M8 & Pro Wedding photography

[M'Ate]

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Hi guys,

 

Some interesting responses in the second segment. Much appreciated.

 

I shot with M film cameras for years, but when turning digital I went to DSLR as the M8 was not available and I'm still there today. Carry film M's with me to every wedding as a low light option and as a back-up for the DSLR, but the M's have been little used. Carry a G7 for close-ups as well.

 

Lenses in my bag are 24mm ASPH, 35mm Lux ASPH, 50 Lux, a recently acquired and unused 50mm Lux ASPH and a 90mm Elmarit.

 

My style is reportage to the end of the ceremony and more structured, but informal, after.

 

Sean - I've never shot film over 800 iso as a Lux on an M at 1/8s can gather a lot of light. Not sure if a DSLR can ever catch it. Reluctantly I shoot digital to 1250 iso.

 

Evad - changing lenses I have found to be a problem and prefer to have more than one body. I've also found using different films in two bodies to be a pain as that encourages lens swops. I've been much happier with digital & flash than I was with film and flash, but I rarely used the latter.

 

Riccis - Until this year I used a Pelican 1600 case and have now replaced that with a Shoot Sac. Means i don't have to worry about security when moving around and i don't suffer fatigue on a twelve hour stint. I do get tired of lifting the Pro DSLR and the 24-70 a thousand times though. :-) Two M's and pockets full of lenses and film is more attractive.

 

Kevin - I tend to stick with OEM glass. My albums have a good content of 14"x11" prints and I'm just not comfortable with shooting at those high iso. That's just me.

 

Neil - your battery experience is more what I anticipated. Riccis seems to use M8 or M7 where you seem to be mixing M's. Must be happy post processing the different files.

 

Dave - steady pay is a good thing. You can use a Holga professionally if it suits your purpose. My OP originated to discover what were M8 Pro wedding photographers carrying to ensure the job was completed satisfactorily with the M8.

 

Jamie - a few streaks are not a big concern for me as flare has always been a problem if not approached correctly. If you follow Jeff it gets expensive. Your move to the DMR is interesting and I understand, but I'm for shedding a lens system if possible and I'm hoping that the M8 will enable that; maybe not. If not then i might use the M7 more than I am today.

 

Again, appreciate your time.

[Albert4321]

 

My wedding kit is made up of 3 M8s and ...

 

Hello Riccis, didn't you use to have 4 M8s? not that really matters, just see if my brain is still working.

 

Tomorrow will be my 2nd wedding this month with the M8, D3 and 5D combo.

 

BTW, reading this thread along, it appears the M8 is very well received comparing to last year. I think with the new firmware, M8 becoming very useable.

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[zlatkob]

Tomorrow will be my 2nd wedding this month with the M8, D3 and 5D combo.

Wow, three different systems! I'm curious as to how you like working with 3 systems. I imagine each has its advantages. When do you favor each?

[Riccis]

 

Riccis - Until this year I used a Pelican 1600 case and have now replaced that with a Shoot Sac. Means i don't have to worry about security when moving around and i don't suffer fatigue on a twelve hour stint. I do get tired of lifting the Pro DSLR and the 24-70 a thousand times though. :-) Two M's and pockets full of lenses and film is more attractive.

 

 

I also use a ShootSac as my camera bag, but it is mostly used to transport my gear. It is the perfect bag for Ms.

[Riccis]

Hello Riccis, didn't you use to have 4 M8s? not that really matters, just see if my brain is still working.

 

Tomorrow will be my 2nd wedding this month with the M8, D3 and 5D combo.

 

BTW, reading this thread along, it appears the M8 is very well received comparing to last year. I think with the new firmware, M8 becoming very useable.

 

Albert:

 

I actually had 5 up to a few weeks ago when I sold two of them.

 

WOW, you bring that many systems to your weddings, I commend you on that.

 

The M8s are definitely very useable, forum member DFarkas (my local Leica dealer) has printed some of my work in 30x40 for display at a recent Leica day and I was blown away at how sweet the images look at that size (specially the ones shot at ISO 640 and above).

 

I get a lot of emails from fellow photographers inquiring about M8 and my advise is always to rent one, put it through the paces and judge for yourself (never mind the internet experts ).

 

Cheers,

[M'Ate]

I also use a ShootSac as my camera bag, but it is mostly used to transport my gear. It is the perfect bag for Ms.

