# Best Camera for Shooting Weddings



## meaghanmalone (Nov 5, 2012)

hi! I am looking for a fantastic medium format for shooting weddings! I was hoping for some recommendations on camera and lenses! I am also looking for scanner recommendations...  

I am a newbie at this... so be gentle


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## gsgary (Nov 5, 2012)

anything by Mamiya,Contax,Hassleblad will do V700 or V500 for scanning


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## meaghanmalone (Nov 5, 2012)

Thank you!


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## gsgary (Nov 5, 2012)

meaghanmalone said:
			
		

> hi! I am looking for a fantastic medium format for shooting weddings! I was hoping for some recommendations on camera and lenses! I am also looking for scanner recommendations...
> 
> I am a newbie at this... so be gentle



A newbie at film and weddings ?


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## Madcapmagishion (Nov 5, 2012)

I ran into a guy on the beach this morning taking photos of the sunrise with a Hasselblad 500C Medium Format Film Camera,
 that he says he loves. He said he got it about 1 month ago off of eBay for about $500 or so. Seems eminently resonable for a Hasselblad.


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## meaghanmalone (Nov 5, 2012)

A newbie as in I know how to process my own film, use a scanner, and know what aperture, ISO, F-stop, DoF, shutter speed, etc. are and what they do... and I eventually want to shoot weddings. I call myself a newbie because I haven't been shooting film manually very long... I am still trying to get my style down very well. My teacher always told me consistency is what a film photographer should aim for.


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## meaghanmalone (Nov 5, 2012)

I will definitely look into that. Thank you!

"I ran into a guy on the beach this morning taking photos of the sunrise with a Hasselblad 500C Medium Format Film Camera,
that he says he loves. He said he got it about 1 month ago off of eBay for about $500 or so. Seems eminently resonable for a Hasselblad."


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## meaghanmalone (Nov 5, 2012)

So a mamiya 645 vs a contax 645... do you think the price difference is worth it? and if it is worth it do you think it is necessary?


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## gsgary (Nov 5, 2012)

meaghanmalone said:
			
		

> So a mamiya 645 vs a contax 645... do you think the price difference is worth it? and if it is worth it do you think it is necessary?



Not used the Contax but they get rave reviews i use a Mamiya C330 and C220 plus Leica M4 and Canon digital i only shoot weddings for friends but weddings shot on film is getting big in the UK


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## gsgary (Nov 5, 2012)

You will also want a quality light meter that will spot meter


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## JSER (Nov 5, 2012)

WHY film!


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## Mike_E (Nov 5, 2012)

You could also look into Pentax and Bronica (Bronica's were used in the wedding industry fairly extensively).

If you're going to be shooting weddings then I wouldn't go larger than 6x6 cm.  6x7 cameras are generally to unwieldy and a real pain to carry.  Plus 6x7 gives 10 shots per roll, 6x6 12 shots and 645 16 per roll.  The expense of giving up the extra shots per roll will add up fast (if you do a lot of wedding that is).

Good luck.


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## gsgary (Nov 5, 2012)

JSER said:
			
		

> WHY film!



Why not ?


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## unpopular (Nov 5, 2012)

I think the Contax 645 is your best value, and will handle familiar for a DSLR/35mm user.

As for the scanner, go with something from the turn of the 21st century. Scanner technology hasn't improved at all since then, and you'll be able to get some very high end scanners at very reasonable cost. These scanners each cost well over $10,000 new:

Imacon Flextight Precision Virtual Drum Film Scanner EXC | eBay

Howtek 4000 Drum Scanner with Accessories | eBay
(warning: learning curve!)

Creo Scitex Eversmart Jazz Desktop Scanner NYC or Atlanta GA Free Delivery | eBay

Minolta DiMAGE Scan Multi Pro Multi Format Scanner | eBay

You may need a compatible PC to use the software, though this is not a serious problem. Any $50 mac from the same time period or Windows XP system with the appropriate SCSI interface will do fine. Having a dedicated scanning workstation is actually useful and will allow you to be more productive._*

DO NOT! Be tempted by cheapo scanners like the V700. 
*_
I don't know why people recommend people buy several thousand dollars worth of camera gear, only to suggest a $500 scanner.


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## Light Guru (Nov 5, 2012)

meaghanmalone said:


> A newbie as in I know how to process my own film, use a scanner, and know what aperture, ISO, F-stop, DoF, shutter speed, etc. are and what they do... and I eventually want to shoot weddings. I call myself a newbie because I haven't been shooting film manually very long... I am still trying to get my style down very well. My teacher always told me consistency is what a film photographer should aim for.



If you haven't shot beddings before then I would say start with shooting them digital.  

Film is great but if your just starting out shooting weddings take advantage of the things that digital has to offer to help you learn to better shoot weddings like quickly being able to see your image etc and once you have that down add some film into the mix while still shooting digital.


