I need a large format camera (canon)

[ravncat]

The Leaf Aptus 2 is a very nice back as well

Mamiya has a nice 645 digital, pentax has a cheaper one that's not terrible, but it's in the 10,000 range.

[jdepould]

You can actually mount a MF back on a view camera with pretty good results. The cameras themselves are fairly cheap.

[janelee]

I"ll have to check those out, I"ll look them up on line, Thanks

[veritasimagery]

Originally Posted by janelee

I want to thank everyone for their replies, I looked up large format cameras and they are very pricey. I think I"ll probably just get a nice canon. Has anyone used a eos rebel T3i. I found a kit at best buy it comes with 18-55 lens & 55-250 lens for $1000 are they good lens and is that a good buy.

Yes, I have that set-up and it works fairly well. I have been disappointed a few times with the focus on the 55-250, but for the money it's a good set-up. Plan on looking at new lenses down the road. Personally I'm planning on adding a 50mm and an 85mm prime to my kit, and then possibly a 300mm "L" at some point. One of the frustrations if doing weddings is the constant need to change lenses. There are times I want the 18-55 and times the shot calls for the longer lens.

Really, though, if you can spend the thousand dollars, add a bit more to the pot and get this: Canon EOS 60D DSLR Camera Kit with Canon EF-S 4460B004 B&H Photo

The 60D is a great camera and having the 18-135 will mean less need to swap lenses.

[A@EPOCH]

Taking a look at the previous posts I hope that I might be able to provide some insight that would prove useful to you...

First of all let me preface my response by saying that I'm not sure how familiar you are with photography or the equipment that your looking to get so my advice would be based around your first sentence about wanting to shoot commercially eventually.

If it were me in your situation and you would like a camera that will last well through your learning curve, it would benefit you to look into investing the majority of your budget in good glass and a small portion on the body. Most people, especially beginners will look to buy another upgraded body within a couple of years of learning their craft, while most will keep many lenses for years.

That being said, most of the professional and semi-professional wedding and portrait photographers that I see shoot a with a full frame camera (Canon 5dc and 5dii & Nikon equivalent) which does have its advantages over smaller ASP-C sized sensors (like the T3i) such as better low light capability and high iso performance...


The last thing I would mention would be my suggestions for lenses no matter what body you choose to get. Look into purchasing a 50mm 1.8 prime lens as it runs around $100 for both Canon and Nikon and it will give you a real advantage in learning to "frame with your feet" as well as something like the Canon 70-200 f/4L which while not super fast, is one of the sharpest lenses in the zoom market and you get L quality for right around $500. This would leave you right around $400 for a body which would still get you a used T2i or even an old 40D.

I hope this helps, if you have any questions let me know...