The Dreaded Gear Question

[gsgary]

As a steadfast Nikon user my recommendation is obvious ... which ever one feels better, is easier to hold, you understand the menus, and your circle of friends may use. BUT ALSO take into consideration your Fiance is using/going to use.

BUY the SAME Brand.

If one bought NIkon and the other bought Canon ... the cost would then be ENORMOUS Cost.. basically doubling alot of the gear cost.

So I think this is a two person decision, and then also, look at what your friends use too.

Your friends could help in a Canon "thing" or a Nikon "thing".

My brother shoots Canon. I use Nikon. Well .. there's really nothing I can ask him about the camera / lenses and vice versa. Techniques and composition skills sure ....

So think it through a bit .. then buy Nikon

Well currently she has an older Canon rebel series XS, which she isn't really content with anymore and is looking to sell it. She isn't very invested Glass-wise, so she might even jump the ship to Nikon! So it's kind of up in the air for her as well!

You both should be looking to buy the same make then you can swap lenses

 

[StickToYourGuns]

As a steadfast Nikon user my recommendation is obvious ... which ever one feels better, is easier to hold, you understand the menus, and your circle of friends may use. BUT ALSO take into consideration your Fiance is using/going to use.

BUY the SAME Brand.

If one bought NIkon and the other bought Canon ... the cost would then be ENORMOUS Cost.. basically doubling alot of the gear cost.

So I think this is a two person decision, and then also, look at what your friends use too.

Your friends could help in a Canon "thing" or a Nikon "thing".

My brother shoots Canon. I use Nikon. Well .. there's really nothing I can ask him about the camera / lenses and vice versa. Techniques and composition skills sure ....

So think it through a bit .. then buy Nikon

Well currently she has an older Canon rebel series XS, which she isn't really content with anymore and is looking to sell it. She isn't very invested Glass-wise, so she might even jump the ship to Nikon! So it's kind of up in the air for her as well!

You both should be looking to buy the same make then you can swap lenses

What really stinks is i'm leaning towards the Nikon D600. However I'm very concerned about the Dust/Oil issue that keeps popping up in articles and youtube reviews. Anyone with experience on the issue?

 

[play18now]

Especially if you're going to be using the camera in any sort of professional capacity, where you might be shooting for several hours continuously with few or no breaks, I would definitely handle the cameras before you purchase either. One of the deciding factors for me was ergonomics. I found that the finger wells on the Nikon's I was looking at were too shallow and cramped up my hands, which made the camera very uncomfortable to use. Ended up with a Canon. Take a first hand look at both cameras. That will help you decide.

 

[StickToYourGuns]

Especially if you're going to be using the camera in any sort of professional capacity, where you might be shooting for several hours continuously with few or no breaks, I would definitely handle the cameras before you purchase either. One of the deciding factors for me was ergonomics. I found that the finger wells on the Nikon's I was looking at were too shallow and cramped up my hands, which made the camera very uncomfortable to use. Ended up with a Canon. Take a first hand look at both cameras. That will help you decide.

Well this is also something I am taking into consideration. I actually work at Best Buy, so I play with these cameras daily. I do prefer the Ergonomics of Canon better, but there are some killer details missing from the 6D that Nikon includes.

They may seem small, but with Nikon's D600 I like:

• Dual SD Card slots (Spillover pictures, Separate Video from stills, and I can even throw an Eye-Fi card in there for kicks)
• 39 AF Points, 9 Cross type (The AF system seems to provide more versatility, especially when shooting at concerts with a lot of movement)
• 5.5 FPS (This isn't huge since the 6D does have 4.5, none the less it's a tad better)
• Pop-up Flash (However, I understand that as a serious photographer, I would never actually rely on my PUF)
• Uncompressed Video out
• Mic AND Headphone inputs

With Canon's 6D, my list really amounts to:

• Better Ergonomics (I really do enjoy the feel of the Canon a bit more, and I enjoy the back layout a lot more)
• Wi-Fi/GPS (However, neither of these are even a factor for my personal use)
• Better control in live view for video (Aperture control is nice, but for me Video will be secondary to stills)
• Seemingly better performance at High ISO's; less visible noise

Overall I truly do feel that the Nikon is better equipped for my personal needs/tastes. But if anyone can either confirm or deny some of points to push me one way, I'm all ears!

