One of the most common questions I get as an Asheville wedding videographer is what cameras I actually shoot with. So here is the full breakdown: the gear I bring to every wedding, why I run two cameras instead of one, and what each one does that the other cannot.
If you want to see it all in action first, I put together a full video walkthrough of my wedding videography kit below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIypgtEWUaw
Why I Use Two Cameras for Wedding Videography
Wedding days do not pause. The moment I move to get a better angle on the vows is the moment the groom tears up. Running two cameras simultaneously means I am never in the wrong spot when something real happens. Both cameras are also shooting in Canon Log, so the footage matches in the color grade without a lot of extra work in post.
Most of the Asheville weddings I film are one-person productions, which means the two-camera system is not a luxury, it is how I cover a full day without missing anything.
The Canon R5C: The Run and Gun Camera
The Canon R5C is a hybrid mirrorless camera and it is what I reach for when I need to move fast and stay discreet. For Asheville wedding videography specifically, this camera earns its place during the ceremony. It is small enough that I can get close to the couple without blocking guest sightlines, and the autofocus is reliable enough that I can track a moving subject while I am moving myself.
At the mountain venues around western North Carolina, like the outdoor ceremonies in the Blue Ridge or the barn venues outside of Weaverville and Brevard, the R5C handles shifting natural light well and I can react quickly without fumbling with settings. It is the camera I trust when things are moving fast and I only have one shot at the moment.
The Canon C300 Mark II: The Cinema Camera
The C300 Mark II is a professional cinema camera and it does not try to be anything else. It is bigger and heavier than the R5C and I would not want to run it handheld all day. But for the shots where I have a moment to set up properly, it produces the most cinematic wedding video footage I have found in this price range.
The built-in ND filters are a genuine advantage for Asheville wedding videography. Outdoor summer weddings in western North Carolina mean working in bright, shifting mountain light, often at venues with no shade and no control over the conditions. Being able to dial exposure without changing the aperture keeps the image consistent in a way that matters when you are editing the final film.
The dynamic range on the C300 II is also exceptional for reception coverage. Asheville wedding receptions tend to mix tungsten uplighting, candles, string lights, and whatever the DJ brought. This camera holds detail in the highlights and shadows better than most in its class, which means less noise and more usable footage in difficult light.
How I Use Both Cameras Together at Asheville Weddings
During the ceremony I lock the C300 II on a tripod at the wide angle, capturing the full scene, the altar, the guests, the officiant. Then I move with the R5C to get the close moments: the exchange of rings, the first kiss, the faces of the parents in the front row.
During the reception I flip the roles depending on what is happening. Speeches get the C300 II locked off for clean audio sync. The first dance gets the R5C on a gimbal for fluid, moving shots. Toasts, cake cutting, dancing: I am reading the room and putting the right camera in the right place.
When I sit down to edit an Asheville wedding film, both cameras are speaking the same color language. The match is not perfect out of the box but it is close enough that the grade is fast and the final film looks cohesive from the first frame to the last.
Gear Only Gets You So Far
The R5C and the C300 Mark II are excellent tools for wedding videography and I am glad I use them. But the wedding films I am most proud of are not memorable because of the cameras. They are memorable because of the moments we caught, and that comes down to preparation, knowing the venue, and being in the right place at the right time.
If you are getting married in Asheville or anywhere in western North Carolina and want to see what this setup looks like in practice, you can watch the work at smokefreeproductions.com