My son has been videoing weddings and is doing well with them. He's been to college and got a degree, filmed for Channel 4 and won an award.

I want to buy him some more audio equipment to mike up the groom, bride, vicar and a set up for the table to record the best man, father speeches.

Can anyone suggest recorders for doing this? He currently uses one dictaphone and mike from Rode but it isn't perfect. Budget of around £1000 for the audio set up.
Sound is very important and can make the video so I don't want to get this part wrong. I think 4 wired recorders with mikes (white for bride, black for groom, vicar and a spare, a field recorder and a wired hand held mike or two for the table speeches, even something for the DJ to record his audio that'll plug into his desk? or is that overkill??)

Thank you for the help in advance. If there's anything else you think can help his business please say so. I am on Chemo at the mo so will reply between hospital visits. Just trying to help him out before I go.

Thank you Matt

What kind camera your son using?. if its a DSLR, they inherently most have very poor audio quality, so no matter how good the preceding audio gear is, the sound will be compromised. If he is using a 'real' video camera with XLR inputs, some of the sound can be recorded directly to the cam. From what I have read and witnessed, many wedding OMB (one-man-band) videographers use at least two wireless mic systems, One mic on the groom and the other mic on the officiant. I would also suggest a DI (direct input) box and some adaptor cables to patch in a DJ, band or house sound's system to pick up the music and other announcements and such. Though some folks just put a mic in close proximity to a PA speaker, which usually 'works'.
I would recommend at least a four-track audio recorder and a decent quality wireless mic system(s). See "the $500 wireless mic and recorder" stickys over on the DVX Audio forum (http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/forumdisplay.php?29-Audio&order=desc).
Others here will hopefully chime in who have more expertise in weddings than I..
I wish you a speedy recovery for the new year.

Wire mics are typically "too hard" to setup for events like weddings. There is too much movement, unpredictability, and lack of setup time to make them work, not to mention guests tripping on cables, especially for a a one man operation.

If he is a professional already into this he may have specific thoughts on what gear he likes, brands, models, etc. It mgth be better to give his a gift certificate taht he can use to buy what he will be most comfortable with, or at least discuss it with him.

Tapping off the DJ's sound is a good idea.

For interviews, guest well wishes, etc, something like a Shure SM58 with a TASCAM DR-10X can give good results.

The main issue with wireless mics is finding models that work well in your locations, considering other wireless spectrum users.

"For interviews, guest well wishes, etc, something like a Shure SM58 with a TASCAM DR-10X can give good results"
For sure, a H/H (handheld) mic is good to have. I would recommend a Omni-directional mic like the EV RE50 TV news reporter's mic. There are usually some on eBay. They are also pretty much indestructible like the '58'.
The Sennheiser MD42 or 46 is a desirable H/H mic as well, but typically are a few more $ than the EV.

He is getting a Canon 1DX Mkii

He currently uses a Sony A7Riii with a Rode shotgun on top for general guest sound etc. He uses a Rode Lav Mike attached to a Zoom H1? that goes into the grooms pocket for the wedding vows. Nothi8ng other than that, nothing for the speeches and top table etc.

I was looking at the Tascam and attaching a SM58 to it for the top table and either more Zoom recordable H1s or as suggested here, a couple of Tascams attached to a Lav for the bride, groom, best man etc, perhaps 4 of them.

In the UK normally the speeches are done at the top table so I was thinking of wired SM58 (2 or 3) hooked up to a field recorder but haven't looked into this yet.

Thanks for the advice, it is greatly appreciated and I will investigate everything.

Much obliged

The SM58 is a great mic for sure, but was primarily designed for close proximity vocals through a sound reinforcement system. For instance, if the subject turns their head whilst speaking, (off axis) the sound would almost totally drop-out with the cardioid '58'. Then there is the 'Proximity Effect' factor (low and low-mid frequencies attenuate as the source-to-mic distance increases). An onmi-directional mic does not have these inherent issues.

