Wedding Photography Equipment Checklist
One of the most common phrases you hear among photographers is “It’s Not The Camera, It’s The Photographer” However, when photographing once-in-a-lifetime events such as weddings, I believe both the equipment and the photographer should be top notch.
“You don’t make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.” ― Ansel Adams
So, if you are perusing this page, chances are you are jumping into the world of photography and wondering: What equipment do you need for wedding photography? In my opinion, you need at least two professional-grade cameras, fast memory cards, two flashes, and fast lenses ranging from wide angle to telephoto.
I upgrade my set up every year, but here is the list of photography equipment I’m using in 2023 to photograph weddings:
Cameras for Weddings:
- EOS-1D X Mark III DSLR Camera: Definitely my workhorse. I can photograph with this camera rain or shine. 80% of my pictures are taken with it.
- EOS-1D X Mark II DSLR Camera: This is the back-up to my main body. Still an amazing piece of equipment.
- Canon EOS 5D Mark IV: My second photographer’s main camera. This is one of the best DSLR ever made by canon.
- Canon EOS 5D Mark III: This is the back-up to my second photographer’s main camera.
- Leica M11: What can I say, it’s a Leica! Read more about my first impressions using the Leica M11 for weddings.
- Hasselblad Xpan II: I sometimes bring this panoramic film camera for outdoor weddings. You can read more about it here.
- Hasselblad 503CX: I have had this medium format film camera for 15 years now. I rarely use it nowadays but every once in a while I bring it to an event to capture black and white pictures with it. The quality is just unreal.
Photography Lenses for Weddings:
- Canon 24-70 II 2.8 (2)
- Canon 50mm F/1.2L USM (2)
- Canon EF 85mm F/1.2L II USM
- Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM
- Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM II
- Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Macro
- Leica 35 mm Summicron F2
- Hasselblad XPan 90mm F4
- Hasselblad Xpan 45mm F4
- Hasselblad 80mm f/2.8 Planar
Lighting Equipment for Wedding Photography:
- Profoto B1x
- Profoto A1x
- Profoto A1 (2)
- Profoto Air Remote TTL-C
- Profoto OCF Beauty Dish (White, 24")
- Profoto Deep White Umbrella (Large, 51")
Memory Cards For Weddings:
- Lexar Compact Flash 128GB - 1066x (6)
- Lexar CF Express 128GB - 1750MB/s (3)
- Lexar SD Card 128GB - 1667x (2)
