Two Bodies, Two Primes

Dana Whitfield · 6 August 2026

Changing lenses at a wedding costs you moments. Carrying two bodies costs you a sore shoulder. The shoulder is cheaper.

Why Not One Zoom

A single zoom is a perfectly reasonable way to cover a wedding and a great many people do it well. The argument for two bodies is not sharpness, it is that you never miss anything while unscrewing something.

Weddings do not repeat. The zoom is a fine tool; the lens change at the wrong second is the problem.

The Usual Pair

A moderate wide on one body and a short telephoto on the other covers almost the whole day. One for the room and the context, one for the faces.

Fast primes also buy you a stop or two in a dark venue, which matters more than any amount of resolution. Background on how the fast prime earned its place is on the prime lens entry.

Carrying Them

A proper dual harness rather than two neck straps. Two straps crossed over the chest will have both cameras swinging into each other and into door frames all day.

Whatever you use, practise picking up the right body without looking. On the day you will not have time to check which one is in your hand.