What are the must-have accessories for the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV?

Question

Just grabbed a 5D IV for a Chicago wedding next month and im so pumped! I have $250 left so I'm debating between the official battery grip or just stocking up on Lexar CF cards and extra batteries. My logic was the grip is better for portraits but i dont wanna run out of space mid-ceremony... thoughts?

Freya · Accepted Answer

over the years ive tried many grips but honestly skip it for now. in my experience shooting weddings, running out of storage is a total nightmare compared to a heavy hand. the 5D IV is a beast but it eats juice during live view...

grab two Lexar Professional 1066x 128GB CompactFlash Card for reliability

get a spare Canon LP-E6NH Lithium-Ion Battery that 160MB/s speed is crucial for clearing the buffer. dont risk it.

Matthew Daniel Thomas · Answer

@Reply #1 - good point! Honestly storage is king. I had a card die during a processional once and it was pure stress lol. For technical reliability, I love the SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB CompactFlash 160MB/s over others because the write speeds are fantastic for burst shooting! Also, definitely grab a Canon LP-E6NH Lithium-Ion Battery. Its got 2130mAh which is a massive upgrade over the older cells. Seriously amazing for those long wedding receptions!

timothy.butler · Answer

I'm going through this exact same dilemma for my upcoming gig! It's such a tough call because that weight really adds up during a long day. I once skipped the grip to save weight and had the worst hand cramps during the toasts... talk about a nightmare! Are you planning to shoot dual-slot for backup? And what kind of lenses are you mostly planning to use? That camera is amazing tho!