Friday, April 13, 2018

Sony Diaries #1002: What's in my bag?

I strive to capture spontaneity and candid moments in my wedding photos and it is essential to be  nimble on my feet. Traveling light is important for easy movement and the good health of my back. 
For a typical wedding/event shoot, I take 2 bags (main and backup gear), a monopod, and a light stand. I use the monopod for reception shots with the Tamron 70-200f2.8 and the night stand is for when I use my backup flash as an off-camera flash.
My main gear consists of a Sony a99, Tamron 28-75f2.8, Tamron 70-200f2.8, Konica-Minolta 17-35f2.8-4, Sigma 24f1.8macro, Godox TT685S, 3 spare batteries, 12 rechargeable AA's.
My backup gear starts with a Sony a77II , Minolta 24-85f3.5-4.5, Tamron 70-200f2.8, Sigma 10-20f3.5, Godox TT685S, 2 spare batteries, 8 rechargeable AA's.
The two sets are notable for it's low acquisition cost. The Tamron's are the lowest-priced in their  category but can compete with the OEM in image quality. The Minoltas are the best-kept secret in the full-frame world. Sony Alpha cameras are descended from Minolta and still use the Minolta mount. Minolta lenses are world-renowned for their optical and build quality. Minolta stopped producing lenses 20 over  years ago but these lenses are equal to, if not better, than current lenses. And there's plenty of them still available on Kijiji and Craigslist. The Sigma 24f1.8macro is an anomaly: a fast wide that is also a macro lens. And it's less than $600 new. The Sigma 10-20f3.5 is a crop-sensor lens but it is cheap at $500 and very sharp at f5.6. 
In a pinch, I also have the Sony RX10 as a very capable 2nd backup: a very sharp 24-200f2.8, built-in flash.
                                                                                           

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