First DSLR Purchase

[Kyaotic]

Hi Everyone,

I have a basic understanding of photography and have been wanting to get into photography for awhile. I finally have the funds to purchase a DSLR and have been researching several cameras.

My budget is $2000-$3000. I'm still debating if I should just buy a nice mid-range/semi-pro DSLR now so that when I grow in photography, I won't have to upgrade later. The other option is to just buy an entry-level DSLR just spend the rest on a variety of good lenses.

Camera's I'm considering:
-Canon: 7d, T3I
*Or I could get the 5D Mark II, but if I'm going to upgrade later then I'll get the 5D Mark III around the end of this year or beginning of 2012

-Nikon: D7000


Main Uses:
-Product Photography at work, spa and nail (acrylics, powders, polish) company, for our advertisements and catalog. Need macro pictures of the powders and the nail polishes.
-Marketing Photos to include in press releases and for social marketing (facebook, linkin, etc...) like instructional, event, and trade show pictures.
-HD videos for our product tutorials.

Fun Uses:
-Action photography for dance. Mainly stage performance pictures of hip-hop.
-1080p HD concept videos for dance. Used mainly for marketing myself and my dance company for booking.
-Helping out a friend with Wedding Photography

Future Uses:
-Friend and I have been talking about starting a full-service marketing company where we would handle any aspects of marketing that companies need: search engine, social, design, campaign, public relations, advertising and most of the photography needed for those marketing materials.
-Also, talked about opening up a studio (mostly wedding and product photography) and I would handle most of the marketing, but assist on photo assignments (this is after I take more photo courses and get better as a photographer).

Thanks. I'd appreciate any advice because I've been thinking about this for awhile now.

 

[NayLoMo6C]

if money is no object (which seems so), i say get the 5DMK2. then get an L lens

 

[Restomage]

I definitely would consider the D7000 over those Canons. I've used all of them and the D7000 is the best value for the money, but the 7D is a good choice as well since you'll be shooting some action shots. I'd go for the D7000 and get some decent glass with that extra $2k.

 

[jaomul]

Nice big budget for a first DSLR. If you know you will go full frame just do it but your talking about upgrading to a 5DIII if you go for a crop sensor now, when there is noting to say this will be as good or better than anything on the market right now. One thing for sure is it will be expensive when it comes out. Looking at your purposes for the camera and your budget I think a crop camera with HD video and a macro lens are a good start. The 7d or d7000 are high up on a lot of peoples lists and the outlay wont be as big as full frame straight off. You may even find you wont need to go full frame. A 50 or 60 mm macro will double as a portrait lens for these cameras also.
I would recommend that any lenses you do but are full frame compatible so you can upgrade, if it was me I would probably buy 7d, a 50 or 60 macro, an 85mm 1.8 (should be great for hip hop events)and see later if I needed anymore, or the Nikon set up ith similar lenses. Hope this is of some help

 

[ghache]

for this kind of money, i would deffinetly get a D7000 and put the left over money on glass. The AF-S 60mm Macro is deffinetly a nice lens. I would also look at the 24-120mm AF-S F4. thats a nice quality do it alll lens.

 

[webada]

$2000-$3000 is rather a wide range, at 50% increase. At the low end, start with a T3i and invest in some good lens such as 50mm 1.4 or 85mm 1.8 or any of those suggestions listed previously, they are all good. when you do save up, go for full frame 5dm3. There is a boat of reasons to be on full frame when you starting to hit the $3k+ price range as "starter kit" for semi-professional/work use.

If you are trying to stay under $2k, then I would just suggest to stay with T3i/D5100 level camera with the rest of cash to the lenses with future upgrade in mind.

as for Canon vs Nikon, there is always a equivalent range counterpart, don't get caught up with it too much.

With today's technology, you can't really go wrong with any of these body. As far as equipment goes, using the right lens is far more important. Remember we were just shooting with a D3 few years ago and there were still plenty of good photography back then.