What to buy biggish budget

EMA747

EMA747

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Andy
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I have saved and inherited enough money I think to start to get a serious kit together. I have an idea of what I will get but I was interested to see what others would advise.

Budget is around £7500 to cover all bodies and lenses. I sold all my Canon kit a while back so I am starting from scratch this time.

I shoot sports/motorsport/aviation on one side and travel/documentary on the other so two areas to cover. :bonk:

I could really do with two bodies one of which would ideally be small so I can easily travel with it. The other needs to cover the fast action parts of my shooting.

I NEED to have video (preferably full HD) in one of the cameras.

I would rather go with Nikon but would consider Canon. I vowed to move over to Nikon after some issues with Canon but I would consider a move back if there was a good case for it.

I don't mind buying new or used.

So what do you all suggest?
 
I'd look at a D800 for the video and small size and S/H D3/s. Wouldn't like to comment on lenses for motor sport, but maybe the 24 -70mm f2.8 for the other stuff and if you've got enough left get a 35mm f1.4, just cos its nice :)
 
EMA747 said:
I vowed to move over to Nikon after some issues with Canon but I would consider a move back if there was a good case for it.
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I did and certainly don't regret it.

How flexible are you on budget. £7500 isn't a huge amount for two different kits effectively.

For reach the D300 (s) could be useful with the 1.5X crop factor. Otherwise the D700 gives you the option of full frame for documentary/travel. The D3S is quite simply unbelievably good and could do both although you'd lose the reach of the D300.

Definitely the 24-70, either of the 70-200 VR models, the 200-400 has been on my wish list for a while but it's expensive.
 
For me it would be the following

Nikon D300s-£800
Nikon D700-£1300
Nikon 24-70-£925
Nikon 70-200-£950
Nikon 200-400 or Nikon 300 AFS-£2300 if you cant stretch to the 200-400
Nikon 1.4TC- £200
This covers full frame, 720p HD video, crop frame, shorter length through to longer lengths...A good all round set up on your budget...All the above are 2nd hand prices and well worth considering to save a bit of cash on buying new.
 
Hutchison Haines said:
Everything is pretty subjective, however if I were in your position I would look at;

2 D700
2 MB-D10 grips
Nikon 200-400mm
Nikon 70-200mm 2.8 VR
Nikon 10-20mm

I would then look at getting a 24-70mm 2.8 for the gap in the short range.
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The OP clearly stated video was a must have requirement.2 x D700 gives no video or I have I missed a major firmware upgrade from Nikon?:shrug:
 
Ok, I love spending other people's money so I'll have a stab at this.

Nikon D700 for nearly everything £1300
Nikon D5100 for video £450
Nikon 50mm 1.4 £230
Nikon 24-70 2.8 £950
Nikon 70-200 VR2 £1500

Leave £3000 left to buy a monster telephoto.
 
Andy you say you would rather go with Nikon- that's not a bad thing but you need video. The only Nikon's worth considering for video are the D4 and D800 which is fairly restrictive both in terms of cost and availability at present moment in time. Sure, other Nikon models have video but depending on what you shoot the bottom line is they don't do it well enough to be of any use to anyone serious about video.

You could wait and see if a fabled D400 appears any time soon with decent video but decent video is a costly option with Nikon thanks solely to their terrible video strategy that they persisted with until the D4. It will be a while before it is available through the entire range.

I think you would be better with a 7D and 5D mkIII.

As for lenses I'm sure you know your lengths but you could probably get
70-200 mk I
24-70 mk I
100-400
1.4x TC
15-85- chosen as a lightweight travel lens with reasonable width and range
Your choice of 50mm or 85mm prime or other length depending on style.

I would mix and match new and old accordingly and you'd probably have some change left too:)

If Nikon I would say:
D800
D300
70-200 mkI
24-70
300mm f4 although I'm tempted to recommend a sigma but I just can't:lol::p
1.4x TC
Maybe a Tamron 17-50 for lightweight travel and keeping costs down
50,85 prime depending

Both options assume using the crop for travel but at least the Canon has the option of video.
 
Hutchison Haines said:
Everything is pretty subjective, however if I were in your position I would look at;

2 D700
2 MB-D10 grips
Nikon 200-400mm
Nikon 70-200mm 2.8 VR
Nikon 10-20mm

I would then look at getting a 24-70mm 2.8 for the gap in the short range.
Click to expand...

the 10-20 is a DX lens and not an ideal choice for a d700
 
gramps said:
D3S no slouch for video Lookee
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You can capture some great footage with it but it's too easy to run into knock on issues from the compression, available frame rates and resolution.
Sadly it's just less problematic capturing video on Canon although what you shoot can also make this fairly minor or a showstopper. The new Nikon's look up to the job though- will be a while before I can play with one:(.
 
gramps said:
D3S no slouch for video Lookee
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My first and only D3s video! (well, only wildlife one, I used it for some review videos).

The main thing that bugged me for video with D3s wasn't the lack of 1080p but the fact you couldn't set different settings for video and stills. So, if I was taking stills and wanted to switch to video, I'd have to change all the settings to get the exposure right. Then if I quickly needed to swap back to taking stills, I had to change all settings again. Drove me crazy and I ended up missing so many shots that I gave up. If you are specifically shooting video it might not be an issue though.

