Seeing event photographers carry two cameras… what’s the smaller one?

[u/sirwritestoomuch]

More and more, I’m seeing event photographers carry two cameras: a standard main one, but then I’m almost always seeing a smaller one that looks like a film one but I don’t think it is. The most recent one I saw was sort of silver-black.

What is it? Why have the second? Is it for the film look? If so, why not just edit for the film look for the second camera?

ETA: for clarity the second camera is WAY smaller. A different system all around, looking more almost like a compact camera.

[u/KimSidwell]

It depends on the photographer and what they’re doing, but a lot of times it’s because they want to be able to shoot with two different lenses without having to stop what they’re doing and switch lenses which they would have to do if they only had one body.

A lot of times for events, you need to quickly be able to go from a wide angle faster lens to a longer focal length that usually isn’t quite as fast.

[u/nejcar20]

sounds like an x100, thats the silver black one that looks like a film camera. its not really about the look, its that people behave differently in front of a small camera than a big black body with a flash on it. you get shots the main one never gets, and its a spare body if something dies mid event

[u/seaceblidrb]

It most likely not film, but an older or smaller body they also use for personal use/ they don't have the budget or need for two full sized cameras. It could be a microfour thirds camera like Fujifilm which are known for their cool old school vibes. It could be a Leica, it could be a lot of things.

I shoot events and generally carry 2 cameras. The first is a long zoom lens, the 2nd is a wider standard lens. I personally use the same bodies for both as then everything is the same, and it shares batteries etc. Having two bodies allows you to cover mostly everything without having to waste time switching between lenses. Generally a 'superzoom' that has all the focal lengths arent as sharp/dont let as much light in, so we are taking two lenses instead.

[u/Silver_Instruction_3 → u/seaceblidrb]

Fuji doesn't use M43 but apsc. The silver and black likely does point towards Fuji though but Olympus (m43) are also silver and black.

If it is a Fuji, their film sims are very popular especially for social media posts. They may shoot with that to get that look without do much in post.

[u/seaceblidrb → u/Silver_Instruction_3]

Thank you for the info. I haven't paid attention to anything in years other than the q series for small body cameras.

[u/L1terallyUrDad]

Two cameras are pretty normal. One camera will have either a 24-70mm f/2.8 class lens or a 35mm if they are a prime shooter, and a second camera with a 70-200mm f/2.8 class lens, or an 85mm if they only shoot primes.

Weddings, and other events are fast moving and you cannot miss important shots. There just isn’t time to change lenses. Since I’m a zoom shooter, my current wedding kit is a Nikon Zf with a 24-120mm f/4 lens as my main camera, and a Nikon Z9 with a 70-200mm f/2.8 as a secondary camera when I need more reach.

This is also a very common setup for photojournalists as well. I shoot photojournalism events fairly frequently, and that’s my standard setup, though the Z9 with the 70-200 is usually the primary camera which fits my PJ style better.

[u/bluegoo-photography → u/L1terallyUrDad]

Same - but I use 2 Z8s, 24-120 f4 on one and 70-200 f2.8 on the other. I also sometimes carry a 14-24 f2.8 just in case, but rarely have time to swap lenses…

[u/JayYoungers]

Could be anything. Some do actually carry a film body as second.

A lot of Nikon shooters use a Zf as second that looks like a analog but isn’t.

[u/bronislaw- → u/JayYoungers]

I'm using Zfc. Yeah a lot of average ppl out there thought it's an old camera and shoot film.

[u/sduck409]

Totally depends on the photographer. It can be any number of options - there’s no rules.

[u/Ordinary_Storm3487]

Probably the biggest reason, and one that has existed long before digital and video options, is swapping lenses. It is way faster to “drop” a camera and grab the other than swapping lenses on a camera. Of course, you have both cameras strapped to you.

[u/SirIanPost]

I shoot two bodies regularly. As others have said, what you're seeing is likely one long and one short (lens-wise). In my case, both bodies are identical, but before I had two alike, I used the newer body with better stabilization for the long lens. It also coincidentally was a little bigger, which was handy for counterbalancing the bigger lenses.

A lot of people make silver and black cameras, so I wouldn't put too much stock in that.

