Need a camera and lens to take Professional looking pictures
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vroom_skies
VIP Member
Well this is interesting.
Do you actually like photography? Also do you have any previous experience with an slr/ dslr?
I'm hoping you do, but my guess would be no. It not as simple as pointing & clicking, however there is always a green box (auto), which I think should be banned from slr's. So if all you want to do is "snap" some photos then just buy a point and shoot and save you self some serious money.
For $800 you'll be hard pressed to find equipment that does all you want (I'm talking about doing it fairly well, not just passing) especially the low light part. More so if that is low light with action involved lol.
Since you said your main shooting would be of church portraits (which I can only imagine would be indoors) I would HIGHLY recommend getting a good flash. If I had to recommend a system it would be a used Nikon D80 with the 18-135 kit lens and a SB-600. I'd imagine that would put you in the ball park of 8-900.
It would be a really solid setup and Nikon is know for their flash system, so you can't go wrong there. IMO I wouldn't go below the D80 on Nikon's side nor the D series on Canons side, but I'm sure there are plenty of supporters here for all of the lower end C&N offerings.
BTW- I'm a little baffled as to why you would want to take shots that are over exposed lol? Normally that is something you try and prevent.
Hope that helps
Bob
Do you actually like photography? Also do you have any previous experience with an slr/ dslr?
I'm hoping you do, but my guess would be no. It not as simple as pointing & clicking, however there is always a green box (auto), which I think should be banned from slr's. So if all you want to do is "snap" some photos then just buy a point and shoot and save you self some serious money.
For $800 you'll be hard pressed to find equipment that does all you want (I'm talking about doing it fairly well, not just passing) especially the low light part. More so if that is low light with action involved lol.
Since you said your main shooting would be of church portraits (which I can only imagine would be indoors) I would HIGHLY recommend getting a good flash. If I had to recommend a system it would be a used Nikon D80 with the 18-135 kit lens and a SB-600. I'd imagine that would put you in the ball park of 8-900.
It would be a really solid setup and Nikon is know for their flash system, so you can't go wrong there. IMO I wouldn't go below the D80 on Nikon's side nor the D series on Canons side, but I'm sure there are plenty of supporters here for all of the lower end C&N offerings.
BTW- I'm a little baffled as to why you would want to take shots that are over exposed lol? Normally that is something you try and prevent.
Hope that helps
Bob
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massahwahl
VIP Member
Blech
Dont even tell him SLR's have an auto mode. I agree it should be banned.I agree with Vroom, why not just get a decent point and shoot? I take it you prolly wont be getting paid much to do these so why spend a lot on an SLR that you may or may not use down the road? Just pick up a decent P&S and see if you like it.
lovely?
Active Member
sorry i'm unaware of the phrase. where the shutters deliberately stay open for a blurred affect, like when taking photographs of fireworks and the like.
No, I will be taking a course in Photography, so 'Auto' will never see the light of day. My low light settings would basically be a camera that was able to see in semi-darkness (say a full moon or a street lamp) and still reproduce colors OK.
The pictures will not be professional, but by no means will they be point and click. i am buying a tripod for the camera i buy and the church people already have a nice external flash setup, that i've yet learned to use.
so the Cannon D80 is what you suggest? i obviously dont have the money to buy a range of different lenses, so the one you suggest should be just ok or good at a range of different styles.
EDIT: oh and i naturally go to newegg.com, but is there a place that you could recommend over them for price?
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vroom_skies
VIP Member
Well what your talking about is just using extended shutter speeds, which all slr's can do, plus some point & shoots.
It's good that your taking a photography class, but be prepared to do a lot of self teaching as well.
Nope, I recommend the Nikon D80, canon doesn't have a D80
. The 18-135 lens covers a nice focal length while giving average optical quality. It's a good budget lens that will cover most of your needs fairly well. I shop at www.bhphotovideo.com , however you'll need to buy this camera used, so check around on Amazon.
One of the key techniques of portrait photography is being able to throw the background of of focus with a shallow depth of field. That lens is not going to help you much in that regard since you really want to be at 2.8 or lower for the desired effect.
I don't know what kind of lighting setup your church has now, I can only imagine it's not a flash system as they would have told you what brand of camera to purchase. That being as it would only work with that specific equipment.
Well, if lighting is truly taken care of, which I would really look more in depth on.
If that is the case I would revoke my recommendation of the Nikon D80 and put the Pentax K20D in it's place. Much better camera over all and can be had for under 800 new (body only).
