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Archive 2016 · What's the best sub £1k camera for weddings?

  
 
freetime101
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · What's the best sub £1k camera for weddings?


So I've bought myself a digital rebel complete with kit lens and feel I'm ready to take on you pro's! It already has a flash, 18-55 should cover most shots and it even has separate portrait and landscape modes...

Joking aside, wedding photography is something I've dabbled in before and I fancy getting back into it - the right way of course!
It's been a long time since I last posted, but after a bit of a break, I'm back! Due to financial needs I've ended up selling most of my kit over the last few years to buy a house and, well now I want back in! I've managed to keep some kit which will do for backup but I need to buy pretty much everything all over again....

As for the weddings, I plan to second shoot for other, established tog's until I've got both the skills and experience to go it alone. If it doesn't work out, well photography is still a hobby of mine so the kit won't go to waste and I shouldn't ruin anybodies wedding as a second shooter . This is where the difficulty comes in though, as what I would buy for professional use is different to what I would buy for personal use!

I currently have:
Canon 40D
Canon 10-22mm
Canon 24-105L
Canon 60mm Macro
Canon 100-400MM
Canon 430ex

I've decided full frame is the way so my plan is to sell the 100-400mm in favour of a 70-200 2.8 then add a 24-70 2.8, something wide (16-35?) and a few primes. I'll keep the 40D as backup so will keep the 10-22 and 60mm until they are replaced with full frame equivalents, my real question is what body?

5d mk III seems to be the industry favourite but it's both over budget and rumored to be replaced soon so I've narrowed down the choices to:

Canon 6D: used bodies are under £1k but it only has a single SD card slot and no AF point toggle button, I use this a lot on the 40D.

Canon 1Ds mk III: twin card slots, good AF but old, ISO capped at 3200 and is too big and bulky to carry for personal use - I'm not a full time pro yet!

Canon 5D mk II: cheaper than the 6D and has an AF selection toggle, but still only 1 card slot.

Canon 1D mk III: has the hated 1.3x APS-H sensor but bodies are cheap now - I could get two for the price of the other cameras, or more lenses. "only" 10 mega pixels.

Nikon D610: not to enter a Nikon vs Canon debate but this has good AF and dual card slots for less than £1k. The body ticks all my boxes but I'd need to buy all new lenses...

Or the 6th option, wait... Nikons bodies seem to be better than Canon at the minute, but the companies seem to leapfrog each other so I'm sure the 5d mk IV and 6D mk II will be the best at their release. The 5d mk IV is rumoured to be later this year which should lower the prices of used bodies and may put the 5d mk III within my reach. Then again this is just a rumour with nothing official from Canon.

As a pro I would go for the 1 Ds mk III, but the 6D seems better for personal use. The 5D mk II doesn't seem any better than the 6D but is cheaper and the 1D doesn't really make sense other than it's cheap?

I know there are other brands and options out there but I have to start my search somewhere

Obviously glass is key but that decision seems easier! Same goes for flashes.

What are your thoughts?

Thanks



Jul 21, 2016 at 08:12 AM
freetime101
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · What's the best sub £1k camera for weddings?


PS, I know this should really be in the equipment sections but as it applies specifically to wedding kit I thought it would be alright here


Jul 21, 2016 at 08:15 AM
jmraso
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · What's the best sub £1k camera for weddings?


You promise you wont shoot other stuff with that wedding kit ? 😊

freetime101 wrote:
PS, I know this should really be in the equipment sections but as it applies specifically to wedding kit I thought it would be alright here





Jul 21, 2016 at 09:30 AM
freetime101
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · What's the best sub £1k camera for weddings?


jmraso wrote:
You promise you wont shoot other stuff with that wedding kit ? 😊



Haha I promise

I may shoot the odd bit of landscape and family stuff when no one is looking though...

I'll go crop for wildlife to extend the reach - won't mix kit though :P



Jul 21, 2016 at 09:43 AM
IrishDino
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · What's the best sub £1k camera for weddings?


Honestly, I'd sell your entire kit and start from scratch.

Buy two Nikon D750s, a 24-70 and a few of those cheap 1.8 primes. And I'm saying this as a Canon shooter.




