E330 good enough wedding photography?

[coolpix7900]

Hi, wanna check with those experienced guys out there if the E330 is good enough for actual day wedding photography, the day time shoots and the evening dinner shoots? Any accessories to recommend to compliment the E330? Lense, Flashes? Any settings on the E330 to recommend for the shoots?

Thanks!

[mpenza]

The camera is definitely good enough but the person behind it is most important.

[cjtune]

You'll definitely need a good flash... namely the FL-50. Just one paid wedding assignment well done can earn you enough to pay back its cost.

My auto Sunpak 383 is just adequate in terms of Guide Number when used in a banquet hall but I need to bracket shots to get proper exposure and having to do this adds time to the post-processing of photos or I can miss those fleeting precious moments. TTL flash afforded by the FL-50 and some Metz flashes should be much better.

I take candid wedding photos for fun, and I'm not a working photographic professional.

[Teo]

11-22 lens is very good lens for such occasion....you'll never regret to bring along.

[cire07]

Just out of curiousity, the 11-22mm lens is good becos it has a "wide FOV" is it?

Like... Can squeeze more pple into the frame?

Especially those Table-to-Table shots where there is ard 10 guest + wedding couple type of group photo?

[microcosm]

The E-330 and a quality lens like 14-54mm is the best combination for wedding photography. The 11-22 is hard to use because of perspective distortion. If you have people at the edges, they will look stretched. This might cost you (as in, the couple might reject payment), so be careful.

But then again, in the hands of someone who is skillful with handling the perspective distortion, the 11-22mm is a better lens to use in a garden wedding as it includes more of the background in the image. If you do not have time to play with the 11-22mm for weeks before the assignment, my advise is for you to use the safer 14-54mm lens instead. The longer end of the zoom is very useful for portraiture.

[coolpix7900]

Originally Posted by microcosm The E-330 and a quality lens like 14-54mm is the best combination for wedding photography. The 11-22 is hard to use because of perspective distortion. If you have people at the edges, they will look stretched. This might cost you (as in, the couple might reject payment), so be careful. But then again, in the hands of someone who is skillful with handling the perspective distortion, the 11-22mm is a better lens to use in a garden wedding as it includes more of the background in the image. If you do not have time to play with the 11-22mm for weeks before the assignment, my advise is for you to use the safer 14-54mm lens instead. The longer end of the zoom is very useful for portraiture.

Hi, thanks for all the inputs guys, I'm new and hope to learn more. Is there a way we can correct the perspective distortion if we use the 11-22mm?

[drakon09]

Perspective distortion is a phenomena for all wide angle lenses; widen the angle even further and you'll get a fish-eye effect.

I'm not sure about software correction (never needed to do it before), but all you need to do to avoid it is to keep your subjects in the group off the edges if wider than 14mm.

Also, being on the same plane as your subject helps as well; being above or below them might exacerbate the distortion effect.

Now with all that said, I actually like the distortion effect with portraits. It makes my dogs and cats look all the more cuter!

As for indoor wedding activities such as banquets, I have to agree with microcosm on the 14-54mm. After all, is there ever a creative way to take a group photo at a banquet table?

[harrynkl]

Originally Posted by mpenza The camera is definitely good enough but the person behind it is most important.

agreed to it

[microcosm]

Originally Posted by coolpix7900 Hi, thanks for all the inputs guys, I'm new and hope to learn more. Is there a way we can correct the perspective distortion if we use the 11-22mm?

Unfortunately, no. I have spoken to a few photogs who have taken event assignments for the first time and thinking that wider means more coverage area, and bought ultra wide zooms for their assignments and ending up :

1. Not getting paid.
2. Got scolded for not producing useable pictures.
3. Got their reputation canned.

... and in one case, the photog was so demoralised that he sold his camera system and gave up shooting altogether. This is so sad to see.

Understand that when you place a human subject to the edge of these ultra wides, its game over. Moreover, you will have no time/ not enough time to do perspective correction on every image when you are covering an event. The time needed to save the picture in post work is not worth the money that you are getting from the assignment. You are basically running at a loss.

If you break up a 4:3 frame into a 4 x 4 grid, the safest area to place a human subject when using a 11-22mm would the centre 4 grids and outside this "safety zone", you are asking for trouble. Also, if you shoot a subject too close and from any elevated angle past 30 degrees, you are either getting "elephant legged giants" or "matchstick men". (Think those cute Big Head doggie pics). I don't think that is flattery to the wedding couple or for their guests. And some people just don't need these comedic images for the wedding book.