 

I'm really pleased with the Sac. I use it for lenses batteries, cards and my film M plus a couple of rolls of Portra. I do take it off in the Prep room and during the meal when i don't need things to hand as much.

 

"The M8s are definitely very useable, printed some of my work in 30x40 for display at a recent Leica day and I was blown away at how sweet the images look at that size (specially the ones shot at ISO 640 and above)."

 

I have loaned an M8 for a few weeks, and got on with it very well, no problems other than back focus and a poorly set rangefinder.

 

I also have a Hasselblad digital system that normally produces the prints for big enlargements, formal portraits and other commercial work. The M8 replacing that would release $15,000+, but not too much too soon. Maybe helps understand why I'd like to relieve myself of a complete lens system. I've got M8 images to hand, perhaps i should try a 30x40" print, or part thereof. Thanks for your contribution Riccis.

[jsjxyz]

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Max & Icha's Wedding Photo Gallery by Jerry Justianto at pbase.com

 

I was using m8 with 35 cron and 75 lux with Ricoh GRD II.

 

There are other wedding pictures that I took with M6 and Lumix LC1.

 

I dont like to use DSLR, because of its big size make it hard to catch a candid shots, since the objects too much aware of the camera .

 

jsj

[Susan_NYC]

Great timing for this discussion. I'm shooting my first wedding in two weeks - with my M8 and rented 5D (with flash) for the traditional shots the mother of the bride wants.

 

The wedding is in a second-floor dark, narrow vegan restaurant in the far reaches of Brooklyn - daytime, but just a few small windows.

 

I know virtually nothing about using a flash, so I'm hoping to use natural light as much as possible. Nobody has brought up using a tripod for the group shots with the 5D. Do you use them?

[pklein]

Susan: I love available light, too. Here, though, I must say that artistic integrity is one thing, but when it's a wedding, you need to get the shots no matter what. If there is sufficient light to do shots like Jerry (jsj) showed above, go for it. But if all you're going to get is gritty-moody photojournalistic "Noctiloid" shots, flash should be in your kit.

 

You might consider using bounce flash if there are white or light-colored ceiling and walls. Forget TTL for the M8. Just put the flash on auto, and set it and the camera so it augments but does not completely overpower the existing light. A few test shots will tell you what you need to do.

 

Some people like to use a slow shutter speed with the flash, 1/30 or even 1/15 second. If you do this, set the camera on "second curtain" so that any motion blur goes toward rather than away from the flash image.

 

Here's an example of what bounce flash can do, judiciously used, in a wedding situation. This is with an M6 and 400 ISO film. I think exposure was either 1/30 or 1/50 at f/4.

http://users.2alpha.com/~pklein/currentpics/80280012ShallWeDance.htm

 

It would be good to scout out the restaurant at a similar hour to the wedding and take a few test shots. The good news is that with the M8, you can adjust on the fly if conditions change.

 

If you have very mixed light some incandescent or (yuck), florescent with daylight or flash, then converting to B&W or some very careful color balancing becomes needed. Shoot RAW so you have maximum flexibility afterwards.

 

Have fun, and make small talk with the participants, and they will start to relate to you as just another wedding guest (especially with the M8). That makes for the best candids.

 

I use a humble Vivitar 2500 flash with a bounce head. Sunpack makes a nifty $80 non-TTL flash that has both bounce and swivel head (better, you can do vertical shots or bounce off walls more easily). Available at B&H.

 

Hope this helps!

--Peter

[Susan_NYC]

Thanks, Peter - yes - your comments help!

 

The ceiling and walls in this place are dark, though. I have a feeling that means any bounce light won't bounce.

 

I see the vivitar 2800 at B&H - and the Sunpak is out of stock.

 

I actually have the Leica 24d flash - and I bought a cable a while ago - so would something like this grip be a good idea? (A friend suggested it)

 

Your "shall we dance" shot is terrific.

[pklein]

Susan, sure a grip will help--it moves the flash off the lens axis, so you don't get redeye or shadows exactly behind the subject. If it can work with plain autoflash (as opposed to TTL) it should be OK. It won't do anything for the basic look of direct flash. There are diffuser devices you can get that might help that a little.

 

Thanks for your kind words on "Shall We Dance."

