wedding photo

[printman]

which is the best digital camera to buy to start a photo business and to take studio shots

[gibsonpd3620]

First what is your buget limits? I have used by Nikon 5700 to do a wedding for my niece. She could not afford a professional photographer. I used an external flash which I think will be critical for this type of shooting. If you are going to do this as a professional then you sould consider a DSLR.

[checklg]

I used my Nikon D100 DSLR for some wedding photographs for my neice. The lighting conditions were fairly kind and I was pleased to note no blown highlights in the white dresses. The skin tones seem ok as well.

It also worked nicely indoors without a flash for some shots, and again produced pleasant tones.

Some of the results are on my web site.

Regards,
Graham.

[Zal]

You'll have to tell us your budget. If you really want the best, and will be doing portraits, product-type shots, etc, then the best would be a medium format camera with a digital back. A complete system like this, complete with a 22 megapixel back, lenses, etc., can easily run into the tens of thousands of dollars.

If that's a little out of your budget, then a great studio/product camera is the Canon 1Ds. It's 11 megapixels, and is great for the hi-resolution photos needed for magazines, etc. The camera runs about $8,000.

If that's still out of your budget, then take a look at a lower-end digital SLR like the Canon 10D or Nikon D100. You can probably put together a system based on these bodies for $2,-3,000.

Hmmm...now that I typed all that out, I realize I missed the word "wedding"--I was thinking more along the lines of a portrait/.product studio where you wouldn't have to travel with your equipment. Sorry. Anyway, the Canon 10D or D100 would probably give you what you need.

[eric s]

The subject says "wedding photo", while the content of the post says "studio shots". If you really mean that you want to start up a wedding photo business then please read the rest of my post. If not, then basically everything I said doesn't apply.

From what I've read (i.e. it's biased to the web forums I have looked) the Canon 1D seems to be just as popular as the Canon 1Ds. I don't remember why (I think it had to do with white balance and flash behaviours, but I forget.) It seemed to be split where the 1Ds was used for pictures that are typically blown up big, and the 1D was used for everything else. Of course, those two cameras are really expensive, so I bet they are out. But you ask for the "best digital camera", so I answered with that in mind.

If you really, really want to get into weddings... you should get an idea of what you are diving into. I've written about this here before, let me do a quick search. Here it is:
http://www.stevesforums.com/phpBB2/v...ic.php?t=10713

please, Please, PLEASE, read at least the second post (yes, my really long one) and then the last two posts (also by me.) Wedding photography is something that must be taken seriously. If you don't, you shouldn't get into it at all. I have read too many stories about how a bad wedding photographer ruined what should be the best day of a couples life.

Eric

[BillDrew]

I've shot a couple of weddings - friends of my wife (who is the real photographer in this house), and won't do it again. Ever. I have great admiration for those who can do it, but it is one of the highest stress situations you can ever find yourself in: someone is depending on you to capture an event that is very important to them.

To put the answer to the question in the bluntest possible terms: if you ask that question, you should not be allowed to shot anyone's wedding. If you don't know enough about photo gear to narrow the question better than to toss out the "which camera" question, you don't know enough to even think about shooting a wedding. You might someday, but not now.

Get a camera, any camera, and start shooting events and portraits. When you get good at that, and with reading along the way, you will have a much better idea of how to get into weddings.

Along the way you will also have to figure out things like bookkeeping, advertising, taxes, ... and all the other stuff that is needed with any business.

I am not trying to discourage you, but saying that you shouldn't try to learn how to swim by jumping in the deep end with anvils tied to your ankles.

[Mr_Saginaw]

I would definitely second Bill's opinion... I've shot about a dozen weddings in the last 15 years. I still get requests but I politely tell everyone that i'm retired...

There is a lot more than just snapping pictures... You really need to be a professional problem solver... Like how in the world am i going to arrange 20 attendents in a country church the size of my apartment... Do you know how to bussell a wedding dress? And of coures getting the divorced parents to smile and play nice during the photo session..

Before investing in a camera, invest a couple of Wedding How To Books.

And like Bill I admire those hard working guys that do it weekend after weekend...

[printman]

I use to shot lots of wedding, I used a mamiya c330 21/4 double lens reflex, I really enjoyed it, but now with all the new techology im lost in the digital age. I like to start up again but this time going digital. thanks.............printman

[eric s]

Ah, so it does sound like you are at least partially aware of what it takes. Then maybe you are willing to shell out the money.

Truly, the best way to do it (from all the wedding pro's I've seen post) is with any of these cameras:

Fuji S2 Pro - Takes nikon lenses.
Canon 1D, Canon 1Ds
Nikon d1x

I don't know enough about Medium Format digital backs to comment on them. All (all but 1 maybe?) are linear scanning, so that won't work.

The order of cost is probably the S2 Pro, 1D, D1x, 1Ds. But you can find that out on your own.

Of course, you'll want two camera bodies in case one breaks, which increases your cost a lot.

Eric

[printman]

can I get a good digital camera, my budget for the camera itself is $1.000 I have a sun pak pro flash that I used before can i used this with the digital camera? by-passing the cameras flash