Wire mics are typically "too hard" to setup for events like weddings. There is too much movement, unpredictability, and lack of setup time to make them work, not to mention guests tripping on cables, especially for a a one man operation..
Like Don said

One constant with wedding is each one is different. It's best before wedding day discuss how audio will be handled and to contact the person who will be in charge if and how its best to plug into their system. For the reception what is most common in the US the DJ will be tasked with providing sound. That usually means a wireless hand held mic that gets passed around to the people making the toasts. This mic is used for amplification so the best option is to plug a recorder into his sound board. Even in a situation where there are wired table mics you don't want to have to run duplicates.

The other method that is used to record toasts is to wire up all the speakers with lavs into recorders like you do with the groom for the ceremony. The only issue with this is there can often be more people than you have mics for, its time consuming to wire up many people, and they don't like being wired. In addition women with dresses don't have pockets to put the recorders into. All of these recorders need fresh batteries, turned on, recording, proper levels, and mic clipped/taped, and then you need to collect them all.

With all that said lavs provided the best audio and are necessary if there is an issue with the dj sound system. One word of warning while digital audio recorders are great, when you have a lot of them its very easy to make a mistake like forget to hit record or lock them. Unlike a wireless setup you are not monitoring them so you will not know there is a problem until the next day when you are editing.

Hi Matthew,

I am a wedding videographer and photographer in the UK and have been filming weddings for around 35 years for my living, both solo and with my wife.

Firstly, as has been mentioned, weddings in the UK tend to be somewhat different to US ones, with different traditions and procedures. If your son is working solo, then the one thing that is very important, is speed of setup and breakdown, to avoid missing important moments. I have tried various ways of working over the years, ranging from very complex to simple, multi cameras to single. I have settled over the last few years on a working method that is ideal for our own particular requirements. What I don't know is how your Son works, the type of end product he wants and how much coverage he requires and what type of editing software he is using. Also is he filming in HD or 4K?

As an overview of my own modus operandi, I film a documentary style video from morning preps through to evening dances, with the whole ceremony and speeches included as the main product. I also offer a shorter highlights version if required. I always film in 4K, which gives the option of doing pans, zooms and crops at the editing stage whilst still maintaining HD quality. Typically, working solo, I would have a main manned camera on a sturdy but quite lightweight tripod, for quick setup and movement. During the ceremony, I have a second 4K camera which is locked off on a fairly wide angle to give a view from the opposite angle to the main camera, both cameras being behind and to one side of the Vicar/Registrar. The second camera is on a lightweight stand or tripod, with the alternative of a clamp if I can use it. I also have a 3rd 4k camera set up at the other end of the church/ ceremony room for a back view, again on a clamp or lightweight tripod. I also have a couple of 4K gopro type cameras that I can put anywhere if I think there may be any coverage problems with the 3 main cams. If my wife is working with me, she usually uses either the back cam or the 'B' side angle cam. The lightness of the equipment and use of clamps where possible, means that I can break down the cameras in about 3 minutes, usually during the register signing when filming is not allowed.

For audio, the A & B cams both have Rode Video mics for capturing the ambient sound. In just about every ceremony I have ever filmed the vicar/registrar and Bride and Groom are within about 5 feet of each other, so I have found that a portable voice recorder in the Groom's inside pocket, with a stereo Lav mic half way down the jacket, picks up all three very efficiently. If there are readers, I always have a second recorder, either a Zoom H1 or Sony, to capture the readings. I don't use wireless mics because of bad experiences with both dropout and wireless interference in the past, including picking up a taxi transmission right in the middle of the vows! The groom's mic is removed before the walk down the aisle and the rest of the day after the ceremony only really requires one camera until the speeches, where I usually have one camera on the speaker and a second for reactions on a wider angle. For speeches audio, I always use a Zoom or Sony voice recorder on the head table with a boundary mic plugged into it for a much wider pickup. That will also pick up guest responses which are often very funny. If they are using a PA mic, I would put a voice recorder next to a PA speaker as DJ line outputs can give very unpredictable output levels. Also a lot of speakers won't use the mic or hold it too far away, so belt and braces is essential.

I wouldn't entertain any mic such as a Shure SM58 for wedding work, as they are close vocal mics as has been mentioned. The golden rule for wedding audio, is always take care of your own audio and never rely on an audio feed from someone else at a wedding, as usually house PAs and often DJ desks are operated by people who haven't got a clue on audio feeds.

