Advice needed for purchasing DSLR camera for landscape/ studio/ weddings

Which camera would you get?

  • Canon 5DS(r)

  • Nikon d810

  • Other


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cPhotou

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Hi,

I am currently looking for a DSLR camera for shooting mainly landscape, studio and wedding photography. My preferred price range would be around $4000 (for camera body only). At the moment I'm leaning towards the canon 5DS(r) and nikon d810. However, I heard canon is releasing the mark IV in ~6month.

If anyone could give me some advice and suggestions it would be greatly appreciated. And please help me with lenses too!

Thanks,

Steve
 
The 5ds r is as you know 50mp. Big files, designed for high res. Ask yourself do you need 50mp, most do not.

Nikon d810 2/3 the res. Smaller but still large files.

For wedding photography do you want 50 or even 36mp? Both these cameras will excel for many uses and no doubt could be great for wedding photography, but these are kind of specialized cameras where resolution is important.

Arguably a better all around camera for your intended use may be a Canon 5d3 or a Nikon d750, or else you may be editing a few hundred 50mb+ files.

The 24 or 20mp cameras should in theory give better low light photos,important for wedding photography, just a thought
 
I'd get the D810 for weddings, 5DSR for studio work with D810 being my 2nd choice, and actually, if I was doing both I'd probably get the 5d mark III. If it has to be one of the two above I'd get the Nikon even if I'm a Canon guy (for doing everything) just because the Nikon handles high ISO better.
 
My personal choice would be 2x D750.

- Two bodies because you really need two bodies for wedding photography - in case one of them gets problems during the shoot. Remember, its the most important day in the life of two people, thus you CANNOT mess up, reshoot at a later point, etc.

- D750 because you really need good low light performance for weddings, and the D750 is up to ISO 12k very good in this respect.

- The D750 also features an excellent AF system, though Canon is no slouch in that respect either.

- The D750 also features two memorycard slots of the same type, while D810 has two slots of different types (an unfortunate oddity) - more data security

- The D750 can also be optimized for switching between two setups quickly, without menu diving

- 24 Megapixel is frankly already plenty resolution for landscape; panorama techniques can be used to get more. Either way neither landscape nor studio photography is half as demanding as wedding photography.

Good glas:

AF-S 14-24mm f2.8 - the new Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 VC is also excellent, but filters are even more of an issue than with the 14-24mm
AF-S 24-70mm f2.8 VR
AF-S 70-200mm f2.8 VR
AF-S 35mm f1.4
AF-S 85mm f1.4

See: Thom’s Recommended Lenses for FX Users | byThom | Thom Hogan

The Canon 5D3 is also a good choice, but I'm not Canonist. Highlights of the Canon system:
- great Tilt/Shift lenses (the Nikon ones have issues with CA) [very expensive nevertheless]
- the famous EF 85mm f1.2.
- the new EF 11-24mm f4
- better ergonomics, such as one hand operation
The main disadvantage is the inferior sensor, with less high ISO performance and less dynamic range. It goes up to 25k native, though (D750 12k native), and Canons noise reduction is extremely good (JPEG only of course).

Dont forget you also need good flashs, including off camera flashs, for both wedding and studio.
 
I think the best all round choice for the OP's requirements is a D810. The dynamic range and resolution for the landscapes. Again that resolution for studio work is amazing. A D750 may be marginally better in low light but in reality you would barely notice it.

Then add a D750 for a two body setup down the track and have best of both worlds. I'm hoping to do just that next year.

Seems to me like there are lots of people in the Canon camp moving to Sony.
 
Landscapes don’t require much from the camera. Many see a sensor capable of wide dynamic range as a must, but that doesn’t always make a big difference. To print these landscape images large, you’ll need lenses that are very sharp at their sweet-spots. Use a sturdy tripod with good technique, and you can get word-class results. Just need to be in the right place at the right time. (Not a matter of luck, but rigorous preparation.)

Working in the studio is also a relatively easy task for a camera. All you need is good lighting, and you can get excellent results with any camera. Again, for large prints, get a lens that is very sharp at its sweet-spot; usually there’s no real need to create separation with depth of field in a studio, so there’s no real merit to paying top-dollar for fast lenses that are sharp wide-open.

