Maybe you should be looking at the Pentax K10D, it takes KAF2, KAF and KA mount Pentax lenses..

Brian A...

If you want to share the Pentax lenses, you will need a Pentax body..

Nikon has the best flash system control..

I have not warmed up at all to Canon DSLR's. They produce "sharp" photos but lose too much texture detail for my taste..

For "capturing the light" I like Pentax or the Fuji S5, if you want to spend the bucks...

Sharing the Pentax lenses is not a requirement. I began looking at Nikon because of the reivews on the D200 and my love for my Coolpix 8700 which has taken some better pictures than I've seen on some sites. The plan was to sell my Coolpix and put that money towards the purchase and to use the Pentax as a backup camera or 2nd shooter for me to use and assist...

Does your fiancee do weddings professionally? And is she planning to continue to use her film SLR while you back her up with a DSLR?.

Cheers - BT..

Hii BT,.

She will be using the DSLR and I will back her up on Film but I"m secretly learning to be able to be capable. I would not say she's a pro but she has a very good eye and I would consider her a mid level amatuer who is working toward doing professional weddings. A lot of folks out there don't have the coin to pay 2-5K for a top level pro and right now we're looking to fill that gap and do build a portfolio at the same time. Any help would be appreciated..

Thanks,Rick..

I have not warmed up at all to Canon DSLR's. They produce "sharp"photos but lose too much texture detail for my taste..

Myths amd more myths.... Pretty hard to have "sharp" photos without details whether they are "texured" or not...

Hehe I was thinking (and about to post) the same exact thing:.

How on God's green earth can you have a sharp pic without texture detail? Talk about an oxymoronic statement..

-or-.

What do you mean "it's hard to have "sharp" photos without details"? Don't you smear spackle on your subjects before taking their pic? .

R Valentino wrote:.

I have not warmed up at all to Canon DSLR's. They produce "sharp"photos but lose too much texture detail for my taste..

Myths amd more myths.... Pretty hard to have "sharp" photos withoutdetails whether they are "texured" or not...

Wrote the following for another person who was talking about shooting a wedding..

I realize there are many pros who are wedding phtographers, so ignore this..

Many yrs ago I shot 2 weddings; one for a friend and one for my brother in law. afterwards I made myself a promise that I have kept: NEVER AGAIN..

If you must-.

-do your research. there are plenty of web sites available. find out what scenes EXACTLY to shoot and what to shoot it with. make yourself a list of expected shots and take it with you. make it in order of the shots..

-check out the church and check out the reception hall. this means go to them. can you use flash in the church? ASK the minister without fail before the ceremony starts, preferably when you check out the church. are you supposed to be at the brides home BEFORE everything on wedding day for pictures? which pictures,of who, are they going to be there,who tells them to be there? I was for one of my weddings. my day started at 5:00am and I didn't leave the reception till past 2:00am. it was almost 24hrs on my feet.

At wedding and reception, pop or water only. you will be the soberest one there. your job is to produce pictures nothing else. what shots are needed at every place? of who are the shots at everyplace needed? where are these people? you are going to tell/ask anyone that you need after the ceremony to remain? if you do not ask them, who is?.

-get a external flash, as big as you can buy. also brackets,cables, more batteries(if flash takes extra), any other needed accesories. you do have more than one camera battery, right? and charger? do you need a12volt charger as well???.

-again. read. research so you know everything about taking wedding pics.-after reading. do you need any more lenses? what kind, what size, what fstop?.

- memory cards. do you have enough gb? if no, buy major brands only. do not take a chance on any great deals on memory cards. if you have el chepo cards do not use them, replace them. in all respects this is when you go with the best and most dependable equipment you can find..

- consider a backup dslr. if you do not have one-buy, rent, borrow..

-you mentioned setting up your tripod and taking many pics with it. do you absolutely have permision of the priest/vicar to use a tripod at that location. do not assume. also the same question about flash in the church..

-find some way to talk the couple into using a wedding pro. this couple may not be your friends AFTER the wedding..

Try this web site-.

[URL is in our block list, either at the request of the site or due to spam]...ing-photo-tips-for-amateurs.html.

Also try this. it is a pdf file, 79 pages.http://www.aljacobs.com/NEW%20WEDDING.pdf.

You should read the following web site. very interesting.http://tips.romanzolin.com/articles/article006.php.

Where do wedding photographers learn their trade???.

By being an assistant to a PRO wedding photographer. do it without fee if you have to but get the experience..

- and very lastly. THE VERY VERY BEST OF LUCK. you will need it..

Gary.

Another reply-.

At the wedding I was refering to I was in the house with the brides and all the bridesmaids at 7:40am, haveing arrived 10min earlier. at the reception I was shooting till about 2am when the bride/groom finally left. that ended up at just under 18hrs shooting. when I did this it was with film, not digital..

Though I have been asked, the one thing I learned was never again. the 2 weddings were done gratis, no fee, that was the wedding present..

If you want to do more weddings I suggest glen johnson's book "digital wedding photography". not cheap, but well worth it. I have not read it all the way yet, but my conclusion is anybody who reads the book will never do a wedding. he simply tells what you have to do to photograph a wedding...

