For my wedding and other paid shoots, I always carried two cameras, usually both identical, plus a spare of something in the car. I had a close lens on one and a long lens on the other so I could just use one or the other depending on if the shot was close or further away. For a paid shoot I never wanted to be without a camera that I could use in case of a failure. When paid for a shoot, total failures are not acceptable. I no longer do weddings and very little paid shoots as my age and physical condition are forcing me to back off from them. At 83 I can no longer move around quickly, nor can I carry heavy gear any more. I now spend most of my photography time in my studio that is set up for portraiture, still life, product, and video work. I consider what I do now "Experimenting With Light". It keeps me busy in my retirement, doing something that I have loved doing since early high school 65 years ago.
One thing that I learned to do over the years was to take a shot with each camera of something, a framed photo on the wall usually, to assure that the camera had good batteries, a memory card, etc. and was working properly and ready to go, just before I packed it into the bag. I have caught missing batteries, dead batteries, and missing or broken memory cards, etc. this way, but spare fully charged sets of batteries and memory cards are always kept in the bags too, just in case.
Again spares of everything, plus a good backup plan is highly necessary for a paid shoot. Now, when on day to day trips, I always have at least one good camera with me, but usually the lesser spare Fuji is always in the car too. Most of my cameras are pro level Canon, but this "in the car spare" is an older 16 mp Fuji, and it uses AA cells, so fresh batteries are available for it most anywhere in the civilized World. I am forever on the lookout for good shots, and do find them frequently, and I'm happy that I have at least a pretty good pro level camera to catch the shot, with a spare camera in the car should I ever need it.
I also always have my cell phone with me, but although it has a 60 mp camera in it, I rarely use the camera. My last shot with the cell phone camera was the manufacturers label on the back of my washing machine, so I could get the model and serial number in order to buy a replacement part. Being on the back of the washer and close to the wall, a few carefully placed shots with the cell phone upside down and held between the back wall and the washer, got me at least one good shot that showed me all of what I needed without needing to move the washer. This is the kind of thing that my cell phone camera excels at. I use it whenever gathering information that I can't easily get to, or that I need to remember until I can look at it later.
Charley
One thing that I learned to do over the years was to take a shot with each camera of something, a framed photo on the wall usually, to assure that the camera had good batteries, a memory card, etc. and was working properly and ready to go, just before I packed it into the bag. I have caught missing batteries, dead batteries, and missing or broken memory cards, etc. this way, but spare fully charged sets of batteries and memory cards are always kept in the bags too, just in case.
Again spares of everything, plus a good backup plan is highly necessary for a paid shoot. Now, when on day to day trips, I always have at least one good camera with me, but usually the lesser spare Fuji is always in the car too. Most of my cameras are pro level Canon, but this "in the car spare" is an older 16 mp Fuji, and it uses AA cells, so fresh batteries are available for it most anywhere in the civilized World. I am forever on the lookout for good shots, and do find them frequently, and I'm happy that I have at least a pretty good pro level camera to catch the shot, with a spare camera in the car should I ever need it.
I also always have my cell phone with me, but although it has a 60 mp camera in it, I rarely use the camera. My last shot with the cell phone camera was the manufacturers label on the back of my washing machine, so I could get the model and serial number in order to buy a replacement part. Being on the back of the washer and close to the wall, a few carefully placed shots with the cell phone upside down and held between the back wall and the washer, got me at least one good shot that showed me all of what I needed without needing to move the washer. This is the kind of thing that my cell phone camera excels at. I use it whenever gathering information that I can't easily get to, or that I need to remember until I can look at it later.
Charley
. So much for downloading a daily basis.Fortunately was able to retrieve the photos when back in the UK, but at a cost! Guess who will be backing up to two drives on any future trips
on three different cameras