Hope some of the above is helpful.

Roger

Hi Matthew,

I am a wedding videographer and photographer in the UK and have been filming weddings for around 35 years for my living, both solo and with my wife.

Firstly, as has been mentioned, weddings in the UK tend to be somewhat different to US ones, with different traditions and procedures. If your son is working solo, then the one thing that is very important, is speed of setup and breakdown, to avoid missing important moments. I have tried various ways of working over the years, ranging from very complex to simple, multi cameras to single. I have settled over the last few years on a working method that is ideal for our own particular requirements. What I don't know is how your Son works, the type of end product he wants and how much coverage he requires and what type of editing software he is using. Also is he filming in HD or 4K?

As an overview of my own modus operandi, I film a documentary style video from morning preps through to evening dances, with the whole ceremony and speeches included as the main product. I also offer a shorter highlights version if required. I always film in 4K, which gives the option of doing pans, zooms and crops at the editing stage whilst still maintaining HD quality. Typically, working solo, I would have a main manned camera on a sturdy but quite lightweight tripod, for quick setup and movement. During the ceremony, I have a second 4K camera which is locked off on a fairly wide angle to give a view from the opposite angle to the main camera, both cameras being behind and to one side of the Vicar/Registrar. The second camera is on a lightweight stand or tripod, with the alternative of a clamp if I can use it. I also have a 3rd 4k camera set up at the other end of the church/ ceremony room for a back view, again on a clamp or lightweight tripod. I also have a couple of 4K gopro type cameras that I can put anywhere if I think there may be any coverage problems with the 3 main cams. If my wife is working with me, she usually uses either the back cam or the 'B' side angle cam. The lightness of the equipment and use of clamps where possible, means that I can break down the cameras in about 3 minutes, usually during the register signing when filming is not allowed.

For audio, the A & B cams both have Rode Video mics for capturing the ambient sound. In just about every ceremony I have ever filmed the vicar/registrar and Bride and Groom are within about 5 feet of each other, so I have found that a portable voice recorder in the Groom's inside pocket, with a stereo Lav mic half way down the jacket, picks up all three very efficiently. If there are readers, I always have a second recorder, either a Zoom H1 or Sony, to capture the readings. I don't use wireless mics because of bad experiences with both dropout and wireless interference in the past, including picking up a taxi transmission right in the middle of the vows! The groom's mic is removed before the walk down the aisle and the rest of the day after the ceremony only really requires one camera until the speeches, where I usually have one camera on the speaker and a second for reactions on a wider angle. For speeches audio, I always use a Zoom or Sony voice recorder on the head table with a boundary mic plugged into it for a much wider pickup. That will also pick up guest responses which are often very funny. If they are using a PA mic, I would put a voice recorder next to a PA speaker as DJ line outputs can give very unpredictable output levels. Also a lot of speakers won't use the mic or hold it too far away, so belt and braces is essential.

I wouldn't entertain any mic such as a Shure SM58 for wedding work, as they are close vocal mics as has been mentioned. The golden rule for wedding audio, is always take care of your own audio and never rely on an audio feed from someone else at a wedding, as usually house PAs and often DJ desks are operated by people who haven't got a clue on audio feeds.

Hope some of the above is helpful.

Roger

Hi Roger

I will ask him to pop in and talk to you. He's shooting in HD but wants a 1DX for shooting 4k.

Can you give me an idea of the setup you have, both camera and audio? I have a budget and am wondering where it's best spent. He currently uses a Sony A7Rii and a Canon D70 but dislikes the latter. If I can get both camera and audio for him that would be my goal.

Thanks for the detailed post, it really is beyond what I expected and I am extremely grateful that you've taken the time to reply in such detail. It's sincerely appreciated.

Thanks again Matt

Will ask him to pop in I guess my surprise will be blown then though.

I've done one wedding before, but what I did, was instead of using separate audio recording equipment and mics, is I would get the person doing the sound for the wedding already, to record everything. The people are already speaking into microphones when they do the wedding, plus the speaches. So you just get the person handling that audio to record it and give you the recording when they are done.

