Need to buy camera ASAP. Need advice, please!!

[teresa_sweet]

Hello, I'm brand new this website. I desperately need help! I'm

looking to go into photographing weddings in about a year and I am

looking for a digital camera. I've gotten mixed reviews from

professionals about certain ones: Nikon D70, Olympus E1, Fuji S2 or

S3, Canon 20D (or D60 or D1d).

 

Does anyone have experience with any of those? Or any other digital

SLRs? I've read great reviews about the Olympus, but I need some more

info. I hope some of you can help me out! Thanks so much!!!

 

Terri

[ellis_vener_photography]

Nikon; D2X

 

Canon: 1D mk. II or 1Ds mk. II

[ralph_jensen]

Yikes.

 

You're likely to get some smart-aleck responses here unless you say something about (a)

how much you know about photography already; (b) whether you've done any "homework"

at all -- e.g., there are online TENS of thousands of pages about each of the cameras you

mention (all of which could be used to photograph weddings) -- or whether you're hoping

others here will do the work for you; and © why you're in such a hurry ("ASAP!") when you

don't expect to start for "about a year."

[superia400_junkie]

FWIW... Popular photography Magazine in their April 2005 issue test drove all sub D2X/MARKII cameras.

 

Image Quality... #1 Canon 20D, #2 Fuji s3, #3 Nikon D70

Notable quotes... Canaon 20D "clear winner" Fuji "somewhat dissapointed for a 12MP camera"

 

Ease of use... #1 Maxxum 7D, #2 Canon 20D, #3 Pentax *ist DS

 

Control... #1 Canon 20D, #2 Nikon D70, #3 Pentax *ist DS

Would assume from which brand you are coming from this would be a wash. They did note that Fuji exposure adjustments were .5 and not .3

 

System Flexibility... 20D, D70, Maxxum 7D

 

Overall rank... 20D, D70, Maxxum 7D

 

The magazine still may be on the rack and had detailed info on all 6MPish cameras.

 

I came away far more dissapointed in the Fuji than I came away impressed with the 20D over the D70. It stated somewhere in the article that the Fuji wasn't a 12MP camera, but it wasn't a 6MP either...

[superia400_junkie]

I should have stated I'm in the same boat as you are, and I don't have a digital camera. Cost of a D70/20D is minor compared with film, yet a local wedding photographer I know uses the D70, and for 8X10's on up, I think it's a bit lacking for MY PERSONAL TASTE.

 

Unless you can shell out the bucks for the 12-16MP monsters, which I can't justify, I plan to concentrate on pro quality glass and either shoot film/ 6MP digital for candids and a MF film camera for anything approaching 8X10 and up...

 

Although I will pickup a D70 soon, I think for weddings it really comes down to workflow. I see no advantage in the extra time spent in PS which equals money in the long run. To me it's a wash and since I'm PS illiterate, film is what I shoot, although I question why very often...

[gary_woodard]

While the D2X is a nice body, I wouldnt reccomend it for your first digital

camera, $5000.00 plus lens and more than likely a computer upgrade, oddly

enough most of the users of Nikons D2X seem to be taking pictures of ducks

or their kids, maybe the economy isnt so bad after all, most of the cameras

you have mentioned will work find for you wedding work and possibly images

will be indiscernable at

8x10 from each other, personally I'd choose the D70 but prefer a film camera

for weddings.

[k_michael]

Keep in mind that the Fuji cameras are the most expensive to repair.If I had to do it all over again, I proabably would have gone Nikon

[vivek iyer]

"I'm looking to go into photographing weddings in about a year and I am looking for a digital camera."

 

Buy the cheapest that you find. Next year, you can get a much better one for a far lower price than now.

 

Do not waste your money on 2DX, D1s and money guzzlers like that.

[taner]

With all due respect, slowing down and breathing might be a good start.

 

Recently I was at two high-end wedddings in Toronto; the kind where the couple could not care less about what they paid for video and photographs...

 

There were two photographers at the first one, medium format film and Nikon F5. There were 4 (!) photographers at the second one... I suspect two of them were assistants taking some photos when they had a chance. Medium format film and Canon 1Ds (make I or II - I could not see), and the younger looking photographers had both Canon 20D.

 

An amateur observation. I hope it helps.

[lex_jenkins]

Among the dSLRs priced around $2,000 or less:

 

The Canon 20D will deliver the cleanest (lowest noise) images. Handling is good, tho' I don't care much for Canon's program modes. Great selection of lenses.

 

The Nikon D2H is the best buy right now in a pro quality body for hard, heavy use. It's the best bet if you need the speed: blistering frame rates, fast autofocus, even in near-darkness. Full compatibility with all of the older manual focus AI and AI-S lenses. It's what I bought.

 

The Fuji S3 has the best color right out of the camera, but it's still a bit over $2,000, so I'd wait. Dunno 'bout the S2, never was interested in it.

 

The Olympus E-1 may have the best combination of ergonomics and weight, including the lenses which are also reasonably light in weight.

 

The D70 is now probably the best buy in a consumer grade dSLR now that the D70s has arrived. The D70s is significantly better but it will force the price of the D70 lower. If the budget is tight it's a better buy than the 20D.

 

Nikon probably has the best dedicated flash system right now. The D2H with the SB-800 produces outstanding flash results with uncanny ease. The D70 with the SB-600 would make a fine combo.

 

Older manual focus AI and AI-S lenses will fit the D70 but will not meter without a fairly expensive modification to each lens that is seldom cost effective. No big deal since most of Nikon's autofocus lenses are better performers on their dSLRs.

[lex_jenkins]

"The D70s is significantly better but it will force the price of the D70 lower."

 

Whoops. That should have read "The D70s is NOT significantly better..."