I need help! big time! OPINIONS PLEASE. What camera?

RG17 · Mar 31, 2011

ok,

I seriously have no idea what to do... I have been into photography seriously for a couple of years now. (www.robyngallaway.com) I still have my entry level DSLR, (nikon d3000) and have really outgrown it. I am looking at starting to photograph weddings this summer and had planned on getting some new gear and using my old body as a backup.

Originally I hadn't planned on doing weddings this summer but had so many requests from people saying that they didn't want anyone else- that they liked my work and prices better than other photographers. I also have my own wedding to save for next summer so thought ..well okay...and started booking weddings. Right now I have 6 weddings booked for the summer and don't plan on booking any more, so that I have tons of time to concentrate on editing each one. My first wedding is a good friend of ours and she is very laid back...almost didn't want a photographer.

I am also on a budget. First year teacher, moved out with my fiance, paying off tons of student loans, and saving for a wedding. I planned to purchase my new gear with my tax refund which should be about $3,000.

Here's the problem...every single photographer who I've spoken to has told me that I cannot get anything less than a full frame camera..(nikon d700) which also comes with the necessity of purchasing FX lenses. .....sooooo expensive. I know it's worth it in the long run.... but I just don't think I can afford it.

Here's my question. Would the nikon d300 cut it? Maybe I could purcahse some FX lenses with it and then save up in the next few years for a full frame body? Opinions please? I can't cancel the wedding bookings...it's way too late for that.. so if you were in my position what would you do?

RockstarPhotography · Mar 31, 2011

Yes. A d300 will "cut it". a d7000 will also "cut it". But more then the body, you need fast glass to shoot weddings.

480sparky · Mar 31, 2011

Welcome to the business world!

If you want to run a successful business, you need to acquire the tools necessary to do so. And doing so may not be cheap. I have over $15,000 (US) wrapped in my the tools of my trade, and every single one has to pay for itself.

Quit thinking like a serious hobbyist and start thinking like a business owner.

imagemaker46 · Mar 31, 2011

Like 480sparky said, it doesn't come cheap. If you can't afford to buy the gear you need to do the job then stick with teaching, save your money and buy what you need, until then you are an amateur wanting to play in a professional world. I've spent over $50k in the last five years on gear, $25k this year alone, just to do my job as a professional, and you want to spend a couple of thousand on a camera body and lens so you can shoot weddings. I'm sure the wedding photographers that are dropping tens of thousands on gear love to hear this.

Texas Parrothead · Mar 31, 2011

I believe you could pick up a d7000 for about $1200 and you could get both of the 2.8 sigma lenses found in my sig below new for about $1600. Throw in either a speedlight or a 50mm f1.8d and you are at about $3k.

Good luck and remember....everyone had to start somewhere. Sounds like the folks who booked you are already pleased with your abilities!

ghache · Mar 31, 2011

imagemaker46 said:
Like 480sparky said, it doesn't come cheap. If you can't afford to buy the gear you need to do the job then stick with teaching, save your money and buy what you need, until then you are an amateur wanting to play in a professional world. I've spent over $50k in the last five years on gear, $25k this year alone, just to do my job as a professional, and you want to spend a couple of thousand on a camera body and lens so you can shoot weddings. I'm sure the wedding photographers that are dropping tens of thousands on gear love to hear this.

I LOLED SO HARD

25K in gear to shoot a wedding?

2 X d700
1 X 70-200 VR2
1 X24-70
2x sb-900.
+ the other crap brings you at around 10+-

for 25k you could get a fully loaded studio with a full range of lens + use a 1000$ flash to make some light in the bathroom while you take a ****.

imstuner · Mar 31, 2011

I think they are talking about the whole wedding package.

djacobox372 · Mar 31, 2011

Low light performance is of paramount importance to wedding photography, which is why most recommend a full-frame camera (since they've traditionally been much better at low-light).

However, the D7000 has changed that. It's almost on par with the D700 in low light (only about 1/2 stop inferior), which makes it an option.

D7000 vs. D700:

Nikon D7000 vs Nikon D700 High ISO Shoot-Out ~ Art of the Image

reedshots · Mar 31, 2011

A better body and better glass to get the best product possible is always the answer, but then again if you are competent with the body you have then GLASS is always a better upgrade. If you do not have the lighting and experience with it. I would recommend getting the best lens you can afford with a good lighting set up and let the processed from the first few shoots pay for the better body. With the best tools at a premium price and well executed photographs your pricing can go up a bit thus paying for the better tools

cdnaiphoto · Mar 31, 2011

There are a few listings on ebay for brand new d700 and 6 tamron lenses for like 3k...Maybe you could check that out...Not sure how legit it is...

PhillyBoy · Mar 31, 2011

I'm with ghache - seriously - 25k to shoot a wedding? Sounds to me like some long-time pros are looking to keep a newbie out of the biz. Granted, I'm not a pro, but that just means I don't get paid for my work - it doesn't mean that I'm not capable of producing good results. Seriously, if you're serious about it, you should buy the best equipment that you can reasonably afford. You'll get more long-term bang for your buck by focusing on decent lenses as you'll end up upgrading your camera bodies, while you'll keep using your (good quality) lenses. You could also consider shooting film - and you could pick up some older pro quality film bodies for cheap! For convenience sake, you would probably want to digitize after processing, but it could be done. If I had been signed on to do a few weddings and the customers were already pleased with the work they had seen from me, I wouldn't get all that caught up in the camera body I was using. A D7000 should suit you just fine. You wouldn't have quite the low light capability of a full-frame camera, but you would be close. And far ahead of where you would have been with anything a few years ago.
If you're good at it, it really shouldn't matter what you are using to shoot.

RG17 · Mar 31, 2011

Thanks everyone! I feel a lot better than I did a few hours ago... great advice from most. I'm definitely going to look into the d7000.

pdq5oh · Mar 31, 2011

I think you'll find the D7000's high iso capabilities fine for weddings. I've been using mine at 6400 at poorly lit football fields & get perfectly acceptable images. At a museum today, 1600 looks absolutely fine. I've shot weddings in the past & can say I'd have no apprehension about using my D7000. Fast glass is key in any low light situation, as is proper exposure. Under exposure will really bring out the noise.

ghache · Mar 31, 2011

RG17 said:
Thanks everyone! I feel a lot better than I did a few hours ago... great advice from most. I'm definitely going to look into the d7000.

I have a d7000 and will deffinetly paired it with a d700 shooting my next wedding.

ghache · Mar 31, 2011

imagemaker46 said:
Like 480sparky said, it doesn't come cheap. If you can't afford to buy the gear you need to do the job then stick with teaching, save your money and buy what you need, until then you are an amateur wanting to play in a professional world. I've spent over $50k in the last five years on gear, $25k this year alone, just to do my job as a professional, and you want to spend a couple of thousand on a camera body and lens so you can shoot weddings. I'm sure the wedding photographers that are dropping tens of thousands on gear love to hear this.

what did you buy for 25k ?