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If you are a pro, do you use two card slots for backup? Locked

Started Feb 3, 2019 | Polls thread
This thread is locked.
Arthur Stanley Jefferson Contributing Member • Posts: 809
Be prepared for “what if!”

What if ...your card failed, what if it was your camera, your lens? Could you get the job done? Would your client like it if you failed to get the shots, your name and business would be tarnished

I always do paid jobs with 2 bodies, which was just as well because failure happens.

First big assignment I did for an international music magazine had me going to New York from London to shoot a band. I shot it on 2 Nikon F100 film cameras. Guess what, my motordrive failed on frame 1. No worries as I had a backup F100 otherwise my career might have ended before it began.

I used to shoot transparency then too, you had to be spot on with exposure and have perfect development. You wouldn’t always put all your rolls in processing at the same time, in case of an issue, and you’d run a clip test if you were a perfectionist.

The bottom line is that things fail and accidents happen. I’ve had cards fail, shutters fail, aperture blades fail, lenses get smashed and stolen, but I’ve always had a way round because I had a backup.

If you’ve been lucky enough to avoid problems with one camera, card, lens or flash...well that’s good..but luck can run out.

I believe if a pro prepares for the worst “what if” scenarios, then they can just roll on through any problems without breaking a sweat and deliver the job successfully.

I use 2 cameras, both with dual cards, many lenses, 2 flashes. The only thing I don’t have room for in my bag is excuses or apologies.

 Arthur Stanley Jefferson's gear list:Arthur Stanley Jefferson's gear list
Canon EOS 5D Mark III Canon EF 85mm F1.8 USM Canon EF 135mm F2L USM Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM Canon EF 70-200mm F4L IS USM +4 more
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