Shooting my neighbors wedding as a favor.. Body/Lens advice

[thephotoroom]

Ok. Here goes.
My friend/neighbor is getting married in the spring and didn't see the need for a photographer. As a beginner I thought it would be a good opportunity to get my feet wet with wedding stuff. He and his soon to be agreed to give me a few bucks to shoot it and are now looking forward to it.

I have a D60, but have been looking to upgrade for some time now. Currently my bag has the D60, both kit lenses 18-55/55-200 and a SB700. I'm looking at the D7000, but also kinda liked the Canon 60D, but open to other considerations. My budget is $3000 for new camera and two lenses.

In your opinion, would this level of camera be enough to get good results? The Nikon comes with the 18-105, not sure of the Canon. I would also get a specific lense for this event, a fast wide angle zoom, hopefully not more than $1000. My dreamed up package consists of the D7000 and a 18-50 range fast lens.

I like the Nikon family, I love the way it feels, but thats what I'm used to. I have the two other inexpensive lenses and the speedlight. Im invested in Nikon, but not too much so.

Also, would it be wise to borrow another flash unit and have that as a off axis remote? The whole 30 degree thing?

Thank you.

 

[Robin Usagani]

While I do love Nikon BUT Canon is the cheapest route to have equipment good enough for weddings (with a classic 5D that is only like around $850). The kit lenses are not good enough to do weddings. And to be honest, if you are ready to shoot a wedding, you should know by now what you need. The only lens that should be considered that is slower than 2.8 is an UWA.

 

[Big Mike]

I wouldn't suggest switching to Canon, it will just cost you money and probably won't make a lick of difference in your photography.

I'm not too familiar with all the Nikon models, but there are several good options for a body upgrade. Keep the D60 as a backup.
A more important decision will likely be the lenses. Ideally, you will want 'fast' lenses (large maximum aperture). I'd suggest something like the Tamron 17-50mm F2.8 and/or a 50mm F1.8 or F1.4. Many wedding photographers get a lot of use out of a 70-200mm F2.8 lens. There are options from Nikon, Tamron & Sigma.

 

[gsgary]

Friend may be past tense after the wedding

 

[tirediron]

Don't worry too much about the body; the D60s low-light abilities aren't the best, but it will get you through. Look for a used 80-200 f2.8, and a 17-55 2.8.

 

[Derrel]

Get a Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 lens. Use whatever crop-body Nikon you have.

Aim for the body. Use a lens. You'll be good to go.

 

[thephotoroom]

Still cracks me up to hear people and their no substance comments online… Anyway…

My dads an old Nikon guru, for a film study I used his old F2 which was sweet and classy, he always said to only buy nikor lenses. I do like the Tamron suggestions though. Would you think the 2.8 would be sufficient to shooting bands and low light situations as well? Just trying to stretch the possibilities out.

I was reading up on a sigma lens around the same fstop and mm range but the reviews said their firmware was not updated for the newish Nikon D7000?

Those that have had the chance to compare sigma to tamron, do you have any comment on quality? Construction? durrability? weight?

I've had the D60 for a few years now and looking for more mp and bracket exposure for hdr. wireless flash control for studio stuff and the video is a bonus. 99% sure I'm going with the D7000 as an upgrade. Just have to play with one and research a bit more.

Like I said. Its time to spend some dough, Definitely getting the body and a good lens or two.

 

[Derrel]

With the newer Nikon cameras, and the newer PENTAX cameras, both using the very-newest sensors made by Sony, the "relative" speed of an f/2.8 lens has gone up by two full f/stop values over the past two years or so....MORE if you can afford the Nikon D3s, which has the absolute cleanest HIGH-ISO sensor available, at any price. Since the D7000 and the newest Pentax have the same sensor, and the High-ISO performance of those two cameras is leading the world right now, then f/2.8 lenses are a lot less of a limitation than they used to be back when the D60 was current.

Sigma might not be fully, 100% updated to the D7000's exact, specific autofocusing protocols. Sigma's HSM is not, I repeat, is NOT, Nikon's AF-S focusing protocol, and Nikon does NOT share their focusing protocols with third-party lens makers. When NIkon does a significant update to its cameras, such as the one between the D70 generation and the D200 generation, it can leave Sigma's HSM lenses not working quite right. Sigma makes regular press releases on its web site, announcing the availability and or the need for lens CPU updates, as new Nikon tweaks to the AF-S protocol come out. Screw-driven lenses are NOT,I repeat, are NOT affected by the differences between Nikon and third-party lenses. I've got two Tamrons at the moment, and a handful of Sigmas. As far as quality, build, etc, they need to be compared on a lens-by-lens basis to be fair, but as a "general rule", I think Tamron is the better of the two in terms of build and design quality, although BOTH Siggy and Tamron do have some pretty so-so consumer lenses in their lineup.

 

[thephotoroom]

Thats some good info. I'm confused about this, when you say screw driven focussing, are you referring to a body with a focus motor in it? Like how an entry level body D60 needs lens' with motors in them opposed to mid level with focus motors in the body?

In the end, Screw-driven lenses are lenses without motors?

What happens when you put a lens with a motor, on a body with a motor? Nuclear fusion?

 

[Derrel]

All of the "old technology" Nikon AF lenses rely upon the in-body focusing motor. The lenses have what is basically, a slotted "screw head", and the bodies have a "screwdriver blade" that couples to the lens's drive receptacle. ALL of Nikon's mid- and higher-level autofocusing bodies have come equipped with an in-body focusing motor; the newest, economy models, which I call "the Baby Nikons", have omitted the in-body motor. So, low-cost Nikon bodies like the D40 series, the D60, the D3000 and 3100, and the D5000 and 5100 bodies do not have the in-body focusing motor, and instead depend upon the lens and its internal focusing motor for autofocusing.

Most all of the "new" Nikkor lenses have an internal AF-S motor inside the lens (AF-S in Nikon-speak stands for auto focusing, silent wave).

When you put a lens with a motor onto a body with an in-body focusing motor, there is no nuclear fusion, because the lenses with internal focusing motors do not have the screwdriver coupling....all that happens is that the AF-S lens focuses, silently, using the lens's internal motor!

 

[D-B-J]

A used 80-200 2.8D, a Nikon D7000, and a 17-55 2.8. And if you could swing it, a 50mm 1.4--That would be my suggestions.

 

[thephotoroom]

thanks for the advice. I'm pickin up my D7000 today and pumped. Looking at the lenses as well. was playing with a 40mm macro nikor that was pretty awesome. still have plenty time to pick up some fast glass before may.
Again, thanks.