Select Models wrote:
For the record... the LAST camera I would recommend is the Canon Rebel T3i... noisy cropped sensor... cheap body construction... budget plastic lenses...

I love my T3i and know many other people that do too.

GlamourPhotoChicago wrote:
depends on your budget, what you want to do with it, etc. Cameras can range between $500-$50,000

Probably no higher than $1500 as I'm not looking to use it full time. Just as fill in for some of the photographers I know, and try and learn a few things. Mainly studio work.

AJScalzitti wrote:
The rebel line will produce fine images, but the bodies (and shutters) can'5 handle abuse and use of a professional.  Not that you will be using it that much by comparison but a 5ti or even better, new 70D.  The 70D is their highest consumer model so it's more expensive but a capable camera with some cool features.

Don't worry about them being crop sensors (26mm vs 35mm) as you will get just fine image quality for them; they however won't make you feel better if you are otherwise compensating for lack of skill or anatomy like a big camera will.

+1 .

FGO FANTASY PHOTO wrote:
NIKON d610 or d800

The OP only has $1,500 to spend. Both bodies sell for more than that, even used, so that would rule both out. And, while Nikon makes excellent cameras (I shoot with the D800), he prefers Canon. So, I don't think either would be what he's currently looking for, regardless.

My son had the T3i for a while and he liked it for the most part, despite its limitations and lesser build quality. He ultimately sold it, as he just didn't have enough time to shoot and I think he liked the D300 body we were shooting with at the time more, so he planned to eventually switch over to Nikon.

You may also want to consider a used, or possibly a refurb, EOS 60D that has more robust features and a better build quality than the T3i. It would still leave you with money to spend on decent used glass. Ultimately, the lenses you shoot with are going to be more important to your image quality than the difference in features between those bodies, particularly if you're shooting in a controlled studio environment.

Good luck.

Greg Knoll wrote:
... I'm looking to purchase a camera ...

I don't want to turn pro by any means, but I think if I have a better understanding of what photographers do, it will help me improve what I do. I don't need anything too extreme. So long as it has manual settings and interchangeable lenses that should work for what I'm going to use it for--mainly studio work and experimenting with lighting.

Every DSLR will have manual settings and interchangeable lenses.

Throwing a heap of money at a camera will not make you a better photographer by itself.

I think you can learn everything you need to know from any of the recent entry-level Canons or Nikons.

For example, nearly every photo in the portfolio below was shot with a Nikon D5000 (original cost $1500, over 300,000 shutter actuations at last count) or its Nikon D5200 successor (bought new a few months ago for $700).  In its day, the D5000 was Nikon's entry-level DSLR. 

http://www.vogue.it/en/photovogue/Profi … acad3/User

Greg Knoll wrote:
Thanks in advance for any suggestions/advice.

I think a first camea is easy. 

1) Pick a budget.

2) Go to amazon.com and search on price

3) Sort by customer rating

4) READ THE REVIEWS

5) Buy one

I say go cheap on the body.  Bodies are ephemeral.  If you can save money on the body you can spend that on a better lens.  Lenses are forever.  People who buy a $7k body and put a cheap lens on it are idiots.  Spend that $7k on a couple of good lenses and put a cheap body instead.

Buy new, with a warranty, but don't be afraid to buy an old out of date camera.

GlamourPhotoChicago wrote:
in fact, since you are starting out, i would buy the best cheapest entry level SLR and buy two lenses that you can keep after you outgrow the body. I don't know Canon as much, but get the 50mm 1.8 and the 85mm 1.8

+1

This is what I would do also.

Your reasoning for using Canon because you have friends with Canon gear and may be able to swap/borrow lenses is good.

Any entry-level DSLR is going to have the features you need (manual operation).

A crop sensor camera will suit your current needs just fine.  Avoid lenses that are specific to crop-sensor cameras in case you wish to upgrade to full frame in the future.  The 50mm f/1.8 and 85 mm f/1.8 are good recommendations for lenses to begin with.  The Canon 85mm f/1.8 is one of my favourite lenses for portrait work.   Skip the kit lenses (e.g. 18-55 etc.) if you can afford to.

David Kirk wrote:
Avoid lenses that are specific to crop-sensor cameras in case you wish to upgrade to full frame in the future.  The 50mm f/1.8 and 85 mm f/1.8 are good recommendations for lenses to begin with.  The Canon 85mm f/1.8 is one of my favorite lenses for portrait work.   Skip the kit lenses (e.g. 18-55 etc.) if you can afford to.

terrible advice. EF-S mount lenses are made for Canon crop cameras and cost way less. Lens are so easy to sell used, use glass that works for your camera not glass that will mount a future camera.

a 50mm and an 85, while both great lenses, behave much differently on a FF body.

David Kirk wrote:
Avoid lenses that are specific to crop-sensor cameras in case you wish to upgrade to full frame in the future.  The 50mm f/1.8 and 85 mm f/1.8 are good recommendations for lenses to begin with.  The Canon 85mm f/1.8 is one of my favourite lenses for portrait work.   Skip the kit lenses (e.g. 18-55 etc.) if you can afford to.

Good advice, actually.

EF-S (crop sensor) lenses can't be used on a full frame body, which limits their versatility.

EF lenses can be used on both crop sensor and full frame bodies, making them MUCH more versatile.

Just keep in mind, that your effective focal length will be multiplied by 1.6 on the crop sensor body. For example: A 50 mm lens on a full frame camera, is 50 mm. On a crop sensor body, the 50 mm focal length will actually give you 80 mm.