At least that is what I have done in the one I did. I think that would be better than having a mic and recorder with you that is probably too far away, in comparison to the ones they talk into up close. Would that be an option for him rather than him having additional audio equipment, where you would be recording from further away?

Ryan - please stick to asking inane quesions and don't comment on things you know nothing about.

Matt - listen to Roger, he knows what he's talking about. I've shot just under 400 weddings and my setup is similar.

I mike the groom with a tascam DR-10L (you will have very little luck trying to mike the bride) and have 2 rode's like Roger plus a line out if possible and an ambient mike for readings.

kit includes 2 tascams, sony KD-TX650, 3 Sony ICD-UX533, Rode Go & instamike

again - listen to Roger, I'm in Aus so most weddings are outside.

Oh okay I was just speaking from personal experience, on how I recorded a wedding, thought it could help.

I don't agree with Ryan opinion but no need to be rude. At every wedding I've done it's the videographer job to bring a recorder and the correct adapter needed to plug into their sound board (bring a bag of adapters). I would never rely on someone else making a recording for me.

Most of us can agree that the reception will have someone in charge of providing mics and a sound system for amplification. Their sound board should be your first source. It's prudent to do a sound check for levels (set them conservatively you don't want them clipped since you won't be there to monitor them) and audio quality. If the audio quality is poor it's best to have a backup plan. Anyone who has worked in the business can tell you the value of a backup or secondary source. To what length you go to varies from person to person. One simple backup would be placing a mic near the sound system speaker, the other is actually mic with a lav/recorder each of or the most important speakers. I'm not a fan of setting up duplicate table mics because it will only confuse the speaker which mic to speak into.

Btw, Zoom recently came out with a really cool audio recorder/mixer that can't be clipped it's a little expensive and is a bit over kill for this application but wow!
https://youtu.be/y4oNd1RgGL0

Pete, Anyone wth experience in weddings knows that relying on anyone else to know what they're doing is a vain hope. In my experience it's far better to assume that they don't and prepare accordingly. Assuming there is someone 'in charge' who knows what they're doing is courting disaster.

The majority of DJ's don't know how to supply a line out, venues have no idea how their own sound system works and celebrants (don't get me started) are luckly they can work out how to turn their sub-standard system on.

the 'bag of adaptors' is certainly a good idea - this is what I carry - https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/310409-REG/Comprehensive_AAK_BH1_Audio_Adapter_Kit.html/BI/2855/KBID/3801

I actually carry a small lecturn in the car & a mike stand. I use multiple recorders inc. a line out from the desk. a line out from one of the speakers if they have a through & a recorder/lav on the lecturn.

Basically I assume everyone is out to stuff up my ability to do a good job and I aim to beat them anyway. Cynical? sure but I've been doing this for a long time and that's what experience has taught me.

../relying on anyone else to know what they're doing is a vain hope.
AMEN.

Have back-up for everything.

Example: One reception I worked with a friend (who booked it for both photo and video) was a high end event, except for the low-rent DJ. His mic system for the speeches/toasts was picking up police calls (in Washington, DC, so there were plenty of them). My friend saved the day by providing his backup wireless system for the DJ to use. If wireless is involved know the wireless environment at the venues.

Many recorders, such as the TASCAM DR-10 series, can record a second track at 6 or 12 dB below the main track as a hedge against clipping. Good to have especially if the recorder is unmanned.

Assume every wedding is different, especially the receptions. Some are DIY casual programs, others are organized by a high cost wedding planner. Some have a fixed schedule of events (that is rarely followed) and others just sort of happen. Don't count of the DJ to cue you before evening events. .

Using many cameras and sound recorders provide a good selection to use in the final edit, but they also add to the time required to edit. One has to strike a workable balance. This is driven by what the client is willing to pay..

Many churches have rules, some very strict, as to where and how cameras and videographers can setup. One venue I've worked stuffs the videographer in a closet with the door cracked. Know the rules in advance so you can work within and around them.

Anything that can be knocked over or misaligned by a tipsy guest will be. And small valuable items that are not locked down can walk.

