Canon EOS 50D

[j.mizzi11]

Hi everyone I have been looking for professional camera advice for over 4 weeks now and luckily I stumbled into this forum.

I have some major questions which I hope some of you pros can help me answer so I could make a wise choice.

As the title specifies I have heard lots of good things about the Canon EOS 50D.

Great resolution, great ISO range and such. What else should I look for in this camera ? What lenses should I get ? What are the differences between these lenses ?

I will be using this camera for professional use, taking photos of people, life in general, scenarios, wildlife & high detail portraits & landscapes.

Do you know of a great place were I could purchase pro cameras ? (preferably from EU to avoid 18% tax :P )

Thanks very much for your help

[inkista]

I hate to say it, but if you don't know what to look for in a camera or lens, you're not ready to turn pro. Buy what you can afford, and work your way up. The 50D is a great camera, but it's not going to do a blessed thing to teach you composition, creativity on demand, or business management, and certainly owning one doesn't instantly confer pro-level photography skillz upon you.

Also, if you're going to go pro? I think you might want to pick one or two types of photography to get really good at and market. Hard to sell yourself as someone's wedding photographer when you've got wildlife/streetshooting/landscape/life-in-general? shots plastered all over your website and no wedding pics. Highly recommend you go to Zack Arias's website, and watch one of his video website critiques. Do what you enjoy, but don't expect that a jack-of-all-trades marketing approach is gonna work in a market (over)populated with masters-of-one.

Also, the 50D's iso range? Good but not insanely great (and there are many who will contradict even that statement) as the 6400 and 12800 are of questionable usefulness at anything but websizes (and there's still that banding issue). And there is a slightly reduced dynamic range from the pixel density in my eyes. But then, what do I know? I'm just an amateur, so my advice is probably worthless.

[j.mizzi11]

Hey thanks for the reply but I'd prefer if I get a good camera and learn with it then buying a new camera all the time.

As for lenses what lens do you suggest for this camera for beginners to medium ?

[inkista]

What I would recommend is that you read this lens primer. Until you can narrow it down to two or three lenses yourself, chances are you're just going to get recommendations for a lens that works really well for what someone else shoots.

Also, camera bodies are digital electronic devices. Does paying for the top-end cellphone/computer make you keep it longer? Or do you still want the new one with the "better" features when it comes out? Do you still swap your computer devices every three to five years, or do you use them for decades on end? Getting a higher tiered body can be helpful, particularly if you already know your way around an SLR, but chances are good it's going to be the most disposable part of the SLR system you eventually equip yourself with. People tend to upgrade their camera bodies every three to five years. The lenses are a more permanent purchase, which is why you need to learn about them, and why when you begin equipping yourself, it's better to concentrate the bulk of your purchase money on glass.

[j.mizzi11]

thanks i understood your point. The lens is for keeping, the body is for disposing

ill read about the lenses. Thanks so much

[gturner]

I have a 50D and love it. It will do most of the things you want, the only negative being the crop sensor, but for less the half the price of a full frame camera I have no complaints.

Invest in some good glass and you will have a camera that will last a very long time