A young photo-friend just asked about what current Canon lenses I like and what I’m up to… here’s what I said:
Since I switched to Canon, I bought exactly the lens kit I wanted and love them all. A 24-70 F4 came with one body and it’s a great ‘event’ lens. My favorite lens is the 70-200 F2.8 IS EDIF… beautiful lens, flexible for theatre (no need to switch lenses), just stunningly sharp with beautiful soft backgrounds at 2.8. There’s a new version out January 2010 that’s supposed to be even better.
I bought a 16-35 F2.8 that is fantastic as well. It has some cool wide ’style’ to it, is great in low light. And it’s fairly flat (as much as possible) at the edges, so it’s very usable for groups, etc.
Since I bought it all exactly what I needed, there’s nothing to sell off yet. Eventually I might sell my first gen 5D, which is full frame, but I keep it as a backup in my car. I bought the Canon T2i for the HD video and as a light backup second body, and for video and for megapixels, it’s terrific… but it’s built so light, you couldn’t use it as a main body.
Much of what I’ve been learning over the last 2 years has been flexible, small lighting. Check out Strobist and the book ‘Hot Shoe Diaries‘ for that… and good luck!
So one of the reasons I finally bailed on Nikon cameras was that their pitiful Pro Services. It was more like the ‘Professionally ignoring shooters’ arm of the Nikon business.
I had one repair into their ‘pro expedited service’ and after a few weeks I finally called, (after being on hold for a while) and they shuffled through some paperwork, found my lens repair and said they’d get on it… I’ve said before, one lens repair (on a $1500 lens), when looked at by the Non-NPS repair shop.. they said ‘Who repaired this lens last??!) It was so poorly done by Nikon Pro.
This Monday I sent our a flash repair to Canon , and today (Wednesday) I got the repair approval via e-mail (easy peasy) and since I pre-approved, it’s in process now. Should be done within 3 days.
This year Canon has switched to a tiered pro service setup, but I got the same great service on my last repair of a body under their old system. I do pay now $100/year for my (middle level) of service. There’s a free level below, and at my level, I get 2 free body cleanings a year, free return shipping and 30% off repairs… so it’ll pay for itself. The big thing for me is that Canon seems to be treating us pros like we need to be treated to keep shooting. And frankly, my Canon equipment has been holding up better than my Nikon equipment ever did. Ah, the joys of not having to re-glue my camera grips back onto a $5000 camera… bliss.
I’m not a famous national guy, but how many of them are there to all of us local working pros that need repairs done right and fast, and want to be taken care of just like we take care of our clients?
Oh, and they send fun things with the membership… a new, really nice Canon Pro CPS camera strap, etc. And the silly thing I love is the preprinted labels for repairs… nice job CPS.
Ah, so my friend just told me he’s been out of work for 7 months and he’s wondering about photography for money… but money is tight. (We’re just getting back in touch thanks to FaceBook).
If money is tight… start with the low end on cameras and make shooting earn the next steps… but you do have to start with something like the Rebel and lens and a flash, so still around $900-$1000. Too bad you weren’t around here, I could loan you some older stuff like I do with some of my young associate shooters.
No matter what you end up doing full time in the future, it’s great way to make money here and there…
For now, take any digital camera you have and shoot tons and learn lots online.
Here are a few good sites:
Strobist : Great lighting with inexpensive Flash
Tips From the Top Floor Podcast : Creative Photogaphy
Start to talk to people about wanting to get going and see what they say. If things are just right, maybe you can get the first couple hundred from a good shoot with someone that will prepay (like a family person needing some family portraits… or get creative and have like 2 or 3 families who have kids in little league pay for you to come to 2 or 3 games and you’ll give them all the photos… maybe rent a long lens.
There are lots of ways to start. BUT you have to have the eye and some talent. Also sign up for free online stuff so people can see your photos quick… like Flickr and a Wordpress blog.
Good luck man!