Directional mic proximity effect is real but falls off rapidly in a matter of inches from the source. The ability to isolate from other nearby sources can prove valuable at times. It is a matter of using the right tool for the application and the talent.

Matthew, a few thoughts – from myself as a UK full-time photographer and videographer specialising in weddings for very many years.

In no particular order: The Canon 1DX Mark II has been around for about 4 years. Its successor, the Mark III is due out and extremely expensive. Its overkill for many uses. The pre-owned Mark II still goes for 1k+. They are big – really big! - and heavy and I switched to the 5 series and 6 series (though I still have two old 1-series hanging around gathering dust). Size and weight are all the more important now because pretty soon you need to add a gimbal (not the photo variety but the video variety) so you can shoot steady clips whilst moving around. The heavier the camera and lens the bigger the gimbal required and soon they get too much to hold for more than a few seconds per clip.

The 5D Mark IV and the 6D Mark II both have dual pixel auto-focus; I'm not sure how effective that is for video with the 1DX Mark II, but DPAF is critically important and is brilliant with the 5D-IV and 6D-II. Other manufacturers are making progress on DPAF equivalents but the jury is out on whether they are comparable as yet.

There is now no point in buying new other than from grey market. The 5D-IV and 6D-II can be had for about £1500 and £900 respectively from grey HDEW in London and from EglobalUK in the far east; both suppliers are fine – I've used them multiple times.

The 6D-II is the only one with a fully articulating screen (other than the new mirrorless EOS-R). That is hugely important, not only to have touch menus on the screen but to be able to see and touch the screen from all sorts of awkward angles.

The 6D-II does not do 4k. That does not matter for practical purposes but it may be an issue if prospective customers convince themselves that it does matter. High definition 1920x1080p upscaled on 4k TV's looks great anyway and very few clients will spot any differences especially when most UK weddings are shot in unfavourable lighting anyway e.g. interior ambient lighting too low, interior wall lighting horrible, exterior weather-reliant light to contrasty and quickly variable.

The 5D-IV does do 4K. But the file sizes are gigantic and the aspect ratio more letterbox than 16:9. Your main computer (and backup) must be able to handle 4k files, even more problematic if you are to have more than one camera being edited at the same time in “multi-cam” editing. Can be difficult even if you create smaller proxy files to do the actual editing rather than trying to work with the originals.

If you switch to considering Sony you may overcome some Canon issues but then get several Sony issues instead e.g. dust getting on sensors, difficult to use menus, more expensive lenses, much narrower choice of flash equipment if needed for stills.

Its easier to work with two cameras rather than one, and even easier with three rather than two. This is partly because in the chaos of most weddings you then have more than one viewpoint from which to cut to when editing e.g. ceremonies so you're less likely to be in the “wrong” place or get blocked by guests.

As regards audio always have a Rode Videomic Pro or suchlike on every camera, not necessarily to obtain great audio but as a backup as and when things don't go according to plan. And if anything is to be outside always have a deadcat on the mic to minimise wind rumble. See the centre image in this set of three:
https://www.ashtonlamont.co.uk/videos/images/nes/compilation-01.jpg

that also has the cam on a gimbal – the Zhiyun Crane 2 – with an extra arm and a mini tripod on its base,

Incidentally the 1sst image shows a clamp similar to those Roger mentioned. The 3rd image is an improvised monopod which works great for moving around in confined spaces.

I have three sets of Sennheiser wireless radio systems but I seldom use them, preferring to use standalone audio recorders like the Zoom H1 instead. You can see the Zooms in this set of three. The 1st is a Zoom H1 clamped to a lectern, The 2nd had a Zoom H4n linked to a church's audio deck. The 3rd is a Zoom H1 on a high lighstand near to a church's speaker as a backup. Incidentally most venue staff have no idea how to use decks or even where a deck is located; and often church ones are clamped and locked away to avoid theft.
https://www.ashtonlamont.co.uk/videos/images/nes/compilation-03.jpg

Its much quicker and more practical to simply hide lav mics / recorders etc near to the participants rather than lose precious time setting up the persons. Brides and female civil celebrants chances of agreeing to be wired up – less than zero. Male clergy – unlikely to agree to be wired up especially if they already have their own system on their person.

