What’s Your Preference?

rhoraq · #1 (**permalink**) 11-13-2009, 04:48 AM

I am currently learning the ins and outs of portrait photography and have been using my mothers Sony dslr a350 camera. I'm really liking it so far, but I'm going to need to purchase my own very soon, but I am definitely on a budget and I really want to stick with the dslr's. So I have found an Olympus E420 Dslr camera for $400. I know that not everything means it's better when it comes to something costing more, but do you think this would be a great camera for portrait photography such as with kids, babies, family and so on?

OsmosisStudios · #2 (**permalink**) 11-13-2009, 07:23 AM

Portraits depends less on the body and more on technique and the lens used. As long as you can find a good 50mm or 85mm lens with a f/1.8 or f1.4 aperture, you should be in business, at least equipment wise.

You may also want to look into lighting, if that interests you. If that's the case, Nikon has by far the best lighting system built in: most bodies can trigger flashes off-camera remotely.

Unfortunately, none of these things fit within your $400 budget: hell, an 85mm lens alone is about that much. If Im honest, Id tell you to simply save up some more and go for broke when you do get your own gear.

rhoraq · #3 (**permalink**) 11-13-2009, 09:56 PM

Thanks, yeah I was really thinking the same thing, just save the money up and go for it. Now with lighting are you talking lighting as in flash built in or external flashes or actual lights for studio? Sorry.

OsmosisStudios · #4 (**permalink**) 11-14-2009, 01:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhoraq

Thanks, yeah I was really thinking the same thing, just save the money up and go for it. Now with lighting are you talking lighting as in flash built in or external flashes or actual lights for studio? Sorry.

Either one, though I can personally recommend external flashes (I use Nikon speedlights). That would be a good deal down the road, especially if youre looking at it (the lowest NEW body that'll control them: ~$1200)

inkista · #5 (**permalink**) 11-14-2009, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

... As long as you can find a good 50mm or 85mm lens with a f/1.8 or f1.4 aperture, you should be in business, at least equipment wise.

Um, with four-thirds's 2x crop factor, I'd amend that to a 25mm, 35mm, or 50mm.

But to get these kinds of lenses relatively inexpensively and great quality, you'll want to know about adapting and using manual focus and stop-down metering. Because natively ((i.e., not going to Sigma lenses designed for APS-C/full frame), you've only got one wider-than-f/2.8 prime lens: the Panasonic/Leica 25mm f/1.4. Which goes for $900. The Oly 14-35 f/2 might work; it's only $1850.

If you'll go with manual focus lenses, then Oly's OM-mount lenses might work, but the wider you go, the more expensive the lenses get the faster you want to go, and f/2 is probably the fastest you're going to find, if you can find them used.

You may want to rethink your mount decision, if you want to use fast primes for portrait shooting. Admittedly, you may not need to. Or maybe the Sigmas will be good enough for what you want. But I can't help thinking a used consumer-level Nikon or Canon body might be better.