Back up camera (Page 6): Just last week, a friend asked me to take some photos at her wedding. It was a second marriage, a small, private affair in her home, and she didn't hire a...

Just Trying To Focus Loc: Jackson County, Michigan

catchlight.. wrote:

I am curious why anyone would need a "back up... (show quote)

Just last week, a friend asked me to take some photos at her wedding. It was a second marriage, a small, private affair in her home, and she didn't hire a professional. I took my Cann 80D with Canon 24-105mm L lens. I also took my Sony A6000 and had a flash attached and the Sigma 19mm f2.8. Just as the bride and groom were pronounced man and wife, I started getting a communications error saying my lens wasn't communicating properly with the 80D. I was EVER so glad that A6000 was right there on the ready. I missed "the kiss", sadly, but was able to pick up from there.

58tr3a

i have had cameras fail on trips. when i have paid 10000 - 15000 for my wife & i and have traveled 10,000 + miles a spare camera is a life saver. Also we are shooting underwater and cameras are specific to their housings, so an exact spare is essential.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Frank W wrote:

I have 4 back up cameras, would have more but the wife can only carry 2 at a time.

Maybe you need a backup wife!

Quantus5

A backup camera is a must I think for event photography. It's that insurance. May never need it, but just in case...

Although, like another poster said -- the backup camera doesn't have to be an expensive camera. There are some amazing low cost cameras out there that would be perfect as a backup like the Sony RX100 series.

Very popular among Sony event photographers is having a full frame camera like the Sony aRII as the main camera, and a Sony a6000 series camera as the backup camera. Very inexpensive backup option as the Sony a6000 is less than $500 and can use Sony FE lenses (just at a different crop factor).

catchlight.. Loc: Wisconsin USA- Halden Norway

jeep_daddy wrote:

If you spent $10,000 to go on a trip on African Safari, and your only DSLR got dropped in the dirt and your lens broke off causing the bayonet to fail, you'd probably be pretty sick the rest of the trip especially since they don't have a camera store you can pop into and buy a new one from.

Again a self prescribed insurance policy for carelessness or the accident prone...not camera failure.

Some give the idea that a back up is mainly for camera "failure". That's my point.

I think a " back up" cell phone makes sence if you consider what it takes to hang on to it...a neck strap for cell phones might be a good idea?

Dalek Loc: Detroit, Miami, Goffstown

If I go out in the wild, D5 main + 600 f4e, D500 80-400 vr backup
If I am in a city, D810 16-35 no backup just extra lens 70-200

Hsch39 Loc: Northbrook, Illinois

My wife and I go on adventure trips together. If you travel to the Amazon, Galapagos, Greenland, Antarctica, Jordan, Israel and so on, you spend a lot of money, and you like to come home with photos. My wife has a bridge camera, but in many locations I don't want to change lenses, so she is using my back up. In the Zion National Park the wind got hold of my tripod and camera. Lens and camera where damaged. Lucky me I had a back up camera and 3 more lenses. I own the Canon Mark IV and the Mark II. They are both great cameras, and I can't tell which camera I used after downloading and viewing them on my monitor.

Marionsho Loc: Kansas

58tr3a wrote:

i have had cameras fail on trips. when i have paid 10000 - 15000 for my wife & i and have traveled 10,000 + miles a spare camera is a life saver. Also we are shooting underwater and cameras are specific to their housings, so an exact spare is essential.

Welcome to the Hog, 58tr3a.

Hsch39 Loc: Northbrook, Illinois

So you are telling me that an iPad or iPhone is a good vacation back up camera. Try to take photos of Bald Eagles, Whale watching and Northern lights in Alaska. Or you go Bird watching in Costa Rica, I don't think iPad or iPhone would be a good back up.

Hsch39 Loc: Northbrook, Illinois

If you think a smart phone is a good enough back camera, you are not much into photography.
The only time I take a photo with my iPhone, is when my wife sends me to the store to pick up an item.
I just want to make sure I picked up the right thing.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

catchlight.. wrote:

I am curious why anyone would need a "back up... (show quote)

YES, we do ...........especially if we are spending/making BIG bucks to get the image !

Hsch39 Loc: Northbrook, Illinois

I went with my wife on a 21 day Antarctica trip ($30,000) with 2 DSLR's and Canon G7+G12. Why would anybody have only 1 camera. We came back with great photos and memories. The point and shoot cameras we used on the way back in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. I didn't want to take a chance with my DSLR's.

David in Dallas Loc: Dallas, Texas, USA

jeep_daddy wrote:

If you spent $10,000 to go on a trip on African Safari, and your only DSLR got dropped in the dirt and your lens broke off causing the bayonet to fail, you'd probably be pretty sick the rest of the trip especially since they don't have a camera store you can pop into and buy a new one from.

As I said, that's why I take a backup.

Quantus5

Hsch39 wrote:

If you think a smart phone is a good enough back camera, you are not much into photography..

The good news is I don't think an event photographer should ever have to resort to a smart phone camera at a wedding.

I've never had a failure at a wedding event, but let's assume both my main and my backup failed at a wedding. Before I resorted (as the ultimate last resort) to my smart phone. I'd just go find an amateur/enthusiast at the wedding with a decent DSLR or MILC camera (which in almost all cases should be very easy). Tell him/her the situation and offer him maybe a 1/3 of the event fee to use his/her camera, and get his/her help as well. He/she would probably be glad to help in your plight and also appreciate hanging with you and learning some stuff as well.

Hypothetical catastrophe averted. Reputation saved. Bride is happy. Win/win.

romanticf16 Loc: Commerce Twp, MI

catchlight.. wrote:

Not very mobile unless you keep everything in the car or are in a studio...4camera bodies?
Looks like most all failures are due to clumsiness and not actual camera failures...
One day shipping to replace and then sell the repaired camera?.. or an insurance policy to cover droppage?

I've never dropped a camera- film or digital. But I've had a lens lock up on a medium format during a wedding- couldn't remove the lens or shoot with it either. I had a 35mm Nikon for back up, but also called a friend with a RB who arrived in time to shoot the posed formals. Either way I would have gotten saleable images. I've also had 3 tried and true flash units fail on one job! Electronics can be unpredictable.