I've not done a wedding yet, but I'd probably take my laptop along for dumping as my 256 and 1 gig cards don't add up to much in shooting raws. I think most of the service and stuff could be jpg, but portraits and the parties should be in raw as those are more likely to be wanted in larger prints. I'm gold that 4-5 gigs is about what you need to not dump with raw shooting.
I have both a 512 and a 256. I usually end up filling up the 512, but (so far) have never filled up both. Still, I feel like you can never have enough ready "just in case".
I have recently seen 2G Compact Flash cards for as little as $240. Right now one of those is at the top of my shopping list!
I shoot bridals in raw because invariably they want large prints of the bridals. Everything else I shoot in jpeg and have never regretted it.
I have both a 512 and a 256. I usually end up filling up the 512, but (so far) have never filled up both. Still, I feel like you can never have enough ready "just in case".
I have recently seen 2G Compact Flash cards for as little as $240. Right now one of those is at the top of my shopping list!
I shoot bridals in raw because invariably they want large prints of the bridals. Everything else I shoot in jpeg and have never regretted it.
what difference in print size would a raw file make... it is the same # of pixels for a raw and jpg image.. the only difference is processed on the computer or in camera..!!??!
I took two 1 gb cards and two 512 cards to the last wedding. I had 3 gig of memory with me and I shot all the pics I could except like 5 in JPG. I think I took 950 shots or so.
How can you possibly shoot a before ceremony, ceremony, formals, reception, and all formalities on 512 or even 1.2 gb? I can't imagine. Maybe I just suck and have to take 3 times the pictures to get the same results. lol I shoot as much as possible ALL day.
I took two 1 gb cards and two 512 cards to the last wedding. I had 3 gig of memory with me and I shot all the pics I could except like 5 in JPG. I think I took 950 shots or so.
How can you possibly shoot a before ceremony, ceremony, formals, reception, and all formalities on 512 or even 1.2 gb? I can't imagine. Maybe I just suck and have to take 3 times the pictures to get the same results. lol I shoot as much as possible ALL day.
I won't carry less than 2 gb for a shoot. No way.
M
I totally agree with Mav.
When I used to shoot weddings as a 2nd photographer for another guy, we would usually shoot an average of 25-30 36-exposure rolls of 35mm for the pre-ceremony, ceremony and reception and another 120 exposures of 6x7 for the formal shots after the ceremony.
I can't imagine properly shooting a wedding without the capacity for 1000+ shots.
I shoot about 10 weddings a year, and I take 3 meg cards. I usually fill up 2 of em.....but I have shot in jpeg for the last 2 years......download them and burn them to cd right away, and I have had nutting but awesome quality from the printer??? I also try to get my white balance right on before I shoot the finals.
I did about 20 weddings this summer (including a 'candle lit' ceremony last night).
I take 4-6 256mb cards and 2 512mb cards. For a normal wedding (6+ hours) I fill them all up. I don't use cards larger than 512mb since it's too risky. To lose that many images for any reason could totally ruin a wedding (and your rep). I've lost up to 150 images and been able to recover..but a gig...dunno 'bout that.
The more practice you have (in my experience with myself and other wedding photographer) the less shots you have to take (to get a high ratio of good to bad shots).
As a secondary, but important, accessory, I carry a PSD (see this thread about them). With a handful of small/medium/large cards, you just rotate them in and out throughout the shoot/day. This is especially useful if shooting in RAW.
For the more serious (err, rich) wedding photographer, a higher end camera (1D/1Ds - not 20D) starts to become important too, where you can swap cards with data still in the buffer (and not lose it), though a backup camera can do the trick just as well I suppose. Wireless tech sending images directly to a laptop (carried by your assistant/backpack) might also alleviate the need for mega memory in hand.
I totally agree with GoldBerry, larger cards just aren't worth the risk. I usually take 2 512mbs & 1 640mb by Delkin. I wish more makers would introduce a 640mb card, it just makes since considering CD-Rs 700mb capacity. My assistant (my wife) takes a filled card (raw format) from me, and while I'm filling the next card she copies the files to our iBook's hard drive then burns two copies of the files to CD. Having three back-ups gives me the confidence to erase & reformat the card before I start shooting on that card again (I reformat every time I put a card in the camera). So far she has never taken long enough for me to use the third card that I take as backup.
How much memory for weddings? I perfer to have no memory of MY wedding. Ohhhh, you mean memory for your camera and photos...(slapping my forhead with palm).....:))
I can't talk specifically about weddings, but for general event photography my advice would be to go beyond 'having enough'.
Until recently I relied on 3 * 256MB cards and an X-Drive (digital wallet whatnot). My X-Drive crapped out during an important magazine shoot, meaning I had to share CF with my business partner. After that incident I went out and bought 3 * 512MB cards, and my business partner bought 2 * 1GB cards.
I now shoot with CF cards and copy to X-Drive during the event - so I take home two copies. When I get home I backup both copies separately at different times, meaning I have two non-identical backups.
I'm excited to see all these talk about wedding photos, because I'm going to open a business around photography and this is going to be part of it. So let ask a few things too.
First I don't see the sise difference of printing a raw or jpg file. As it was said before is the same amout of pixels. But my question around this is one that have already been toutched: Is it worth to shoot in raw for this purpose? Will the common mortal (please read client) nottice the difference?
Second, is it really risky to use large cards, like CF and Microdrives (besides it is in some brands more expensive to have the same memory in only one card than in two)? Is that just a feeling or is it based in any trouble that you have had?
And to finish, have you tried the portable hard disks that you can enpty your cards in to it, like Delkin Picture Pad for example? It costs here in Portugal the same has 2 or 3 CF cards of 1GB and it has 20 GB of disk space. I talk with the dealer that told me it is reliable but it seems a bit fragile to me. Have you used any? Opinnions?
And only one thing more: Do you think I would gain anything in a 8 MP camera like Canon 20D comparing to Nikon 70D that I'm thinking in buying? how big do your prints of a 6 mpixel get? Did you feel the need of the 3 extra mpixel?
