rick_m.

<p>I am deeply concerned about this. I shot a night parade the other day with a D4 and arghhh D7100. </p> <p>I looked at the pictures and they seemed ok to me but I am no doubt missing something. Now IF I had a D400 or D7200 there is little doubt that my pictures would have looked way better in publication and I might just be looking at a Pulitzer now. </p> <p>Since I have been a professional photojournalist for many years and am therefor at the very apotheosis of my abilities I think it is fair to blame Nikon for the fact that my pictures are not just not getting better. Now if I shot Canon and had access to the 7DMKII the other night as a backup to the D4 then who knows?</p> <p>Nikon is failing in the marked and will obviously soon cease operations. That or they will start reading this forum and make a D400 before it is too late.</p>

<p>What Rick H. said. I have the same experience. </p> <p>I go into a situation with a mental "shot list" but once there it is all about being in the zone and furious thought. </p> <p>In my own it may sometimes be more about, that's pretty and lets see how this comes out. But even then, for me, photography is all about thinking it through. </p>

<p>You can leave the teleconverter at home. If your 500 is the Nikon 500 F/8 you will find no use for a 1000 F/32. Even if it could optically hold up to that focal length (and it won't) and you could control it, (I don't think I could) you would have to think up goofy stuff to shoot with it. </p> <p>If you are the only shooter you must have a backup body. You must have good flash and a backup flash. All the more so if it is an outdoor wedding. My vote is for the 24-70 F/2.8 and the 70-200 F/2.8. Take the macro if you are going to shoot the ring. Rent if you have to. Leave all of the inconvenient primes at home. (Maybe you could take the 50 F/1.4 for portraits if you think you could use it. Back up card one with card two. Take your laptop so you can burn disks. Burn one of the wedding raws and send it home by Fed Ex. Do not reformat your cards until after you have delivered the finished product to the B & G. Take tons of high quality cards.</p> <p>You said the B & G were paying your way. Be sure to tell them that this is your first rodeo. They have the right to know what they are getting for their money. I mean no offense and we have all shot our first wedding. Just be sure you are straight up with them.</p> <p> </p>

<p>Ok. If you put the card back into the camera, can you see the pictures taken after the err message? Can you see any pictures from the card at all?</p> <p>To clarify. If you look at the card setup in your camera does it say use card one first and then card two or does it say to use both cards at the same time? </p>

<p>With the card in the camera, can you see the images? Did you review the images on your screen during the shooting day?</p>

<blockquote> <p>So since I can't turn back time, is there any recourse? What do you think? This was especially important to me because one family member lives overseas and who knows when we'll all be together again? I think it's inexcusable.</p> </blockquote> <p>I am sorry you did not get the pictures you want. I clearly do not know this photographer and have no intention of trashing him on this thread. With that said, a general comment for others who might find this thread looking for advice in advance of choosing a wedding photographer.</p> <p>I do not know who your son hired nor have I seen his work. He may be a consummate pro who simply had a lapse. Here is the thing though. Back in the days of film, wedding photography was extremely demanding from a technical standpoint. This fairly well limited those engaged in wedding photography to experienced photographers who had apprenticed under an experienced pro. Not so much these days.</p> <p>There are a whole lot of wedding photographers out there who truly lack the experience and training to do it to what you and I would call professional standards. They shoot one or two, extract a few good shots, put them online and declare themselves professional wedding photographers. You should see the number of threads we get here from so-called professionals who are about to be paid to shoot a wedding, asking for our advice on which lens to borrow. It is a shame. </p> <p>I completely understand that it is hard to overlook a $500.00 photographer when the shots on their website look really nice. The thing is though that your experience clearly illustrates the rest of the story. IF this is not just an easily fixed oversight it may well point to a lack of experience all to common these days. There is a whole lot more to professional wedding photography than buying a nice camera, putting together an acceptable website and making a proper exposure. True professionals need to understand the importance of each shot. They need to know how to anticipate events and cover all of the important ones. They need to know who's-who at the wedding, when to catch them in-character and in a flattering way. They need to know how to do this in a variety of religious, social and geographical situations. They need to know how to capture the event but not dominate the B & G's time. In other words, perhaps the greatest and most hard-won skill that a wedding photographer possesses is to know how to tell the<em> story</em> of the wedding in pictures. </p> <p>So I post this for others who may be learning from you. <em> I have no idea if you were a victim of inexperience and sincerely hope you were not.</em> But for those who are considering hiring a wedding photographer, there are a whole lot of questions to ask the candidates in addition to looking at his/her portfolio. A portfolio, by the way, that ought to include shots from a number of weddings illustrating a depth of knowledge equal to the task of covering the most important event in your life. Sometimes there is such a thing as false-economy. </p> <p> </p>