Changing between stills and video on the D4 is much better as it retains individual settings for both modes. So I expect I'll be using video to film mu subjects a lot more than I used to now!
 
Interesting comments and lists posted so far. Some of them I hadn't considered at all.

I should expand on a few points;

Video - I have a smallish pro level camcorder in the Canon XF100 so video in a camera would be more of a feature I would use for my own personal videos mainly while travelling. If I was to get a D3/D4 size body I would ideally have the video on the smaller backup body which would be mainly used for travelling. That's about the only downside to a D4 I can see. I was very interested in a D800 but due to the price hike, very long waiting lists and these issues with AF, needing to be spot on technique wise I have some reservations.
On the Canon side the 7D would be fine for video but for stills I wasn't overly impressed with it's noise when I owned one.

The list I had in my head was quite a simple one.
D4
D700 used
24-70 used
70-200 vrI used

The D4 would be the main workhorse covering pretty much the whole lot with the D700 for backup and as a travel camera. The downside is that the D700 doesn't have video so I would either need to take my XF100 as well or buy a small Panasonic GH2 (fantastic video quality when hacked and I already own a GF2 and some M4/3 lenses).

On the Canon side

1DmkIV used (I just sold one a few months ago)
5DmkIII
24-70 used
70-200 mkI used
That lot might be slightly more than the Nikon setup above.


Then there is the other option of listening to my head and saying "this is a stupid idea to spend £1000s on gear when photography work is next to impossible to get. Why not just get a proper job instead and spend the cash on a holiday or two and put some in the bank". :thinking:
 
D7000 For smaller body and video? And the crop, and roll with the D4 for everything else
 
SimonUK said:
D7000 For smaller body and video? And the crop, and roll with the D4 for everything else
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Not a bad idea. What does a used D7000 go for? Can it used the same lenses as a FF body (like Canons EF-S all cameras)?
 
EMA747 said:
Then there is the other option of listening to my head and saying "this is a stupid idea to spend £1000s on gear when photography work is next to impossible to get. Why not just get a proper job instead and spend the cash on a holiday or two and put some in the bank". :thinking:
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Having seen your Canon wranglings over the last 2 or so years, I'd suggest this to be honest. Whatever kit you buy, there will be compromises which - judging by previous posts you've made - I think would cause you enough issues that I'd expect you to be selling it all again in 6 months time when it didn't do exactly as you expected and/or you weren't using it enough/getting enough money out of it.
 
I have a D7000 also and video is ok but the lack of fully manual control when in live view drives me crazy. Having to turn live view off, change aperture then turn it on again gets boring very fast!
 
arad85 said:
Having seen your Canon wranglings over the last 2 or so years, I'd suggest this to be honest. Whatever kit you buy, there will be compromises which - judging by previous posts you've made - I think would cause you enough issues that I'd expect you to be selling it all again in 6 months time when it didn't do exactly as you expected and/or you weren't using it enough/getting enough money out of it.
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There is much truth in what you say. It's why I threw that last bit out there. I love photography, I really do and would make it my career at the drop of a hat if I could see a way of it providing me with an income large enough over the next 30 odd years to eventually support a family and house, car, pension etc. The sad thing is that if I am really brutally honest with myself then I have to say that, no I can't see it providing that kind of income unless I was very lucky.
The dilema is partly that if I was to go down the road of making it my career then I recognise that I would need to invest some serious cash on equipment. If I didn't and just kept it as a hobby then the "what should I buy" list takes on a whole new dimension. The Canon saga you talk of is a result of this. Some months I think yeah I can do it, then I get to thinking that it might just be a load of stress and money with probably at best a small income. Deciding one way or the other is a very hard thing for me to do as I can see good and bad in both sides.
 
EMA747 said:
I shoot sports/motorsport/aviation on one side and travel/documentary on the other so two areas to cover. :bonk:

I could really do with two bodies one of which would ideally be small so I can easily travel with it. The other needs to cover the fast action parts of my shooting.

I NEED to have video (preferably full HD) in one of the cameras.
Click to expand...

I personally wouldn't blow the lot on gear, but that's just me. You're only here once so if you want to spend spend spend then fill your boots... Having got that out of the way...

I'm not interested in video but from what I've read isn't hacked Panny MFT the King? From what I've read even the very latest 5DIII doesn't better it. If you did go for a hacked Panny GHx that could potentially fill the travel/dec role leaving just a Nikon APS-C body+lenses for the fast action. Maybe no need for a full frame body.
 
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I've recently got a 5DMkIII and just ordered a 60D to go with it. Not tried video on it though as I'm not interested in it. I've already got a 70-200 2.8 IS L MkI and a 24-105 f4 L to go with it for general shooting and a Sigma 150-500 OS for wildlife and planes. Would like to get something like a 17-40 f4 L or a 16-35 f2.8 L for wide shots or maybe a 24-70 f2.8 instead of the 24-105 f4 in the future, but I'm very happy with my kit for now.
 