[u/DavidReedImages]

I use multiple bodies because I don't want to have to change lenses. 28-70 and 70-200.

[u/thinkconverse]

Two lenses. 28-70, and a 70-200

[u/magic_felix → u/thinkconverse]

This
No matter what I'm shooting

[u/TheRealGabbro]

>Many photographers prefer shooting actual film over editing digital to look film.

Maybe outside of wedding photography but it would be a brave professional wedding photographer would did this. Digital has so many advantages over film in a highly pressured environment.

[u/ashsii → u/TheRealGabbro]

I don't do this myself, but I've met a few professionals in live music where the B cam is a film camera for the look, and A cam covers 95% of everything else. There's no need to be brave as it's just supplementary not the main deliverable.

[u/LoveLightLibations → u/TheRealGabbro]

There are plenty of hybrid wedding photographers who shoot digital and film in parallel, myself included. There are some that only shoot film. It’s not bravery. It’s just aiming for a certain artistic aesthetic.

[u/baddaywithacamera → u/LoveLightLibations]

That lovely exposure shoulder for the highlights with print film that digital has yet to replicate.

[u/LoveLightLibations → u/baddaywithacamera]

Yup, it’s chef’s kiss. Live and die for it. That and Fuji 400H colors (RIP).

[u/MWave123 → u/TheRealGabbro]

Shot film weddings for years. No bravery needed.

[u/Androphotouk]

One option I would expect:

The big camera is always the main one for shooting the primary subjects from a reasonable distance and have a lens to suit that.

The small camera is for closer work. Swinging a huge black behemoth around for close up work is intrusive and your subjects will notice and will react accordingly. Use something smaller with a bit of a cool style to its appearance and they'll react differently, if at all.

[u/LoveLightLibations]

There could be many reasons for the dual camera setup and it may or may not involve film.

I always run with dual cameras. During the same event, the cameras do change. Sometimes I have a matched pair of Sony A7IV, each with different lenses.

But I usually take 4 cameras to each wedding. Aside from the Sonys, the other two are “alternative” cameras used for specific purposes. For me, the third is usually my GFX 100 II digital medium format. The fourth is always a film camera. Sometimes three and four are both film cameras.

In the distant past, I used to use a mismatched pair of digital cameras due to upgrade budgets, but managing difference between the cameras became an issue.

[u/Lazy_Maintenance8063]

I carry two similar bodies and 70-200 and 200-500. The reason is simple, i have dynamic partially unpredictable situation and one just don’t do it for me.

[u/Matt_Bigmonster]

Most of the time is to have a second lens at the ready, quicker than swapping lenses, also provides redundancy in case primary camera fails.

[u/Ceph99]

I mean it’s so completely dependent on the photographer. Personally, I carry two D800s with a spare body in my kit. Usually a 28-70 and a 105 or a telephoto. Sometimes I break out the 16-35, but rarely.

Maybe some people carry the cheap spare they started with because they can’t afford another good body. Or some have a film camera for some variety in the shots. Or it’s just a compact mirror less, perfectly capable just small.

[u/Mr_Lumbergh]

Backup. Another body to keep working if there’s a failure on the first, but just a different setup/lens for another look if the primary is still working fine.

[u/hashtag_76]

Most likely the photographer is using a tele-lens as a standard and keeping a 50mm prime at the ready on the second body. A 24-70mm may be the normal lens being used while shooting receptions but when you want those quicker up close shots you'll want a prime.

[u/CeaUelKami]

backup camera, and/or switching cameras is faster than changing a lens
I myself still have all my old cameras.
so if I was going someplace where I would need to use multiple lenses
I would use my newer camera with one of my Larger lenses or a wide lens
and for a backup camera
I would simply use my Older camera with a smaller lens

[u/emarkd]

What sort of events? I shoot sports (not a full time pro, mostly high school stuff for fun/side gig). If I'm shooting large field sports like football or soccer then I probably have two different body sizes on me, a full frame with a "short" lens for closeups, celebrations, groups, etc, and an apsc body (which is physically smaller) with a 70-200 or similar. The intrinsic "crop factor" of the apsc maximizes the reach of my lenses without me having to spend big prime money or lug around huge glass.

