M9 saves the Wedding

[Denton]

Hi Folks,

I shot a wedding for hire yesterday in a park. I had gathered my Canon 5D, 70-200 and 24-105 as main lenses. I also pack two 580EXII speedlights for after hours receptions and fill flash during full sun as this wedding was at 2:30 EST and it was Hot!

I was using the 70-200 as the bride was almost ready to walk into the open amphitheater to meet the groom when my 5D threw it's mirror! I handed my assistant the bad camera and lenses and she said, "now what are you going to do?" I had my M9 in the Domke F2 I also carry on my shoulder but it had a Color Skopar 35mm f2.5 lens on it and I didn't want to shoot a processional with 35mm. I traded the Skopar for my ONLY other rangefinder lens, the 75mm Heliar classic and got the shots off, focusing madly as the Bride, Mom and Dad came down the path. The happy couple were standing with their backs to full sunlight so I had to expose for the shadows at ISO 200 and 1/200 about f8. The sun became too much for the groom and the wonderful woman pastor moved the couple into some shade just to their right. Good break for me, the light in the shadow was just what I needed for lower contrast and f5.6. I shot the rest of the ceremony with that 75mm Heliar and followed the group shots with the 35mm Skopar. We also did some marvelous beach shots with the Heliar and a homemade portable scrim I've invented. Later that night at the reception I could not use the 580's so I pulled out the old Vivitar 285 and slapped it on the M9.

So how did the images compare? I'm very happy with them. I certainlly did miss the spotmeter on the 5D as I find this is the best way to assure proper exposure, metering on the face and using back button for focus. But, I usually meter all posed shots with a incident meter anyway. I do find metering candids is better done by setting the camera manually and switching between memorized sun and shade settings. Another issue is the parallax of the 75mm so that I had to occassionally reshoot after chimping. I did not have my 75mm finder in the bag, unfortunately. Since I did not have my 580's for fill light, I posed the groups with the sun at their backs and used two large white reflectors laid out on the ground in front of them for fill light, probably 10x3 feet of white reflective fill.

So why didn't I have another 5D in the bag? I had sold my 5DMII and several L lenses to get the M9!

Cheers,
Denton

[Ronald M]

Anyone who does paid work without two sets of equipment complete down to batteries and sync cords is not professional. And at an event that can not be redone is even worse.

[Denton]

Anyone who does paid work without two sets of equipment complete down to batteries and sync cords is not professional. And at an event that can not be redone is even worse.

Thank you for your words of wisdom. I've sold my Canon equipment because I'm getting out of the professional photography business. I've got a much better gig. This is my last PAID wedding, however, I hope to shoot more for my own pleasure. Backup is always essential, but it need not duplicate the preferred kit if the photographer is experience in other gear. I often have a tertiary backup with film, which can provide it's own unique advantages.

Did you peek in my bag and see everything that was in there?

Denton

[buzzardkid]

Hi Folks,

I shot a wedding for hire yesterday in a park. I had gathered my Canon 5D, 70-200 and 24-105 as main lenses. I also pack two 580EXII speedlights for after hours receptions and fill flash during full sun as this wedding was at 2:30 EST and it was Hot!

I was using the 70-200 as the bride was almost ready to walk into the open amphitheater to meet the groom when my 5D threw it's mirror! I handed my assistant the bad camera and lenses and she said, "now what are you going to do?" I had my M9 in the Domke F2 I also carry on my shoulder but it had a Color Skopar 35mm f2.5 lens on it and I didn't want to shoot a processional with 35mm. I traded the Skopar for my ONLY other rangefinder lens, the 75mm Heliar classic and got the shots off, focusing madly as the Bride, Mom and Dad came down the path. The happy couple were standing with their backs to full sunlight so I had to expose for the shadows at ISO 200 and 1/200 about f8. The sun became too much for the groom and the wonderful woman pastor moved the couple into some shade just to their right. Good break for me, the light in the shadow was just what I needed for lower contrast and f5.6. I shot the rest of the ceremony with that 75mm Heliar and followed the group shots with the 35mm Skopar. We also did some marvelous beach shots with the Heliar and a homemade portable scrim I've invented. Later that night at the reception I could not use the 580's so I pulled out the old Vivitar 285 and slapped it on the M9.