 

--Peter

[Susan_NYC]

It looks as if this grip has a swivel/turn head thing, so it'll behave like a bounce flash, no?

 

The M8 flash has a diffuser, though it doesn't diffuse much. But I'd tried it with TTL, so I'll try it plain.

[M'Ate]

Nobody has brought up using a tripod for the group shots with the 5D. Do you use them?

 

Hadn't used a tripod, other than a Leica table top tripod which I've found to be a life-saver,for over ten years until two weeks ago. The B&G wanted some hi-quality images for extra large prints and I had a lot of time available.

 

Problem with tripods are the carrying around at the event and the more static poses that ensue.

 

I left gear at the back of a church etc, but one day it'll go missing no doubt. That was a significant reason for switching to the ShootSac as there's $20,000 of kit in the box at times. Not sure how the insurance company would respond to a case left out of site.

 

I'll happily shoot my Leica M's at 1/15 second with a back-up shot for safety. Slower than that and I'm using the table top on my chest, or looking for a wall, pew or bench. With the DSLR, I reach for the flash if there's many shots (wedding breakfast, say) that are going to need additional light. I'll risk a few DSLR images at 1/25s, but shoot a burst of frames to cover myself.

 

Just make sure you make the most of the light available. The B&W screen mode on the M8 is great for checking if the shot was worth taking.

[dcsang]

I'm glad that M'Ate started this thread.

 

I've been picking up little tips via the comments.

 

I tried the M8 out yesterday - not fully, but in conjunction with the 5D - I think, if I had to, I could have shot entirely with the M8 but this was not "my" wedding. So, until my primary shooter can get "accustomed" to how the M8 files look and appear in post, I'm shooting mainly with the 5D.

 

What I did note was that I need a 90mm.

I am more apt to shoot from a short distance but to only have a 50mm currently as my longest lens really was noticeable to me yesterday.

M'ate (or anyone else for that matter), do you use a 90mm in your kit?

 

That said, I thought I would post a couple images from yesterday:

 

 

Not spectacular but I was happy just to be able to just start to use the camera during a wedding.

 

Dave

[Riccis]

Dave:

 

I'm glad you got your M8 back.

 

My longest lens is a 75 Summilux. I tried using a 90 but I was not able to focus fast enough. In the future I may add a 135 since I really like that lens (although a bit slow).

 

Thanks for sharing your images and post more.

 

Cheers, my friend.

[Michael Tyler]

I use a 90 cron pre-apo, and it's a spectacular portrait lens. Great also for distance candids. Riccis is right, though, I have the damnedest time focusing it quickly from near to infinity. But this is ultimately a good tradeoff, because the dampening is so smooth that it allows for precise and minute adjustment, which you need for the thin DOF at 2.0.

 

I'm talking about the latest pre-apo, by the way. The one with the same body design as the current model, not the earlier giant with the tripod screw hole on the barrel of the lens.

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[M'Ate]

I'm glad that M'Ate started this thread.

 

M'ate (or anyone else for that matter), do you use a 90mm in your kit?

 

Dave

 

 

Dave,

 

I own a 90mm Tele Elmarit and it works well with the M8 (during my loan period). However, it's clear to me that the 75mm Summicron works really well on the M8 and I anticipate that will be a future lens for me. I bought a 50mm Summilux Asph last week and traded my pre-Asph version, so I'm treading carefully this week.

 

Today, I've ordered a 18x12" print from a 40x26" M8 image to see what the that looks like. I never go that big with wedding images so it's a learning process only.

 

Michael - really nice image.

[Michael Tyler]

Dave, to add to what I said before, I am beginning to think a 75 would be a better all-around lens for weddings. Or to put it another way, a better match with others. I don't like carrying more than three lenses at one time, and for me the best flexible range would be 21, 35, 75, corresponding to my old favorite lineup for film - 24/28, 50, and 100.

 

Right now I'm shooting 21, 35, and 90. The spread from normal to telephoto is a little too much, and I often feel I don't need the extra reach of the 90.

[zlatkob]

Michael, great photo!!

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[Michael Tyler]

Michael, great photo!!

 

Thanks, she was the one who made the photo nice. Wonderful client, beautiful location. The background was busy, and this is one of those lenses that so easily yanks away everything in the frame except the subject on which you're focusing, like the Nocti and the 75 Lux. Others can do it too, but these three are the best for it from everything I've seen.