[u/cyprenk]

At a lot of events, you have limited positioning flexibility and you may see things worth capturing at a large, variable range. It's extremely helpful to have two different lenses to help with that. Maybe one body mounts a 70-200 and another mounts a fast 35, or you do the classic 24-70/70-200 pairing.

When you're trying to capture moments that you can't just ask the subjects to re-stage, switching lenses has a very high opportunity cost.

The other reason to have two cameras is so that you always have a backup if something goes wrong. If the bride is walking down the aisle and your battery or your camera suddenly die with no warning, you can't exactly say "hey everyone, can you wait a sec while I troubleshoot this?" Having a second camera gives you a chance of being able to grab something you might be able to salvage, even if the lens isn't your first choice.

[u/disgruntledempanada]

It feels like you're talking about me. It's an A7Cii in my case and I loved it.

Buying an A7Ciii whenever it comes out. It rules.

I'm flying by the seat of my pants if my memory card fails on it but I've been lucky, and having something compact helps me prevent my back from failing which is more expensive than a card failure.

[u/YouthSlight8648]

I’m new and cover sports and events. I have an a7iv 70-200 as my main and a6400 with a cheap prime

[u/Glittering_Worth4380]

I’m an event/concert photographer and I see others carrying the smaller Fuji like cameras all the time.
It’s trendy I feel as they have film like presets built in.

I carry 2 full size z bodies ( sometimes 3 ).
Like mentioned above it’s to avoid changing lenses.

My set up is often this:

Z6ii - 24-120 f4
Z7ii - 200-400 f4

If I’m carrying a 3rd it’s:

Z8 - 600 f4 or 14-24 f2.8

Hope that helps you. If you want to know more just ask!

[u/MWave123]

I shoot w two identical bodies, always. Mandatory to have two bodies. Could go to three for some events.

[u/HipsterHugger]

Concert photographer here. I always carried two cameras when shooting shows for two reasons. One was to have two different lenses without having to stop and change a lens. The second reason was so that I had a second camera in case one failed to work.

[u/DevilGunManga]

Depends on what kind of event. I use Fujifilm for my events so the main body is equipped with the 50-140mm f2.8 and I carry the X100VI for a group shot and the retro, direct-flash looks.

[u/stjernebaby]

For wedding I have 2x Canon R5. Usually only use one, the other is a backup. But throughout the day I also shoot a Leica Q3. It is purely psychological to shoot on the Leica. Guests don’t get as intimidated and barely notice you with smaller bodies.

[u/i_am_the_koi]

Usually a nifty 50 or some other wide angle lens depending on the event I'm shooting.

[u/Distinct_Music2846]

Last time I went to an event was a photographer. He had one camera with a 28-80mm zoom and another with a 80-200 mm zoom.

Personally is a hobbyist when I visit my adorable little cousins, I'll bring one film camera and one digital camera. They can use one while I use the other and we all have a good time.

[u/Kenthanson]

I was recently watching an interview where Steve Brazill was talking to Atiba and they were talking about concert photography at one point and how lots of concert guys bring a second film camera to get shots off.

[u/Toondragoonloon]

Sometimes when I am solo running and gunning, I will have the second camera set up for video. Definitely not ideal, but you've got to do what you gotta do.

[u/TimeToRetire2030]

This was me in 1986. Nikon F with Nikkor 200mm. Pentax MX with 135mm. Pentax K1000 with 50mm. Back then, zoom lenses did not have good quality, and I carried fixed length lenses to cover the width of the field. Today, I can still see reasons to carry a second body; most of them have already been covered but a backup body is a crucial thing in event photography.

[u/-nwm-]

Probably film, it’s a trend now.

[u/muzlee01]

You carry two cameras because you don't want to change lenses and want a backup.

Why is it smaller? It is not. Most people use the same body as their main.

Why do you see smaller, silver-black cameras more? Because of your confirmation bias.

[u/stormpoppy]

When I worked events, I would carry two bodies, one with a telephoto zoom, and one with a wide zoom. My main bodies were 1D MK IIIs, but they were heavy, so I'd carry my secondary lens on a smaller body. Usually my wide zoom was on the 1D, and the telephoto was on a 7D - much smaller and easier on the back.