Jul 21, 2016 at 09:58 AM
freetime101
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · What's the best sub £1k camera for weddings?


ZachOly wrote:
Honestly, I'd sell your entire kit and start from scratch.

Buy two Nikon D750s, a 24-70 and a few of those cheap 1.8 primes. And I'm saying this as a Canon shooter.



I thought about that with the D610 but I'd get £1500/1600 ish for my kit so with my £1k budget that doesn't get me much... In fact I'd be lucky to get just the two bodies and a decent lens.

I know moving to full frame means I'll need to sell all my kit anyway (except the 24-105 - I'll probably keep that as a walk-around for the weekends) but sticking with Canon allows me to do it gradually - hopefully with money earned from weddings too Plus I figure the 5d mk IV will be better than Nikon, then Nikon will top the 5d mk IV and so on...

That being said, the Nikon offerings are currently the best and even if the 5d mk IV does get released this year, it's well out of budget so Nikon could be the way to go... It just means learning a whole new marketing system - at least Canon stick a red L on their good lenses




Jul 21, 2016 at 10:14 AM
IrishDino
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · What's the best sub £1k camera for weddings?


It doesn't matter what your budget is. No one is going to touch a second shooter who has a 10 year old crop sensor camera and a few variable aperture crop sensor lenses.

You're going to spend twice as much money and time trying to piece together a FF kit when you could just put the $5k down now and be done with it.



Jul 21, 2016 at 10:36 AM
canerino
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · What's the best sub £1k camera for weddings?


My wedding partner still uses an original 5D and I have a few images in my portfolio taken with the 1ds mkII (produced in 2004). Any of the cameras you mentioned will get it done!


Jul 21, 2016 at 10:38 AM
Ziffl3
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · What's the best sub £1k camera for weddings?


I would not hang on the hopes of the 5DmkIV being better than the D750 sensor wise.
Most likely, the sensor technology will close the gap between the differences.

I would go out on a short limb and say the nikon will still have more latitude in file recovery.
So photographers will want to puff the chest out and claim how this makes them top dog.

You need to look at the camera as an entire system.

All this stuff... it is nothing more than tools for your creative business.
Do you want to drive a Honda, BMW, F150, Lexus, Tesla, ...... to work.

Understand if you have G.A.S. We have all been there or fight it from time to time.
(Gear acquisition syndrome)

I have yet to see/read/hear conversation about how a particular image was captured that came back to camera body. We discuss lenses, shooting technique, etc.

At the end of the day.... can the client tell? Are you going to lose clients based on your equipment or ability to capture/deliver images of importance to the client?

I voted for the 6D even though I prefer the 5DmkIII.

Lenses: use what you feel gets the job done... all primes, all zooms or some combination.
how wide do you want? How long on the tele's.
Pretty much need 24-200mm. Some roll with 24-135mm
Some shooters like 16-135mm.

Me personally... roll with fast glass. I can always stop down ... but still trying to get an f4 lens to open up to a f2.8. No luck so far.

Some shooters do not go above ...say ISO 2400. To me this is crazy. I have gone to iso 4000+
Lower ISO shooter... will really need fast glass.

Sure you can ride the ISO.... but shooting weddings is about having options to cover any situation and still be creative. Or sometimes to just get an image.



anyway ... just food for thought.

-Mark




Jul 21, 2016 at 10:43 AM
BSPhotog
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · What's the best sub £1k camera for weddings?


You don't need a full frame sensor to be a wedding photographer or be taken seriously, but you do need some decent glass and you need to know how to use whatever you have. If you think you can sell your existing stuff for 1500 and you have an additional 1000, that makes 2500. Shop used when you can and cover your bases. I can't speak with much certainty to the Canon side of things, but I can throw out some thoughts on the Nikon side.

I still have one D7100 and used to have a few. Well built camera, good IQ, AF, and ISO capabilities. I sold one of them a few months ago for around $400 US. Bang for buck, you could get two of these, a Sigma 18-35 f/1.8, a few 1.8 primes in budget if you can find the right deals.

