Using the 70-200 F2.8 Mk ii with the C100 for weddings?

[Mervin Langley]

I have not used my 70-200 at a wedding yet but I am very impressed with it. I plan to use it next weekend and I'm interested in knowing how others are using it. Do you use it for the processional? Do you support it? It would seem this would be a problem for lens changing. For the processional, as an alternative I'm thinking of using the 16-35, F2.8 unless the walk down the aisle is very long.

Interested in any opinions. Thanks.

[Danny O'Neill]

We love ours so much we have 2.

Are you shooting things with just the one camera or multiple? If your on your own then you generally go for a more versatile lens but if you shoot multiple like we do then you can have one on wide and one on the 70-200.

[Mervin Langley]

Thanks Danny. I will be using the EX1r on wide so that may be OK. Do you support your 70-200's or let them hang?

[Dave Partington]

We always mount the camera + 70-200 on the 70-200 foot rather than the camera base, so in this case it's one of two lenses we support by the lens foot and don't let it hang.

We also love the 70-200 f2.8 L IS II, and use it during ceremonies, but typically not for the processional because it's too long. Even 70mm on a full frame camera can be too long in a small church or civil venue, so we'd typically have a wider lens for the processional / recessional and only use the 70-200 during the ceremony itself, the reception and speeches.

[Adrian Tan]

+1. 70-200 is longer than comfortable for most processionals on full frame let alone C100s, assuming you're shooting from top of aisle.

During ceremony proper though -- brilliant lens, especially on super 35mm sensors. Will let you pick out reaction shots in audience and get emotional close ups during vows.

[Danny O'Neill]

We let it hang. It just got in the way using its little foot. Done this for 4 years on the dslrs and zero probs.

[Robert Benda]

Adrian mentions it being a bit long for the processional.

We were thinking having a 70-200mm on the rear camera - during the processional it's pre-focused for the front of the church.

Then the other two cameras would have 24-105mm f/4 (one wide, one medium or tight), then switch over to 70-200mm for vows/rings, then back to 24-105 before the recessional.

[Edward Calabig]

We use 70-200's almost exclusively for the ceremony and speeches.

ALL of the shots in this video during the ceremony and speeches are with 2, 70-200 ii's on 2 C100s. I rented this one but am very very tempted to use it.

Ceremony footage starts at 1:08

Kelsey and Kyle on Vimeo

It's the perfect lens for the bride walking down the aisle and for getting a tight should/head shot during the ceremony.

The only complaint I have is that the lens may be "too" sharp, especially if you're going for that filmic look. I'm contemplating softening the image because it's just too damn sharp haha.

[Mervin Langley]

Thanks for these great comments and ideas! I use the Ninja and I wonder how that affects the ability of the camera to hold the weight of the 70-200.

[Dave Partington]

Originally Posted by Mervin Langley

Thanks for these great comments and ideas! I use the Ninja and I wonder how that affects the ability of the camera to hold the weight of the 70-200.

We tend not to use the Ninja for weddings since the extra weight and balance issues cause more problems that I want to deal with in fast moving situations, however I don't see it effecting how the camera handles holding the 70-200 without support since the lens is leveraged from the front mount and not on (say) the handle, which is the usually place for Ninja mounting.

OTOH, if you're mounting the lens to the tripod using the foot then the lens mount (on the lens) is now supporting both camera and Ninja/batteries, and that would be more of a concern to me.