Home Forums Gear Photography Pro DSLR suggestions?

My daughter is going to take up wedding photography. Which DSLR would you suggest? Thanks...

Either a high end Canon or Nikon. Lately, the pros seem to be leaning more toward Canon.

Much depends on her budget. Any of the Canon 1 series with the EOS-1Ds Mark III at $7K being the only full frame (35mm); two other 1D cameras are $5K and $4K or the EOS 5D Mark II at $2.5K being the other full frame DSLR. Then there are lenses, flash units, studio lighting if she intends to do portraiture even if that is done in home. I know someone will say you don't need studio lighting for that. Your daughter COULD also shoot with a point and shoot. Depending on the camera she decides on I can't see anyone getting into wedding work as a JOB to earn money for less than $10-15K. That is just equipment. Figure another $5-7K for soft stock or custom printing and $1-3K if she intends to print herself. Getting wedding pictures done at Wal-Mart don't cut it. Good Luck BTY how many wedding photograpgers are in your area (within 100 miles)?

Be happy to help you out but need to know what budget you are working within. There are great options from both canon and Nikon. Let me know if I can be of any help

2 Canon 5D Mark II DSLR's and 50mm 1.4 prime, 24-70 2.8L and 70-200 2.8L IS. If you have any money left after that I would go with 14mm 2.8F. Then you will need lighting and a good pro tripod...

Schiller's in St Louis can rent you anything you need so she can see what she likes and don't...

9240 Manchester Road
Saint Louis, MO 63144-2636
(314) 968-3650

http://www.millerslab.com/

Miller's Columbia
1712 East Pointe Dr.
Columbia, MO 65201

When you use there lab you can get free on-line classes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
She will like this alot!

My son got married in Sept. The photog put all the photos on her web site where viewers can order prints. Sounds risky, but she used such a low resolution that even clicking 'view image' causes them to pixelate. Not much problem with anyone being able to steal those & make use of them. Prints, of course, are made from a very high resolution image.

Computers sure have changer how the shoot is presented to the paying customer. Used to have to print a proof set which cost money then to final set more money. Now with a lap top or large touch pad you can show them just what the final will look like even adding matting and framing choices. Makes things so much easier. A very low res CD is also a way that is very inexpensive. I don't have any family who are technical enough to run a secure website for me and I find that that as an outside service is an expense that I don't wish to incur or pass on the customers so I do in shop showings or the CD. Usually both.

For wedding work, I would go with something like the Nikon D700. It is roughly half the price as the D3s and as far as I can tell, it has the same basic image quality. I know several successful freelance photographers that use the D300 and the D700 appears to be even better.

It offers the "new" FX format, which is a 35mm format, not the smaller DX format that became the standard for about 10 years. I say go with the new format because not all megapixels are the same. A 12meg FX format image is higher quality than a 12 meg DX format and for wedding pictures, you need the quality. I would probably start with just one body and if the business takes off, buy a second.

For longer glass, I would go with the Nikkor 80-200...not the newer 70-210 VR. The 70-210 is great, but the 80-200 f2.8 is far more budget friendly and the glass is just as sharp. Basically you don't need to pay for all the bells and whistles offered on the 70-210 for wedding/portrait work...you just don't need them.

For wider glass, I would go with a Nikkor zoom in the 24-55mm range, again, f2.8. You need the speed of the 2.8 lenses for low light that weddings are plagued by. I really don't see a need to go any wider with the FX format.(DX is a different story) Cheaper off-brand lenses are tempting due to price, but the quality is not the same no matter what the manufacturer says, that's why they are cheaper.

For lights I would say go with something like White Lightening's Alien Bee series. Two small, lightweight kits and she will be set. White Lightening has a very solid reputation for both quality and superb service.

One thing I will say about marketing. Make sure the prints are made with archival inks such as Epson's chrome inks on premium paper. (For serious work like big portraits, I like the look of acid free art paper instead of regular photo paper. It gives you a more snooty product to offer, and will set her apart from the rest of the pack...that's what it's all about) Also, I would be with them when they choose the images for prints. It is a lot easier to sell somebody a bigger (read: more profitable) print if they are sitting beside you.

Even though I have a photojournalism degree, 25 years of full-time pro experience in photojournalism, have covered everything from a civil war (twice) to sports to homicides to the occasional freelance wedding, I still worry about being laid off constantly. So trust me, I have been looking at gear that will make a living for me. Overspending or underspending on gear are just bad business practices.