So how did the images compare? I'm very happy with them. I certainlly did miss the spotmeter on the 5D as I find this is the best way to assure proper exposure, metering on the face and using back button for focus. But, I usually meter all posed shots with a incident meter anyway. I do find metering candids is better done by setting the camera manually and switching between memorized sun and shade settings. Another issue is the parallax of the 75mm so that I had to occassionally reshoot after chimping. I did not have my 75mm finder in the bag, unfortunately. Since I did not have my 580's for fill light, I posed the groups with the sun at their backs and used two large white reflectors laid out on the ground in front of them for fill light, probably 10x3 feet of white reflective fill.

So why didn't I have another 5D in the bag? I had sold my 5DMII and several L lenses to get the M9!

Cheers,
Denton

Betcha you didn't expect to push it into full service at such short notice then! Good to read that it held its own and you got the job done.

[Roger Hicks]

Anyone who does paid work without two sets of equipment complete down to batteries and sync cords is not professional. And at an event that can not be redone is even worse.

Ummm.... He had two sets of equipment.

What sort of professional work do you do? 'Cos I certainly don't have 2x 10x8 iinch cameras, or two Strobe 5000 packs, and nor did the advertising studio I worked in during the 70s.

Cheers,

R.

[Thardy]

Good thing you had the bag on your shoulder.

[Nokton48]

Good thing it worked out for him. I would never want to deal with an unhappy Bride and Groom. Or especially, their immediate family.

I happen to have two 8x10 Sinar Normas, and two Broncolor 6000ws Power Packs.

I do all sorts of work.

[nobbylon]

If I was doing weddings I'd always have a back up with same lens mount.
Sod's law dictated that Denton had sold his other Canon! At least he got the job done.
I usually have 2 Nikon's in my bag with an LX3 for back up!

[Pickett Wilson]

Glad the M9 saved the wedding. Now, if M9's could just save the marriages, Leica would would make a fortune! ;)

[tbarker13]

I certainly believe in back-up gear. But I don't see where it is critical to have two entirely different sets of equipment. Merely having enough backup gear in one set-up should be quite adequate.

I'd never shoot a wedding without at least two bodies, a pair of flashes and enough lenses that if one gets broken - I'd have another that could essentially take its place. (That's one of the reasons I'm not a huge fan of zoom lenses)

[tlitody]

Glad the M9 saved the wedding. Now, if M9's could just save the marriages, Leica would would make a fortune! ;)

Well I guess that's one benefit of digital. You can get the images images to the happy couple before the wedding is even consummated :D

[kkdanamatt]

A few years ago I was hired to shoot a wedding and was driving down the NJ Turnpike to the church. I was a bit late and the traffic was heavy, so I unzipped the camera bag on the passenger's seat, reached in to grab one of my three Canons so I could load the film before I arrived. While I was holding the camera and driving at the same time,
the car in front of me stopped short (to this day I don't know why) and I stood on the brake to avoid a collision.
The bag thrust forward into the passenger's footwell and both Canon's were smashed and jammed.
I shot the entire wedding with only one body and no backup. I sweated so much that I think I lost ten pounds that day. Never again!

[sevres_babylone]

Glad the M9 saved the wedding. Now, if M9's could just save the marriages, Leica would would make a fortune! ;)

Would cut into repeat business though:)

[__hh]

"So why didn't I have another 5D in the bag? I had sold my 5DMII and several L lenses to get the M9!"

In this situation, I would have thought that the M9 nearly ruined the wedding :)

[Traut]

I would have rented or borrowed a similar body as it was a paid WEDDING. All I know is you lucked out.

[willie_901]

A back up is a back up.

You made the images you needed to make. That's one thing pros do. They get the photos their clients ned no matter what.