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## timor (Nov 5, 2012)

meaghanmalone said:


> A newbie as in I know how to process my own film, use a scanner, and know what aperture, ISO, F-stop, DoF, shutter speed, etc. are and what they do... and I eventually want to shoot weddings. I call myself a newbie because I haven't been shooting film manually very long... I am still trying to get my style down very well. My teacher always told me consistency is what a film photographer should aim for.


For a wedding you will also need a dedicated strobe as weddings are mostly flash photography. Hassy is the classic, but also Bronica ETR was all favored and also, what I am not advising Koni-Omega Rapid. There is also Fujifilm GA 645 series, a fixed lens rangefinder with full auto, but maybe the lens is a bit too slow.


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## CCericola (Nov 5, 2012)

I started shooting weddings using the Hasselblad system. I like that the hasselblads were not too heavy. You also want interchangeable backs so I would stay away from the Pentax 645. Just takes too long to reload. With a camera with interchangeable backs you can have extra backs preloaded and your assistant can load and unload backs. For lighting I had a lumedyne on a bracket and an assistant with another on a monopod. Radio slaves to make the lighting work. But I now use Elinchromes for formals. Let's see what else? A reflector is good for those window light shots people still want. Or if you are in a hotel you can use one of the white pillows from the bed. For film I only shot with Portra 160, 400 and 800 so I can't really say if it was better than any other film. And, of course you need two of everything for back up but, it is usually cheaper just to rent those as you need them and incorporate the rental into your price. If you have a second shooter, either rent them equipment or have them just turn the film over to you. It's nice, if they use their equipment, that they use the same format as you. So if you go 6x6, have them have a 6x6. If you go 645, etc...


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## Derrel (Nov 5, 2012)

My old wedding camera system is available, affordably these days!!!

Bronica SQ-AM or SQ-A or SQ-Ai.

Why???? Price. FABULOUS bokeh in the lenses....the old Hassle-blad (pun intended) 500-series lenses have icky,hashy bokeh. Hideous. Why? Reliability! Why? Backs that interchange AND use pre-loadable film inserts!!!! Why? Lenses that NEVER JAM UP the camera if you forget to keep the film winding and shutter cocking and lens removal 100% perfectly in-synch when working under pressure. Why? The ability to shoot 6x6 AND 6x4.5 cm "talls", with the SAME camera, only with a different film back!

Why? Affordable metering prism viewfinder OR waist-level. HALF-increment shutter speeds. Why? ACCURATE, electronically-timed Seiko shutters in each and every lens. Why? Because a Bronica SQ-series camera will never,ever require the use of a SHUTTER Un-Jamming tool like this one:http://fotodiox.com/e/Other Camera Accessories/Other Accessories/Hassy Tool Instructions.pdf

Here is why I call it the Hassle-blad:  http://www.dmin-dmax.fr/photoe2b.htm


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## gsgary (Nov 5, 2012)

Derrel said:


> My old wedding camera system is available, affordably these days!!!
> 
> Bronica SQ-AM or SQ-A or SQ-Ai.
> 
> ...



Ive got the chance of a Bronica with grip 2 lenses 3 backs and a rare 35mm back


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## Derrel (Nov 5, 2012)

There was a nifty *35mm panoramic* back for the SQ-series. The LENSES for Bronica SQ has lovely,lovely bokeh rendering! The 50mm PS (Pro Series) and the 65mm PS lenses are very nice lenses, as is the very nice 150mm PS lens.

The thing about the SQ system is this: they set out to re-make the 120 6x6cm reflex, but without the 1950's complexity and mechanical clunkiness and stupid engineering that plagued the Hassle-blad 500 series...the Hassy needs CLA all the time, the backs go out of whack, because the camera was designed in the old-school European idea of needing cleaning and adjusting and lubing, and depended on a TON of finely-fitted mechanical parts...the Bronica people understood what Nikon learned and Leica never learned...that looser tolerances and SELF-lubricating parts, and mechanical SIMPLICITY, not complexity, made for a more-reliable camera that did not become "out of adjustment" so easily, and would basically not need to be CLA'd all the fricking time...

Bronica had the advantage of the 1948-1975 Hassle-blad cameras to look at as a basis for what NOT to do...they avoided a lot of the pitfalls that Victor Hasselblad as a pioneer, did not--he made some big blunders early, and he never rectified them, he stuck with them. SAMSUNG now does what Bronica did...wait,wait,see what works,see what does not work, then step in and *re-engineer the best parts*, and AVOID the problem areas the competition has....that is why SAMSUNG's phones are so good...they were no way even close to first....they copied the best, ditched the rest...and made what many feel is a superior product to the pioneer (APple iPhone)...