Canoneyesed wrote:.

Hehe I was thinking (and about to post) the same exact thing:.

How on God's green earth can you have a sharp pic without texturedetail? Talk about an oxymoronic statement..

-or-.

What do you mean "it's hard to have "sharp" photos without details"?Don't you smear spackle on your subjects before taking their pic? .

Yes, but not at weddings. Except once..

Leonard Migliore..

Thanks all the responses so far and thanks for reposting that last msg. It has a lot of good links with great information. It's keeping me reading way to late in the night...LOL.

Rick..

Sharp edged detail is there, since you can add edge contrast. More subtle shading on continual surfaces like skin, flowers and wedding dresses gets wiped out. That is what some refer to as texture. It would be more accurately described as soft edged detail, shading detail... This is why some talk about the famous Canon plastic skin tone...

If you're going into a business with your fiancee and she has Pentax equipment, why are you not considering Pentax gear. Go to a store where you can shoot the camera (if Ritz doesn't carry it, then expand your earch) and see if you like the image rendered on the CCD. Decide for yourself. If the image doesn't work for your needs THEN look into Canon or Nikon and pick the one that renders image you like. Don't get caught up in all the mythology..

One other thing, don't undervalue your services othewise that will become your default price..

(I have a friend who shoots weddings, we have a mutual friend who really wanted him to shoot his wedding. Sadly the photographer friend is out of our mutual friend's price range. The mutual friend moved on to other options and we're all still friends)..

'Nice pen, bet you write good stories with it.'..

Back in 90's, after being an advanced hobbyist for many years, I hooked up with a local Wedding and event photographer. And his advise was to look through his wedding pictures and make a list IN ORDER of the event. and make sure you get those......The Traditional Shots......(no matter what the Bride wants....You Always take the Traditional shots, then what the Bride wants..

I had the Weddings broken up into "Photo Sets".

1) Bride getting ready, and I had all the Bridesmaids and Mother there too.2) Pre-Wedding Posed Group Shots in/at the Church (if available to do)3) Ceremony4) Post Ceremony receiving line and get away5) Post Ceremony Family Posed Shots in Church.

6) Reception (B/G arrive, Toast, Cake cutting, Garter Belt, 1st dance series, candids.....).

May not be a complete list, (it has been over 25 years), But you get the Idea.BTW, Each "Photo Set" has a set of "must get" photo's..

Breaking it up makes it easier to remember to get all pictures you will need for a nice album and story. After a few Weddings, you will know what to get..

Also...Try to have few "Signature" Photo's only you offer. Special set up and PP effects may be needed to pull it off. But think about it, and try to always a few at for each Wedding. This is like a Calling Card image. People see THAT image, and know who the Photographer was..

I used a SLR with 2 Len's, Tokina AT-X 21-35 F/2.8 constant aperture, Canon EF 35-105F/3.5-4.5, I had a Canon 630 EOS. 430ez Flash with Bracket and a TTL cord...

Today, I would use a similar combo (Geared for a Canon XTi, or 1.6x Crop), but add a long zoom 70-200 F/2.8..

I am a member of the Rangefinder Forum, and a photographer used a Leica M6 with 35mm F/2 and a 90mm F/2 for the whole Wedding... I don't recommend a 2 prime lens combo until you are very sure of your talent. Then go for it. It will be a challenge, but, It can be done with excellent results too..

'Well, Good Luck With That' (SpongeBob SquarePants).

Peter .

Image control:Zoom outZoom 100%Zoom inExpand AllOpen in new window.

Enjoy your photography images, even if your wife doesn't ! ;-(http://laurence-photography.com/http://www.pbase.com/peterarbib/Cameras in profile...

Sometimes people invent their own definitions of words, so maybe your definition of "formals" differs from most..

But for most real formals, a 50mm lens on a Nikon D-slr is too long..

It is, however, good for half body and slightly closer portraits, vertically, of individuals, and horizontal half-body two-person shots the bride and groom together, say..

A lot of wedding activity takes place in dim light, so wide apertures, usually bad for shooting at weddings because you lose depth of field, are important for ease of focusing, and for letting you see expressions, so you know when to shoot flash will illuminate the picture, but you need a fast lens (wide aerture) to know when the smile is perfect and it is time to press the button..

A Nikon D-80, a Sigma 18-50 f2.8, and a Nikon 50mm f1.8 would make an excellent starter kit. Add a flash bracket and some diffuser; you could use a Gary Fong Lightsphere, with or without a bracket..

BAK..

Okay I've pretty much made up my mind on what I'm going to get. Thanks for all the input and if you see anything wrong with what I list please let me know..

Nikon D200 Because it seems so solidBattery GripSB800 Flash with a bracketGary Fong Lighsphere- Anyone recommend clear version or the other version??Nikon 50MM F/1.8 prime lensLens #2 18mm-50mm or so yet to be determined-will pull frm suggested list(SigmaNikon 10-200mm Zoom with VR3-2GB CF cards-High speed Lexar.

I think that summs it up. A little epensive but I'll have I for a long time..

Rick..