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Diploma of Photography - need assistance with what camera & lens to purchase

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Louicia

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G'day Guru's,

I'm due to commence my photography studies next year and I need advise on what type of canon camera and lens to purchase. Our only instructions were to bring a DSLR, lens (approx 35-75mm) and tripod!!!

So here is my delima...

I was considering purchasing the new 5d III however the camera shop assistance and local photographer suggest I buy the 60d, 7d or 5dII for the course and save the money to spend on better lenses. Their argument was over the next 2 years there will be many more camera's released with better technology than the 5dIII.

I need a camera and lens's to cover all aspects of photography whilst on course but at the end of the day I'd like to start my own business taking NB, maternity and family portraits both in a studio and outside on locations.

I'd appreciate any suggestions you can provide on a canon camera and the lens I should purchase.

Kind Regards,

Louicia
 
I dont agree that its not worth buying a 5d mk3 as somethign better will come along. Thats like a Ford dealer saying "no put that £10,000 away as Ford will likely bring out a newer, sleeker model of this car in a couple of years..." No matter what you but something will come out later which is better, but if you put off buying on that basis youd wait forever.

The 5d Mk2 or 3 is superb camera but expensive. If your a student then i think the 6d is a better bet. Save your money for future lenses is the best option. A cheaper camera body and decent set of lenses will be fine as youll bound to want a macro lens, etc. as your course progresses.
 
mjones78 said:
mjones78 wrote:

I dont agree that its not worth buying a 5d mk3 as somethign better will come along. Thats like a Ford dealer saying "no put that £10,000 away as Ford will likely bring out a newer, sleeker model of this car in a couple of years..." No matter what you but something will come out later which is better, but if you put off buying on that basis youd wait forever.

The 5d Mk2 or 3 is superb camera but expensive. If your a student then i think the 6d is a better bet. Save your money for future lenses is the best option. A cheaper camera body and decent set of lenses will be fine as youll bound to want a macro lens, etc. as your course progresses.
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Do you mean the 6D that is yet to be released or the 60d?
 
Either. depends on wheather you want a full frame sensor or not. if not then the EOS 7d is a good camera and if you want full frame the 6d is a comparitively low cost option.
 
If you only want to buy stuff once, first get a really good tripod. I have a Manfrotto with two heads, one geared for precise work and a ball head for more general work. The minimum cost for a good tripod and head is $500.00. You will never have to buy another one.

Buy quality lenses. You will never have to replace them

Body: Canon's best lenses have focal length ranges that are most convenient for a full frame body. If you can affort it go for the 5D MKIII. If money is beginning to get tight, get the 5D MKII with the very good Canon 24-105 f4L. I suspect you can get this for a good price now.

This combo will be fine for your studies and your proposed future use.
 
1. Why is it pre-ordained that it be a Canon?

2. If learning is the reason for getting a camera, get one that:

a) Has extensive full-manual functionality. Auto-everything teaches you nothing.

b) Has high enough resolution so that your results are limited by your skills and not by the limitations of the camera.
 
Hmmm, you are a student, or rather, about to become a student. And you hope to make a living in photography after you graduate. But at present, you do not own a DSLR? Red warning lights are starting to flash.

I have no idea about your financial situation, and you didn't volunteer it. If you can afford a 5D3, it is a good camera. A similar statement can be made about the 1Dx, or 7D, or even the current Rebel model, whatever that is. But, you get what you pay for (approximately), and you can be sure that there will be better camera bodies in a few years. My advice is, buy what you can comfortably afford now, and don't assume it will be the one camera you will be using for years to come. Most pros have more than one camera body. You can use this camera as your backup, or even sell it on craigslist if you decide you need something else, when the time comes.


Lenses hold their value longer than bodies, and you get more improvement in image quality by buying good glass than by buying a better body. And, as someone else mentioned, don't waste money on buying a cheap tripod.