<p>Go to the venue and story board your shots. Check the light. Meet with the B & G and nail down what they want. Pull absolutely no punches about your inexperience. Be completely up-front with them. </p> <p>You say you have a second shooter. A second shooter in this case is far more valuable than to be relegated to only shooting trinkets. Get the second shooter to back you up on the critical shots. Better a shot from the distance than miss the kiss altogether. What experience does the second have? If they have also never shot a wedding make sure they get some training along with you. </p> <p>You have until February. Beg, borrow or steal a couple of opportunities to second shoot weddings. You have time. </p> <p>Your shoot is outdoors at 5PM Sunset in Miami is at 6:00PM on the first of February. You are shooting during the "golden hour". You really need to practice doing this. If you can figure out the challenges and advantages of this beautiful light you can get some gorgeous shots. If you go into it without knowing how to handle it you could have some real issues. Issues that are very hard to fix in post. <br> Look carefully at the setup also. Look for shadows. There may be long and strong shadows during the ceremony. <br> As for your kit. As Bob said, you need a backup camera. In all probability the Rebel will be backup and the new/borrowed camera will be your main camera if it is newer. You need to familiarize yourself with it very well. Your two lenses are problematic. With the rebel you have 40 - 112mm equivalent. If you are going to shoot group shots you may find this cramped. Depending on where you can position yourself you may need to have some more length. I recommend renting or borrowing a 70-200 F/2.8 IS. Have it on one body and your Tamron on the other. If one of your "stock" lenses is an 18 to something be sure you have it close at hand. You will probably need it. Flash for both cameras and plenty of batteries as Bob said. The built in flash does NOT count. If you have never used one of these use it to death between now and then. </p> <p>Backup immediately. Change cards frequently unless your new camera has two cards. Backup your shots, then back up the back up. Store a set of backup CDs somewhere away from your computer. Don't erase or reuse your cards until you have delivered the results. Perhaps this is a bit overboard but you get the idea.</p> <p>Careful preparation is your most important goal. It will make or break your results. You have time for a cram course in all things wedding. Don't just look at the shots, practice them. This is someone's very special day. Treat it with the respect and importance it deserves.</p> <p>I hope you have a great time doing this. Let us know how it works out. </p>

<p>+1 for what Matt said regarding environmental light. Another argument for you checking out the location and planning your shoot. I just strolled into my great room as realized that I have incandescent, CFL, and LED light all in the same room. Adding to that, one part of the room is lit using "Reveal" bulbs. Were I to shoot environmental shots in that room I might even consider swapping out some bulbs. </p> <p>Also a +1 for a minimum 2 light setup as Michael recommends. </p> <p> </p>

<p>Take a deep breath and exhale. Changing camera settings is neither difficult nor time consuming. A professional always makes the best light setup for each shot. It will not do to get into the habit of trying to pound a square peg in to a round hole. If you are shooting around a house, and you have to keep the same lighting setup, you will dramatically restrict your ability to control context and background. </p> <p>Explain to your clients that proper lighting takes a minute or two to arrange. Engage them in conversation. I like to tell them what I am doing and why, keeping them relaxed at the same time. Take all of the lights you might need, especially if you have not visited the location and story-boarded your shots beforehand.</p> <p>As to how to control ambient. I suggest you learn about "dragging the shutter". Practice in your living room. </p> <p>My usual semi-rant....You said you have been "commissioned" to do this shoot. The people who "commissioned" you have assumed you know how. You do not it would appear. So I ask you, why did you accept this commission? If you are a professional or aspire to be a professional it is important to confront that that really means. One of the things it means is that you only accept a professional assignment when you can deliver professional results. </p>

