Canon or Nikon the big question...?

Rivit

Rivit

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Rachel
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I am just starting out but hoping with the help of lots of books and some intensive course to get into wedding photography and i'm in need of a decent DSLR. I've been looking at the canon D5 and the Nikon D300 but don't know which would be best. I'm yet to hold them both a get a feel but wondered if there was a saving at all from one over the other. I'd love a camera with lots of manual options although i think doing wedding photography there will be a limit to what i can do as it will be a chase of lots of quick snaps (i think).
Any help would be so much appreciated! I'm v confussed!
 
WOW - just starting out and looking for the D5 or D300 - very impressive. Both look to me to be superb cameras, and I'd guess more than capable of allowing you to take some wonderful wedding photographs.

if you have the money and can afford them, go for it, but... for "just starting out..." phew, rather you than me Rivit :)
 
The main thing to do if you can is to try both of them and see which one feels the best in your hands. The other thing to remember is that you are not just buying a camera, you are buying a system of which the camera is just a start. Lenses, flashguns, etc end up costing more than the camera so this has to be taken into account.
Both are very capable cameras so neither would be a bad choice.
 
I don't really have the money it would only end up on a card for now but since in the long run i would like to take it on full time i thought i'd be better of investing. I'd much prefer to spend less but don't really know what would be good enough to use on such important events as someones wedding. If i can get the hang of it after a year a two i'd love to quit my current job and go full time on wedding photoraphy so was just thinking it would paid in the long run. Would i be better off with something like the D80 and upgrade in a year?
Thanks for you help.
 
If you're not an experienced and good photographer don't even bother trying weddings. Ruining someone's big day would not be good!

Maybe try a few smaller events first to see how you get on?
 
Yer thanks for the confidence vote!
Obviously i don't intend to just jump in!!!!
I've done many weddings with a film SLR and am doing a 4 day digital course next month. I don't intend to charge people until i'm more confident and the people who's weddings i'm doing are well aware and wouldn't have a photographer at all if i wasn't there for free!!!!! Thought the idea of this site was to help and incourage, maybe i won't bother!!!
 
Weddings can be VERY hard work and you may find something else takes your fancy when you get into this photography lark :D but as you seem to be planning on doing have a feel of the cameras you are interested in and take it from there. You might find it beneficially to buy something cheaper (like the Canon 30D) that can take cheaper lenses to start with so that if you decide its not for you, you dont have a great deal of cost to recover if you sell the kit on.

Best of luck though :)


EDIT - you posted while I was typing it seems...didnt realise you had already done some wedding photography. In that case forget all I said..if you are planning on going for it then maybe a high end camera is the route to go :)
 
I have the Canon 5D and I do Weddings with it. However, I progressed to the 5D from 20D and before that, the 300D. Looking back, I would not have coped with the learning curve of a 5D from the start. Each camera upgrade has been a progressive learning curve which I am now happy with. You need to cut your teeth on other people events and make your mistakes (and you will) there, as they are far less crucial than someones wedding day as mentioned above by Matt. Also consider your back up system. You need 2 of everything and I mean everything. My back up is my 20D as the controls are in the same place but has the crop factor too which behaves differently with lens focal lengths etc. You need to be aware of that too. Good luck

Sorry mate: ignore my post for the same reason as Jimmy Lemon - we were all typing at the same time. Didn't realise you have done weddings before.
 
Rivit said:
I don't really have the money it would only end up on a card for now but since in the long run i would like to take it on full time i thought i'd be better of investing. I'd much prefer to spend less but don't really know what would be good enough to use on such important events as someones wedding. If i can get the hang of it after a year a two i'd love to quit my current job and go full time on wedding photoraphy so was just thinking it would paid in the long run. Would i be better off with something like the D80 and upgrade in a year?
Thanks for you help.
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Well, there are cameras around for a lot less that would allow you to take classic images. Taking classic images though isn't simply a function of the camera; as someone said to me recently, people take photo's not cameras.

If you have the money then try them out, hold them, feel them, read about their spec's and what you could do with them. Read and learn about the aspects of photography and what's needed to provide such a responsible service to B&G's...

Good luck.
 
Rivit,

One post, or reaction to it does not a forum make. ;)

if you've done weddings before then working with digi is just the same. Except where some bloke in a lab would do half the work for you with film, it's all yours now.

I don't know the nikon bodies at all but I can tell you that you won't get a better quality image from a canon for less than 3 times the price of a 5D. The down side is that the build quality is really poor. My kids have toy cameras that feel more substancial than my 5d.
 