Here are 3 examples of lavs / H1's hidden near the participants:
https://www.ashtonlamont.co.uk/videos/images/nes/compilation-02.jpg

If you do use Sennheiser or the new Rode wireless system they look like this in use:
https://www.ashtonlamont.co.uk/videos/images/nes/compilation-04.jpg

You then have to attach the receivers to a suitable recorder as in the Zoom H4n on the right in this photo set:
https://www.ashtonlamont.co.uk/videos/images/nes/compilation-06.jpg

The next photo shows a groom and a best man wired up with Sennheisers for speeches:
https://www.ashtonlamont.co.uk/100/140-a/images/103-grims-dyke-hotel-wedding-photography_314-5634-03_sntj.jpg

The lavs are OK in that scenario but they look naff in the extreme during semi-formal portraits etc so be sure to remove them.

Aspen mics work well with the H1's:
https://aspenmics.com/

That company supply belt clips to attach to H1's to enable participants to attach the recorder to a belt rather than going into a pocket. Get L-shaped sockets on the lav wires so that they have less chance of coming adrift. Don't fret about monitoring audio once set up and switched on – you cannot stop a wedding in progress even if you have established that something is wrong!

Often you can get standalone audio recorders sufficiently close to the participants so not to have to put them on the person e.g.
https://www.ashtonlamont.co.uk/100/132-a/images/006-oxford-thames-hotel-wedding-photography_165-8102-02_ajg.jpg

I had one on the gate right next to the two red chairs seen in the centre where most of the action took place, another under each of the two lecterns, and another hidden in the altar. Oh and another out of shot in the rear balcony where the choir performed plus one next to a church loadspeaker as a backup.

This photo shows three H1's in action – one for the groom, one for the father of the bride, and one for the best man. All on the top table. The H1's are sufficiently good quality and are fairly wide but not too wide; that works well with recording the ambience around each participant whereas a lav mic right next to the person's mouth can appear to be too clinical. As others have said hand-held 58-style mics are a very bad idea unless the users are familiar with how to hold them. And in the UK most DJs just show up in the evening and play the dance music, no participation in anything more audio related at all.
https://www.ashtonlamont.co.uk/100/213-a/images/142-sonning-golf-club-reading-wedding-photography_501-5606-04_hmss.jpg

Sometimes you cannot get anywhere near the bride and groom. In this next one I insisted to the groom that his wearing a lav was critical:
https://www.ashtonlamont.co.uk/100/138-a/images/026-all-saints-church-kenton-harrow-wedding-photography_069-7857-06_masl.jpg

Right, I'd better get back to doing some editing :- )

Pete.

there you go - DVInfo at it's best! great information from experienced professionals.

You might also get your son to join up, there is a dedicated sub-forum for weddings and if he spends some time browsing & reading he can learn a huge amount without even asking a question, I know I did when I 1st joined (that was 14 years ago - bloody hell!).

Wow, superb posts, thank so much for posting in such detail. I will get him to pop in when he returns.

Sincerely appreciate the help. Very grateful

Hi Matt,

Apologies for not answering your earlier question re equipment, but we took a few days away.

Although we have a Canon 5d11 and 5d1V for our wedding photography, I would never be happy using either for video. They are both capable of high quality video from a purely technical point of view, but for practical wedding video use, I find them clunky, focus doesn't seem to be up to the fast run and gun work of weddings and the file sizes are just too big. The main reason that DSLR cameras became popular for video work is that film makers were able to get great images from the large sensors compared with the much smaller sensors available a few years ago from medium priced video cams, plus the ability to use low light lenses when needed and different lenses for different circumstances. That's great when you have the time and locations to do that, but unless you are using a crew, changing lenses and maximising a DSLR for weddings is a no go for me.

Having used everything from big shoulder mounted 3 tube eng cams down to GoPros over the years, I have reached a level of solo and two person filming that enables me to work with multi cameras without missing anything. Bear in mind that weddings involve constantly and fast changing scenes and situations both with lighting and location. Aspiring film makers tend to move into weddings to earn some money as a perceived easy option, but often find that the difference in genres is not straight forward. Successful wedding video production is a skill that is developed with experience, some become good at it some don't or become frustrated.