<blockquote> <p>Rick: You might be rich enough to consider these things as mouse droppings. For me it is a BIG deal investing $1500 to $2000 for a "hobby". New camera and lenses are not something I would buy/change every year.</p> </blockquote> <p>And you think investing that kind of money is something professional photographers do at the drop of a hat? You came here looking for advice. We all unambiguously told you that there was no practical difference between the two cameras image quality wise. Every one of us. You persisted in making it an issue.</p> <p>Bob Adkins summed it up. The differences between good cameras lie at the extremes. As I said in my first post, you are not shooting at the extremes. Either camera would do well. </p> <p>It appears that you have not actually held either of these cameras. You said that you have been "using Canon". Let me ask you...Have you had a DSLR before? If so which one? What lenses do you already have? I ask because it very well may be that if you are on your first DSLR, neither of these cameras may be your best choice. Especially if, as you seem to assert, money is an important consideration. So why not let us help you better. Answer those questions and see where everyone goes. </p>

<blockquote> <p>I understand that you can get excellent pictures with a low end camera <a id="itxthook5" href="/canon-eos-digital-camera-forum/00cvQA?unified_p=1" rel="nofollow">depending on<img id="itxthook5icon" src="http://images.intellitxt.com/ast/adTypes/icon1.png" alt="" /></a> the photographer. But my question was, all other things being equal (photographer, subject, lens attached, lighting etc), is D7100 better than 70D? DXOmark seems to conclude so. Wanted to know if it was right.</p> </blockquote> <p>Neither the D7100 or 70D are "low end" cameras. The problem with these nit-picking details is that "all things are NEVER equal".</p> <p>But you insist on pole-vaulting over mouse droppings. Fine. The D7100 is, in most measurable criteria, a "better" camera than the 70D. So even if you have a room full of Canon lenses and have become used to Canon's interface, you should instantly sell all of that stuff for whatever you can get and go for the D7100. What if people found out you were using s substandard camera like the 70D? Horrors!</p> <p>What ever you do, don't look at the 7DMkII. Just don't look.</p>

<p>So here is the deal. I have a D7100. It is a great camera. That said....</p> <p>You should buy the camera you want. You will not be able to see any difference in the image quality at all. Why?</p> <p>Because you will shoot 90% of your pictures under nearly average conditions. You will not use a tripod. You will not be fanatical about your steady hold techniques. You will probably not exclusively use the very finest lenses carefully adjusted for your camera. In other words, you will live in the real world and not a laboratory.</p> <p>The question to ask yourself is this: What will one of these cameras do well that the other won't? Nothing. If you want to know which one will take better pictures, the answer is the one with the best lens hanging on it at the moment. <br> If you want to improve any one thing on any camera that will make the most difference in the outcomes, fix the photographer. </p> <p>Try not to become a gearhead or pixel-peeper. Try to become a photographer....;)</p> <p> </p>

<p>In fairness to the seller. I just quickly glanced at his ad for D7000 on Ebay and see no mention that the item is US or Gray Market. He does offer a 7 day return which you obviously decided not to use. The term "swindled" is unfortunate but there are many of us who would always recommend using a dealer like B & H or Adorama both of which have excellent reputations. That said I would note that your dealer has excellent feedback.<br> It seems you went off a bit half-cocked and did not explore your options.</p>

<p>They won't have any problem selling them unless there are less than 77 Russian oligarchs. </p>

<p>I don't see what you are concerned about. The clips you posted seem OK to me. I am not a video person but they seem to be accurate. <br> Why don't you post some photos taken at ISO 200 and leave the meta data on them. Nice easy shots so we can look at them.</p> <p> </p>

<p>Run over to <a href="http://www.strobist.blogspot.com/">http://www.strobist.blogspot.com/</a> and do the lighting 101/102 lessons. They will open your eyes. </p>

<p>One good way to get watered down answers to questions is to require someone to use their own name. If one doesn't mind his name out there forever that is a personal choice. On the other hand, if one is in a position where controversial answers might have repercussions then a pseudonym is required in the interest of candor. </p> <p>I am in that position. I publish photos under my real name. The organizations for which I work might take exception to some of my opinions expressed online. So a bit of discretion is wise in my case. I don't post photos for the same reason. </p>

