Looking for a great wedding photography camera?
This is a tough one. On one hand, you don’t have a big budget if you’re just starting out. On the other hand, clients will expect you to show up with pro gear (and be ready to shoot in dark church interiors). You may also be asked to shoot video!
There’s no such thing as a “cheap” wedding photography kit (without serious compromises).
With that said, here are some great value wedding kits:
Kit #1 (Budget Nikon)
- Nikon D610: 24 megapixel Full Frame sensor, weather resistant, 6 fps, 39 AF points, dual SD card slots, shoots 1080p 30 fps video. $350 used.
- Tamron 24-70mm F2.8 VC G2 lens for Nikon. ($600)
- Nikon AF-S 50mm F1.8 G. ($120)
- Spare batteries and SD cards
Total: $1,200. Believe it or not, this is a cheap wedding kit!
Kit #2 (Nikon)
- 2 x Nikon D750: 24 megapixel APS-C sensor, 6.5 fps, 51 AF points, weather resistant, tilting LCD, dual SD card slots, shoots 1080p 60 fps video. $650 used, so $1,300 for two.
- Tamron SP 24-70mm F2.8 VC G2 ($600)
- Tamron SP 70-200mm F2.8 Di VC USD G2 ($600)
- Nikon AF-S 105mm F2.8 G ED VR Macro ($450) for detail shots (e.g. rings).
- Nikon AF-S 50mm F1.8 G lens ($120) as a backup.
- Godox V860II-N 2.4G TTL flash ($180)
- Spare batteries and SD cards
Total: $3,500.
Kit #3 (Fuji)
- 2 x Fuji X-T3: 26 megapixel APS-C (X-Trans) sensor, 3.69mp EVF, tilting (touchscreen) LCD, 11 fps continuous, 425 AF points, dual card slots, shoots 4K 60 fps video. $750 each (used) x 2 = $1,500.
- Fuji 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR. $800 used.
- Fuji 55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS. $350 used.
- Fuji 18mm F1.4 R LM WR. $700 used.
- Fuji 33mm F1.4 R LM WR. $650 used.
- Godox V860III-F flash. $230 new.
- Spare batteries and memory cards
- Total: $4,500. You may not need all the above lenses, but the lineup above should handle just about any wedding situation.
Kit #4 (Sony)
- 2 x Sony A7 Mark III: 24 megapixel APS-C sensor, 2.36mp EVF, tilting touchscreen LCD, 10 fps continuous shooting, 693 AF points, shoots 4K 30 fps video. $1,300 used x 2 = $2,600.
- Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM Art. $600 used.
- Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM Art. $800 used.
- Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III VXD G2. $600 used.
- Godox V860III-S flash. $230 new.
- Spare batteries and memory cards
- Total: $5,000.
Tip: your goal with weddings should be profitability. Plenty of working wedding photos make magic with just 2 bodies – a 35mm equivalent lens on one and an 85mm on the other. Don’t forget to focus on the business side of things – it will matter more than the gear in the long run.