Every wedding videographer's choice of equipment is very personal and mine works perfectly for myself and my wife, whereas Peter works very differently and comes from a photographic background with a wide range of DSLR lenses and cameras available. It works for him, so is right for him.

I have received a bit of stick here in the past for my choice of equipment, although I have noticed many others now using a not so different approach. For a typical wedding, I have 3 Panasonic FZ1000 cameras, which are very fast and easy to use, but still have manual overrides when required. I find the automatics are very good and use them as much as possible to avoid missing quick events that can happen in seconds. The purists may frown at the idea of automatic settings, but if they work well I use them. The only drawbacks I find with the Pannys is the 29min maximum continuous filming limit, the focus variations that sometimes happen when zooming and the lack of a slow zoom. The time limit is rarely a problem as I can cover the 2 second stop and start with a different angle camera. That is rare though apart from a long church service or speechesI avoid zooms anyway unless completely neccesary and it is only the initial start that has the problem. I also have an app to remotely control the Pannys if needed for locked off shots. The lens on the cams is 24-400mm, f2.8-4.0, so no lens change is needed which is a great time saver. For darker venues in the evening, I just use a LED light on the camera which tends to be only needed in very low light. The Pannys also have a Rode video mic on each, with a dead cat fluffy wind absorber rather than the supplied foam break. I also love the fully rotatable LED screen on the camera, which allows me to take low level and high level shots whilst still seeing the screen clearly. I have been using the same cameras since they first came out about 6 years ago with zero problems and still highly rate the colour rendition, picture clarity and the battery life.

I also carry a Panasonic HC-VX870 which is a 4K handycam with no recording time limit. Very lightweight and easy to clamp or put on a lightweight stand. I even clamp it on the main tripod occasionally with the main cam if space is really tight. I also always take a couple of Yi 4K GoPro clones which I have used reliably for about 3 years. They will run for an hour continuously, can be remotely controlled from my phone and can be put anywhere discreetly. I carry a couple of suction pad mounts for glass surfaces, and various mini tripods, clamps and mounts. I even sometimes just rest them on something. They saved the day recently at a wedding where there was absolutely no room to stand the registrar side of the couple. I mounted the two Yi cams on a mirror on the wall and on a lightweight stand. Zooms and pans were done at the editing stage and mixed in with back shots from the main cam. The couple couple were absolutely delighted. The Yis also work well for quick walk around shots on a Zhiyun hand held mini crane, which can also be mounted on a stand and remote controlled for pan and tilt with a remote. I have used it before for following the couple as they walk past down the aisle.

Audio is recorded of course on all cams through the Rode mics as a backup and ambient, but the main audio on a Zoom H1 or Sony ICD-PX333s of which I have 3 with lavs. All have been totally reliable for several years. I NEVER rely on venue, church or DJ audio outputs, although I may record them as a backup. Unlike US weddings, there is rarely anyone who has a clue on how to set up a PA system. At my last wedding on Jan 2nd, the top table used the house PA system until the mic battery ran out after about 6 minutes, with no replacement available! Although I also have 2 portable wireless mic systems available, I never use them at weddings because they take longer to set up and can have drop out and interference problems.

As I said, purely my own preferences to enable me to work quickly and efficiently. Finally, we were exhibiting at a wedding show yesterday and several visitors and one other videographer remarked on the high quality of our video, that justifies that both the equipment we are using and the way we work is successful for us.

Roger

"Unlike US weddings, there is rarely anyone who has a clue on how to set up a PA system"
I do not do any wedding work, but most of hotel ballrooms and other 'event' venues I've encountered are staffed by idiots. Even the midtown hotels in Manhattan.

there you go - DVInfo at it's best! .

I second that, thanks for all the info everyone.

Yeah but now there’s no weddings. :-p

Yeah but now there’s no weddings. :-p

Scary how all our lives changed so dramatically in just a couple of weeks.

Roger