Please help with camera choice....

[Tracie]

Hi everyone

So here's my dilemma:

I've been shooting kids portraiture for a while with my (I'm a little embarrassed to say) Pentax K110D.. YES I KNOW it's the bottom of the barrel, but it has done the job up until now

I'm starting to get into wedding photography, and have 8 booked already! And thats just from people seeing my kids photos... but obviously wedding photography is a whole different ball game! I have shot two weddings already and realize I DEFINITELY need a new camera with faster focusing capabilities as well as sharper imaging and all sorts of fancy new features I'm sure I don't even know about!!

So I'm wondering - what's an awesome camera for weddings, but not necessarily the absolute shizzle-stick, as I am on a fairly tight budget... I definitely want a Nikon or Canon, but no idea which one to go for - all these D700, 1D MKII blah blah numbers... I can't work out on my own which is best for me...

Plus I'm thinking in about 2 or 3 years I'll be buying the best of the best (cos I have high hopes of being the best, so will be able to afford the best ) so don't need the absolute latest but need the best that money can buy - if ya know what I mean???

Anyway, I really appreciate any information you can give me!!

 

[imstuner]

Maybe you should tell everyone what's your budget it might help.

 

[Bram]

What ^^^^^ said. We can say D3x and D3 with 70-200 f/2.8 and 24-70 f/2.8 IF you do not specify your budget you will get responses like this.

 

[table1349]

First, if you are going to venture into weddings you don't need a new camera. You need at least TWO NEW BODIES! Three would be even better. Portraits can be re-shot. Weddings are a once in a lifetime chance to get the shot. There are no do overs, no ally ally all in free. You need a main body and a backup body. Bodies you are intimately familiar with and can pick up and use with absolutely NO thought. A third body of lesser quality would be good as insurance on the insurance.

You need quality glass. This is gives a good range of needed glass for weddings. 6 Must-Have Lenses for Wedding Photography | Free Photography Tips Tutorials Reviews and Wordpress Themes Yes it is Canon orientated, but there is no lens there that Nikon doesn't make one that is comparable. The point is the range of glass needed for the various types of photos that are the standard wedding fare. Weddings are not something to tread into lightly so if you are going to go there you need to be prepared. A wedding is not the time to find out that you are not capable of capturing the wedding due to poor equipment, poor preparation or the inability to handle the stress and the people involved.

 

[imstuner]

Oh might want to look into getting insurance for getting sued.

 

[Derrel]

Go with either new Pentax gear, or new Nikon gear. Pentax and Nikon share a lot of similarities in terms of lens mounting direction, focusing direction, and control ethos/design layout. You do need TWO cameras, most definitely. And back-up pieces of equipment, like two, or three flash units. A spare "main" lens, or close equivalent. The more continuity you have among equipment, the better. You need to establish a budget in order to decide what cameras and lenses you will buy.

 

[KmH]

Also having a technical understanding regarding how your tools work goes a long way to sorting out which gear will work for your needs and budget.

A carpenter has both cross-cut and rip saws. The cross-cut is for sawing across the wood grain and the rip saw is for sawing with the wood grain. By the same token, kitchen cabinets get nailed together with a 10oz., smooth faced finish hammer, not a checkered face, 32 oz, framing hammer.

 

[Tracie]

Wow....
I still have no idea what camera to buy, thanks guys
I need an idea on which camera to look into before I can work out my budget as I'll be getting a bank loan
I realize weddings aren't to be taken lightly, my clients know exactly what I'm about, how long I've been doing it etc, and at the moment I charge accordingly...
I didn't realize I'd have to be explaining my whole situation just for some friendly advice on a camera...

 

[imstuner]

6 Must-Have Lenses for Wedding Photography | Free Photography Tips Tutorials Reviews and Wordpress Themes[/URL] Yes it is Canon orientated, but there is no lens there that Nikon doesn't make one that is comparable. T.

Gryphonslair99 gave you a reference point on the lens. And there only 4 full frame from Canon's line to choose from. cheapest being the 5D mark II.

 

[Tracie]

Thanks Imstuner!! Will look into it, as well as the Nikon D3, thanks Bram.. I just needed a starting point, not the 3rd degree

 

[table1349]

Also having a technical understanding regarding how your tools work goes a long way to sorting out which gear will work for your needs and budget.

A carpenter has both cross-cut and rip saws. The cross-cut is for sawing across the wood grain and the rip saw is for sawing with the wood grain. By the same token, kitchen cabinets get nailed together with a 10oz., smooth faced finish hammer, not a checkered face, 32 oz, framing hammer.

Not in my shop they don’t. I only join cabinets with through haunched mortise & tenon, secret haunched mortise and tenon, secret haunched stub mortise and tenon, corner rail to leg, corner or 'l' bridle, corner or 'l' dovetailed bridle, 't' bridle, corner halved or 'l' joint, 't' halved joint, mitred corner joint, halved corner mitre joint, butt joint, square through housing, stopped housing, dovetailed housing, stopped or 'lapped' housing or 'dado', stopped or 'lapped' dovetailed (single or double) housing or 'dado', common halved 't' frame dovetail, common dovetail - corner joint, or a lapped dovetail - corner joint.

Nails in a cabinet are for amateurs. :mrgreen::lmao:

 

[table1349]

Wow....
I still have no idea what camera to buy, thanks guys
I need an idea on which camera to look into before I can work out my budget as I'll be getting a bank loan
I realize weddings aren't to be taken lightly, my clients know exactly what I'm about, how long I've been doing it etc, and at the moment I charge accordingly...
I didn't realize I'd have to be explaining my whole situation just for some friendly advice on a camera...

Traci, the reason you are getting the advice you have, at least my advise, is because your original question indicates to me that you may not have the photographic knowledge or skills at this point to undertake weddings. Someone getting into the wedding field should have the kind of knowledge to know what camera bodies are standard for the industry with the kind of features needed. The kind of questions I would expect would be on the line of, "I am needing some new bodies for wedding photography and have narrowed my choice down to the 5D MkII and the D700. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?"

Those are two of the industry standards for weddings in the same price range, both being full frame and both will easily handle shooting weddings with the proper glass and lighting. I admire your determination to succeed, however in this business, especially in weddings it takes a lot of knowledge, not just good cameras to succeed. Best of luck.

 

[Derrel]

"Nailgunners" are not cabinet makers...

 

[Bram]

Thanks Imstuner!! Will look into it, as well as the Nikon D3, thanks Bram.. I just needed a starting point, not the 3rd degree

Then give us a budget man. I need a new good camera for weddings, doesn't cut it.

 

[Tracie]

Thanks a lot for your advice gryphonslair99, I really do appreciate it and am looking into the 5D MkII
You're right, I don't know enough about what cameras are standard for the industry and the features etc.. What I do know, however, is my embarrassingly old Pentax like the back of my hand, I know every single button and feature, I obsessively shoot every day without fail. I also make a decent profit from my portrait photography business. I agree with you that weddings are serious business, and eventually I will be right up there shooting those serious business weddings, but right now I am shooting weddings for a measly amount of money for people who know exactly what I'm about, who just want decent photographer to document their day without having to pay for a pro wedding photographer.. I am learning as I work, and have shot two weddings so far, both of which could not have gone any better. We all have to start somewhere, and this is where I'm starting and it's really working out well for me. I don't think that there's any right or wrong way to go about things...
I hope that didn't sound too in your face, cos I didn't mean for it to, I really do appreciate the advice...