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Archive 2014 · New Hire Needs Camera

  
 
ohsnaphappy
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · New Hire Needs Camera


Just hired a new portrait photographer to take over the portrait side of things. She was a Canon girl and right now I'm training her on a D700 and D800. The problem is, on Saturdays when I shoot weddings, I need them both. So I have to buy her a DSLR.

My first thought is to finally get my dream camera, a used D3s. I'd finally get to work with a Nikon pro body, see how it feels in the hand, and I'd benefit from it's low light performance and superb AF. But we're talking $2700-$3200

My next option is a used D800 for around $2000. Can't beat it. Great portrait camera for her. She's already training on it and she likes the idea of all that resolution. However, she's already noticed the slower workflow in post

Third, a used/refurbished D610. I have reservations. She's already in love with 51pt AF on my cameras. Also, the ISO button is in a different place than the D700/D800 she's training on and my girl shoots manual, thank God! Sounds small, but worth mentioning as a difference for her. The advantage here: $1500-$1700

Finally, taxes are right around the corner and I owe a lot, ha! So this time of year a few hundred dollars seems like a lot.

What would you do as a business owner?

Edited on Feb 26, 2014 at 10:21 PM · View previous versions



Feb 26, 2014 at 11:24 AM
sjms
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · New Hire Needs Camera


i love that term "training"

the differences are not all that great.



Edited on Feb 26, 2014 at 11:36 AM · View previous versions



Feb 26, 2014 at 11:29 AM
leighton w
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · New Hire Needs Camera


As a business owner, I'd wait until you were done with the taxes and the cash flow was better. I farm for a living and this time of year the cash flow is way down compared to Summer. I try to make large purchases then. I'd imagine your business is down this time of year as well because of not too many people getting married this time of year.

Just my 2 cents.



Feb 26, 2014 at 11:32 AM
ohsnaphappy
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · New Hire Needs Camera


leighton w wrote:
As a business owner, I'd wait until you were done with the taxes and the cash flow was better. I farm for a living and this time of year the cash flow is way down compared to Summer. I try to make large purchases then. I'd imagine your business is down this time of year as well because of not too many people getting married this time of year.

Just my 2 cents.


This is exactly what I'm going to end up doing. I just hate to lose out on the money she can make every Saturday between now and then.

I was kind of hoping that someone would chime in and say the D610 is the bomb, ha! But come the end of May I will probably be sitting here with a D3s haha



Feb 26, 2014 at 11:54 AM
Andre Labonte
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · New Hire Needs Camera


ohsnaphappy wrote:
This is exactly what I'm going to end up doing. I just hate to lose out on the money she can make every Saturday between now and then.

I was kind of hoping that someone would chime in and say the D610 is the bomb, ha! But come the end of May I will probably be sitting here with a D3s haha



**********************

It sounds like you have to decide if the revenue she would bring in is greater than the cost of purchasing the camera on credit and paying it off after tax season.

If credit cost > revenue , then wait
If credit cost < revenue, buy now and get what you would ultimately want/need

One other thing, I don't see that a D610 is a poor performer and it's IQ and ISO performance will be better than a D700 which apparently is good enough for you. So while that D3s sounds enticing, is it really going to make you enough extra $ to pay for the $1500 to $1700 premium in price?

If yes - get the D3s
if no - get the D610

Finally, you may want to consider getting a D800. Then you would be shooting with two identical bodies (i.e. 2 D800's) while she would be shooting the D700. As a wedding photographer, the split second it takes to switch mental gears between two different bodies could cost you "the shot".

If it were me, based on the information you have provided, I'd answer the credit cost vs. revenue question and then buy a D800.




Feb 26, 2014 at 12:05 PM
JimFox
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · New Hire Needs Camera


D800.... While the D610 is a less expensive way to get FF and good sensor performance, it's sticking point to me is the AF performance. If you are going to use it in weddings where lighting is often very very low, you want a camera that can focus in the dark. The D800 is that animal.

On the other side... there is always the D7100, it's AF is better than the D600/D610.

So D800 is my suggestion.

Jim



Feb 26, 2014 at 02:23 PM
Joseph.
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · New Hire Needs Camera


Buy a used D600 for cheap, send it in for free shutter replacement, and put the extra cash into something that will benefit your business: advertising, paying your taxes, fast glass, lighting, and other business expense/overhead. I fail to see how spending the extra money for D610 or D800 will help your business.

The only reason I recommend the D600 over the D700 in this situation is because of video, which you can offer to your wedding/engagement clients as additional option.

Take care of tax obligations first, gear lust second



Feb 26, 2014 at 03:28 PM
sjms
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · New Hire Needs Camera


JimFox wrote:
D800.... While the D610 is a less expensive way to get FF and good sensor performance, it's sticking point to me is the AF performance. If you are going to use it in weddings where lighting is often very very low, you want a camera that can focus in the dark. The D800 is that animal.

On the other side... there is always the D7100, it's AF is better than the D600/D610.

