When looking for a wedding photographer, there are three terms you are very likely to hear: 35mm, medium format and digital. These are the main types of cameras used for shooting weddings. Wedding photographers are still arguing about which of them is best. This article is aimed to provide you with some information on each type.



Medium format

For a long while this has been the absolute best option for shooting weddings and the very first sign to recognize a professional wedding photographer. The size of the film is three times larger than that of a 35mm negative, resulting in high resolution photos that can be beautifully enlarged. However, the camera and processing costs are quite expensive. The main advantage is the high resolution of negatives. Disadvantages include: high operating expenses - so high that many wedding photography album companies advise the photographer to limit the number of photos he takes; the film can be lost or destroyed during processing; slower to operate.

35mm cameras

These cameras used to have a bad reputation for producing low quality enlargements compared to the ones talked about before. However, the quality has been significantly improved during the last few years and now these cameras are successfully used by many photographers, especially those shooting thousands of photos at a wedding. Main advantages: fast - easy to operate, focus and shoot; significantly improved quality of enlargements - most people can hardly tell the difference between a medium format and a 35mm. Disadvantages: increasing costs for processing the film; the film can again be damaged or lost.

Digital cameras

Using digital cameras for shooting weddings has been a viable alternative for eight years now. The technology has evolved so much that it rivals and even beats that of medium format cameras. In fact, many wedding photographers that used medium format have switched to digital. Advantages: the possibility to review the photos immediately; cutting the costs of film and processing (though this may be offset by the high amount of time spent to process the images on the computer); higher control on the final result - a rotation or cropping is much quicker and easier than with film. Disadvantages: the technology is rapidly evolving and is hard to keep updated (though this does not necessarily affect the consumer); memory cards can be easily lost compared to films (ask the photographer how he makes sure that the photos arrive safely at the studio).

All in all, any of these formats can produce great results. Many photographers use several types of cameras during a wedding. For example, they use a medium format camera for the formals and switch to 35mm for the ceremony and reception. Or they can mainly use a digital camera but bring along a film camera as a backup. The most important thing is to ask the photographer to show you some enlargements made with the same camera that will be used for your wedding. If you like the colors and quality then it is a good choice.