Gear recommendations for my particular situation.....

[sircharlesofavon]

Finally jumped ship on picking a career that's guaranteed high salary, and decided to follow my heart: Journalism and photography (gearing towards sports I hope).....

I'll be starting my Junior year, and was looking at the Nikon D90 or D300 (the latter is pricey!, but I've read that when shooting a lot of live action it blows the D90 away).

I'm gonna be all over the chart shooting (indoor, outdoor, people, objects, sports). Before I go dropping $2000 plus for a D300, would a D90 suffice for now until I graduate and really get professional with it? Or is a D300 a good idea NOW?

Thanks in advance.....

 

[tirediron]

I really don't think a D90 is going to cut it for sports as a pro. Even a D300, while an excellent camera isn't ideally suited for that sort of work. If you're looking to shoot professional sports as a professional, then I'd look to either a used D2H or D2x. Don't forget that the real expense here is not going to be the 2-3 camera bodies you need, but the big, fast, EXPENSIVE glass. If you're going to shoot field sports, you'll be looking toward the 80-200 2.8 and 200-400 2.8; that's over 6K worth of glass right there.

 

[Overread]

Yep as tirediron said - forget the body for the moment, consider the cost of lenses that you will need. Its a onetime investment if you get the top range (as opposed to bodies which shift and change a lot over the years - and pros have to/tend to stay at the top end - so they do have pressure to change bodies when updated versions come out).

 

[sircharlesofavon]

I think I confused ya'll a bit lol. Sports is what I would love to *eventually* shoot. For the next few years, I'll be doing a lot of scenery, and shots of people, etc. I'm not really in a position to be shooting sports at the moment, so it's not a major concern.

On that note - Thats where my biggest confusion came in. I didn't know if I should stick with something only 'decent' for now, and then go for the big boy toys when I actually start working.

I would just hate to drop that much money now, when I'm shooting for freelance/school, only to have to upgrade in 2 years when I have an actual job.

 

[Overread]

well that is really where you have to decide - consider that if you spend big money now on lenses that you will have them for many years to come. They are made to be durable and are not upgaraded at a rapide rate - so they not only keep their quality, but also keep their trading prices - 2nd hand are not a huge drop in price.

whilst bodies are the opposite - they are a more limited product in that they are upgraded very rapidly and quickly lose their market position - heck the 40D was only upgraded this year to the 50D only a year after its release.

So the advice is when starting focus in building a strong lens collection rather than a strong body. How far you go in and how much you spend is really up to you to decide on your priorites and how you stand - both with your interest and also with your financial situation