[tlitody]

if you have equipment with you and know how to use it, I don't think it matters that the backup camera is a different system. That's the difference between a pro and an amateur.
From what the original poster has said, it seems like he did a good job and saved the day because he knew what he was doing and how to use his equipment.
Plenty people use rangefinders for weddings so what's the problem.

[Roger Hicks]

A back up is a back up.

You made the images you needed to make. That's one thing pros do. They get the photos their clients need no matter what.

That's my feeling. Where was the luck?

Cheers,

R.

[Denton]

if you have equipment with you and know how to use it, I don't think it matters that the backup camera is a different system. That's the difference between a pro and an amateur.
From what the original poster has said, it seems like he did a good job and saved the day because he knew what he was doing and how to use his equipment.
Plenty people use rangefinders for weddings so what's the problem.

I do believe I could pick up a fully manual camera like the Leica and get the shot faster than I could confirm that a backup Canon was properly configured. Yes, I could have an exactly configured Canon in my bag, but I like to shoot with two cameras with different lenses.

The point I'd hoped I'd make was that two rangefinder lenses are more than "adequate"!

Oh, and there was a tertiary backup, but I choose the Leica!

[Roger Hicks]

Good thing it worked out for him. I would never want to deal with an unhappy Bride and Groom. Or especially, their immediate family.

I happen to have two 8x10 Sinar Normas, and two Broncolor 6000ws Power Packs.

I do all sorts of work.

Have you had them go wrong often? When there was no hope of hiring or borrowing a replacement?

Cheers,

R.

[Nokton48]

Hi Roger,
I have a massive Norma system, so that's all there is to that. I've never needed a backup for Norma, but it's good to know it's there if I do.

The Broncolor 606 power packs were a package deal, I got two when I bought them, along with a massive Brocolor Hazylight, and lot of extra Broncolor goodies. It's very nice to have 12,000ws in one pop. Good when I need f/64 and need to stop action.

Have you had them go wrong often? When there was no hope of hiring or borrowing a replacement?

Cheers,

R.

[Brian Puccio]

I was assisting a photog I'm friends with locally (basically carry bags, hold reflectors, etc) and on two separate occasions did a 5D lose a mirror. Hooray for backup hardware!

[gavinlg]

All these people saying "where's the backup" - what the m9 isn't a good enough backup for you?
:angel:

Seriously, if I had an 'ultimate' wedding kit it'd probably be a Canon 1d with an m9 as a second body. Screw having two identical bodies - that's just boring.

[hexiplex]

If anything is it not a sound idea to have two systems independent of one another on a shoot? Imagine, the perhaps unlikely scenario of lightning striking twice? You're left stood there with two 5D's who can't help you get the job done. Much better then for the professional photographer to have an entirely different system as a backup, as long as you are just that, a professional, you are confident in your ablility to adapt you shooting style to get what you need to get. And however unintentional this was, and no matter that it was an accident that shouldn't happen to a professional, this was a way for the OP to prove to himself that he can in fact be that adaptable and creative in his work, so in that respect this was a lucky accident, but getting the job done was pure skill.

And thusly, by coping with the situation, the OP has entered into a new form of professionalism, namely, creative professionalism, in the strictest sense of the word that is.

[Snacks]

Lens fails - do I have another lens that can do the same (or at least a reasonable) job?

Body fails - do I have another body that can do the same job? Do I have to carry more lenses?

It seems like the problem was covered. The real questions are whether or not it is sensible to sacrifice simplicity in such a situation, and if anything was really lost photographically by having to use a different system. Without having a second photographer there with the kit that would have been used, we may never know.

[FrankS]

The bottom line is that the pics were delivered. That's all that counts. Bride and groom could not care less how it was done.

[dave lackey]

Congratulations on such professional work getting the shots. A lesser photographer would have missed it and the bride and groom have you to thank! Excellent.:)

BTW, post pics or it didn't happen!:p

[chris91387]

Anyone who does paid work without two sets of equipment complete down to batteries and sync cords is not professional. And at an event that can not be redone is even worse.

quite a bold (if not rude) statement.

however, an "amateur" most likely would not have been able to cope with such problems and be able to think on the fly and still complete the job. a "professional" gets the job done with as little drama as possible so that others dont even realize that there is a problem.

