so im honestly about to lose it with my current kit right now. i have this wedding shoot in downtown chicago in literally two weeks and my 5d mark iii is giving me so much grief because i dont have the right gear to support it. i was out doing a test run yesterday and my batteries died mid-ceremony rehearsal and the buffer speed on these cheap sd cards i bought is making me want to scream because the shutter just locks up while its writing to the card. it is so embarrassing to tell a client to wait while my camera catches up. i have about $1200 saved up to finally fix this mess and make this a legitimate professional setup but i dont want to waste money on junk that breaks after one month. i need stuff that actually works and wont fail me when the pressure is on. i was thinking about getting a few things:
but honestly i dont know what else is considered pro for this body specifically. just tell me what are the top essential accessories i actually need for a pro canon 5d mark iii setup before i end up ruining this wedding...
Late to the party but I had to jump in because I have been in your exact shoes with the 5D Mark III. I remember shooting a high-stakes event years ago where I missed the first kiss shot because my buffer was hanging... it is a gut-wrenching feeling. Over the years, I have realized that while the body is a total tank, you really have to treat it right with the peripherals or it will bite you. Since someone already mentioned the SD card bottleneck, I will tell you what else saved my skin. First off, you need absolute reliability. Since you have a decent budget, dont skimp on power or lighting. Here is what I would grab to make that setup actually feel professional:
The 5D Mark III has a massive bottleneck with its SD slot because it doesnt support UHS speeds. Thats why your buffer is locking up during the ceremony. You honestly need to move your primary recording to a fast CompactFlash card instead. I suggest these for a reliable pro workflow:
Finally someone says it. Ive been thinking this for a while but wasnt sure.
I've been using the 5D III since it was the industry standard, and honestly, you need to be really cautious about what you're putting in those slots. To fix that buffer lag, I would suggest moving exclusively to high-speed CF cards from a reputable brand like Delkin or ProGrade. Basically, dont even bother with the SD slot for anything other than a low-res backup because it'll just slow you down and cause that lockup you're seeing. On the power side, you really should stick to the official Canon brand batteries. I've seen third-party ones report 50% charge and then just die instantly during a reception... it's a huge risk for a wedding and just wont be worth the savings if you miss a shot. For the neck pain, you might want to consider a leather harness system from a brand like HoldFast. It moves the weight off your neck and onto your shoulders, which basically saves your back during those long days in Chicago. Just make sure you get everything from a legit dealer so you dont end up with a counterfeit card that fails on you when the pressure is on.