If you're dead set on the pissing contest that is sensor size, then a D600 is a stupid good value. I don't know about in the UK, but Nikon USA is doing the shutter service on virtually any body regardless of where purchased or if you're the original owner. Basically any D600 out there will either already have the shutter issue corrected or be eligible. Minor differences from this to the D610, but the price difference is significant enough to be worth it. A D6x0 and D7x00 make a pretty good pair as well. You can get extra reach when needed by shooting an APS-C sensor next to a full frame.

Because you've got a fair amount of Canon glass already, you may be better off staying there where things are more familiar. Just keep the fast stuff and dump the rest.


At the end of they day, they are all just tools. Plenty of guys out there using 10yr old digital cameras (blasphemy, I know) like the d700, d3, 5dc, etc and have clients happy to pay them. Know how to use the tools you have, and have the right stuff for the job at hand.



Jul 21, 2016 at 11:10 AM
freetime101
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · What's the best sub £1k camera for weddings?


Completely agree that on the list of importance, talent comes top, followed by good glass with the camera body at the bottom. I'm willing to bet that in the same situation, a talented pro with a low end camera will take far better photos than a newb with the latest and greatest! But good kit does make it easier, with less chance of a missed shot I know the camera is just a tool but I'd rather buy the best I can.

I know the crop vs full frame debate is a bit overrated but aside from supposed image quality, good glass is still aimed at full frame; 24-70 and 70-200 from either Canon or Nikon being my case in point.

With lenses, if I stick with Canon I plan to get the 70-200L to pair with my 24-105L then add a few fast primes (24, 35, 85, 135) and eventually replace the 24-105 with a 24-70 2.8. Then I have backup glass as well as bodies. I'd aim for a similar setup ultimately from Nikon but without the 24-105 to start.

The 40D would not be my main tool, just a back up But then a client only cares about the image, not the kit.

The Nikons are an interesting option, but I'm leaning towards the 6D with a plan to buy a 5D mk whatever as and when I develop/can afford it and relegate the 6D to backup. After all I'll be using this camera for personal use too and don't fancy lugging a 1Ds around

There is far more to a camera than image quality (although that is a biggy), AF, reliability, build quality, usability etc all matter too. Without pixel peeping, I think most people would struggle to tell the difference between most shots from these cameras once printed in an album, but when the light starts to fade and/or the action gathers pace I will notice a difference in ease of use



Jul 21, 2016 at 12:18 PM
mikethevilla
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · What's the best sub £1k camera for weddings?


For what it's worth, my two primary wedding cameras the past three years have been a $1000 crop sensor mirrorless, and an antiquated 2009 CCD full frame rangefinder. I've been getting by just fine.

But things definitely were easier when I was shooting full frame pro body DSLRs. And I'm excited to be back in the high-tech fullframe camp now.

In my opinion, either a 5D2 or 6D would be fine for you to get your feet off the ground. We've all made do with less, and while none of us would prefer either of those cameras for weddings, I think you'll be ok.



Jul 21, 2016 at 01:02 PM
RSHPhotography
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · What's the best sub £1k camera for weddings?


People are overthinking it. Keep the 40D as backup and get a Canon 80D. That way, he gets to keep the lenses he has, and gets the best Canon has to offer sensor-wise.

The Canon 80D is just a fantastic camera no matter how you swing it.

This would give you the best bang for the buck.

Had you shot Nikon, I would have given you different directions.



Jul 21, 2016 at 03:21 PM
freetime101
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · What's the best sub £1k camera for weddings?


Thanks for all the replies, I think I'll go for either a 5D mk II or 6D - depending on what gives the best bargain on eBay

Nobody has mentioned the dual card thing so maybe that's been made into a bigger deal than it really is?

In any case, whatever I buy will end up as my backup camera later! Probably aiming for a 5D mk III when the IV gets released and prices drop, we'll see...

Next step, glass!



Jul 22, 2016 at 08:26 AM
RSHPhotography
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · What's the best sub £1k camera for weddings?




freetime101 wrote:
Thanks for all the replies, I think I'll go for either a 5D mk II or 6D - depending on what gives the best bargain on eBay

Nobody has mentioned the dual card thing so maybe that's been made into a bigger deal than it is?

Next step, glass!