 

[Bulb]

Well currently she has an older Canon rebel series XS, which she isn't really content with anymore and is looking to sell it. She isn't very invested Glass-wise, so she might even jump the ship to Nikon! So it's kind of up in the air for her as well!

You both should be looking to buy the same make then you can swap lenses

What really stinks is i'm leaning towards the Nikon D600. However I'm very concerned about the Dust/Oil issue that keeps popping up in articles and youtube reviews. Anyone with experience on the issue?

Nikon released the D610 for that very reason. Nikon had corrected the oil problem on the D600 in the later production runs, but decided it would be better to differentiate between the potential problem cameras and the cameras that were definitely clean. Of course, you probably won't have any problems with the D600 either. As far a I know none of the new D600 are having this issue.

Especially if you're going to be using the camera in any sort of professional capacity, where you might be shooting for several hours continuously with few or no breaks, I would definitely handle the cameras before you purchase either. One of the deciding factors for me was ergonomics. I found that the finger wells on the Nikon's I was looking at were too shallow and cramped up my hands, which made the camera very uncomfortable to use. Ended up with a Canon. Take a first hand look at both cameras. That will help you decide.

The same happened to me. When I was deciding between the D600 and the 6D, I went to an electronics store and tried both. I had never thought about ergonomics until I realized that the 6D was much more comfortable to hold.

 

[robbins.photo]

Ok, well you are probably not going to like my advice one bit, but here goes. First take out your list and scratch both the 6D and the D600 off your list. Take most of the money you have set aside to purchase one or the other and put it in a savings account. Then go out and buy an entry level DSLR with a decent lens. Then go out and start taking pictures. Tons and tons and tons of pictures. Practice as much as you can. Take portraits until your fingers bleed. Read everything you can about ISO, Shutter speed, an aperture. Practice even more. Take pictures with every free moment you have and apply what you've learned with each new photo. After you've taken say 20 or 30 thousand pictures, then go find yourself an experienced wedding photographer and offer your services as an intern. You follow him around, shlep his equipment, be his gofer - and you learn absolutely everything you can about his business. Not just how he sets up, lighting, technique, etc - but how he markets himself, how he advertises, how he generates new clients. Everything you can possibly learn.

Once you've done that then you are ready to start thinking about buying some professional equipment and giving it a go yourself - but until then odds are good no matter what kind of equipment you buy your going to run into major problems very quickly. Weddings are a huge deal to the people involved - and believe me you go to your first one and don't produce the kind of high quality, once in a lifetime images the clients want and word of that will spread like wildfire. Your business will fail before it ever gets a chance to start.

So honestly my advice is to start slow. Professional Photography, in particular wedding photography, is an ultra competitive business and not something you really want to jump into with little or no experience. I know that isn't what you really wanted to hear and I wouldn't be at all surprised if my advice is ignored, but you asked so I had to give you an honest assessment. Your odds of success with your current approach are extremely remote. So I hope you'll take my advice and rethink your business plan. If not all I can do is wish you well.

 

[bratkinson]

^^^^^^^

Exactly what he said! And others have said it above, too.

Unless your potential wedding photography clients are easily satisfied with out of focus, poorly composed, poorly exposed pictures, jumping into wedding work as 'newbie with a DSLR' will most likely result in dismal failure.

True professional wedding photographers didn't just 'learn it all' in a short time. There's tens of thousands of exposure/lighting/focus/DOF 'experience' shots they have learned from. Professionals are highly proficient at all facets of photography and are definitely not 'point and shoot' or 'spray and pray' photographers. Learning all the ins and outs of proper exposure and arriving at the 'acceptable compromise'(I don't know who used that phrase here a month or so ago, but it so perfectly describes the exposure consideration process) is only the FIRST step of becoming proficient. Throw in composition, lighting, DOF, gear limitations, personal limitations, and on and on. It doesn't happen overnight...or even in a year. Professionals also are required to have a calm-no-matter-what demeanor and must be able to handle even the worst possible scenarios of what could go wrong...
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/general-shop-talk/342214-wedding-photographer-s-nightmare.html
Did I mention backup equipment, too? As in 6D x 2, 600EX x 2...(or 3, or 4)...