<p>Depending on the lenses you have there is essentially no difference. Travel photography rarely pushes the outside of the envelope and it is only at these fringes that you might see some miniscule differences. </p> <p>The D7100 is a fine camera and for 99.9% of images every bit as good as the D750. I am assuming that you have a really good flash and complete lens setup. If not, your money would be much better spent on those items than on a new camera. </p> <p>As for your basic premise that the D750 will give you "better" images...ie more details, depth of color...". Not that you will be able to see in any print you will make. Probably not noticeable at all even if you are an inveterate pixel peeper. </p> <p> Your camera handling technique will trump any tiny differences between the two bodies. Spend a fraction of the cost of the D750 on a good travel photography seminar as a refresher, concentrate on your camera handling technique and make certain of your lens kit and you will do just fine.</p> <p>One caveat. If you have contrived to convince your wife that you just <em>can't </em> trust your once in a lifetime trip to "that old thing" and so she should not object to your spending $4k for the camera and "special" lens that you need for the "Icelandic light" then of course you must strike while the iron is hot as they say. Image quality? Nah. </p>

<p>I still have my Argus C-3, Nikormat EL and F2AS. I also have an N80 and F5. I have a Super Speed Graphic and Yashica D. Sold the RB-67 and all of its stuff. Glad to see it go. As for digitals, I have no special affinity for any of them. I have sold them when I replaced them. I have a D2Xs, D7100, D3 and D4 now. They are tools and will go when they are no longer needed. (I keep the D2Xs for rough service but almost never use it except for backup at rodeos.) I can't love digital cameras. Perhaps familiarity breeds contempt. That and I miss the drama that made me love my film cameras twice. Once when I took the shot and once when roll came out of the dryer.</p>

<p>We must have posted at the same time. Good to have the right document.</p>

<p>I am sure someone else will know this better than I but I am fairly sure that you can't deduct time donated to a charity. Only actual expenses, such as paper and film. Your mileage is deductible too. </p> <p>Please check with an expert on this but I am pretty sure you are heading for shoals if you try to deduct your time.</p>

<p>Reference the attached photos. Remember that your backdrop is important. The messy table is distracting in the photo. There is a greenish cast to the skin tones and judging from his hair this may come from lighting above him. <br> I am glad you are working on strobist. I don't think you can reasonably expect to conduct a photographic business "mainly outdoors". </p> <p>Maybe it would be good for you to spend some time thinking about what a "professional" is. I sure would not claim to have all of the answers but here are a few points about the photography side of it:</p> <p>A professional has lots of arrows in his/her quiver. We do not just know how to make one shot, we know how to make most all of them. </p> <p>Outdoor shoots in the portrait business just scream amateur. Besides. Unless you know how to do them very well (and when), outdoor light can be very unflattering and far harder to use than good studio lighting. </p> <p>Remember that, as a professional, your job is to fill your client's expectations. If that client wants a studio portrait then you are going to have to turn them down. Of course you can train and equip yourself to take the "studio" on location. A good portable light setup is a necessity. I completely understand that you are trying to get started 'on the cheap' but some things are just necessary. </p> <p>I am going to assume that you really want the answers to these questions and that you will see them as education and not be discouraged. So here is the deal. You have a great deal to learn about photography before you style yourself a professional. This does not mean that you can't take pictures of folks and even good ones some of the time. But professional work is quite different. Let me give you an example. You are developing a business plan. You want a template? What do you think a business plan is for? It is a roadmap on how you are going to become successful complete with a prospecting plan, advertising plan, market analysis and a myriad of details you will discover along the way. So if you are doing a market analysis, as you stand right now, you must ask yourself not if there is a market for professional photographers in your area, but if there is a market for a photographer who shoots portraits in the park. And there is not. </p> <p>This site is often home to people who believe that the difference between professional photographers and good amateurs is fancy equipment and a business card. Not so. Selling some pictures does not make you a professional either. Becoming a good professional photographer takes years of training and experience. You have to know how to do tons of stuff. I suspect you do not yet know even what stuff to teach yourself.</p> <p>Rather than get discouraged you should, before you take another step, heed the advice of Harry who recommended that you apprentice yourself to a working professional. A good one. One who has been in business for years. From him/her you will learn what to learn. </p> <p>I am not saying that there are not people who picked up a camera and taught themselves to be professionals through the school of hard knocks. There are. I know some. You don't need a BFA. But these folks learned their trade one skill at a time and their skill-sets are formidable. </p> <p>You need to get this skill set or here is what will happen. You will get a few gigs and do OK with friends and acquaintances. So you will decide to try your hand at a wedding. It will be cheap and you will disclaim your abilities like crazy but you will try it. You will brush up on some internet articles about wedding photography and borrow a backup body. You will show up to the wedding. It will be outdoors at noon. The African American bride will wear a white dress and the groom will wear a black tux. Afterwards there will be a reception in a dark reception hall. Can you handle this? Do you know the shots? Do you know how to handle the lighting? There are no re-do's on weddings. </p> <p>Rather than be discouraged you should be encouraged to learn all of this fantastic stuff. It will make photography far more interesting and far more fun for you. But the first thing you need to get before you go on is a healthy respect for what real professional photographers do and know. </p>

