Please help with camera choice....

[ukr4ever]

Ppl are blind, if the person is choosing between d700 and 5D M2 he must have the money for it.... so there is your budget. and he was asking a specific question too.

Anyways, in regards to the difference between nikon and canon, i prefer nikon. Its cheaper first of all (at least in Canada) it gives you way better performance on high ISO. Nikon makes sensors with less MP, thats why it is giving much better quality over all. Plus nikon creates world's best glass, I am not including carl zeiss and leika glass into this comparison. So for weddings i know a couple of guys shotting with D300s (cropped sensor). But keep in mind for weddings if you buy either cameras, you will need lenses right away. For Nikon D700 ($2400) plus 24-70 ($1800). Also you need one with better zoom capabilities for portraits is 70-200mm ($2100). But again, maybe you should consider cheaper body, and better glass. Good lenses will improve quality and sharpness by a lot, where body gives better options and abilities, well quality improves as well, but not by as much.

 

[Cfitz]

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

If your budget allows it, go for the D3S over the D3. No external differences just higher ISO and better handling of them. Oh and there's also a movie mode, but your a photographer so that's not gonna matter.

 

[mikehaugen]

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:

So my duct tape and bailing wire doesn't cut it?

 

[Icarus Image]

One of the most frequently sought after cameras for wedding photography is the 5d Mark II. It's full-frame sensor and amazing low-light handling are two of the biggest reasons that people look at it. The equivalent camera on Nikon's side is the D700.

As far as Nikon vs. Canon, go with what feels most comfortable to you. There are minimal tradeoffs on either side of the fence and very rarely will one make or break your ability to photograph a wedding or event.

Don't get caught up in investing an enormous amount of money into a camera body if you're not going to equip it with good lenses. If your budget, like most, is prohibitive, invest in the lenses first, then the camera. You'll want both zooms and primes in order to cover a wedding properly. The lenses you buy will depend greatly however on which camera body you pick up. If you get the full frame 5D mark II or D700, you will be looking to get a slightly different kit than if you buy any of the cropped APS-C sensors that are found in the Canon 7D, Nikon D300 or similar.

You will also need to invest in an external flash of some quality. Again, if you can afford the top end flash (580EX-II or SB-900) you're much better off, but don't sell yourself short buying low-power or off brand.

Hopefully that gives you a start... Several people have already suggested you let them know what your total budget is. Since you have to balance camera body vs lenses vs flash vs accessories, if you can throw a number out, you'd probably get much more detailed advice.

 

[Icarus Image]

Oh and that being said, don't neglect the option to buy older cameras for really really good prices. I picked up a 1d Mark III as my first pro camera. Originally a several thousand dollar body, I got one for $1700 on ebay, used it for a year (30+ weddings) and then sold it for the same price. Even being a year and half old when I got it, it was more than adequate for what I needed at the time (switched to a 7d for size and video).

The "i know someone who'" argument can be weak at times, but one of the photographers I work with is booked almost solid for 2 years out and he's shooting a 4 year old 1d Mark II with no major complaints. His work is amazing, and it's the final product that the customer cares about, not how new or flashy the equipment that was used to get it.

 

[Tracie]

Thank you so much! Exactly the kind of information I was after, you guys rock

 

[jebuell]

I was on a tight budget when I started out and starting basically from scratch as well (I had a Canon XTi, one crappy lens, and a 430EX II). In the years since then I've learned a lot about gear and what does and does not matter. Yes, I have and shoot with a 5DII now, but I shot weddings for three years before I got there. You DO NOT need a fancy camera to shoot weddings. In fact, an extremely talented photographer I know still shoots primarily with a Canon 40D and produces some seriously amazing photos! What's more important is knowing how to make the gear you have work for you (and know how to work the gear you have). The kit that worked for me for three years without issues was...

Canon 40D ($500 used)
Canon 5Dc ($1000 used)
Canon 24-105mm f/4L ($850 used)
Canon 28mm f/1.8 ($400 used)
Canon 50mm f/1.4 ($350 used)
Canon 100mm f/2.8 ($420 used)
Canon 430EX II ($200 used)
Canon 580EX II (actually, I have no idea! $400 used?)

I used the 24-105 for almost everything, but had the 28, 50, and 100 on hand in case my 24-105 failed me. If you like primes, just get those three and you're good to start. Or just get a nice zoom and the 50mm. I also got the 5D because I got an incredible deal for it. If I hadn't gotten that I was planning to just get 2 40D bodies which is a great option for you since you DO need 2 bodies, as well as at least 2 lenses and 2 flashes. Always have a second in case something goes wrong with one. At one wedding my 580EX stopped working for some reason, but I already had the 430 mounted on my back-up body ready to go along with my back-up lens. I just grabbed it, and kept shooting. Wasted time was about 20 seconds to get back to where my bag was and grab it. Some photogs shoot with both cameras around their neck which works better, but I feel weighs me down. Oh, and if you can't afford 2 nice flashes, invest in one (like the 430) and get a nice off brand like the YN-468 (about $100 NEW).

Then practice, practice, practice! I'd take at least 500 shots with new gear before using it in a wedding to be sure I know how to use it to its full potential and no ensure I got a good copy with no major issues. And don't forget to have plenty of CF cards so you can shoot RAW, liability insurance in case you get sued, and lots of extra batteries for everything that needs batteries in case something goes wrong with those, too. When I started I got a $10,000 loan and used about $7,500 in a week. But this was three years ago and I did buy a few things new or refurbished. Since then I've only bought one thing new (my Canon 5DII which I got for $2180 at WPPI, which is cheaper then what you can buy it used most times). Used is the way to go with photography gear, and since you're looking for entry-level gear it's easy to find. And I apologize for not knowing the Nikon equivalent of all of this!

 

[Tracie]

THANK YOU so much jebuell - most informative indeed