But feel free to go down to any Olympus Centres and borrow their 11-22mm and play around with it. Bring your camera along, and try shooting with it and see the results for yourself. It is better that you understand how the lens behave and not take an assignment and put your reputation at risk by using a lens that you are not familiar with.

Also, with wedding, since most of the stuff is shot indoors with flash, your kit lens might be suffice, and instead, invest your money into a good flash unit like FL-50 with an external battery pack (for faster recycling time) and a sweet diffuser like a Flip or LSPJ. Controlling light will give you much better results than investing in the lens. Whether you know it or not, the kit lens on an Olympus system is of a grade unheard of among "kit lenses" and they are no push over and they are known to produce some really beautiful images.

BTW, if you are not aware, even the respected 14-54mm High Grade zoom is the kit lens for the E-1 camera. Countless images produced by this lens have graced magazines covers and pages.

Hope this helps.

Rule of thumb. If this is a paid assignment or an event that means a lot to someone, don't use it as a testing ground for photography unless you are not the official photographer. If you are taking any assignments, then please, for goodness sake, only use gears that you are very very familiar with. You have other things to think about when covering events.

[drakon09]

Which is why wedding banquet shoots are a real pain.

Did it once as a backup for a friend.

Not fun, at all.

[microcosm]

Originally Posted by drakon09 Which is why wedding banquet shoots are a real pain. Did it once as a backup for a friend. Not fun, at all.

In fact, all events are not fun unless you have the passion of a photojournalist. Actual shooting only makes up 30% of what it takes to get a good picture. People skills are like ... 50%!?? the other 20% is to worry about logistics and other "unforseen circumstances".

Ok, I have left out "luck"... being at the right place at the right time...

[cire07]

Originally Posted by microcosm But feel free to go down to any Olympus Centres and borrow their 11-22mm and play around with it. Bring your camera along, and try shooting with it and see the results for yourself. It is better that you understand how the lens behave and not take an assignment and put your reputation at risk by using a lens that you are not familiar with.

We can actually bring our cameras down to Olympus Centre and ask to test/"play around" with the various Zuiko lenses???

[microcosm]

Originally Posted by cire07 We can actually bring our cameras down to Olympus Centre and ask to test/"play around" with the various Zuiko lenses???

Yes, that is their sole function for us Oly shooters. That was how they got me to part with my dough...

[cire07]

Originally Posted by microcosm Yes, that is their sole function for us Oly shooters. That was how they got me to part with my dough...

And this courtesy should be extended by the SINGAPORE Oly Centre as well?

Pardon me, i'm jus surprised that such services do exist...

[coolpix7900]

Originally Posted by microcosm In fact, all events are not fun unless you have the passion of a photojournalist. Actual shooting only makes up 30% of what it takes to get a good picture. People skills are like ... 50%!?? the other 20% is to worry about logistics and other "unforseen circumstances". Ok, I have left out "luck"... being at the right place at the right time...

Thanks microcosm for all the advice given. A good read and you enlightened me a lot...

[microcosm]

You guys are most welcome. Glad that I am of help.

[Teo]

Not to have a mis-conceptions where 11-22mm, you must always shoot at the widest 11mm. Typical shooting range using this lens is 13-22mm there about. The extra 2mm (at 11mm) is very handy if you are handling groups in a tight 3-rm HDB flat.

Of course when you are shooting wide, just be careful of your angle of perspective to prevent unnecessary distortion (as mentioned by microcosm). In fact the 14-54mm is good enough to cover most wedding situations.

By the way, what is your current set-up?

[coolpix7900]

Originally Posted by Teo Not to have a mis-conceptions where 11-22mm, you must always shoot at the widest 11mm. Typical shooting range using this lens is 13-22mm there about. The extra 2mm (at 11mm) is very handy if you are handling groups in a tight 3-rm HDB flat. Of course when you are shooting wide, just be careful of your angle of perspective to prevent unnecessary distortion (as mentioned by microcosm). In fact the 14-54mm is good enough to cover most wedding situations. By the way, what is your current set-up?

I have the E330, 11-22mm, 14-45mm, 40-150mm and 50mm macro, FL-36 flash. I'm not a pro in this and thought I can do something with what I own. A friend want me as a backup for her wedding so I thought maybe I can get some advice from here with the Oly users. Seldom see Oly camera used in weddings so I thought most people will prefer N or C cameras.

Thanks!

[mpenza]

if you're the backup, you won't want to get the same exact shots as the main (no point) and you won't want to be in the way of the main who's paid to do the job. 14-45 would cover most of your needs and I guess you could bring along the 40-150 or 50mm for interesting close-up shots.