THE FILMMAKER
ALISTAIR KINGS
EAST MIDLANDS, UK
I’ve never been a massive gearhead. I enjoy technology, but I’m not someone who spends hours comparing specs or chasing the latest release. For me, the best camera is the one that lets me disappear into the wedding day and create films that genuinely feel like the experience of being there.
I wouldn’t describe myself as a fly-on-the-wall filmmaker, because I’m definitely present throughout the day. Instead, I think of myself as an invisible guest. I move around the wedding in the same way a guest naturally would—sometimes I’m right in the middle of things; sometimes I’m observing quietly from the edge. My camera movement is almost entirely handheld because it feels natural, responsive and human.
I’ve owned two gimbals over the years and barely used either of them. They just don’t suit the way I work. I’d much rather have a camera that’s ready the instant something happens than spend time balancing equipment or changing the way I move.
Ultimately, every piece of kit I own has one job: help me tell honest stories without getting in the way.
CAMERAS
PANASONIC LUMIX S1 II
This is my main camera and the one that’s with me virtually all day.
I upgraded from the Panasonic Lumix S5 II purely because I wanted to shoot 50fps in full-frame without having to crop into APS-C mode. That flexibility makes a surprisingly big difference throughout a wedding day. Other than that, I haven’t noticed huge improvements—in fact, I’d probably say the Panasonic Lumix S5 II is slightly stronger in low light—but having uncropped slow motion available whenever I need it made the upgrade worthwhile.
This camera captures everything that requires movement and spontaneity: bridal prep, portraits, guests, reactions and everything in between.
Most of the time, it’s paired with the Sigma 28-45mm f1.8 DG DN Art, which has quickly become my favourite lens.
PANASONIC LUMIX S5 II ×3
My three Panasonic Lumix S5 IIs only really come out during ceremonies and speeches.
Once the bride reaches the end of the aisle, my Panasonic Lumix S1 II goes onto my hip while the three Panasonic Lumix S5 IIs take over as my locked-off cameras. The same happens during speeches after the room entrance.
My usual setup is:
Panasonic Lumix S 85mm f1.8 — speaker
Panasonic Lumix S 50mm f1.8 — couple
Panasonic Lumix S 24mm f1.8 — wide safety shot
Meanwhile, I keep the Panasonic Lumix S1 II handheld so I can move around collecting genuine guest reactions. Those little smiles, tears and laughs often become some of my favourite moments in the final film.
LENSES
SIGMA 28-45MM f1.8 DG DN ART
This lens lives on my Panasonic Lumix S1 II.
It’s incredibly versatile and means I can work quickly without constantly swapping lenses. Since moving over to it, I’ve found myself thinking less about focal lengths and more about simply following the story unfolding in front of me.
PANASONIC LUMIX S 24MM f1.8
PANASONIC LUMIX S 50MM f1.8
PANASONIC LUMIX S 85MM f1.8
These native Lumix primes stay permanently assigned to my ceremony and speech cameras.
They’re lightweight, reliable and produce a consistent look across all three angles, which makes editing much easier later on.
AUDIO
SENNHEISER MKE 400
My on-camera microphone stays mounted to my A-Cam throughout the day.
It captures surprisingly usable ambient sound and serves as an excellent backup whenever I don’t have dedicated microphones running.
SONY TX660 & SONY TX650
These are probably the hardest-working pieces of equipment in my bag.
Normally, I’ll hide one recorder on the microphone while placing backups on individual speakers whenever possible.
They’re incredibly simple, reliable and produce more than enough quality for wedding filmmaking.
ZOOM F3
I don’t actually use this at every wedding.
If there’s a professional sound engineer running the venue, I’ll hand them the recorder and let them work their magic.
The audio quality is excellent, although I often find that a direct feed loses some of the atmosphere and audience reactions that make speeches feel alive. That’s one reason I still love using the Sony recorders.
STABILISATION
HANDHELD, TRIPODS & MONOPOD
Everything I shoot is handheld.
I’ve experimented with cages, side handles, top handles and multiple gimbals, but I always end up stripping everything back.
Handheld shooting simply feels more natural and allows me to react instantly without changing grips or balancing equipment.
During ceremonies and speeches, my setup changes slightly:
Two Panasonic Lumix S5 IIs live on tripods.
One Panasonic Lumix S5 II sits on a monopod.
My Panasonic Lumix S1 II stays handheld so I can move freely, collecting reactions.
LIGHTING
YONGNUO LED LIGHTS
SMALLRIG LIGHT STANDS & ON-CAMERA LED LIGHT
Lighting comes to every wedding but certainly doesn’t appear at every wedding.
I carry two Yongnuo LED lights on compact SmallRig light stands, mainly for creating subtle rim lighting during dancing.
If the venue already has beautiful lighting, I’d much rather leave my own lights in the bag. Natural always wins if I can get away with it.
I also carry a small SmallRig on-camera LED light.
This only comes out if the dance floor is absolutely buzzing. Sometimes it encourages guests to interact with the camera and creates brilliant moments, but equally, UK weddings can be quite reserved, so I try not to shine bright lights into people’s faces unless the atmosphere really suits it.
DRONE
DJI MINI 3 PRO
The DJI Mini 3 Pro does exactly what I need it to do.
I rarely use drones for couple shoots. Instead, it’s there for one or two establishing shots that help set the scene.
Could I upgrade? Absolutely.
Do I need to? Not yet.
WORKFLOW
APPLE WATCH
Possibly the most underrated piece of kit I own.
Before every wedding, I feed the couple’s questionnaire into ChatGPT, which creates an ICS calendar file for the entire day.
I import that into my calendar, and every part of the wedding appears as timed events on my Apple Watch, complete with notes about readings, personal vows, speakers and anything else I need to remember.
It means I almost never have to pull my phone out during a wedding. Everything I need is already on my wrist, allowing me to stay present and focused on what’s happening around me.
BEHIND THE SCENES
OAKLEY META GLASSES
These are a recent addition.
I’ve always wanted to create more behind-the-scenes content, but during a wedding it’s incredibly easy to forget to pull out your phone.
I’m hoping these let me capture snippets of the day naturally without interrupting my workflow.
BAG & ACCESSORIES
TAMRAC BACKPACK
My camera bag is a well-loved Tamrac backpack that was actually gifted to me by Daniel Yates Films.
It’s travelled to countless weddings and somehow still swallows everything I need.
Inside, you’ll find:
Around ten spare camera batteries.
Separate pockets for charged and used batteries (a surprisingly important system!).
Sony audio recorders ready to grab.
A SmallRig multitool.
A Swiss Army knife.
Sunscreen.
Wet wipes.
Mouthwash.
Deodorant.
Spare batteries for audio recorders.
ROODOGS
I also use RooDogs wind covers from RooFilms on my Sony recorders and little clear rubber spacers (originally designed to stop door handles hitting walls) attached to the recorders to reduce clothing rustle when they’re hidden on jackets.
They’re tiny additions, but they solve real problems.
IF I COULD ONLY KEEP ONE THING…
PANASONIC LUMIX S1 II
It would have to be my Panasonic Lumix S1 II.
If, somehow, I turned up to a wedding having forgotten everything else, I’d still feel confident I could make a film I was proud of with just that camera.
To me, that’s probably the best compliment I can give any piece of gear.