Bottom line...paying customers are not satisfied with results that someone with a cellphone could have produced. Start with learning the fundamentals without going broke first.

 

[StickToYourGuns]

^^^^^^^

Exactly what he said! And others have said it above, too.

Unless your potential wedding photography clients are easily satisfied with out of focus, poorly composed, poorly exposed pictures, jumping into wedding work as 'newbie with a DSLR' will most likely result in dismal failure.

True professional wedding photographers didn't just 'learn it all' in a short time. There's tens of thousands of exposure/lighting/focus/DOF 'experience' shots they have learned from. Professionals are highly proficient at all facets of photography and are definitely not 'point and shoot' or 'spray and pray' photographers. Learning all the ins and outs of proper exposure and arriving at the 'acceptable compromise'(I don't know who used that phrase here a month or so ago, but it so perfectly describes the exposure consideration process) is only the FIRST step of becoming proficient. Throw in composition, lighting, DOF, gear limitations, personal limitations, and on and on. It doesn't happen overnight...or even in a year. Professionals also are required to have a calm-no-matter-what demeanor and must be able to handle even the worst possible scenarios of what could go wrong...
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/general-shop-talk/342214-wedding-photographer-s-nightmare.html
Did I mention backup equipment, too? As in 6D x 2, 600EX x 2...(or 3, or 4)...

Bottom line...paying customers are not satisfied with results that someone with a cellphone could have produced. Start with learning the fundamentals without going broke first.

I suppose I should have introduced my post a bit differently. I appreciate everyone's input in reference to wedding photography but maybe I should have cleared up that it's something I would LIKE to do I'm not really rushing into it.

The camera I purchase for the first 2-3 years would probably be for hobbyist photography, including concert photography, portraits, maybe some landscapes and possibly some interviews/music videos.

The wedding 'business' I mentioned is a long term plan if I really get bitten by the photog bug. My fiance already has, and is a fashion photographer for some local magazines, therefore her experience is far beyond mind and we've just tossed around the idea of collaborating for wedding photography. By no means do I expect to purchase an expensive camera and run around pretending I can professionally shoot weddings.

Thank you everyone though for your words of wisdom! I take it all to heart and completely understand all of your points!

 

[robbins.photo]

Well that being the case then I guess my recommendation would be to buy equipment compatible with what your fiance already has, if your eventually hoping to work in tandem at events that would make the most sense.

 

[robbins.photo]

Well I'm a Nikon shooter myself, but the reason I went Nikon over Canon was primarily image quality. When you compare Nikon bodies to their Canon counterparts at the same price point the Nikon will almost always have superior image quality. The price of lenses and such pretty close to the same (at least used which is what I buy), if anything the Nikon VR lenses are usually a little cheaper than their Canon IS counterparts. The "pro" versions of Canon's will generally have a higher FPS rate than their Nikon counterparts, but frankly when you compare the difference in IQ (Image Quality) I just don't think the slight bump in FPS is really worth the loss of IQ. YMMV of course, but considering that your talking about portraits and wedding photography rather than something where an extra frame per second might really benefit you, I'd recommend Nikon. I'm sure the Canon uses will have a different opinion, but if it helps I'm very happy with my choice.

 

[EAMArt]

I am a Nikon person BUT I would not recommend a D600 (and I have it.) Wait for the D610 if you really must.

 

[StickToYourGuns]

I am a Nikon person BUT I would not recommend a D600 (and I have it.) Wait for the D610 if you really must.

I've decided to go with the Nikon D7100 guys. This way I can invest in some quality glass rather than just buying a super expensive body with piss poor glass. Thank you everyone for your help!

 

[robbins.photo]

I think the 7100 is a good choice - I use a 5100 and I love the image quality. I'll most likely be upgrading to a 7100 myself at some point.