Mike,

Sorry I wasn't able to post these earlier - they're all taken wide open. Looking through the pictures I've taken with the Tamron 70-210mm f/3.5 I realise that I've barely used it outside at low ISOs, but hopefully these shots will give you an idea of how it performs.

[IMG]http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd171/spratphoto/071003135558web.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd171/spratphoto/080710131831web.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd171/spratphoto/080709135732web.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd171/spratphoto/080710134656web.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd171/spratphoto/080715205620web.jpg[/IMG]

Jonathan

Sockpuppet,

I've not used the Vivitar, so can't tell you how they compare, but I do own the Tamron 70-210mm f/3.5 which I rate pretty highly. It gives excellent results on film, and I've been impressed with how it copes on digital. It does tend to struggle with heavily backlit scenes, producing purple fringing which can be tricky to get rid of, but overall it performs well. I've used it almost exclusively wide open for low light photos, some of which I'll try to post tomorrow. It's pretty heavy, but that's to be expected from a constant aperture lens with that kind of zoom range, and though it's 2/3rds of a stop slower it's a lot cheaper than buying a 70-200mm f/2.8 (as long as you're happy to focus manually).

It'll also focus down to 1:3, if I remember rightly.

Jonathan

I know what you mean about taking aisle shots - brides always seem to walk much faster than they need to!

And I can't believe you agreed to be toastmaster as well as taking the photos!

Jonathan

Hi Nimitz,

Looking forward to seeing more images - how did the wedding go? Did you have time to relax at all & enjoy things, or were you on the go the whole time? Did you have any problems or panics, or did it all go smoothly? And what lenses did you find yourself using most of the time?

Jonathan

I particularly like the second one - fantastic expression!

Jonathan

I'm with Clarky in that I'm not au fait with the technicalities of this, but if Darkmunk is correct then it sounds like a serious issue that needs addressing.

Jonathan

Not all modern flashguns have safe trigger voltages (though apparently most dedicated ones do). I have a very small Jessops flashgun bought about 3 years ago which has a trigger voltage of 300V.

Jonathan

The RAW buffer on the K100D is only 3 images, sadly, which may be a problem if shooting sport (unless you look on it as a creative limitation & use it to hone your shooting skills - decisive moment & all that!)

Jonathan

My most useful accessory is definitely a Kaiser shoulder brace type thing that I picked up for about a fiver. It can be used on top of a monopod (good for macro), but I tend to use it on it's own for low light (theatre) stuff as it gives a lot of flexibility in framing - I recently went back to trying a monopod & found it fairly hard to frame shots quickly enough.

It's so good that I didn't hesitate to pick up another one that I saw going for £10.

Jonathan

There are a few pics from a wedding I did last year at www.photoboxgallery.com/spratphoto (just click on each pic to see the next in the series, which saves using the stupid scroll bar at the side...)

My main tip is very good preparation. Have backups for everything, & presume that the worst will happen (in terms of weather, equipment failure etc.), then you'll be covered for every eventuality, & won't panic in the unlikely event of anything going wrong. Have a good system for storing memory cards once they've been used. Check all your equipment systematically before the wedding, & don't forget to look after yourself (food, paracetemol etc.) Plus as a spectacle wearer I take a spare set of glasses - I once had one of the tiny screws fall out which meant I couldn't see anything (luckily this only happened while I was playing cricket & not at a wedding, & it probably sounds like overkill, but I'm sure you get the point about being prepared!)

Also, make sure the bride & groom know to allow a decent amount of time for photos in the schedule.

Jonathan