Even if you’ve only dabbled in photography, it’ll come as no surprise to hear that equipment costs are the single highest expense for wedding photographers. Often requiring multiple cameras, an arsenal of lenses, spare batteries, filters, and countless other gear, there’s no limit to the tools used to capture precious moments on the big day.
Whether you’re just starting out in your wedding photography career, or have years of experience behind you, these costs can be daunting. At best, they’ll prevent you from expressing your full creative potential. At worst, they might stop you from diving into the world of wedding photography in the first place. Luckily though, MPB is here to help.
The largest global platform to buy, sell, and trade used photography and videography kit, MPB is a major destination for beginners, amateurs, and professionals to buy and sell used equipment. Offering everything from cameras and lenses, to audio equipment, grips, accessories, and more, it provides industry-leading prices for both buyers and sellers, ensuring everyone gets the best deal possible.
With a team of experts to check over everything, both buyers and sellers can rest assured that they’ll be getting the best deal possible. From seasoned wedding photographers looking to upgrade their gear, to fresh-faced newcomers just getting started, MPB is the perfect place to grab quality equipment. Here’s a sample of some of the gear that’s on offer…
As important as lenses are, they’ll do you no good without anything to attach them to. Naturally, full-frame DSLRs are the way to go for those looking for the sharpest, most detailed images. The reliable Canon EOS 5D Mark II or Nikon D750 are great places to start for those on a sub-£1,000 budget.
If you fancy a megapixel bump though, you can fork out around £700-£1,500 for higher-resolution offerings, like the excellent Nikon D810 or D850. Canon fans can also opt for the EOS 5DS R — especially if they’ve got plenty of Canon glass in their lens collection already.
If the thought of lugging around one or more bulky DLSR units is offputting, then you can always opt for a more compact full-frame mirrorless camera like the Canon EOS R5, Nikon Z6 II, Z7 or Sony Alpha A7R IV. Just be aware that their smaller size comes at a cost, which can range between £1,500-£3,000 for the models mentioned. Still, considering you’ll be on your feet snapping away for hours on end, that compact size will pay dividends in the long run. And given their mirrorless nature, they’ll be quieter too, which is another bonus during ceremonies.
Oh, and if you want to go even smaller, there’s always the option of devices like Fujifilm’s XT-5 or XT-4 — a pair of superb cropped-frame mirrorless cameras that are small, light, and pack a mighty punch that belies their comparatively smaller stature.
Once you’ve got your camera sorted, you’ll want to ensure you’ve got a solid selection of lenses that can cover any situation. In the case of a wedding, you’ll want to cover practically all bases, from standard lenses and wide-angle lenses, to telephoto zoom offerings for getting candid shots without being too intrusive.
First up, you’ll want to ensure that your kit bag packs in a solid portrait prime lens. These don’t have any zoom capabilities, but that’s okay. Their one job is to provide beautifully crisp, detailed portrait shots from a close distance, resulting in those highly sought-after blurred bokeh backgrounds. The Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM ART (Canon or Nikon) will serve you incredibly well, while the Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM and Fujifilm XF 50mm f/1.0 R WR are also worth highlighting.
You’ll also want a solid 16-35mm wide-angle zoom lens to capture wider shots of things like the crowd and venue. Canon’s EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L II USM (EF) is an excellent choice for Canon users, but if you want to go seriously wide, something like the Fujifilm XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR will be near-unmatched in its capability to capture practically anything in sight. Just be wary of potentially correcting any edge distortion in the editing process if you go for a lens that wide.
Standard zoom lenses like the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM ART (Canon, Nikon or Sony mount) will let you comfortably get a little closer to the action without intruding too much, but you’ll want a beefy 70-200m telephoto lens like the Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 (Canon or Nikon mount) to really dive into important moments from afar, without distracting from the ceremony itself.
While macro lenses might seem an odd choice for a wedding photographer’s kit bag, they make sense once you start thinking about detailed shots, like those of the wedding rings. There are plenty of reliable choices on offer, like the Tokina atx-i 100mm f/2.8 FF Macro - Nikon Fit, and Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS.
Finally, you’ll also want to think about flashguns like the Canon 470EX-AI Speedlite or Nikon SB-910 Speedlight, to help ensure that you’ve got the best lighting possible in challenging environments.
Wedding videography is also a key part of capturing memories on a special day. While you can still shoot videos on practically all cameras, if video is your main focus, you’ll want a camera built with it specifically in mind.
The full-frame Sony A7S II, for example, is widely regarded to be one of the best video cameras currently available, with incredible detail, even in dimmer lighting situations. The Panasonic Lumix S5 II and Canon EOS R5 are also absolutely worth considering.
Pair these with lenses like the Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS, Panasonic Lumix S 24-105mm f/4 Macro OIS, or Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM, and you’ll have all of your video recording bases covered.
Well. Almost. You’ll also want to make sure you’ve got a solid microphone setup, like Rode’s RodeLink Wireless Filmmaker Kit, or VideoMic Pro. And, if you’ve got the scope, a drone like the DJI RS 2 Pro Combo (for fantastic stabilisation) or DJI Mavic 2 (for incredible aerial shots), can really set your content apart from the competition.
No matter your level of expertise, you’ll find everything you need at MPB, while saving your hard-earned cash in the process. Not only can you get more for your money — users spend an average of a third less compared to buying brand new — but you can also sell your used gear to a new home, funding future upgrades.
With plenty of articles, tips and tricks, blog posts and more, it’s the ultimate destination for wedding photographers, videographers, and creatives alike. Happy shooting.
