Nikon D600 DSLR Camera The D600 is Nikon's cheapest full frame camera but is an excellent choice for weddings. The body style is a bit smaller like the D7000 but with a vertical grip it is still a pretty comfortable size. Patrick prefers this camera to the D800 because the file sizes are more manageable. The D600 also has a great DX/FX button on the front of the camera which is great when quickly needing the extra "reach" DX provides. Only uses SD cards if that is an issue.
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Nikon D4 DSLR Camera This is currently Nikon's Flagship sports and photojournalism camera. The extreme high ISO quality is insane which makes the D4 great for low light stills AND video. The D4 also has amazing features for videographers with 3 different crop modes and in camera audio monitoring. That being said, it is probably a bit overkill for weddings unless you have the cash for one or two of these. Keep in mind, you can buy two D800s or 3 D600s for the price of one D4.
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Nikon D800 DSLR Camera Nikon shocked everyone when they essentially replaced their $8000 Flagship D3x camera with the new D800. It features 36 megapixels for amazingly sharp studio or landscape photos. It has almost all the same video features as the D4 and even works in a smaller 15mp crop mode. The D800 is Lee's preferred camera and has 3 in his bag.
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Nikon MB-D12 Battery Grip for Nikon D800 Having a vertical grip on your camera will make your life a lot easier during the course of a full wedding. Not only does it allow you to avoid the awkward "right hand on top" technique when shooting vertical images, but it also gives you twice the battery life. Also having a grip on your camera makes it a lot easier to manage once you start mounting larger lenses like the 70-200 2.8 on your camera.
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Nikon D7000 DSLR Camera The D7000 is one of Nikon's flagship DX cameras (until the "D400" comes out). The body style is a bit smaller but the image quality is still excellent. The D7000 was one of the first cameras to offer 1080 video and both Patrick and Lee shot an entire wedding season with a few of these bodies. If you are just getting started, the D7000 would be a great value if you need to buy two cameras. The D7000 has a similar body to the D600 so if you have a bit more in your budget you might be able to get one of each. As we said in the DVD, cameras aren't as important as lenses though and the D7000 is WAY better than pretty much every camera that came before it, including pro bodies.
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Nikon MB-D11 Battery Grip Every camera we own has a vertical grip. While the D7000 is a little smaller in size from other more pro bodied cameras, having a MB-D11 mounted to it will make it feel more robust and balanced. Luckily both the MB-D11 and MB-D12 use the same battery tray so if you buy both for different cameras, everything is interchangeable.
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If you prefer Canon, we've got you covered. Below are Canon equivalents that we highly recommend.
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Canon 1DX DSLR Camera This is Canon's flagship professional camera. With a beautiful 18.1 megapixel full frame CMOS sensor, 61 auto focus points, up to 14 frames per second, and full 1080p HD video, this camera does it all. This camera is the pro's Canon camera. Any situation, this camera is the dependable go-to body. As with the D4, buy this only if you have massive amounts of money to buy the absolute best; it's really overkill for a wedding.
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Canon 5D Mark III DSLR Camera When Canon replaced the Mark II, they replaced it right. The Canon 5D Mark III is one of the best bodies Canon has put out in the last decade and is easily the most popular workhorse camera for pros around the world. Grab a 1D X as your main camera, but you're gonna want a pair of 5D Mark III's on you as well. Shoots outstanding video and stills in low light with the 22.3 megapixel full frame CMOS sensor, 61 point auto focus, and full 1080p video. The 5D is probably the number 1 camera in the wedding market but again, keep your budget in mind.
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Canon EOS 6D DSLR Camera The Canon 6D is pretty new and as of this post neither Patrick nor Lee have played with it yet. That being said, it replaces the 7D which was Canon's best crop sensor camera. Many wedding photographers supplemented their 5Ds with a 7D so the 6D is sure to be a good option. These cameras all take great images and video so again it just comes down to your budget and which lenses you are planning to buy.
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Canon 60D DSLR Camera If you need a camera body that is your designated video camera, then the 60D was built for you. It's basically a streamlined 7D with an articulating screen, which makes shooting unusual angles much easier. If you need a lighter weight camera to hold above your head or get into hard to reach places, the 60D will produce great still images and fantastic video. With the same sensor as the 7D, you're going to really appreciate this body for a wide range of tasks.
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Canon Rebel T4i Digital Camera Canon's latest Rebel camera is one of their most popular bodies, and for good reason. The T4i is tiny, light weight, and has a surprisingly powerful sensor for such a small package. Our recommendation? Use this for video along with the 60D. The still quality out of the T4i pales in comparison to the higher quality Canon bodies, but the video quality can stand up to the big boys and has the handy articulating screen. As mentioned over and over, cameras don't matter as much as lenses but once you get deep into shooting weddings you are going to want something a bit higher up the Canon line in the near future.
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Being that I'm entering wedding photography, I wonder how old this article is and if its still comparable to current models.