[Jamie123]

All this talk about "that's what a professional does" etc. etc. is pretty ridiculous. Of course you're going to make sure you can deliver images if you're getting paid for it. However, an amateur photographer who's determined to get images of an event might do just the same.

How many items of gear someone doesn't have that much to do with whether they are getting paid or not but with what the requirements are to get images in a certain environment. I've rarely seen a ''back-up'' kit on photo shoots in studios for hire as there often is an in-house rental place where you can get the required items. For a landscape photographer working with high end digital mf gear it might be more economically sound to do a reshoot (if possible) instead of keeping a spare digital back around ''just in case''.

Also, every (and I mean EVERY) professional photographer messes up sometimes and delivers crappy pictures (though most often not due to technical malfunctions). I worked at a photographer's agency for a while and saw first hand that even top name photographers sometimes deliver sub-par images. The important thing is not to mess up too often so word doesn't spread :)

[italy74]

Hem...
after all this talking about M9... are we allowed to see at least ONE image saved by the M9 or are they under secret ? ;)
Joking, of course. Congratulations. I had a similar problem during a wedding on Dec. 31th, 2009 when a tripod fell broken in the church just when I had to use it. I did otherwise. At times it's the positive attitude and the solution you do to exit from troubles that make you grow

p.s. In my case I always have a two set cameras, actually both Nikons, film and digital, which can swap lenses (can't afford a Leica yet)

[Richard G]

Interesting points here. One very critical post, but nothing compared to the scarification that might have been meted out on the wedding forum of another photography site. Where, i might add, I have often seen a pro state that he would happily shoot a whole wedding with just a fast 35. The importance of good flash in wedding photography is one reason to be avoiding the Leica M9 as first reserve.

[dave lackey]

This thread prompted me to revisit this site:

www.riccisvalladares.com/ (http://www.riccisvalladares.com/)

OT with respect to backup tools but very on point as to covering a wedding with a RF.

+1 there!:)

[Mcary]

Interesting points here. One very critical post, but nothing compared to the scarification that might have been meted out on the wedding forum of another photography site. Where, i might add, I have often seen a pro state that he would happily shoot a whole wedding with just a fast 35. The importance of good flash in wedding photography is one reason to be avoiding the Leica M9 as first reserve.

There an article/interview in April 2011 issue of Black+White Photography with http://www.bybrett.com/
Quote from interviews "I now use a Leica M9 and to make it even more minamalist I just use a Noctilux 50mm F/0.95"
"When I started using Leica I was shooting at F4 and after that I bought a 50mm F 2.8 and shot wide open In 2010 I had the oppertunity to shoot with a Nocilux for a year and now I'm shooting a F0.95"

[Denton]

Here are a few images, not retouched. I've been working at my new job all day (2 hour commute each way to New Haven, CT) and this leaves little time to finish this last wedding in the evening. A mix of 75mm CV classic here and 50mm planar at the reception. Group shots, not shown, were done with the 35mm Color skopar which performed very well even at the edges (which is needed for group shots).
Denton

[Denton]

A number were converted to BW...This is the 50mm Planar wide open.

[Haigh]

A good story. Thanks for posting it.

[Roger Hicks]

Interesting points here. One very critical post, but nothing compared to the scarification that might have been meted out on the wedding forum of another photography site. Where, i might add, I have often seen a pro state that he would happily shoot a whole wedding with just a fast 35. The importance of good flash in wedding photography is one reason to be avoiding the Leica M9 as first reserve.
Dear Richard,

Only if you want the usual, formulaic, fill-flash shots. I've never used flash at a wedding, but then, the Happy Couples have always known that one of the conditions of my shooting their wedding is that I do it my way. I'm only talking about half a dozen weddings in my life, ones I couldn't get out of, and I've done them as wedding presents, but I genuinely cannot see why a professional wedding photographer who 'sees' the right way should not be able to shoot a wedding without flash, and quite possibly make a better job of it than many would with flash.