Good luck with your quest, and hope things work out. It is a tough field to make a living in these days.
 
billythek said:
billythek wrote:

Hmmm, you are a student, or rather, about to become a student. And you hope to make a living in photography after you graduate. But at present, you do not own a DSLR? Red warning lights are starting to flash.

I have no idea about your financial situation, and you didn't volunteer it. If you can afford a 5D3, it is a good camera. A similar statement can be made about the 1Dx, or 7D, or even the current Rebel model, whatever that is. But, you get what you pay for (approximately), and you can be sure that there will be better camera bodies in a few years. My advice is, buy what you can comfortably afford now, and don't assume it will be the one camera you will be using for years to come. Most pros have more than one camera body. You can use this camera as your backup, or even sell it on craigslist if you decide you need something else, when the time comes.

Lenses hold their value longer than bodies, and you get more improvement in image quality by buying good glass than by buying a better body. And, as someone else mentioned, don't waste money on buying a cheap tripod.

Good luck with your quest, and hope things work out. It is a tough field to make a living in these days.
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If you are going to get a degree and already have a camera why not use what you have during your education? You may learn something that will point you in the direction your career will take (which may be completely different than what you are currently considering) and that may dictate a completely different set of gear than anyone can suggest here. By the time you graduate, there will be entirely new generations of gear out there to choose from. Besides, training with less than state of the art equipment may force you to learn different approaches to get the results you want which could serve you well in the future.
 
Louicia said:
Louicia wrote:

I currently own a Nikon D90 but I'm more of a canon fan after starting my underwater photography using the G12.
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You already own one great DSLR camera - D90. believe me there are no reasons to change from Nikon to Canon, just because you like G12.

I would suggest to stick D90 for now, and as other suggested, invest into lenses. For the price of 5D III you could have a nice set of lenses covering, for instance, wedding photography.
 
I was looking at a Canon purely on the basis that I'd be purchasing the 5d3 on completion of course and I didn't want to waste all my $$ now purchasing Nikon lenses if I'm going to make the switch in 12-24months time.
 
Hi Dan,

That was one of my first questions but the instructor said he was not allowed to recommend a brand of camera. All he said was bring a DLSR, lens and tripod!
 
mjones78 said:
mjones78 wrote:

The 5D Mark II or III are superb cameras, but expensive. If you're a student than I think the 6D is a better bet. Save your money for future lenses is the best option. A cheaper camera body and decent set of lenses will be fine.
Click to expand...
As a future student of digital photography, this is what I'll be doing. I have shot with Canon gear for a couple of years, so I'm pretty familiar with the form factors of the bodies and lenses, as well as the user interfaces. I've liked what I've read about the 6D: full-frame, Wi-Fi, GPS, cheaper than a Mark III, etc., so that's the body I'll be using for class, along with some used L glass.
 
Louicia said:
Louicia wrote:

I was looking at a Canon purely on the basis that I'd be purchasing the 5d3 on completion of course and I didn't want to waste all my $$ now purchasing Nikon lenses if I'm going to make the switch in 12-24months time.
Click to expand...
 
If the specification didn't imply digital, I would suggest a Pentx K1000 with 50mm lens.

Rather than do that, though, I would pointo you to fredmiranda.com to look at the buy and sell forum. In my opinion, that is the best place to get good deals on used equipment. Get yourself a used Canon 5D (any version). It doesn't really matter what version you get, because you can sell again later if you like. Some of the disadvantages of the older models are actually good to experience first hand, I think.

In other words, I don't think you should be shopping for what you will be using after school. Your criteria for what you want after school could change during school. But that doesn't matter so much if you assume from the beginning that you can sell what you get now and buy what you really need later. Just make sure you give yourself plenty of time to use the equipment you will eventually be using professionally thoroughly before getting your first paying gigs.
 
Louicia said:
Louicia wrote:

G'day Guru's,

I'm due to commence my photography studies next year and I need advise on what type of canon camera and lens to purchase. Our only instructions were to bring a DSLR, lens (approx 35-75mm) and tripod!!!

