Jumping into business

[pbsmoker]

Okay,
My dad has told me to get off the fence already and start a small side business in photography. I have been very reluctant to do weddings etc. I have a small studio setup in my house, but no real props. I have a D80 with several lenses. all 1.8 or 2.8

My question is, my dad wants to give me $3000 to buy what i need to get in a comfortable position to do weddings etc to make money.
Im guessing a D300 which is about 2K, what else would you recommend??

Thanks

 

[tirediron]

D300, grip, SB8/900 (SB 600 is good, but lacks commander mode), or add a little more money and get a D700.

 

[timbearden]

Just a suggestion, but buy some nice lenses first and ones that are not DX. Buy ones that can be used on an FX camera, and also on a DX. That way you spend more on lenses, and less on the camera. That way you can opt for a cheaper camera now, and buy a better one when you have more money. At least that way too, your lenses won't go to waste. If you can, then go for the D700. I have the D300, and D700, and if you are not shooting a lot of dark areas, then there isn't much of a difference other than the between the D300 and D700.

People will probably jump on me for saying this, but I use a D700 with 50 mm 1.4 on 90% of the time for weddings. You could almost get away with buying that set up, do a couple weddings and then buy a 24-70mm 2.8, or 70-200mm 2.8. There is also the 50 mm 1.8 for like $100. The 50 mm is a must, I can't tell you how much it has improved my photography since I got it. There is a little more foot action, but the sharpness and ability to use in low light is awesome.

As a side not, at the end of the year, or early next year a New version of the D3 (D3x or D4), and another model in between the D700 and D3 is to come out. There will always be a newer camera, so don't stress on the camera as much as you should the lens.

 

[Mike30D]

First off, let me ask you this.... Do you have ANY experience in the wedding area? If you don't I highly recommend finding a pro you can second shoot or assist with for awhile to get some experience. Weddings are not something you want to go into cold. If you can't work with a pro, then you've got some reading to do on the subject. No matter how much reading you do though, nothing can prepare you for shooting a wedding like ....well, shooting a wedding.

As for equipment (I shoot Canon so whatever the Nikon equivalents are), a good macro lens, a good wide angle (don't forget the DX crop), a good medium range zoom somewhere around 24-70mm, and a good telephoto around 70-200mm. Keep in mind that these are all 2.8 lenses. If you want a good prime I would recommend something in the 85mm range. Some people are going to tell you to shoot with nothing but primes, others will tell you to shoot with nothing but zoom lenses. Use what works for you. Whatever you can't buy, don't be afraid to rent from places like LensRentals.com. I rent from them and they are great to work with. If you don't have a backup body, I would seriously consider renting one if you can't buy one right now.

Do you have a good flash? You are gonna need one. Check out Planet Neil for more on using on-camera flash.

Also, if you can get your friends to model for you, practice on them.

 

[manaheim]

He/she did say she had some fast glass... hard to say what he/she needs. (I dunno why but I think she/he's a she, so let's go with that...)

pbsmoker, what specific lenses do you have?

A D300 is an excellent camera, but you may well also get away with a D200 if you need to cut some corners here and there. Last I checked that will save you $600 that you can toss at something else if you need it. I've used both extensively and as much as the D300 is a tank, the D200 is only slightly less so.

I'm a big fan of getting a decent camera. The D80 is great, but I wouldn't want to use it as my primary on a pro job. I'm not going to say why because I'll be chased out of the room by all the people who don't run the mid-tier bodies or higher.

 

[pbsmoker]

Thanks for all the great advice. As you can see from my signature, i have most of the lenses you have mentioned. I had a 70-200 2.8 but sold it a while back. I know I dont want the D80 as my primary camera. I am looking at the D300. Would like to get the D700, but may be a bit out of budget.
I agree with working with a pro. I dont want to do weddings, rather family and kids portraits. I do want to work with a wedding pro, however, to get a lot more experience.

 

[pbsmoker]

Just a suggestion, but buy some nice lenses first and ones that are not DX. Buy ones that can be used on an FX camera, and also on a DX.

How do you tell which ones will work on an FX??