Buying a Camera

[AdaJac08]

I thought this would be a straight-forward process. Read a few reviews, as a couple of questions in stores and walk out of some place, somewhere with a camera in hand...this is not the case!

1. I am not a pro, I am not an amateur...I am someone who is looking to get into photography as a hobby at first and then a business later as I learn the ropes and take some educational classes on the subject.

2. I am too "poor" to buy "cheap"! In other words I am not looking for point and shoots, and I am not looking for something to get me by. I am looking for a camera that is pro-grade that will not be "outdated" or surpassed as I learn more and more!

3. I have learned that personal preference creeps in when talking to a salesman. Some prefer Canon and others Nikon. I personally feel that the innovation and styles of Canon are more what I am looking for but I do not know.

I would appreciate any kind of information that would be useful in making a decision like this

Thanks

[Samanax]

What kind of budget are you working with?

What kind of photography are you interested in?

You probably aren't interested in getting any of the entry level Canon Rebel DSLRs (XS, XSi or T1i) but I'm not sure if you're looking for the pro-sumer grade (50D, 5D Mk II or 7D) or the professional models (1D Mk III or 1Ds Mk III). Depends on your budget and the kind of photography you're interested in.

One of the most sought after Canon bodies right now is the 5D Mk II. 7D hasn't been released just yet, just announced...but it looks very impressive on paper.

[inkista]

Originally Posted by AdaJac08

...I am looking for a camera that is pro-grade that will not be "outdated" or surpassed as I learn more and more!

Um... I hate to tell you this but digital SLRs, like their smaller P&S brethern are now digital computer equipment, and go out of date and become obsolete just as quickly. Within 3-5 years, you're likely to be wanting to upgrade, simply because of improvements in sensor design. Paying more is unlikely to get you a camera that will last you longer. Paying more simply gets you more features.

Unlike film SLRs, where the improvements were strictly mechanical, it's highly unlikely that you'll be using a dSLR for a decade or two.

Also understand that going with an SLR is an expensive proposition. If you're going to go professional, you certainly want to head that way, but until you can write things off on your taxes, understand that the body is simply the base purchase. You will probably also be spending two to three times as much on lenses, a tripod, and flash gear. And if you think picking a camera body is a learning task, wait until you start looking at lenses.

As Samanax says, if you're sure you're likely to be going all the way, then an entry level body is probably not what you want to be aiming for. A midrange prosumer body tends to be the best balance of features for cost (on the Canon side, it would be the 50D tier (30D/40D/50D), on the Nikon side, the D300s tier (D200/D300). If the current model at that tier is too expensive, look for a used one in the same tier, one or two generations back.

However, be realistic in terms of how much time you have to spend on this, and what your personal learning curve in photography really is. Some folks can easily master a prosumer camera in no time, spending hours every day in pursuit of photography. Hobbyists who can only spend weekends or hours around their day job are likely to take longer to master everything. If your funds, experience, and time are limited, at the beginnning it may be better to get an entry-level body, and spend what you've got left in the budget on good glass and a class or two. By the time you'll feel you need a prosumer body's features, chances are good it'll be time to upgrade, anyway.

[Doug Pardee]

What inkista said.

Long term money goes into lenses. DSLR bodies come and go. Good lenses will last you through many generations of camera bodies.

But! You've got a decision to make: what size sensor are you planning to work with?

Here are your options as I see it:

1. Start with APS-C and try to buy lenses that are suitable to both full-frame and APS-C. Putting together a lens-buying strategy that truly suits APS-C now and full-frame later can be a challenging proposition.
2. Start with APS-C and when you move up to full-frame you sell your APS-C lenses along with the APS-C camera, then start over on building a full-frame lens collection. Not a bad plan if you don't build up a large and expensive collection of APS-C lenses.
3. Commit to APS-C. With the 7D coming out, Canon is pushing APS-C into the "pro" arena.
4. Commit to full-frame from the beginning. That means buying at least a used 5D to start (prices really aren't that bad).

A number of folks are trying to go with approach #1, but for most full-frame zoom lenses the focal length ranges are "odd" when used on an APS-C camera. Primes are a bit easier.

A question: what kind of professional photography are you considering getting into? There's a big difference between the types of cameras that different pros use. For example, for studio portrait photography a monster like the 1Ds is fine because it's always going to be on a tripod and not moved much. If you're going to be trekking into the wilderness to take photos, you'll want something a lot smaller and lighter.

[AdaJac08]

1. Budget: Saving up...but let's pretend that i am aiming for 10,000 of equpment. I am looking into the higer end lenses (telephoto 2.8F yada, yada, yada) because i only want to have to buy a few of those.

2. I understand that Cameras are going to progress and change on a similar path as computers and such (the day my Mac arrived was the day apple released the new version). I was looking at the 7D. I think the features are right in the middle of the road between the 50D and the 5D. My problem is I want to get a second camera (for a second user), and I am not sure what that would be. the 50D seems to be reviewed as being a very loud camera. The 5D gets bad reviews, but it seems to be ragged on about the lack of Manual video controls, so i have no idea what kind of pics the thing takes. I want to get equipment that won't be "outdated" in the not-to-distant future. Someting that i can learn on and make an upward switch without too much trouble (not knowing how to use the features)

3. Type of photography: For now it will be random shots of places and objects while traveling (architecture, landscapes, animals, etc) - a camera that can travel (I would think the 7D would accomplish this). I also will be taking product shots (paper products and food products) for a business and a project.