So D800 is my suggestion.

Jim


learn how to use the AF and you'd be surprised what it can do

shot at f8 handheld






Edited on Feb 26, 2014 at 08:39 PM · View previous versions



Feb 26, 2014 at 06:27 PM
Kyyo24
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · New Hire Needs Camera


Soooo you hired a photographer that doesn't have a camera...?


Feb 26, 2014 at 06:33 PM
Dustin Gent
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · New Hire Needs Camera


isn't a D600 sent into Nikon with a new shutter essentially a D610


Feb 26, 2014 at 06:39 PM
Andre Labonte
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · New Hire Needs Camera


Kyyo24 wrote:
Soooo you hired a photographer that doesn't have a camera...?



*****************
Did you read what the OP wrote? The new hire has been shooting Canon. The OP shoots Nikon.

As a business owner, I'd want all my raw files to be the same ... so anyone I hire had best shoot Nikon ... I'm betting the OP is the same.



Feb 26, 2014 at 07:34 PM
Kyyo24
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · New Hire Needs Camera


Yes I did just doesnt make sense to me. What do you mean all the same? Didn't know there was a difference between brands


Feb 26, 2014 at 08:45 PM
johnctharp
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · New Hire Needs Camera


Andre Labonte wrote:
As a business owner, I'd want all my raw files to be the same ... so anyone I hire had best shoot Nikon ... I'm betting the OP is the same.


I completely understand having bodies that have similar control schemes- that's a workflow thing that software can't fix. But RAW files? Can't Lightroom take care of all of the major differences on import?



Feb 26, 2014 at 08:49 PM
Nima M
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · New Hire Needs Camera


nikon lenses work well on canon cameras. since she is going to be doing portraits, something to think about while you sort it out:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/724050-REG/Novoflex_EOSNIK_NT_EOS_NIK_NT_Lens_Adapter_for.html



Feb 26, 2014 at 08:51 PM
JakeB17
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · New Hire Needs Camera


johnctharp wrote:
I completely understand having bodies that have similar control schemes- that's a workflow thing that software can't fix. But RAW files? Can't Lightroom take care of all of the major differences on import?



Surprisingly enough, no. For instance, the differences in color between the D4 and D3 are huge. The D4 and D800 are pretty similar though. I would assume the D610 is also close to the D800, but I know the D700 isn't.



Feb 26, 2014 at 08:55 PM
sjms
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · New Hire Needs Camera


johnctharp wrote:
I completely understand having bodies that have similar control schemes- that's a workflow thing that software can't fix. But RAW files? Can't Lightroom take care of all of the major differences on import?


i think when it comes down to it the owner might be correct in the choice of maintaining a single camera/lens/flow setup that works for him



Feb 26, 2014 at 08:57 PM
M635_Guy
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · New Hire Needs Camera


I'd buy the nice use low-click D700 that is on the B&S and go from there. In a year it will still be worth a grand or more and maybe you can move to a D3s or D4.


Feb 26, 2014 at 09:11 PM
JimFox
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · New Hire Needs Camera


sjms wrote:
learn how to use the AF and you'd be surprised what it can do

shot at f8 handheld


Ha ha... I am pretty sure I do know how to use AF.... I am thinking that you need to do a little research. The D600/610 AF system is not as good as the AF system in the D800, especially in lowlight. That's not my opinion, but it's a fact.... But in addition I do own the D800 and a D600, and the D800 focuses way better than the D600. In lowlight the D800 can focus almost in pitch black conditions, the D600? No way.

I am not knocking the D600, I have some awesome images from it, but I am not blinded by those great images that I can't recognize that one weakness of the D600 is the AF in lowlight. In fact, even the D7100 can focus in lower light than the D600. Again, the facts support that.

The OP is looking for a camera to use in weddings, he should get the D800 and give his D700 to his trainee...

Jim

PS... Just so there is no confusion... I never said the AF in the D600 did not work, simply that the AF in D800 is better....



Feb 26, 2014 at 09:14 PM
johnctharp
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · New Hire Needs Camera


JakeB17 wrote:
Surprisingly enough, no. For instance, the differences in color between the D4 and D3 are huge. The D4 and D800 are pretty similar though. I would assume the D610 is also close to the D800, but I know the D700 isn't.


But that's what I'm getting at- differences in color can easily be profiled and automatically applied during import, something I'd assume that a working photographer would already be doing, assuming that they're using Lightroom or a similar setup. I do this now with my 6D and EOS-M for color profiling and other default adjustments, like NR for the 18MP Canon sensor, to account for their differences.



Feb 26, 2014 at 09:48 PM
Andre Labonte
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · New Hire Needs Camera


johnctharp wrote:
I completely understand having bodies that have similar control schemes- that's a workflow thing that software can't fix. But RAW files? Can't Lightroom take care of all of the major differences on import?



Yes it can convert both, but the resulting output is different so now you have two batches to figure out instead of one.



Feb 26, 2014 at 09:52 PM
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