Glass should be your first step.
My main camera has dual card slots. I couldn't live without it.

Yes, we all made do with single card slots, but the options are there so why risk it? Weddings are moments that's either captured - or not. Dual slots minimizes risk.



Jul 22, 2016 at 02:42 PM
glort
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · What's the best sub £1k camera for weddings?




My vote would be a 7DII.

I don't subscribe to the full frame Hoo Haa. I have shot a pile of weddings on my 7 along with everything else and no client has ever even asked about FF or Crop sensors and few if any would even know what they hell that meant.
They pay me for the results I deliver, not the tools I use.

I also have a Rebel/ 600D and I'd be more than happy to stack pics up taken with that against pics taken on a FF sensor and see if a client could tell them apart.
I would bet 10K they couldn't and another 10K most pros couldn't either.

These gear questions ALWAYS over look one thing which to me makes them pretty silly.
The questions about gear never relate to the purpose said gear is to be acquired / used for. Lets take the Cams mentioned here, 5/6D and 7/80D.
Will the full frame cams allow you to take pictures that will bring you more bookings? Will they take pictures that the clients will spend more money on? Will they buy more pictures taken on a FF than a crop sensor? Will these cams get you better recognition with your clients and/ or lead to more referrals? In what way will the FF cams make a difference to your CLIENTS that will lead to benefits to your business rather than what is essentially massage ones ego?

If you think the answer is none what so ever as I do, then I'd suggest the whole FF frame thing has Zero and maybe even negative value to your business. If using a less costly camera will do the job and give you more cash for other things like Glass, another backup body or marketing and promo which is always the MOST important thing especially for a startup enterprise that has no cash flow, then that would be the smartest move in my book.

Of Course many will disagree and ignore the business aspect of things but these are also most likely the people who complain about not being able to make a living from photography and don't even know the basic fundamentals of business even theough they purport to be running one.

I would say upgrade/replace the 40 for reasons of age and reliability but if you think a FF is going to make you a better photographer or enhance your product, I think you are misguided.

The best Sub 1K Camera for weddings is NOT necessarily a FF especially taking into account your position in your business, your experience and other equipment.

I myself would be trying to get away with the cheapest camera I could that would do the Job for the time being and putting the savings into marketing myself so I have work coming in I can actually use the equipment on and get the fastest ROI possible.

In fact, I'd be holding off on equipment completely and putting all the funds I could into marketing and promo.

Once the bookings start coming in, I can use the deposits to get the gear I need and as I get up front payment, the first booking would give me more than the 1000 quid you have now. This would open your options up a lot.
Having the gear but no money to market or promote yourself is going to be the classic case of putting the cart before the horse.

Until you actually GET some wedding bookings, the gear you have now is fine for doing the work you have, nothing. If you hit the marketing hard, your investment will be quickly returned in deposits and payments before the jobs come up and you will have a buffer to get what you want before the job comes due.

If you want to be in the wedding photo business, think it through sensibly like a business person, NOT like a typical shooter. A nice new camera and lenses may make you feel good but they aren't going to earn you a lot of money sitting in your camera bag.

Then again, if the business is an excuse to get the gear, you can ignore this advise and just go with what you really want.



Jul 23, 2016 at 02:10 AM
freetime101
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · What's the best sub £1k camera for weddings?


Some very solid points there, thanks.

Glass is definitely first on my list of needs, but this one is easy: I need 24-200mm coverage (in full frame terms) so swapping the 100-400L for a 70-200L, paired with my 24-105L has the range covered, then a few fast primes give me low light options too. Eventually I'll get a 24-70 2.8 and something wide, 16-35 2.8 maybe.

The dual card thing is definitely an issue which is why I am considering the 1D/1Ds mk III. The logical (canon) choice is a 5D mk III but this is currently out of budget, the 5D mk II/6D are newer (better?) than the 1Ds and offer higher ISO at the expense of dual cards (and the AF system, but I use the 40D without complaint so no issues here). The D610 from Nikon sits sweetly in the middle covering all bases, but I'd have to sell everything and buy all new lenses.

Glort, thanks for your long and detailed response - definitely food for thought!