GlamourPhotoChicago wrote:
in fact, since you are starting out, i would buy the best cheapest entry level SLR and buy two lenses that you can keep after you outgrow the body. I don't know Canon as much, but get the 50mm 1.8 and the 85mm 1.8

Canon T2i with a Tamron 17-50/2.8--- 50/1.4 --- 100/2.0 fits within that budget and is a GREAT kit.

Michael Alestra wrote:
so let me get this straight, you are steering someone, asking about a t3i, away from cheaper effective EF-S lenses because someday, maybe, they could go to full frame?

for studio work, any lens will do, even the cheap kit lens because you are usually stopped down.

I got the same advice when I first started shooting and I think it's great advice. 

Not necessarily true about studio shots and will vary greatly from photographer to photographer.  There are plenty of times I shoot between f/1.4 and f/2.8 in the studio.

Michael Alestra wrote:
so let me get this straight, you are steering someone, asking about a t3i, away from cheaper effective EF-S lenses because someday, maybe, they could go to full frame?

Exactly.

If somebody were to follow your advice, and bought all EF-S lenses, and then wanted to upgrade to a full frame camera, they would have to purchase new lenses to use with the full frame camera.

If they started out buying EF lenses, they could use them with a crop sensor or full frame.

If you have an EF-S kit lens, fine, by all means, use it. But if you are going to invest in anything other than you kit lens, EF is the way to go.

Your pricing argument doesn't have much weight to it; go to B&H, and the least expensive EF-S lens starts at around $199. The least expensive EF lens starts at $89. The selection of available EF lenses is much larger as well.

It's not that difficult, really; do you want to invest in glass multiple times, or just once? Personally, I invest in the more versatile EF glass, because I only have to do it once.

M A S T E R S wrote:
Exactly.

If somebody were to follow your advice, and bought all EF-S lenses, and then wanted to upgrade to a full frame camera, they would have to purchase new lenses to use with the full frame camera.

If they started out buying EF lenses, they could use them with a crop sensor or full frame.

If you have an EF-S kit lens, fine, by all means, use it. But if you are going to invest in anything other than you kit lens, EF is the way to go.

Your pricing argument doesn't have much weight to it; go to B&H, and the least expensive EF-S lens starts at around $199. The least expensive EF lens starts at $89. The selection of available EF lenses is much larger as well.

It's not that difficult, really; do you want to invest in glass multiple times, or just once? Personally, I invest in the more versatile EF glass, because I only have to do it once.

to start the cheapest ef-s lens is $89 since it will mount both, throw out the nifty 50 and then look at the numbers.

i guess buy your logic someone should buy a 17-40L or a 16-35/L? I'd rather have a tamron 17-50/2.8 non or a sigma 18-35/1.8. passing up those two options just because they aren't ef mount is just dumb.

fullframe zooms 24-70 or 24-105 don't really translate well to an all around zoom as well as say a 15-85 on a crop, sure its a variable aperture but it will be sharper than the mki version of the brick or a 24-105 since it can resolve the higher pixel density of a crop better than the 24-105, but if you want to drop $2000 on a 24-70 mkii for a crop so it can resolve better, so be it.

lets not even get into the ultra wide end in which no EF zoom options even exist for a crop. 16-17mm on a FF is ultrawide, on a crop not so much, you have to go to 10-12mm.

my point is you buy a lens you need, not one you may not need. every lens i ever bought i sold for at least 80% of the brand new price if not more. lenses hold value.

and as you move to full frame changes the effective FOV , one may all the sudden need wider or longer and have to get new glass anyhow.

i went from a crop to a FF at one time and switching over my lens collection was really not that difficult.

not trying to start a war here but it really shouldn't be a consideration, crop lenses are made specifically for crop cameras so they should definitely be considered.

Greg Knoll wrote:
Sorry. This has probably been asked...constantly but I'm looking to purchase a camera and figured I would ask the experts.

I don't want to turn pro by any means, but I think if I have a better understanding of what photographers do, it will help me improve what I do. I don't need anything too extreme. So long as it has manual settings and interchangeable lenses that should work for what I'm going to use it for--mainly studio work and experimenting with lighting.

Kind of partial to Canon and some have recommended the Rebel T3i but I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions/advice.

All Current Canon DLSR models take great pictures.  From the tiny SL1 to the expensive 1Dx.

The differences are with features that may or may not be important to you:

- sensor size (crop factor or full frame)

- durability

- weather sealing

- Frames per second

- Focus during video

- focus points/focus speed for stills.

- rear dial to make operation easier in some situations

- built in PC style sync connection (some models require an inexpensive hot show adapter to connect a standard strobe sync cable).

All Canon DSLRs have interchangeable lenes, and have a manual mode.

The crop factor bodies accept both EF-S and EF lenses.  The full frame bodies only EF lenses.


For studio shooting, any current Canon DSLR should yield excellent results.  You should think about whether you want 'crop factor' or 'full frame'.  There are people who swear by one, and swear at the other.  Both have their advantages and disadvantages.  Pick the one that's the best match for your shooting style.

In a nutshell, full frame tends to be less noisy at higher ISO settings.  If shooting in the studio, this may not be an issue.

With the lenses that are commercially available it tends to be easier to get shallow depth of field with full frame.  If you want extremely shallow DoF, you may wish to go full frame.

Many of the EF-S lenses available for crop factor bodies provide excellent quality, at a price point lower than an equivalent EF lens.

Good lenses can last you many years.  I have a 50mm f/1.8 that's 20 years old, and a 70-200 f/2.8 that's 15 years old.  I've been through a number of camera bodies in that time, but these lenses are still great.

My advice is to pick the camera you need today, and spend your money on lenses.  When shooting in the studio, your lenses will be more of a limitation than your camera body.