Rivit said:
Yer thanks for the confidence vote!
Obviously i don't intend to just jump in!!!!
I've done many weddings with a film SLR and am doing a 4 day course next month. I don't intend to charge people until i'm more confident and the people who's weddings i'm doing are well aware and wouldn't have a photographer at all if i wasn't there for free!!!!! Thought the idea of this site was to help and incourage, maybe i won't bother!!!
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Well you didn't say that did you :LOL:
It would be crazy to be new to photography and expect to do weddings, hence my reply :) I'm all for being encouraging, but not for people being silly :p

Anyway, full frame (5d) would be great, but it's really not so much about the body, but the lenses. If you don't have quality lenses that 5d would be a total waste of time.
 
dazzajl said:
Rivit,
I don't know the nikon bodies at all but I can tell you that you won't get a better quality image from a canon for less than 3 times the price of a 5D. The down side is that the build quality is really poor. My kids have toy cameras that feel more substancial than my 5d.
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Aw that's a bit harsh. I love my 5D and have no problem with the build quality compared to other models in that price range. If you compare them with the 1 series then I have to agree - which will be my next upgrade (after lottery win).

I agree with the Music Man regarding the comment that people take photographs not cameras. I will add to that by saying - you can use any cheap camera body, but don't skimp on the glass. Spend your money on good 'L' series and prime lenses with one good telephoto. HTH

Matt's beaten me to it again with that last comment. Tsk! steal my thunder why don't you boyo :LOL: :nono:
 
Thanks for the advise. Prehaps i'll try the Canon 30D or 40D to start then and just upgrade each time i get to grips with it. My first back up will need to be my film SLR but also i will be covering the each event with a friend in a simular situation so there will always be two plus camera's. I'm struggling to find photographer's in my area happy to have a shadow so instead offering my services free to those who otherwise couldn't aford a photographer. Its a way of building up a portfolio i hope.
Thanks again
 
we have honestly been over this a million times and you will get a million different answers!!!!

I use canon because - I shoot alot of indoor sports at iso1600 the nikon cameras struggle at higher iso's where as the canon are quite well known as having better high iso abilitys.

I have canon lenses now.

I quite honestly enjoy the way their cameras feel.
 
BTW its Canon 5D Nikon D200 :p Anywho why the 5D? I shot a wedding on a 30D well enough. Not saying the 5D is bad but if you're just getting into photography why not save a bit of money and get a nice lens?
 
Just don't go and buy a 30/40d and use the kit lens for weddings. Please at least invest in some decent glass :)
 
Aw that's a bit harsh
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I have a real love hate relationship with the 5D. The image quality really is stunning, it's far better than my 1D II, leaps ahead in handling higher ISO's and the screen is way better too. I do rate it very highly.

But it's so plasticy and cheaply built. I got my 1D back from repair yesterday and hoisted it for the first time in weeks, It was bliss, just how a camera should feel. For some reason the more solid a camera, the more I trust it.

I can flit between my mamiya kit and the 1D without a thought. Going from the mamiya to the 5D though is like changing langauges.

The bottom line though is it's one hell of camera for the ££'s. I just want the 5D gubbins in the 1D body.
 
I guess i didn't say, but you shouldn't be so quick to shoot a man (or women) down :)

Thanks for the tip. I have some good lenses for my Nikon SLR but don't think they'd be compatible so with the cost of lens i think prehaps i was aiming to high!!! A cheaper body but with decent lenses i think is the way forward.
cheers
 
Matt. said:
Just don't go and buy a 30/40d and use the kit lens for weddings. Please at least invest in some decent glass :)
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Any recommendations? I'm going to have low light probs a lot in church's so i'll need a 50mm f1.8 i think but also a 24-70mm i guess.
 
Matt. said:
Just don't go and buy a 30/40d and use the kit lens for weddings. Please at least invest in some decent glass :)
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I almost had to use this for this weekend's wedding, luckily my new lens turned up. Or the wide angles would've been with the kit lens. :bonk:
 
Rivit said:
My first back up will need to be my film SLR but also i will be covering the each event with a friend in a simular situation.
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Me! :puke:

Rivit said:
I'm struggling to find photographer's in my area happy to have a shadow so instead offering my services free to those who otherwise couldn't aford a photographer. Its a way of building up a portfolio i hope.
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Ditto to that. No one is interested in a shadow, so there seems no other way but to offer free photography to couples who otherwise wouldnt of had a photographer. If it's free, and explained clearly to them that we're inexperienced (the risk being that they could get zero photos) then I don't see a problem.

There are plenty out there who can't afford a photographer, and I've already had a lead from a post I made on www.moneysavingexpert.com. Next up is Confetti's forum etc...
 
