What kind of camera do professional photographers use?

I haven't read the other posts in this thread yet, so someone may have already said what I'm going to say.

Since you do portraits, you have the freedom and control to take your time and groom the details of your photos in most cases. You will rarely need a high burst rate, or a super high dynamic range censor with the highest ISO range, or a lot of auto focus points (honestly you don't even need auto-focus in many cases for portraits). You don't need 30 megapixels, you don't need the biggest LCD screen with touch, or WIFI and GPS, and you don't need a camera with a full frame censor. You also wont be changing your camera settings frequently during a shoot, so quickly being able to access and change camera settings is even a luxury that a portrait photographer can live without. To be a good photographer, you need to think about the best lighting, the best editing, the best posing and styling, you need to understand colors and compositional harmony. You basically need to know how to make someone look good and how to create a pleasing image, both of which have nothing to do with the features of the latest and greatest professional cameras that supposedly make everything else obsolete. To be a successful professional photographer, you need to be successful at marketing, taking care of your customers, and be a responsible business owner. None of that has to do with what camera you use either.

The only time that it really matters is when you simply want a nice camera, or if a particular job requires a certain resolution of image. Chances are you wont be doing any billboard campaigns right away though, so you wont need a camera capable of that kind of job until that day comes. In the meantime, your Rebel is easily capable of creating beautiful portraits if the photographer using it is knowledgeable about doing so, and you will be a successful professional if you can focus on marketing and running a business and not get distracted by questions like "what camera makes me professional".

I've been shooting now for 8 years. I shoot with an old 12 megapixel Canon 5D Classic (Mark I) that I bought used and a fairly cheap Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 lens that I also bought used. I too do outdoor/natural light portraits and occasionally studio portraits. This is a camera that sells now for around $400 and is considered outdated and obsolete by many professionals and hobbyists and a lens that costs only about $300 used, but I have had no problems getting jobs and keeping clients, having my images published in many publications including the Wall Street Journal, and have won multiple awards, all with this old camera of mine. The point I'm making is not to get stuck in the mindset that you need the newest most updated camera to be better or to be professional when you already have a perfectly capable Rebel, because that is a cycle that will never end as new technology comes out and is only a distraction from creating good photos and running a successful business.
 
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I'm new and wasn't sure exactly what forum I should post this in. I've gone to school for photography and I have a Canon EOS Rebel T3i Digital SLR Camera and a 18-55mm lens. I am trying to launch my own photography business and need to upgrade my camera. I mostly do outdoor portraits of people. What kind of camera would I use for a professional business? I feel confident in my skills, but would like advice as to what kind of camera and lens professional photographers use. I'm thinking I want a Canon. Any suggestions/feedback would be very helpful! Thanks in advance!


My current tipp for absolute best value for money in the market for outdoor portraits and portraits in general would be a used Nikon D600 (~800 including battery grip) plus a 105E f/1.4 (~2000). This lens is exceptional by any standard over all systems and the camera is currently priced at next to nothing. Skin tones, ISO performance etc. are state of the art still far far beyond the price point.

If you are ready to invest significantly more NOW I would still stay on the Nikon side and get a D810.

BUT: This camera is soon to be replaced by a D850 or D900 and will lose a lot of monetary value very fast. She is a tad better than the D600 but only slightly so. She is sure not worth an extra 2000 no no. Not at all. But as soon as the D850/D900 comes out you will get the D810 as good as new for very little money OR you invest in the new offering which will feature better color consistency, better resolution, better ISO performace and better AF-System.

If you budget is over the top and you are shooting a lot in near darkness the Nikon D5 is your choice, but she is 6500 without a lens.
 
Whatever you do, avoid Pentax. Or you'll end up like those weird orphan Pentax users with only old lenses and no way to find accessories. I tell you man, those PentaxFans are WEIRD.

I've hardly ever had had any difficulty finding accessories for my Pentax system. Most of those accessories I've not tracked down don't have equivalents currently (or ever) made by Nikon or Canon either. The only accessories I know of available for other systems & not Pentax are a TTL compatible radio trigger (apparently a 3rd party one coming soon for Pentax) & something like this : Neewer Multifunctional Electronic Auto Focus Macro and: Amazon.co.uk: Camera & Photo for controlling aperture on reversed lenses. Both are no more than nice to have IMO.

I do shoot with old lenses, but not exclusively so. Four of my Pentax lenses are current models and 2 more are nearly current (the very latest versions of these have had weather sealing added). Most photographers use less than 5 lenses in their entire kit so my 'weird' collection of legacy glass is not from lack of lenses.
Yeah but why choose a niche product when you can get for more support and choices going with the bigger brands?
Most stores no longer carry Pentax/Ricoh and you'll just get blank looks from staff if you ask for help there.
Pentax also doesn't have a super fast AF telephoto like Canon's 85mm f/1.2 or Nikon's 105mm f/1.4
 
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Yeah but why choose a niche product when you can get for more support and choices going with the bigger brands?
Most stores no longer carry Pentax/Ricoh and you'll just get blank looks from staff if you ask for help there.
Pentax also doesn't have a super fast AF telephoto like Canon's 85mm f/1.2 or Nikon's 105mm f/1.4[/QUOTE]

I chose a 'niche' product because it gives better value for money, worked with my existing lenses, & has ergonomics that suit me better than the bigger brands. It also supports image stabilization on all my lenses, even the one from 1930!

Whenever I've visited camera shops with experienced knowledgeable staff they've been well aware of Pentax, the last one even pulled out a ME super he used to use. There are some camera shops where the staff know less about photography than I did when I got my first SLR. Going to them for help is quite pointless!

Checking the price of the Canon 85/1.2 I see it costs considerably more than my 2 most expensive lenses combined. I wouldn't be likely to be in the market for such a lens even if it was reasonably affordable, even the 105 is generally too short for when I want a telephoto.

Pentax might not suit everybody - indeed I've yet to find a camera from any manufacturer that does or even one that covers all my requirements - so your initial comment implying avoid them at all cost is quite misplaced. It strikes me as more of a personal grudge.
 
An interesting book I read many years ago was this one: Shooting Your Way to a Million: Richard Sharabura: 9780919099005: Amazon.com: Books

This book has a basic professional commercial shooter's equipment list that is surprisingly spartan! Even the lighting equipment needed is not "outrageous". Today, with 24- and 36- and 42-MP 35mm-type AF d-SLRs and mirrorless, there's really NOT much pressing need for any medium-format gear these days, but there still is a need for the ability to modify light.

Lighting and grip equipment seems to be something the OP is overlooking...light quality,light direction, light control, and the understanding of HOW to light, that's so much more important than the brand or model of camera. And ability to post-process images...that's right up there with the whole light and lighting issue.
 
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An interesting book I read many years ago was this one: Shooting Your Way to a Million: Richard Sharabura: 9780919099005: Amazon.com: Books


Lighting and grip equipment seems to be something the OP is overlooking...light quality,light direction, light control, and the understanding of HOW to light, that's so much more important than the brand or model of camera. And ability to post-process images...that's right up there with the whole light and lighting issue.

What he wrote ^^^^^^^^

You can take a so-so camera and take great pictures with good lighting and post processing.
 
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