<p>Ok. As others have said you are not even close to ready. But here is a jump start...</p> <p>Photography is all about the light. So the first thing you do is go to the strobist web site and take the flash photography tutorial. That is first. You will see in a very easy format what flash photography will do for you. When it comes to portrait work at a professional level the statements "I am an available light photographer" and "I am a rank amateur" are synonymous". </p> <p>Though most of us would say that you need to improve your kit, I would maintain that for portrait photography on a professional level, if I were given the choice of your camera and my lights or my cameras and no lights I am going for the lights.<br> You said you are "building your portfolio". Here is the deal. It will do you little good to shoot a zillion pictures, pick the best and call that a portfolio. That is what most people do. A professional on the other hand must create his best work on demand. Every time. See the difference. So to do this you have to know exactly how to create the photos from scratch every time. </p> <p>Keep this in mind. Some people have one year of experience. Some have 20 years of experience. Most have one year of experience, 20 times. Your first resolution should be to improve your skill set everyday. You can do this by trial and error but that is the hard way. The best way is to study under really good photographers. Attend portrait photography trainings. Take a local community college basic photography course if you haven't already. Watch every online video you can find on portrait photography. </p> <p>One key thing that makes a professional photographer different from the average amateur is that the professional can because he/she must reproduce his/her results at will. Know how to shoot skinny people and fat people. How to expose African American skin and how to shoot an interracial couple while exposing both correctly. Learn how to wrangle kids. Learn how to do post processing by taking classes in Photoshop. Learn how to pose people for different purposes. There is a difference between how you might post a CEO for her annual report and her mom for the family reunion. On and on. <br> This is not to discourage you but rather to encourage you. These days professionals are having a hard time competing with amateurs because the line is blurred. That said. It is easy to spot a real professional's portfolio from the one you are in all probability putting together. So your most important investment right now is training and education. Along the way you will learn everything you need to know about equipment.</p> <p>After you have done all of that read 10 great books on salesmanship. Not marketing. Salesmanship. Then you will be on your way.<br> </p>

<p>Knowledge, artistic ability and technique are far more important than any technical differences. That said. There are times I would choose the D300 over a more modern camera. If I was shooting fast action sports on good light for example I would choose it over the D7100 though the D7100 is a wonderful camera with better image quality.</p> <p>The real truth is that for the average advanced amateur or professional, improving ones skills through training and education will show more improvement on the screen than just about any camera upgrade. I have a good friend who regularly attends workshops and seminars. His "bag of tricks" is formidable. He has a 1Dx and 3DMkII. The thing is that he knows, far better than most people who own these cameras, how to use them. That and the fact that he takes making every single image seriously makes him a triple-threat. </p>

<p>I completely agree with Shun. The D7100 is the sweet spot for you. In many ways it is a better camera than the D750, will for all intent and purpose give you the same image quality, and with the money you save allow you to go a long way toward your new lens. </p> <p>For birding there is just no advantage to the D750. There are advantages to full frame sensors but they are usually exaggerated. The advantages happen at the outside of the envelope for most photographers anyway. The F7100 is a lovely camera and I know you will really appreciate the upgrade. </p>