My camera died! Initiate Emergency Manouvers!

[my work site]

I have a $1500 spending limit. What camera do you guys recommend. As professional as it comes. I am hoping to

stick to Canon, as that is what I have spent the last 7 years using......but suggest what you think is most

professional. I have been using the Rebel 300D for the last six or seven years, and from what I

understand...that is now considered an amateurs camera (and an antique...lol).

 

So, I guess I am looking for something for a professional....which I am now officially calling myself. :)

 

Thanks guys!

 

Terra

[chrisjb]

The 40d makes a good living for us. the 50d will be most likely a better choice but more demanding on lenses for full benefits of the extra pixels good glass may help. I`d suggest 40 then save your profits for either FF or good glass etc :)

[scott_ferris]

5D Mk I

 

As pro as it gets new, or wait a few months and get a 1DS MkII as the price of them is hitting $2,000 at the moment but is bound to drop further in the new year.

 

Two superb Full Frame cameras, or even the 1D MkII another very good camera that puts all "prosumer" to shame.

 

Take care Scott.

[chrisjb]

Scott, where are you seeing DS2`s for 2000?, I could not find a good DS2 here for less than 4500Aud, ended up lucky with a hardly used (5500 clicks) 5d + batt pack++ just under 1500Aud.

 

Thanks

[scott_ferris]

Fleebay,

 

I get emailled by them 200 times a day on all 1 series cameras, if you look through the auctions that actually sell rather than the idiots that think their camera is worth a fortune then they are out there and going for between 2,000 and 2,500, the people trying to dump MkIII's has helped a lot, don't forget the price of used 1D Mk III's is pretty low and it has such a bad reputation (justly or not) that it has affected the entire 1 series market, it seems most people would rather bid on a 1D MkIII than a 1DS MkII. Mk I 1D's are well below $1,000 and 1DS's are not much over when they actually get bid on and sell.

 

But like I said before Chris, just tell me and I'll post you one......

 

Take care, Scott.

[wgpinc]

Terra, Get yourself a Canon XSi body and the Tamron 17-50mm 2.8 lens. Those two get you to $990 with equipment that you can take professional level images with. Maybe get the 85mm 1.8 lens to round out your kit. You can do most event photography and portrait work with those two lenses and body. Budget a couple or three 8g SD cards and a 430 EX flash with a Stofen diffuser. Shoot with that outfit for a while. Save some money for a backup XSi body and maybe a 70-200mm zoom and you will have a kit that will allow you to do professional quality work. Good luck.

[savagesax]

The 50D has a very high working ISO.

[my work site]

Thank you so much guys! You have given me a lot to think on and some great advice! I'll keep checking back for

more while I debate.

[sarah_fox]

There's what you need for your work, and there's what you need to look convincing as a pro. If you need to impress someone, it's as superficial a thing as having a big black camera. Get any of the xxD cameras, and put a battery grip on it. Voila! Big! Get a big flash bracket and a big flash with a mini softbox on it, and it gets bigger still. For the final touches, put stray pieces of duct tape and velcro on your brackets, and scuff up the camera and flash a bit. Now you look like a pro! ;-)

 

As for what you need to do your work, it really depends on what you do. Almost any DSLR can be a competent camera for some aspect of professional work -- in the hands of a competent photographer, of course. I would recommend one of the xxD models -- perhaps the 40D or even the 30D. If you find you're wearing out or beating up your cameras, or if you find yourself doing lots of work in foul weather, consider a 1 series camera. Tele work is better on crop frame cameras. Wide work and natural light work is generally better on full frame cameras. Some cameras crank more frames faster, if speed is what you need. And there are feature differences. Pick whatever you need. You're the only one who can say what that is, and you haven't told any of us enough info to give you an intelligent recommendation.

 

Above all, don't get too hung up on bodies. The lenses are where you want to put your money. They are what will either make or break an image.

[chrisjb]

Hi, my choice was based on your bio but compared to rebel the XXD as per 40d is a lil heavier, especially if a battery pack is added like Sarah suggest. when comparing in a store you may want to ask to handle the bodies fitted with what you generally use :)

[benbangerter]

"I have been using the Rebel 300D for the last six or seven years..."

 

Terra, Canon announced the EOS 300D in August, 2003. I guess you were an early adopter =:)