I have a friend from my hometown that asked me this:
I just found your blog and found that you are using a very expensive canon.Way out of my price for some studio and weddings.I am just starting toget back into this and I am starting my research.
I said:
Cool. You don’t have to worry about megapixels. They’ll all be fine. Any camera with the bigger body and interchangeable lenses will give you decent quality to start.
In the $800 area, you can get a decent Canon or Nikon and one OK lens… add a flash for maybe $150… or get a bit better one, since that’s so important if you want get pro looking shots.
If you can land a few good shoots and want to start right, the next step up cameras are built more solid, focus faster, etc… Like the Canon 5D Mark2, or the Nikon D300 I think it is… anyway… if it’s to make money often, that’s a nice entry camera and you’d never regret it.
Depending on what you want to shoot, you might need to save up for a decent long lens (Sports, etc) or a good light and umbrella (portraits).
But, you know… it’s not the equipment, it’s the shooter. I started in digital with a little Kodak camera, then a Nikon (and they were still about $1000 at the time!)… but I used really nice add-on flash, and that made all the difference to them not looking like snap shots.
And all you folks hurry up and get to be great shooters… I need the help!
I have a friend from my hometown that asked me this:
I just found your blog and found that you are using a very expensive canon.Way out of my price for some studio and weddings.I am just starting toget back into this and I am starting my research.
<a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/huthphoto/3731663523/” title=”T1i_586×225 by HuthPhoto, on Flickr”><img src=”http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3428/3731663523_6ff7e86c7b_o.jpg” width=”586″ height=”225″ alt=”T1i_586×225″ /></a>
I said:
Cool. You don’t have to worry about megapixels. They’ll all be fine. Any camera with the bigger body and interchangeable lenses will give you decent quality to start. In the $800 area, you can get a decent Canon or Nikon and one OK lens… add a flash for maybe $150… or get a bit better one, since that’s so important if you want get pro looking shots. If you can land a few good shoots and want to start right, the next step up cameras are built more solid, focus faster, etc… Like the Canon 5D Mark2, or the Nikon D300 I think it is… anyway… if it’s to make money often, that’s a nice entry camera and you’d never regret it. Depending on what you want to shoot, you might need to save up for a decent long lens (Sports, etc) or a good light and umbrella (portraits).
<a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/huthphoto/3732478384/” title=”62_8.JPG by HuthPhoto, on Flickr”><img src=”http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2624/3732478384_f005237668_o.jpg” width=”200″ height=”150″ alt=”62_8.JPG” /></a>
But, you know… it’s not the equipment, it’s the shooter. I started in digital with a little Kodak camera, then a Nikon (and they were still about $1000 at the time!)… but I used really nice add-on flash, and that made all the difference to them not looking like snap shots.
And all you folks hurry up and get to be great shooters… I need the help!
A client friend asked about this, and since it comes up so much, I’ll suggest you click on the ‘Canon Cameras’ in the Categories list and scroll down to the second page to read it all… but here’s my synopsis to get you started:
Now in 2009, it isn’t as critical for a choice between Nikon and Canon… the Nikon is much improved with high ISO, but at the time, I was getting uggo digital noise at 500 ISO with Nikons and Canon was beautiful at 1600-2500ISO in the dark tones, which is critical for me in theatre (I do Geva and Naz Theatre).
I also really felt that Nikon stopped caring about pros. They did a number of totally crappy repairs on my stuff, their rubber body molding would fall off of $5000 cameras and they couldn’t fix it, just stupid cheap stuff (the repair thing was really pointed out to me when an independent repair shop asked me ‘who fixed this last??!… it was so poorly done)
Little things like Canon just shipping me a little missing part as a favor to a pro, etc. made a big difference. Oh, and I don’t know about current cameras, but my Nikons never quite focused right, I was always babying them… and I just took it for granted until using my Canon and I was stunned at my fast, accurate focus.
So, who know’s today, but that was my reasoning 2 years ago before the Nikon D3 came out. And I’m still VERY happy with my cameras. Also now, I have had much fewer repair issues.