So here is my delima...

I was considering purchasing the new 5d III however the camera shop assistance and local photographer suggest I buy the 60d, 7d or 5dII for the course and save the money to spend on better lenses. Their argument was over the next 2 years there will be many more camera's released with better technology than the 5dIII.

I need a camera and lens's to cover all aspects of photography whilst on course but at the end of the day I'd like to start my own business taking NB, maternity and family portraits both in a studio and outside on locations.

I'd appreciate any suggestions you can provide on a canon camera and the lens I should purchase.

Kind Regards,

Louicia
Click to expand...
Why does APS-C exist? For those who cannot afford a FF.

I would purchase a camera based on what I want to work with for the next 3-5 years. I have a 10mp camera that is 6 years old and I still use it a lot. The fact that is has a good AF, 5fps, good body, has kept it in service, if it would have been a lesser camera, it would probably not be used today.

It sounds like you can afford a 5d3 and were planning to get one. Get it, it is a good camera. I would not recommend the 5d2 or original but look, people still use those cameras today so they are still viable. But I think the 5d3 will be more than sufficient for the next 5 year for sure even as a pro (unless you were a sports photographer, then you would choose a different camera.)


Get the 5d3 and a good lens.

I agree with the sales associates, do not buy a good camera like the 5d3 and cheap out on the lens. Good fast glass you will keep for much longer than the camera body and good glass is what pro will use. Durability, quality, sharpness and usability flexibility.

To meet the requirement of your class with the 5d3, get a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L II USM Lens

In addition for the class... I would consider the Canon 50 1.2 (expensive), 50 1.4... 50mm fast glass for sure I use the sigma 50 1.4

70-200 2.8 IS II for portrait


For differentiation a 85 1.2 or for better price 85 1.8 for portrait

The latter two are not needed for the class.

But what you did not tell us or the teacher did not tell you is if that focal length was on a FF or crop sensor. If it is for FF the 24-70 will be fine but if it is for crop, he is asking for 50-105mm. Oh well so much for assumptions try to find out.

But in the end, the point is get good glass over the camera, you will not sell it and if you do the lens will not depreciate as much.

If you cannot afford the good glass, then get a 7d or 60d and still get the good glass.

60d $1000, 24-70 2.8 ii $2200, 50 1.4 $229 Total $3500


Price of the 5d3 $3500

For your situation, buy the good glass first, then decide on which camera with the money you have left over. I could see why the sales associate would tell you in a couple years the cameras will get better if you were considering the better camera now and not getting good lenses. This is a common mistake of many starting photographers.
 
If you can afford it, i would recommend getting a full frame model. I have had my 5d mk2 for over 4 years now and it's still great. I'd love a mk3 though can't afford it, though its low light capabilities would be very welcome.

Buy the best lens you can afford also and don't just go for a cheap one that covers the range, as a good lens will last you many, many years. Also try a few cameras in the shop as not everyone like the weight of a more professional camera.
 
Louicia said:
Louicia wrote:
Louicia said:
billythek wrote:

Hmmm, you are a student, or rather, about to become a student. And you hope to make a living in photography after you graduate. But at present, you do not own a DSLR? Red warning lights are starting to flash.

I have no idea about your financial situation, and you didn't volunteer it. If you can afford a 5D3, it is a good camera. A similar statement can be made about the 1Dx, or 7D, or even the current Rebel model, whatever that is. But, you get what you pay for (approximately), and you can be sure that there will be better camera bodies in a few years. My advice is, buy what you can comfortably afford now, and don't assume it will be the one camera you will be using for years to come. Most pros have more than one camera body. You can use this camera as your backup, or even sell it on craigslist if you decide you need something else, when the time comes.

Lenses hold their value longer than bodies, and you get more improvement in image quality by buying good glass than by buying a better body. And, as someone else mentioned, don't waste money on buying a cheap tripod.

Good luck with your quest, and hope things work out. It is a tough field to make a living in these days.
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