Wedding is where things get interesting, and more expensive. You’ll need redundancy first and foremost, to make sure your clients get the shots they paid for from their big day. You’ll need fast lenses and/or a camera that’s good at high ISO to shoot evening/nighttime weddings; the combination of a modern-day full frame sensor and an f/2.8 zoom lens is pretty much perfect for that. You’ll also need a camera whose autofocus works well and fast in low light — these f/2.8 lenses help with that.
If you don’t have two identical, or at least very similar, well functioning cameras, don’t offer your services as a wedding photographer. If that’s something you want to do right away, compromise on the body to get two inferior yet capable ones.

Make sure you’re in the mindset of spending at least as much on lenses (and lighting) as you spent on the camera bodies, if not more.
 
I shot my first wedding few weeks ago with my D750 and the results surprised even me.
I think currently the D750 is the best camera in the market for this type of event.
Its not as big or heavy as the Nikon 4Ds or as expensive.
Low light performance will really impress you and the AF on it is excellent.

Why would I recommend the D750 over the D810
1.Files size, you really don't need the extra resolution.
2.Better low light performance, yes its not huge but its there.
3.Its 1000$ cheaper
4.It has a better AF system, the D750 will lock focus in lower light situation then the D810
5.Its lighter which is a nice bonus when you "schlep" the camera on you for many hours.

And just to remind you its 1000$ cheaper!!!

D810 is an awesome camera but I think it leans more toward studio work with its better DR and more resolution.

Comparing the D750 to the 5 D III and 5DS
5Ds is an excellent camera but really is more of a studio camera with its insane resolution, also its low light performance is not impressive.
The 5D III is a direct competative to the D750 but its older and it shows, low light performance and DR is not as good as the D750 even though its still very impressive.
Waiting for the 5D III replacement is a possibility but who knows when this camera will come out and I am fairly sure it will cost about 1000$ more then the D750.
Obviously I cant say how they compare as I have no detail on it but I am sure it will be an excellent camera just like the 5D III was and still is.
 
Without knowing what you currently have for gear and thereby what upgrade path may work best, it's impossible to give an answer that works best for you.

Either way, it's unlikely you need the latest, greatest, biggest, baddest, most expensive camera on the market to take great pictures. The 'megapixel war' has been well documented in many forums and the need for a gazillion pixels is largely unnecessary unless you plan to make 30 foot wide murals.

So, I'll recommend a Canon 5D mark iii for several reasons -
1. I've shot nothing but Canon cameras since 1975
2. I now use a 5Diii.
3. The 5Diii has been on the market long enough to 'get the bugs out'.
4. 23mp is more than enough pixels for clear, sharp images, even when heavily cropped.
5. It's incredible AF system and low noise/higher ISO capabilities are why I bought the camera. This past March, I took a 1 small candle for lighting shot at ISO 25,600 and the JPG output was incredibly noise free...better than I could clean up myself from the RAW with Lightroom.
6. Having both CF and SD card slots, I put the RAW shots on the CF, and JPGs to the SD...instant image backup in case of a card failure!
7. The wide range of lenses and other gear from a variety of manufacturers makes Canon a top choice
8. Buying the 'old' 5Diii will save a good chunk of change. Buy a genuine Canon grip and genuine Canon batteries with the money you saved and still have enough left over to buy some glass.
 
Without knowing what you currently have for gear and thereby what upgrade path may work best, it's impossible to give an answer that works best for you.

Either way, it's unlikely you need the latest, greatest, biggest, baddest, most expensive camera on the market to take great pictures. The 'megapixel war' has been well documented in many forums and the need for a gazillion pixels is largely unnecessary unless you plan to make 30 foot wide murals.

So, I'll recommend a Canon 5D mark iii for several reasons -
1. I've shot nothing but Canon cameras since 1975
2. I now use a 5Diii.
3. The 5Diii has been on the market long enough to 'get the bugs out'.
4. 23mp is more than enough pixels for clear, sharp images, even when heavily cropped.
5. It's incredible AF system and low noise/higher ISO capabilities are why I bought the camera. This past March, I took a 1 small candle for lighting shot at ISO 25,600 and the JPG output was incredibly noise free...better than I could clean up myself from the RAW with Lightroom.
6. Having both CF and SD card slots, I put the RAW shots on the CF, and JPGs to the SD...instant image backup in case of a card failure!
7. The wide range of lenses and other gear from a variety of manufacturers makes Canon a top choice
8. Buying the 'old' 5Diii will save a good chunk of change. Buy a genuine Canon grip and genuine Canon batteries with the money you saved and still have enough left over to buy some glass.