Nikon vs. Canon? Six of one, half dozen of the other. Both are high quality. I just use Nikon because that is what I started with in college and it is also what my company buys for me. Also, I know 10 times more shooters who use Nikon, so it makes it easier if I need to borrow a lens from a friend.

Again, this is just for wedding/portrait/travel type work. If she plans to shoot sports that's a whole other animal, but I doubt that will be the case.

Hopefully, this novel-length reply helps! (LOL)

Not that you want to hear any more from me, but I started thinking more and would feel guilty if I did now write this.

There is a huge glut of pro photographers out there. People with tons of experience, degrees, some even have a Pulitzer under their belt, who have been laid off from wire services, newspapers, etc. These folks are shooting weddings, portraits, sports...just whatever they can to make ends meet.

Not to discourage her, but it is tough out there now.

Just something to think about when deciding to do this part-time vs. full-time, or when she takes a good look at her potential marketplace. This obviously is not the case in all markets.

Either way, I wish her the best and hope she is very successful!

Good advice, I think skwerlkiller pretty much nailed it, although that's the first time I've ever heard of a D700 being compared in any way as equal to the D3, that said I think it was sound advice for him to steer you to the D700 range.

I would suggest she go in some stores and get her hands on some different models in the better brands, see what fits her hands and feels the best to her, then call Camerland

Lots of websites have comparisons, here is an independent one that tests the sensors of many different cameras while removing the variable of what lens was used which makes it easier to compare different brands, they also test lenses and camera/lens combo's


http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/en/Camera-Sensor/Compare-sensors/%28appareil1%29/485|0/%28appareil2%29/441|0/%28appareil3%29/436|0/%28onglet%29/0/%28brand%29/Nikon/%28brand2%29/Nikon/%28brand3%29/Canon


Lots of info on a lot of different cameras on this one

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sidebyside.asp

Even entry level DSLR's are getting so good that more and more people are doing their own photography now. Posing the shots is harder than getting the photo quality. Our daughter had the groom's brother and me take all the shots at their wedding last year. Between us, we got some very good stuff, even though we're both rank amateurs.

Canon 1D3. Killer ISO latitude and low noise,coupled with insane burst rate and fps,for the ultimate in catching action. Easy to say that ain't "interesting",until you've a body that allows same.(grin)

Not much of a FF Guy,though I drive a 1Ds too...............

A couple of questions.

1) What camera and lenses does she have now?

2) what kind of photography has she done?

3) Is she experienced and proficient in editng soft-ware such a LightRoom and/or PhotoShop?

4) Does she have a job now and does she have enough in the bank to support her as she establishes her name and style?

5) Does she have any business and/or people skills --- just as important in being a succesfull wedding photographer as being a great photgrapher. Most will tell you that until you can "sell" you may be a great photographer but you won't get much work.

I don't mean to throw cold water on her dream but wedding photographer is a very hard and competitve field for someone just getting started.

And consider this --- more and more weddings are being shot with video.

Irrespective of which brand you opt for wedding or portrait work is where you want full frame. The Canon 5DII should be replaced this year so they are priced right at the moment. You may want to look for a lightly used 5D MK II or a Canon refurb. The standard lens here would be a 24-70 f2.8.
The Nikon D700 and the 24-70 would be another option but slightly more $$$.
Add a flash for either set up and she would be off to a good start.

Couldn't trade 1D3 buffer and frame rate for the 5D2...let alone the paltry AF.

I barely even shoot my 1Ds and FF is a buncha fluff on the average..............

In general I agree but buffer rates won't do a thing for a wedding photog. The 1D MKIII had more than it's fair share of AF problems. The 1D3 is a good choice for birders and sports shooters, However IQ is where FF rules. No way around that. Having said that I'm not a big fan of the 5dMKII myself. AF is slow as you mentioned and you really get limited to the center AF point for best results. But for weddings it is the obvious choice in the Canon line (IMO).

The owner of that site is a bona fide Canon hater so take what ever you read over there with a grain of salt.
For Nikon info you might try the Nikonians web site or better yet head over to Fred Miranda so you can get a Canon, Nikon and wedding forum all in the same place.

Firmare upgrades and a mirror fix for some,depending upon the serial number. Mine is a "bad" one and it blows all doors off the 5D2.

A huge buffer and fast frame rates can NEVER hurt...so goes amazing AF.

For fun,hang your best "IQ" pic as a 5D2 selling point....................