I should add that everyone whose wedding I've shot has been delighted, even though I made it clear that I hate doing it and would much rather they hired someone else: http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/ps%20weddings.html

Cheers,

R.

[Denton]

Dear Richard,

Only if you want the usual, formulaic, fill-flash shots. I've never used flash at a wedding, but then, the Happy Couples have always known that one of the conditions of my shooting their wedding is that I do it my way. I'm only talking about half a dozen weddings in my life, ones I couldn't get out of, and I've done them as wedding presents, but I genuinely cannot see why a professional wedding photographer who 'sees' the right way should not be able to shoot a wedding without flash, and quite possibly make a better job of it than many would with flash.

I should add that everyone whose wedding I've shot has been delighted, even though I made it clear that I hate doing it and would much rather they hired someone else: http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/ps%20weddings.html

Cheers,

R.

Agreed, the style of lighting is the choice of the photographer and her job is to make that style clear to the couple so they will be happy with the images. In the past, I have tended to use bounce flash indoors but I've taken to preferring available light indoors and out and now have become much better at seeing light. This improvement in my seeing has had a profound impact on how I like to shoot. I also very much prefer using the small leica rather than the 5DMII. I don't find the somewhat less sensitivity of the M9 to be a limitation but it does mean I shoot "waiting for the moment" and this also has improved my seeing.

Thanks to ALL the comments!

Denton

[oftheherd]

Interesting points here. One very critical post, but nothing compared to the scarification that might have been meted out on the wedding forum of another photography site. Where, i might add, I have often seen a pro state that he would happily shoot a whole wedding with just a fast 35. The importance of good flash in wedding photography is one reason to be avoiding the Leica M9 as first reserve.

Dear Richard,

Only if you want the usual, formulaic, fill-flash shots. I've never used flash at a wedding, but then, the Happy Couples have always known that one of the conditions of my shooting their wedding is that I do it my way. I'm only talking about half a dozen weddings in my life, ones I couldn't get out of, and I've done them as wedding presents, but I genuinely cannot see why a professional wedding photographer who 'sees' the right way should not be able to shoot a wedding without flash, and quite possibly make a better job of it than many would with flash.

I should add that everyone whose wedding I've shot has been delighted, even though I made it clear that I hate doing it and would much rather they hired someone else: http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/ps%20weddings.html

Cheers,

R.

Have to agree. The few weddings I have shot have been both with and without flash, depending on the lighting. No flash is preferred, but sometimes can't be done without.

As to backup cameras, my wedding was shot with a P&S Olympus, by a lady whose wedding I had shot with my full gear some months before. I could not afford a photographer, and didn't want to burden her with anything complicated. We still have the photos, and to her credit, the ones we display, you wouldn't suspect weren't done by a professional.

BTW Mr. Hicks, another fine module on your site. I hadn't seen it before. Good advice for anyone, as are all your modules. Thanks.

To the OP and the opening of this thread, I took it for what it was. A pro doing his job, and maybe bragging a bit on his M9. But the bottom line as others have suggested; he got the job done. At my daughter's recent wedding, the pro had a problem with his flash very late in the reception. No backup, and he didn't ask me for help (I would have been glad to loan him batteries or a flash). However, he made some very nice and interesting photos with a multiple-led light. Who would have thought? I just supposed he was doing something different for effect. Luckily for him the reception was almost over. But he delived an amazing amount of good photos, as he was paid to do.

[-doomed-]

Canon had a recall for this very problem with the original 5D (not the 5D II).

A few years ago I had this problem with the 5D that was issued to me, Canon repaired it and cleaned the sensor no charge.

It would be worth contacting Canon USA to see if they will still repair the 5D mirror under their recall.

Good that you had the backup, such is the stress of covering an event like a wedding, there are no do overs or even time outs.

I dropped my 5D and wiped out the AF somehow and took to Canon service, they charged a flat fee of $92 to fix the AF issue and performed the Recall and the cleaning for free while they were in there.

[Hutch81]

I'd use an M9 for the whole wedding. You would get shots the 5d would never get.