EMA747 said:
On the Canon side

1DmkIV used (I just sold one a few months ago)
5DmkIII
24-70 used
70-200 mkI used
That lot might be slightly more than the Nikon setup above.


Then there is the other option of listening to my head and saying "this is a stupid idea to spend £1000s on gear when photography work is next to impossible to get. Why not just get a proper job instead and spend the cash on a holiday or two and put some in the bank". :thinking:
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Well if you shop around, you could get a 1D4 here for around £2500. Kerso does the 5D3 for around £2600 and with the balance you could easily source the two lenses and still have change.

May I ask why you ditched your Canons in the first place only to express a wish to consider them again so soon? I'm a Canon man and quite happy with my lot. The 5D3 looks awesome and I can't wait to get my hands on one. Canon offers me the best of all worlds but you have to decide which way is best for you.


All my best :wave:
 
Houston1863 said:
Well if you shop around, you could get a 1D4 here for around £2500. Kerso does the 5D3 for around £2600 and with the balance you could easily source the two lenses and still have change.

May I ask why you ditched your Canons in the first place only to express a wish to consider them again so soon? I'm a Canon man and quite happy with my lot. The 5D3 looks awesome and I can't wait to get my hands on one. Canon offers me the best of all worlds but you have to decide which way is best for you.


All my best :wave:
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The reason for wanting to move to Nikon wasn't really a large one, more just a series of little niggles that ended up annoying me (both camera and service niggles really).
 
EMA747 said:
The reason for wanting to move to Nikon wasn't really a large one, more just a series of little niggles that ended up annoying me (both camera and service niggles really).
Click to expand...


Thanks for coming back Andy and sorry you had those niggles.

Nothing in this world is perfect, not even NikonWorld I expect. I'm sure you'll know eventually which road to take. Whichever it is though, keep enjoying :wave:
 
Houston1863 said:
Thanks for coming back Andy and sorry you had those niggles.

Nothing in this world is perfect, not even NikonWorld I expect. I'm sure you'll know eventually which road to take. Whichever it is though, keep enjoying :wave:
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I was discussing this with my brother the other night. We decided that there are NO perfect cameras not even the £5000+ D4/1Dx. I think it's a case of working out which features are the most important and living with the lack of other things. At the end of the day it's about the image that it produces.

I know it's not how you should decide these things but having used a 1DmkIV and sold it, I had a good long try of a Nikon D4 at Focus and it just felt more "right" in the hand than the Canon did. Of course that won't be the deciding factor but for me having equipment you get on with and enjoy using is one part of the evaluation process. :D
 
woof woof said:
I'm not interested in video but from what I've read isn't hacked Panny MFT the King? From what I've read even the very latest 5DIII doesn't better it. If you did go for a hacked Panny GHx that could potentially fill the travel/dec role leaving just a Nikon APS-C body+lenses for the fast action. Maybe no need for a full frame body.
Click to expand...

Surprised only one person has mentioned this, it would be my first choice.
 
Going another way:

Sony a77, NEX 7, Sony 16-80 or Sony Zeiss 24-70, Sony Zeiss 85f1.4, Sony 70-200f2.8, Sigma 300f2.8 add some TCs, get an A mount to E mount adapter. Not a "pro" set up but some nice glass there with cracking video and portability (particularly if you get some dedicated E mount lenses). Might have to buy one or two items used as well to fit your budget.

I did the whole Canon "pro" thing settled on much of the above and am very happy.

Good luck with your choices.
 
In your shoes with the uncertainty in your mind of whether to go for i as a career or not I think I'd go with a GH2 and a couple of nice lenses for travel and something that feels special to shoot with the rest of the time, chill out, shoot lots and enjoy yourself.

I have been going through similar internal twists and turns (but caused by different circumstances) and It's what I've done, still doing some paid work but realised it's only people like ourselves that care about the last few percent of performance and it eventually spins your head out. Spend less, shoot more and go on holiday!
 
EMA747 said:
I was discussing this with my brother the other night. We decided that there are NO perfect cameras not even the £5000+ D4/1Dx. I think it's a case of working out which features are the most important and living with the lack of other things. At the end of the day it's about the image that it produces.

I know it's not how you should decide these things but having used a 1DmkIV and sold it, I had a good long try of a Nikon D4 at Focus and it just felt more "right" in the hand than the Canon did. Of course that won't be the deciding factor but for me having equipment you get on with and enjoy using is one part of the evaluation process. :D
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Feel is important. You need to be comfortable with your equipment. That and the features that are important to your style of shooting. I checked out the 1Dx at Pro Photo Solutions back in October and was very impressed with it. The camera exuded quality. Even the buttons felt different, more solid and offering a more assured feel when touched. My one gripe with the 1D4 is when I accidentally hit the set button on the quick control dial placing the camera into live view mode. It happens just a little too often for comfort. Not such a big deal. Just a niggle you understand ;)

I'd definitely like to try out the 5D3 and hopefully land one sometime in the coming months. Having two super low-light bodies can be rather reassuring not to mention the 61 point AF system of the 5D3.

Best wishes:wave:
 
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