I too used to shoot Canon until they refused to really grow. I sold my 5D MKII and bought a D750. It's magic. That's the perfect contraction and adjective to describe the D750. It can turn darkness into light.

Nikon D750 Review: Nikon... You've Created a Monster

d750review33.jpg
 
Just curious, how is it that someone who is going into business photography in a big way knows so little about what cameras to buy?

My thoughts exactly. If you don't know hat kind of equipment you need you have absolutely no place photographing weddings.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Village Idiot said:

Waiting for TPF's resident Canon apologist to show up and provide us with an 800-word dissertation on how DxO Mark's sensor performance testing is meaningless, and how there is absolutely NO DIFFERENCE between the performance of a Canon camera and a Nikon camera, and that there's NO DIFFERENCE in dynamic range, NO DIFFERENCE in color depth (which he says is a measurement that "does not exist", and there's NO DIFFERENCE in the High-ISO and Low-Light performance of a Canon and a Nikon...and to allege that the above two-image comparison is invalid, biased, and faked in some way.
 
Village Idiot said:

Waiting for TPF's resident Canon apologist to show up and provide us with an 800-word dissertation on how DxO Mark's sensor performance testing is meaningless, and how there is absolutely NO DIFFERENCE between the performance of a Canon camera and a Nikon camera, and that there's NO DIFFERENCE in dynamic range, NO DIFFERENCE in color depth (which he says is a measurement that "does not exist", and there's NO DIFFERENCE in the High-ISO and Low-Light performance of a Canon and a Nikon...and to allege that the above two-image comparison is invalid, biased, and faked in some way.

Who knows, they may have been. I did shoot and edit these though. They're +5 exposure to shadows in LR from the original.

Original:
Christmas Lights by Will Kronk, on Flickr

Edited:
Christmas Lights by Will Kronk, on Flickr


Crop:
Christmas Light Crop by Will Kronk, on Flickr

Look at that pretty grain. My complaint of my 5D MKII after the D750 was released was that the noise was chroma and patterened. It was a great camera and probably one of the best when it was released, but Canon didn't have anything in their lineup that could touch the D750 for the price. There are a few compromises like 1/4000 max shutter speed, but not enough to outweigh the advantages. IIRC they were $2,300 and with the kit it was $3,000. I bought the kit and sold the kit lens for nearly $1,000. The 5D MKIII was still over $3,000 at the time and from what I was reading the photo quality wasn't there. It wasn't much better than the 5D MKII.
 
I believe you're making the wrong choice. I think for what you're talking about shooting, the camera body isn't that critical.

1. For Landscape photography, I think it's vital that you have a top-of-the-line tripod that is rock-steady but also superb for hiking or flying with...that's a tough combination to do those three things and not cheap. You will want a really good wide angle lens. Filters will matter a lot...NDFs and GNDFs and a good circular polarizer--not plastic crap or cheap versions b/c almost every shot you do in landscape will likely have some kind of filter on it. Throw in a good rain sleeve and you may be talking $1,500-1,900 just for these items. If you have all of these (good wide angle filter lens, filters, great tripod), then you've got about 40 bodies you could get that would get you lovely landscape work.

2. Weddings. I think it's really critical to have two bodies. You want good low light performance. You want really fast glass--the kind of lens that will cost you $800-$1,500 a piece. Ideally you want a good wide angle lens (for group portraits in tight space) that is good in low light (so f1.8/f2.0). And you want a moderate to long zoom (maybe a 200mm) that is fast (f2.8). Again, there are a lot of bodies out there that give you decent to good lowlight performance. But being able to afford 2 of them AND buy the appropriate glass--that is critical.

For me, with these two areas of work, the body is anywhere from 5th to 8th in importance.
 
I believe you're making the wrong choice. I think for what you're talking about shooting, the camera body isn't that critical.



For me, with these two areas of work, the body is anywhere from 5th to 8th in importance.

right, I would get a Canon 6D for $1,099 and spend the budget on good lens
 

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