Rivit said:
Any recommendations? I'm going to have low light probs a lot in church's so i'll need a 50mm f1.8 i think but also a 24-70mm i guess.
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30d is dropping in price now - i think about £550 at ABC and nearly new ones going for £450 on ebay (can you tell I'm in the market for another!). Combine that with a canon 17-55mm IS would be my choice
 
fuji s2pro ;)

(because i'm selling one)

Otherwise, both brands have pros and cons. I get on well with my nikon gear but know many who are equally at home and happy with canon. (nikon rules by the way ;) )
 
Just like to say thanks to you all for all you help and tips with this million times asked question :)
Decided to go with a canon as i'm told they deal better with noise. Going to start off with a Canon 30D or 40D (need to hold each of them to make final decision) and have treated myself to an L series 24-105mm IS from steveinspain who was selling one for a great price secondhand. Hoping to get it all soon so i can start putting the reading into practice.

Thanks again
Riv
Ps apparently i'm meant to close the thread but i don't know how, sorry.

pps, if any photography's don't mind me tagging along to a wedding and seeing a pro at work i'd be so unbelievably grateful and promise not to tread on your toes. Please!!!!
 
Don't know much about the D300 as it's only just been released, but if you have older F-mount Nikon AF lenses then they will be (99%) compatible with all Nikon bodies (except the D40 range) you'll just have longer focal lengths than you're used to with your film slr due to sensor cropping.

Build quality of the 'prosumer' level Nikons is far better than Canon IMO, if you've got around £800 I recommend the D200 or £500 for the D80.


EDIT: Oops, too late, I see you fell for the ISO noise level thing.
 
Hey, you have to realise this is, by majority, a Canon forum ;) Nikon users (commonly referred to here as "darksiders") fight a staunch rear-guard action.....! Don't let them sway you.....

Why bother learning a whole new system when you're used to the Nikon one? ..... don't believe too much you hear on this site about Nikon noise..... it's ... well, a lot of anti-Nikon "noise". We shoot weddings with D200's and they offer everything you could want.... we have no complaints, nor have our clients.

You have to be pushing the limits to get into the noise battle and even then Canonite's claims are vociferous and not fully justified IMO.... the tonal quality from Nikon digitals are much better graduated than the contrasty Canon images.... mostly subjective.

I would seriously think twice before dumping your Nikon glass.... :thinking: A D200 will take any "F" mount lens as long as it has been AI'd....

Aren't you being a little naive asking a Pro in his own patch to help you set up in business working against him/her as competition? There's help and then there's "help"..... :shrug:
 
chuckles said:
the tonal quality from Nikon digitals are much better graduated than the contrasty Canon images.... mostly subjective.
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Which is the main reason I've stuck with my D50 for the last 2 years, it's probably one of the best 6Meg sensors ever made. But at the end of the day 'digital' noise is always going to be there, it's down to how good the NR algorithm is.

I would seriously think twice before dumping your Nikon glass.... :thinking: A D200 will take any "F" mount lens as long as it has been AI'd....
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Seconded, but if you do want to shift that 'inferior' Nikon gear I might be interested in some if it's going for the right price :)
 
Rivit said:
I am just starting out but hoping with the help of lots of books and some intensive course to get into wedding photography and i'm in need of a decent DSLR. I've been looking at the canon D5 and the Nikon D300 but don't know which would be best. I'm yet to hold them both a get a feel but wondered if there was a saving at all from one over the other. Any help would be so much appreciated! I'm v confussed!
Click to expand...

Dont take this the wrong way but I think your jumping into the deep end. Those cameras are far beyond a beginner, they are aimed at enthusiasts/professionals.

I'd love a camera with lots of manual options although i think doing wedding photography there will be a limit to what i can do as it will be a chase of lots of quick snaps (i think).
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No, not quite. I suggest you contact some local pro's and see if you can tag along to some shoots to get a grips to actually what does happen. Although, with the intention to go full time yourself in due course I would very much doubt they would agree to it.
 
Rather than 'tag' along with a Pro.... why don't you do what I've suggested to others they do? Just find some weddings locally, take your camera, take your own shots. Nobody can stop you attending any wedding - in fact it's a legal requirement that they should be public and that the public can access them. How else can there be a valid response to the always quoted question, "does anybody know of any lawful impediment as to why these two people cannot be joined together in matrimony"? ...(or words to that effect)!

Go to weddings - there'll always be 'togs there - just WATCH and LEARN! You'll soon see all the mistakes they make. And that's the point, they'd have made the mistakes - NOT YOU! By which time if you've noticed the errors you must be part way there..... you've just qualified the togs' errors! Congratulations..... :clap:
 
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