Which lens should go on a Canon 5D Mark III vs 6D for a small wedding?
Asked 12/9/2014
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I’m photographing a small family wedding and have access to a Canon 5D Mark III, a Canon 6D, and these lenses: EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II, and EF 50mm f/1.2L. The ceremony will be indoors in low light with no flash allowed, and I want to work unobtrusively. Later there will be outdoor and brighter-room candids.
Since I’d rather avoid frequent lens changes, I’m planning to use two bodies. My main question is whether there’s any meaningful reason to pair one lens with one body over the other—for example 5D III + 24-70 and 6D + 70-200, or the reverse—or whether these cameras are similar enough that it mostly doesn’t matter.
Are there any practical criteria I should use when matching these bodies and lenses for this kind of event?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
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As for which lens to use on which body, I do think you are over-thinking it. Both cameras are full frame cameras, and all your lenses are L series lenses. So, with any matchup, you have L lenses on full-frame bodies.
As for which camera/lens combination to use where, I suggest you use the body that performs best in low light for indoor shots. All the lenses you have are pretty fast, so the difference btwn the two full frame bodies may be negligible.
Personally, I think trying to manage 3 different lenses on 2 separate cameras is too much for a fast moving wedding. If you are taking 3 lenses, then that means you are going to try and change lenses on one of the cameras at some point. I suggest you simplify things and put the one 50mm prime on one camera, and the 70-200mm on the other - and call it a day. Those two lenses will provide you with more than enough coverage for the various situations that may pop up.
And don't forget to turn on your "silent shutter" if you intend to be discrete as possible!
Originally by user28422. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user28422
11y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
There’s no major image-quality reason to prefer one pairing over the other. Both the 5D Mark III and 6D are full-frame bodies with very similar high-ISO performance, so with these lenses the body/lens match mostly doesn’t matter.
The one practical difference mentioned is autofocus: the 5D Mark III has more AF points, so it makes sense to put the lens you expect to use most—or the one needing more AF flexibility—on that body. Otherwise, choose based on handling preference.
For the event itself, simplify. Managing three lenses across two bodies at a fast-moving wedding can be too much. A sensible two-camera setup is:
- one body with the 50mm f/1.2 for the low-light ceremony
- one body with the 70-200mm f/2.8 for unobtrusive candids and tighter shots
If you use the 50mm wide open, be careful: stopping down a bit (around f/1.8–f/2.4) can improve keeper rate and sharpness for people shots. Also try to keep shutter speed around 1/125 or faster if subjects are moving, and don’t be afraid to raise ISO in low light.
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