Getting Another Camera

[chrisburke]

I'm getting another camera... lately I've been getting booked to do weddings and other fun stuff like that, and it's driving me crazy switching lens.. so it's time for a new body... I'm sticking to Nikon... but I'm torn... as you can see in my sig, I have the D40.. so anything is obviously up from here...I'm looking at the D80.... thoughts??? would it be a good second camera or should I go bigger (meaning I'd have to wait longer to get the funds)... well in all honesty it would become my #1, and the 40 would be #2... I'm also getting the 50mm1.8 lens to do better portrait stuff at weddings and wherever... while I'm at it, what flash should I get????

 

[Rogan]

i tried out a D300 the other and was astounded! so i'd highly reccomend that, or a D200 might be a better choice if price is a problemm!

how functional is the sb-50 with the D40? you should probs try the sb-600 or 800 as a best bet

 

[JimmyO]

Well I personally think you should look at getting more accessories first, like a 70-200mm f/2.8, a sb-800 and maybe an sb-600. But thats up to you. If you want to upgrade you may want to look at some older cameras like maybe a d70, d100/200, or maybe a d2h if you want to get into sports photography (8 fps =))

 

[chrisburke]

the sb50 was great when it worked, but it crapped out recently and it's not worth it to get it serviced...

as for the d200 or 300.. nice cameras... guess i never considered them because of the price... i'll have to find out what price i can get them for (a friend works at Nikon and can get me really good discounts)

i deffinatley hear ya jimmy on the accessories..... getting the 50mm 1.8 lens and a new flash.... then later on the 70-200 (right now I have one that i can borrow from a friend)

 

[JIP]

Honestly if you are doing weddings professionally you are lost all the way aound so as you said it is only up from here. Since you have a D40 a D80 would definately be a step up so with another future upgrading in mind down the road I might go with the D80. I would hope for your sake that the D80 leaves some funds open for some better glass as you are really in need of that as well. I really guess it all depends on how serious you take all this for me when I started I got what I needed when I started and when I made the transition to digital I also got a very large head start right off the bat (see my sig). Both situations were gotten on credit and both were covered pretty quickly with weddings but I consider wedding photography as an important source of income for me so I got the gear I needed.

 

[chrisburke]

well said jip... maybe i should just slap it all on the card ... deffinatley something i've considered... and as you say, it would get paid back pretty quick with the bookings i have.

 

[christopher walrath]

If you're getting a 50 for portraiture but are sick of swapping lenses, why not just get an UBER-zoom?

 

[JIP]

well said jip... maybe i should just slap it all on the card ... deffinatley something i've considered... and as you say, it would get paid back pretty quick with the bookings i have.

Actualy for me I just joined the credit union at my work and got a loan for like 4% so "slapping it on the card" is a silly idea if you were being serious because even if you don't have acess to a credit union. If you were being facetious and I do detect a sense if sarasm in your response I guess things arent going as well for you when it comes to weddings as you initially alluded to.

 

[chrisburke]

Actualy for me I just joined the credit union at my work and got a loan for like 4% so "slapping it on the card" is a silly idea if you were being serious because even if you don't have acess to a credit union. If you were being facetious and I do detect a sense if sarasm in your response I guess things arent going as well for you when it comes to weddings as you initially alluded to.

no no, sorry if i sounded scarcastic... I was serious... my credit card has a low rate... and weddings are going well for me, so it would be paid of rather quickly

 

[*Mike*]

If you're getting a 50 for portraiture but are sick of swapping lenses, why not just get an UBER-zoom?

For someone doing weddings professionally, and taking pro portraiture clients, an "uber-zoom" really isn't up to the task. Zooms with a huge range always have to make compromises somewhere - image quality, max aperture, etc. There's a good reason everyone isn't walking around with one do-it-all lens. )

 

[JimmyO]

Even so i would take it one step at a time. First thing i would replace is the flash. Then look at getting a fast prime or 2. Then something maybe like the sigma 70-200mm f/2.8, or the older nikkor 80-200mm.

 

[asfixiate]

seems like with nikons noone ever says you shouldn't use a d40 for weddings because its not built for it but when someone mentions a canon rebel xt people immediately say its a bad choice blah blah.

Why is d40 so acceptable as wedding camera choice and rebel xt.

Am i confusing the level of camer a d40 is?

I personally believe whatever works use but of course I listen to what some people say in here.

 

[passerby]

I'm getting another camera... lately I've been getting booked to do weddings and other fun stuff like that, and it's driving me crazy switching lens.. so it's time for a new body... I'm sticking to Nikon... but I'm torn... as you can see in my sig, I have the D40.. so anything is obviously up from here...I'm looking at the D80.... thoughts???

You are earning an income from it now so you may as well go all the way at once. All nikon camears are good for prof work but the best gears impress your value customers.
Once you are in the bussiness than think like bussinessman.

Good luck.

 

[Alfred D.]

[...] and it's driving me crazy switching lens.. so it's time for a new body... [...]

How is getting a new body going to cut down on lens switching? Unless you rather swap whole body/lens combos, of course.

 

[chrisburke]

it will cut down on switching because i will carry both bodies with me... big lens on one body small lens on the other.... pretty standard with wedding shots...