Which digital SLR camera should I buy? Nikon D300, Nikon D700, Canon EOS 50D, or Canon EOS 5D Mark II?
Posted by admin | Under Canon EOS 50D Digital SLR Thursday Nov 12, 2009I really need a camera with at least 12 mp, that will take very good detailed shots that can be blown up. I will be using the camera for many things including portraits, detailed pictures of jewelry, scenery pictures, live band performances, etc.
Also can anyone recommend some good lenses to go along? where is the best/lowest price place to purchase the camera and supplies?
You got a good response from photoace and a fatuous response from another poster who seems to think that he can read people’s minds and predict their future, but what you do need to realise is that your wish-list is a little broad.
All but the live band work it quite easily handled, but shooting under low light needs both a camera with good high ISO performance and a very fast (and VERY expensive) lens to get detail that can be enlarged without degradation of the image. Another issue is that using a good DSLR with an expensive lens in a concert/live band venue can be risky unless you are approved by the organisers. Many won’t grant you entry if you are carrying what looks like "professional" equipment.
One option is to use a quality P&S with a very fast lens for your live band work, something that will cost far less than a single lens suitable for low light for your DSLR. Contrary to the oft chanted mantra heard here, they do now have P&S cameras with much lower pixel density, and higher ISO low noise performance. Not as good as a good DSLR, but certainly good enough to produce good images in concerts etc. Some have quality Zeiss/Leica zoom lenses starting as low as F2.0 with usable 1600 ISO.
i have never had experiance with any of those cameras, but i looked them over a little bit and thought the nikon d700 would be good. sounds like it had good derailed shots. office max is a good place for camera supplies.
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Shooting in low light (live bands) says D700. It and the Nikon D3 hold the record for low noise at high ISO’s
All the other subjects you shoot can be shot with the D700 (and the others as well)
Shooting concerts (and sports/wildlife) is not an inexpensive field.
When shooting concerts, the 24-70 f/2.8 is the one must uses when shooting on stage and the 70-200 mm f/2.8 from in front of the stage.
Both Nikon and Canon make these lenses.
If you are on a tight budget, put you money into the lenses and by either the Nikon D300 or Canon 50D (they will at the same time extend the apparent focal lengths of both lenses.
Scenery shots will require something like the Nikon AF-S 12-24 mm or Canon EF-S 10-22 mm
Detailed jewelry shots will be best accomplished by using a macro lens like either of the fine 60 mm macro lenses made by both Nikon and Canon
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Concert and action photographer
Seeing as you don’t know what any of this stuff is and say you need 12mp I am going to recommend none of those cameras. The reason I say this is that unless you know what your doing the advanced features and build quality of these cameras will be of no use to you. The camera itself matters very little nor do mega pixels. What matters are the lenses you use. Also if your going to be using the camera on the auto settings instead of manual you certainly don’t need a high end pro camera. What you need is an entry level DSLR. The Canon Rebels and the Nikon D40 or D60 are good choices. Spend some time learning how to use an adjustable camera and build up your lens collection. Then you will be ready to upgrade in a couple of years.
As far as lenses for your intended subjects go I would look at the following.
Portraits: A 50mm F1.4 or F1.8 would be good choices. The large aperture gives a nice shallow depth of field and they are sharp as a tack. Prices would be from $100-$500.
Jewelry: You will need a good macro lens. Your best choice would be a Canon EF100mm F2.8 macro or a Nikon Nikkor 105mm F2.8 micro. This will give you the best working distance. The lenses are also good for portraits. Cost between $450-$800
Scenery/Landscapes: These shots are best when you use a wide angle lens. For any APS-C sized dslr this means either the Canon 10-22mm or the Nikkor 12-24mm. For full frames the Canon 16-35 or 17-40 are good choices. Cost is between $700 and $1,300
Live bands: Depending on how close you are the 50mm lens you use for portraits would be a great choice. The large aperture means the lens performs very well in low light. If you are a little further away the 100 F2.8 macro lenses would also work good. The one thing you need to remember for low light shooting is that you need a large aperture lens. The larger the better. You will also need to use a high ISO setting on your camera.
Sports: You will need telephoto lenses. There are many available in all different price ranges. A good choice for most people would be either a 70-200mm or a 70-300mm. Or a similar zoom range. Anything over 300mm will cost thousands of dollars. Price ranges in the 70-300mm range will be anywhere from about $200-$1,700 depending on the quality of the lens and the aperture. The larger constant aperture lenses will cost the most.
I hope this helps. Remember it is not the camera but the photographer and then the lenses. Lenses will also last a life time and as you can see they are not cheap. Cameras will need to upgraded every few years because of changes in technology.
Lastly about mega pixels. Read the article in the link below. It will explain everything you need to know about mega pixels.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/mpmyth.htm
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Everything David M says is correct, the megapixels do not matter, even a 6mp Nikon D40 with a good lens will produce the shots you need, you seem to have a lot to learn about DSLR’s. I recommend to listen to what he has to say and check out these two links.. One is to build a cheap lightbox for your product photography and the other is a great site about product photography.
http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-make-a-inexpensive-light-tent
http://www.tabletopstudio.com/
.
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You got a good response from photoace and a fatuous response from another poster who seems to think that he can read people’s minds and predict their future, but what you do need to realise is that your wish-list is a little broad.
All but the live band work it quite easily handled, but shooting under low light needs both a camera with good high ISO performance and a very fast (and VERY expensive) lens to get detail that can be enlarged without degradation of the image. Another issue is that using a good DSLR with an expensive lens in a concert/live band venue can be risky unless you are approved by the organisers. Many won’t grant you entry if you are carrying what looks like "professional" equipment.
One option is to use a quality P&S with a very fast lens for your live band work, something that will cost far less than a single lens suitable for low light for your DSLR. Contrary to the oft chanted mantra heard here, they do now have P&S cameras with much lower pixel density, and higher ISO low noise performance. Not as good as a good DSLR, but certainly good enough to produce good images in concerts etc. Some have quality Zeiss/Leica zoom lenses starting as low as F2.0 with usable 1600 ISO.
References :