My full frame lust is really L lens lust - I could buy a 1Dx mk II and my images would look the same, if a little less noisy. I'm sure that most people would struggle to tell the difference between a 400D and a 1Dx once printed in an album if the lighting was perfect and a low ISO. The magic is in the glass, but I need(/want?) to upgrade body so why not buy the best in my budget?
So what has glass got to do with full frame then? Well the L zoom ranges are still aimed at full frame, and since Canon seem to be making cheaper full frames (6D) rather than shorter L's (no 43.75 - 125mm to rival the 70-200?). Ok you've got me with the 24-70 2.8 vs 17-55 2.8, they even threw in IS. I was planning to get the 85 1.8 and 135L anyway, so on crop these act like and 136mm and 215mm so there's the focal range covered for about £1200 on the used market. Selling the 100-400 should get me 1/2 way there and I'm sure my other lenses will make up the rest, and I'm suddenly looking at crop again...

The 7D has dual cards, and due to the crop the AF points cover more of the frame...

Argh now I'm confused!

Of course I haven't addressed your other, very important point yet - maybe I'm looking at this from the wrong end... I should be looking at marketing first before spending a penny on kit... Maybe I do have GAS as Mark put it!



Jul 23, 2016 at 07:52 AM
RSHPhotography
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · What's the best sub £1k camera for weddings?


freetime101 wrote:
Some very solid points there, thanks.

Glass is definitely first on my list of needs, but this one is easy: I need 24-200mm coverage (in full frame terms) so swapping the 100-400L for a 70-200L, paired with my 24-105L has the range covered, then a few fast primes give me low light options too. Eventually I'll get a 24-70 2.8 and something wide, 16-35 2.8 maybe.

The dual card thing is definitely an issue which is why I am considering the 1D/1Ds mk III. The logical (canon) choice is a 5D mk III but this is currently out of budget, the 5D
...Show more

Honestly, play around with a 80D first before you decide. This camera is jam packed full of stuff. I shot 1D Mark 4, 5D mark 2, and honestly, I would take the 80D over both of them. It is just so responsive and the autofocusing is key for wedding shooters.

If Canon included a 2nd card slot like 7D2, I would choose it over that.




Jul 23, 2016 at 09:23 AM
LeeSimms
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · What's the best sub £1k camera for weddings?


We have an 80D for video and telephoto reach and plan to get another. I can assure you the keeper shots vs. a 6D are WAY higher. The keeper ratio notches up a step higher with the 7D2.

IMO, the 6D doesn't have an event worthy AF system. My associates with them miss stuff all. the. time. I know there are many successful WPs using the old 9-point Canon AF system (5D classic, 5D2) but I wouldn't attend an event with anything less than a 19-point model. One workaround with a 6D is NEVER shoot below ƒ2.8 — improves your keeper ratio.

Personal shooting is a different story and I have a deep love for the 5D classic, 6D, 5D2, etc.




Jul 23, 2016 at 01:40 PM
LeeSimms
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · What's the best sub £1k camera for weddings?


For the OP, I've owned (or still own) all the gear in your current bag and have shot over 500 weddings in APS-C

My advice ...

1. Get an 80D and use the 40D for back-up or for fair weather (outdoor) 2nd camera duties.
2. Ditch the 100-400, unless you're going to shoot ski down weddings.
3. Get a ƒ2.8 or faster telephoto lens for distance coverage indoors. 135L, the new Tamron 85, or "big white" ... the 70-200L mkII. Whatever you want to carry.
4. Invest in wireless lighting. Odds on favorite today is the new Godox system, but it's emerging and I'm not confident all the firmware issues are 100% sorted out as I write this (others can offer latest data). If it does what they say it does, it's by far the most comprehensive event shooting solution yet devised. I'm heavily invested in Canon radio wireless (430exRTx4, 600exRTx5, STE3x2) and it works very well for us so I'm not switching soon — but if starting today I would put my eggs in the Godox basket. PLEASE NOTE » only new cameras work with Canon's "Gr" mode for individually controlling off camera groups ... the 6D, 60D, on. 40D's won't do it ... neither will a 5DmkII.

Good luck!



Jul 23, 2016 at 01:51 PM
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