Don't know what I should do....

[rwphotography]

So I have a dilemma. I'm going to make it simple without a huge dialogue. I have a 50d and an Xsi. I'm getting a Canon 50mm 1.4 on Friday and a 70-200mm IS 2.8 at the end of the month. I'm beginning to specialize in Portraits and Candid shots and was wondering will I get by with my kit lens that came with my 50d (28-135 IS), 50mm 1.4, and 70-200mm IS 2.8 on my 50d and Xsi OR should I sell my Xsi and kit lenses (18-55 & 75-300) and get a used 5d?

I just want to know if I will notice a HUGE difference on the 5d taking portraits and candid shots using my 50d & Xsi using the same lenses I mentioned above.

Thanks for the advice in advance

 

[Error]

It doesn't matter what type of camera & lenses you use as long as you framed the subject perpectly but it would be nice to have 5D Mark II or III to get better resolution with a single lens of 24-70mm f2.8 is perfectly for portraiture.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

You'll be just fine. Just keep concentrating on the photography, not the equipment.

 

[Battou]

You'll be fine with what you have and are recieving. Keep both bodies....you will eventually learn that having a backup body is almost...if not more important than the lenses you have. Like Sw1tchFX said, focus on the photos and not the gear used. You can improove the gear later on.

 

[Samanax]

Most of my photography friends own Canons and most own 2 or more bodies (1 crop and 1 full frame) and almost all of them use their 5D, 5D MK II, 1Ds Mk II or 1Ds Mk III for portrait or studio work and their crop cameras for almost everything else. They're the reason I bought a 5D to go along with my 40D...they told me that with the right lens the full frame cameras produce beautiful images and they weren't kidding.

 

[Derrel]

I notice a huge difference when shooting portraits with my 5D versus using a crop-bodied camera. The single,largest, and most significant difference is background control. The full-frame camera will render shallower depth of field on the background because the capture size is 2.62 times LARGER on the 5D than it is on a 1.6x Canon body.

In practical terms, the 5D keeps backgrounds more out of focus, because in-studio or in a huge number of locations, you can shoot with a 5D and keep the background sublimated. With studio flash shots in the f/5.6 to f/8 range, with a crop-body camera, when you are shooting full-length shots, your focal length will be in the 21mm to 35mm focal length range--and that means the lens is short, so the depth of field is deep, so the background will be shown sharply enough that every crease in a muslin, ever dimple in a seamless, every ugly element on a wall, will show up in the images, and the background will "compete" for attention with the subject.

I see a LOT of people trying to get decent studio shots, using 1.6x cameras, and almost invariably, I can see their backgrounds quite clearly; an Old Masters canvas backdrop is supposed to give a "color wash" effect, and it does on FF. On APS-C, you can see each and every color change,quite clearly. Many aps-c only people get very upset hearing about this fact, but in-studio and on-location work shot on APS-C,especially full-length stuff, looks quite a bit less than optimal, due to the short focal lengths APS-C pushes on the potographer just to be able to encompass a standing person.

 

[rwphotography]

Thanks for the information. I am going to add some photo's so everyone can take a look at my work so far, just to get some constructive criticism.

 

[rwphotography]

Here are some that I have taken. Just want to know what others may think.

 

[rwphotography]

Here are some more. They may look a little distorted because I did reduce the size of the pictures. not sure if that makes a difference or not.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

screw small format, shoot on an 8x10!

 

[rwphotography]

screw small format, shoot on an 8x10!

I don't want to sound real dumb, but how would I shoot in 8x10? All of the pictures that I take shooting on my 50d are raw files and come to be 19x13. It maybe a stupid question, but can I change to shoot 8x10 on my camera?

 

[Battou]

screw small format, shoot on an 8x10!

I don't want to sound real dumb, but how would I shoot in 8x10? All of the pictures that I take shooting on my 50d are raw files and come to be 19x13. It maybe a stupid question, but can I change to shoot 8x10 on my camera?

No...8x10 is a large format camera....in other words you would need a sensor in your camera that measures 8x10.


Sw1tchFX...Shame on you for confusing the poor new guy....:blackeye:

 

[rwphotography]

screw small format, shoot on an 8x10!

I don't want to sound real dumb, but how would I shoot in 8x10? All of the pictures that I take shooting on my 50d are raw files and come to be 19x13. It maybe a stupid question, but can I change to shoot 8x10 on my camera?

No...8x10 is a large format camera....in other words you would need a sensor in your camera that measures 8x10.


Sw1tchFX...Shame on you for confusing the poor new guy....:blackeye:

So, i'm guessing the 5d (the 1st one) has the sensor to shoot 8x10?

 

[Derrel]

As far as your portrait work goes, on several of the photographs you link us to, your camera was held in the horizontal orientation,which is now quite often referred to as the "landscape mode". I would suggest that on several of your shots, the images would be better framed by turning the camera to the vertical capture mode, which is commonly referred to as "portrait mode".

The thing is, when you photograph a single person with the camera held in the so-called "landscape" orientation, the photograph ends up with a floating head which is bordered on both sides by dead space. The person is shown with no shoulders,and their clothing is basically little more than a collar. When I see lots of close-up portraits that should be done as "head and shoulders" poses, or even worse "half-body" shots,with the shots framed in a horizontal composition, I know the person is an untrained,self-taught shooter.

Same with people who try and shoot actors headshots in horizontal mode--a total no-no. I hate to be so blunt, but one needs to recognize how to frame a head and shoulder portrait and a half-body shot in order to succeed as a portrait shooter. Your 1st, 3rd, 7th,and 8th samples are all horizontal,and none of them should be horizontals.

 

[rwphotography]

As far as your portrait work goes, on several of the photographs you link us to, your camera was held in the horizontal orientation,which is now quite often referred to as the "landscape mode". I would suggest that on several of your shots, the images would be better framed by turning the camera to the vertical capture mode, which is commonly referred to as "portrait mode".

The thing is, when you photograph a single person with the camera held in the so-called "landscape" orientation, the photograph ends up with a floating head which is bordered on both sides by dead space. The person is shown with no shoulders,and their clothing is basically little more than a collar. When I see lots of close-up portraits that should be done as "head and shoulders" poses, or even worse "half-body" shots,with the shots framed in a horizontal composition, I know the person is an untrained,self-taught shooter.

Same with people who try and shoot actors headshots in horizontal mode--a total no-no. I hate to be so blunt, but one needs to recognize how to frame a head and shoulder portrait and a half-body shot in order to succeed as a portrait shooter. Your 1st, 3rd, 7th,and 8th samples are all horizontal,and none of them should be horizontals.

By all means, your not being blunt. Thank you for the advice. It felt awkward holding the camera vertically. I just bought a battery grip and now with the vertical release button, it feels more natural to shoot vertically. I think that's what my problem was and now I will definitely keep that in mind. Thanks :thumbup: