HELP - equipment advice

[Rosy]

I've been asked to take some pictures at my friend's daycare. Mostly outdoor and several indoor. QUESTION: I am currently shooting with a Nikon D80 which takes decents shots but I was debating upgrading to the D7000 OR awaiting the 300s replacement to upgrade .
For this shoot - should i forfeit the wait time and go for the d7000
This shoot can open many doors for me and give me the oppurtunity to make this a profitable hobby
Not sure if you can review my equipment - but do you think I'm ok with what I have other than maybe some additional lighting and backdrop
Appreciate your expertise on this one

 

[tirediron]

Short answer: "It depends". The D80 is a good camera, and I can't see where it would let you down with these shots. If you intend to use the camera for commercial work, then I would definitely save up and wait for the D300s replacement simply for the superior build-quality, which will stand up far better to the rigors of every-day use than will the consumer-quality D7000. If on the other hand, you're going to be mainly a hobby shooter, with the odd paying job for a bit of extra cash, then I would say that the D7000 might serve you better.

With respect to the question of your gear, it looks fine. I would suggest however, if you're not already, that you read up on Nikon's CLS and work on some off-camera flash. A piece of white poster-board of Coroplast makes an excellent reflector and can be had for very little money.

Good luck!

 

[Rosy]

thank you sooo very much. my gutt is telling me to wait for the 300s replacement - i will use my d80 as a backup at that point. Yes - i would really like to pursue this hobby and make it as profitable as possible

i do hav a 5 in 1 rerflector and i am comfortable using my sb900 off camera. I'm thinking i might need bigger diffusers and maybe like you mentioned the backdrop

thank you again for your time - i truly appreciate it

 

[christian.rudman]

I'm currently using a d300s, and I have to say, wait for it. Glorious little piece of tech, its a true workhorse. I got my d300s after my d90 was stolen and the school was loaning me a d70. The beautiful thing about that 85mm lens you have (I'm super jealous, I've been wanting one bad) is that with that f/1.8 you can take most of the shots without a backdrop and just use the bokeh to blend everything distracting out of your shots. def use the flash off camera, and it sounds like you have more than just a decent idea of what you are doing, you should be fine good luck and happy shooting!

 

[shortpballer]

Spend some money on lighting. A camera is basically a camera. I'd take a Nikon D70 and my lighting over my Hasselblad and no lighting ANYDAY. If you think about it this way, the cameras job is to capture light. I know some cameras can capture light more efficiently than others, but if you can provide more light then it doesn't matter. Being able to control the light, allows you to control what the camera captures and give you an end result FAR better than upgrading to a better body.

Just my 2 cents

Hope it helps.

PS: don't tell anyone I told you this, everything thinks that with their super large aperture lenses and super DSLR's they are creating magic. Its all about light ... without good quality light, the sensor sees nothing...

 

[christian.rudman]

eric (shortpballer)! i love your website, who did it for you?

and thats a great lineup of equipment for someone new to photography, a little ridiculous even.

Edit: and just a note, it is magic people are creating with a dslr and large apertures. all apertures are for is reducing or increasing the light that reaches the sensor, so anytime you are adjusting the way your camera is interpreting the light that comes through the barrel of your lens you are playing with light in the same sense you are using all those expensive and burdensome light rigs you are so sure of. while i'm very jealous of your equipment and the fact that you have the ability to play with all that, i dont think it's any less magic to take a nice shot without all the extraneous accessories. plus natural lighting is always more pleasant and real than artificial light.