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/542060-REG/Pentax_19381_K20D_SLR_Digital_Camera.html
I would still recommend getting it used though as that would in most cases give you a kit lens and then I would suggest you purchase the:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/40755-USA/Pentax_20817_Normal_SMCP_FA_50mm_f_1_4.html
or
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/366728-USA/Pentax_21550_40mm_f_2_8_Limited_Autofocus.html
as both these lenses would be great for portraits and have very nice IQ to boot.
Hope this helps,
Bob
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lovely?
Active Member
hahaha spaced there.Nope, I recommend the Nikon D80, canon doesn't have a D80
Ok, let me get this straight. If lighting is taken care of get the pentax, if I do need a flash then get the NIKON D80. (lol)
I think I got all of that, thank you for your explanations, you must have taken a good while making those posts lol. You've been lots of help, thanks! if I have any more questions down the road I'll ask you specifically.
tremmor
Well-Known Member
I my self own a cannon s3is. i bought all the attachments and works fine. if i did it again i would also consider a rebel. One thing though. i will never regret the s3is and the attachment wide angle lens. for a church i would think thats the 1st attachment ya want what ever ya get.
Irishwhistle
New Member
First it would be good if you learn the basics BEFORE deciding what camera to get... that way you will now what the various specs mean... I would highly recommend reading Bryan Peterson's excellent book: Understanding Exposure (the updated version... there's an older one with a different cover, but the updated one is the one I've read.)
Now, about equipment... The Nikon D60 should probably be good, but you may find yourself wanting a D80... (in-body lens motor and stuff like that)... after reading that book you'll know a lot more about cameras though and you'll have a better idea of what to go for. I've heard good things about Nikon, Canon, and Sony (I personally like Nikon) and have heard some negative things about Olympus (which I never have been very impressed by.) A good site for camera hunting is this: http://www.dpreview.com/
Now, about equipment... The Nikon D60 should probably be good, but you may find yourself wanting a D80... (in-body lens motor and stuff like that)... after reading that book you'll know a lot more about cameras though and you'll have a better idea of what to go for. I've heard good things about Nikon, Canon, and Sony (I personally like Nikon) and have heard some negative things about Olympus (which I never have been very impressed by.) A good site for camera hunting is this: http://www.dpreview.com/
vroom_skies
VIP Member
Yup, you got it.
The reason I say that is because Pentax's flash system is rather pathetic compared to Nikon's offerings. However if there is no need for the flash system then the K20D is a much better camera then the D80.
As long as the reply's were of help, then I don't mind how long they take to write. No need to ask me specifically, if fact it's better not to as it always helps to get more then one persons input.
I see where Irish is coming from, but I would have to disagree. It's always best to have the camera in your hands while learning, plus it makes it a lot easier to test ideas & enforce methods. All SLR's work the same in theory, it just might be a different layout for each brand, but no book is going to help you there unless it's a book that is geared towards a specific brand, which negates the point all together.
Also I would strongly recommend the D80 at the very least on Nikon's side, if for nothing more then the better viewfinder.
Hope that helps
Irishwhistle
New Member
Well, yes, but if he already has a PAS and that PAS has a manual mode then he can learn the basics (aperture, ISO, shutter speed, etc) with that... that way he can at least have some idea what the specs mean when he's buying.
vroom_skies
VIP Member
Sure, but the specs are going to stay the same now and when he buys it.
I'm not exactly sure what your trying to get across, the specs really differ from a P&S to an AP&S/ SLR Like to finally an SLR.
He already said he wanted an SLR, and all SLR's have the same specs (by your definition(just some quality & effectiveness differences)) so it seems that the decision was already made. That is why he came here asking for help as he made up his mind on what type of camera he wants and just needs guidance on what specific model.
Or so that's how I see it,
Bob
I'm not exactly sure what your trying to get across, the specs really differ from a P&S to an AP&S/ SLR Like to finally an SLR.
He already said he wanted an SLR, and all SLR's have the same specs (by your definition(just some quality & effectiveness differences)) so it seems that the decision was already made. That is why he came here asking for help as he made up his mind on what type of camera he wants and just needs guidance on what specific model.
Or so that's how I see it,
Bob
Irishwhistle
New Member
Well I meant things like "will I really want to have a lens motor"... one of the big reasons to get a D80 over a D60, but yeah, I agree, as long as he goes with a brand like Canon, Nikon, or Pentax, and has a little help with the decision he can't really go wrong.