the ceremony, even if you are the photographer. You will however want it for the reception afterwards. For flashes though, I cant comment on what you posted since they are ebay links, which is blocked at work. im guessing since you have a smaller budget for the flash, you are looking at a flash that is a full manual. unless it says that the flash is E-TTL for your camera, you will have to be adjusting it for your light. It may not be a big deal for you but your going to want to play around with it for many hours befor eyou shoot the wedding. Spare batteries is an absolutle must. i carry 6 sets of batteries for my camera and 2 sets extra for my flash. if you camera does indeed use AA batteries, i STRONGLY recommend getting a couple pairs of the Sanyo Enloop batteries. They are amazing and rechargable. Mine typically ast 3-4 months on a charge with heavy useage. I used one set all day long in my flash and shoot about 900 pictures. Plus the recharge time is really good. They will re-power my flash at 1/1 power in about 4 seconds, and it remains in that time for quiet a while. regular AA will recharge the flash in about 5 seconds and then sharp;y start to drop off.
 
In case you are unsure, when TheMikey says "wide aperture" he means to looks for a lens with a low a f/#. ie: f/1.8 is really about as wide as they get.
 
Thanks for the responses. I definitely will be getting some extra battery packs. I was thinking the flash for after the actual wedding. The tripod I was thinking for formal pictures only.
 
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