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## CCericola (Nov 5, 2012)

Now that I have the Mamiya RB67 I find myself looking at MF equipment more and more for personal use. I only recommend Hasselblads for weddings because that is the only MF camera I was given to use by my employer. Now Derrel has peeked my interest in Bronica. My wallet so hates you right now Derrel


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## Compaq (Nov 5, 2012)

gsgary said:


> anything by Mamiya,Contax,Hassleblad will do V700 or V500 for scanning



Why not V600?


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## unpopular (Nov 5, 2012)

meaghanmalone said:


> So a mamiya 645 vs a contax 645... do you think the price difference is worth it? and if it is worth it do you think it is necessary?



yes. why? Because it's a Contax not a Plastic Fantastic Mamiya.


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## meaghanmalone (Nov 5, 2012)

I've shot weddings for friends with digital


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## Light Guru (Nov 5, 2012)

meaghanmalone said:


> I've shot weddings for friends with digital



Shooting for friends and shooting for paying clients are two VARY different things.


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## meaghanmalone (Nov 5, 2012)

So, which hasselblads do you recommend? I went to the haselblad website and only found DSLR's... no film. :/


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## meaghanmalone (Nov 5, 2012)

Light Guru said:


> meaghanmalone said:
> 
> 
> > I've shot weddings for friends with digital
> ...



I know... I EVENTUALLY want to shoot weddings...but because I know I have that goal I want the camera I buy to be able to handle shooting weddings...which is why I am asking for advice.


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## meaghanmalone (Nov 5, 2012)

Derrel said:


> There was a nifty *35mm panoramic* back for the SQ-series. The LENSES for Bronica SQ has lovely,lovely bokeh rendering! The 50mm PS (Pro Series) and the 65mm PS lenses are very nice lenses, as is the very nice 150mm PS lens.
> 
> The thing about the SQ system is this: they set out to re-make the 120 6x6cm reflex, but without the 1950's complexity and mechanical clunkiness and stupid engineering that plagued the Hassle-blad 500 series...the Hassy needs CLA all the time, the backs go out of whack, because the camera was designed in the old-school European idea of needing cleaning and adjusting and lubing, and depended on a TON of finely-fitted mechanical parts...the Bronica people understood what Nikon learned and Leica never learned...that looser tolerances and SELF-lubricating parts, and mechanical SIMPLICITY, not complexity, made for a more-reliable camera that did not become "out of adjustment" so easily, and would basically not need to be CLA'd all the fricking time...
> 
> Bronica had the advantage of the 1948-1975 Hassle-blad cameras to look at as a basis for what NOT to do...they avoided a lot of the pitfalls that Victor Hasselblad as a pioneer, did not--he made some big blunders early, and he never rectified them, he stuck with them. SAMSUNG now does what Bronica did...wait,wait,see what works,see what does not work, then step in and *re-engineer the best parts*, and AVOID the problem areas the competition has....that is why SAMSUNG's phones are so good...they were no way even close to first....they copied the best, ditched the rest...and made what many feel is a superior product to the pioneer (APple iPhone)...



I love the fact that you know history about cameras as well. I have never even heard of a Bronica...although until I became interested in film I had never heard of many cameras outside of Nikon and Canon.


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## meaghanmalone (Nov 5, 2012)

Derrel said:


> My old wedding camera system is available, affordably these days!!!
> 
> Bronica SQ-AM or SQ-A or SQ-Ai.
> 
> ...



lol you have me sold on wanting a bronica now


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## gsgary (Nov 5, 2012)

If you get one with a metered prism make sure you have spare batteries and you know how to turn it off and camera off or your batteries will be dead very quickly


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## djacobox372 (Nov 5, 2012)

meaghanmalone said:
			
		

> So a mamiya 645 vs a contax 645... do you think the price difference is worth it? and if it is worth it do you think it is necessary?



No the price difference isn't worth it. Mamiya is by far the most bang for your buck.


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## meaghanmalone (Nov 5, 2012)

Okay I'll buy a mamiya 645 pro AND a Bronica SQ


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## compur (Nov 6, 2012)

atta girl!


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## Derrel (Nov 6, 2012)

meaghanmalone said:


> Okay I'll buy a mamiya 645 pro AND a Bronica SQ



There you go! Use the Mamiya for *show*, and the Bronica for *Go!* lol


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## unpopular (Nov 6, 2012)

but the Contax can do BOTH!

Of course. It weighs about as much as both, too. And costs twice as much.

But everyone knows that everyone else on the internet has unlimited funds, right?


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## ghache (Nov 6, 2012)

I use a v500 for scanning, However, i only have 35mm equipement.


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## CCericola (Nov 6, 2012)

B&H has film hasselblads, new and used

Hasselblad 503CW Camera Body (Chrome) 30 10243 B&H Photo Video


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## unpopular (Nov 6, 2012)

ghache said:


> I use a v500 for scanning, However, i only have 35mm equipement.



A scanner will actually do better with larger formats than smaller.


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