I am starting a photography business. What is the best starter camera?
I have a few plain muslins. I have the 20′ by 10′ muslin scaffold. I am looking to do weddings and pictures of familys either in or outdoors. A lot of my family and friends want portraits done for themselves or for christmas cards. I own a DJ business and would love to do the photography and DJ to save people money. I looked at a few cameras..I dont need it to do video but want nice solid pictures. Looking to spend no more than 500$ am I out of luck or is there a VERY nice digital camera for under 500$?
I have a few plain muslins. I have the 20′ by 10′ muslin scaffold. I am looking to do weddings and pictures of familys either in or outdoors. A lot of my family and friends want portraits done for themselves or for christmas cards. I own a DJ business and would love to do the photography and DJ to save people money. I looked at a few cameras..I dont need it to do video but want nice solid pictures. Looking to spend no more than 500$ am I out of luck or is there a VERY nice digital camera for under 500$?
*NOTE I assumed that taking classes and getting some experience was a given ..but I do plan on doing these things. I am looking for a decent starter camera..I have seen cameras for over 5K but I am not looking to be a prfesional over night..and for those who are going to say "another photographer..great" comment somewhere else ..I am serious about the craft and looking for advice. I dont plan on being the worlds greatest tomorrow.. I have a DJ comp. with no exp & one of the best
You may be in for a rude awakening. A $500 camera is not going to make you a wedding photographer. Neither will a $5000 camera, nor any combination of equipment, no matter how much it costs. It doesn’t sound like you are ready to shoot weddings. First you need know how and experience, and from your question it appears you have neither. The fact is, you cannot get set up to professionally photograph weddings for $500, at least not in digital. Shooting weddings is not like taking snapshots, or even doing portraits for Christmas cards. Also if you are the DJ, it would be impossible to do the photography and keep the music going.
If you are interested in the photography of weddings, ask a wedding pro if you can shadow them for a wedding or two, maybe carry gear or set up light stands. You will need a solid foundation in the basics of photography, either through school or from shooting for several years as a serious hobbiest. You will need to plan to apprentice with an established photographer for a season or two. Then you will need equipment, at a bare minimum two bodies, two flashes, several fast (expensive) lenses covering a focal range from wide angle to telephoto, and the brackets, cords, diffusers etc etc that go along with all that stuff. Not to mention a fast computer, Adobe Photoshop, and the post processing skill to go along with it.
Shooting weddings ain’t brain surgery, but it requires more skill and experience to do well than many people realize. Not to mention a hefty investment in equipment. Do some research into the business, read Steve Sint’s book "Wedding Photography: Art, Business and Style" before you decide to go any further.
Posted in digital photography business
February 18th, 2010 at 10:26 am
Try a canon. Or a nikkon. or an olympus. Good friends of mine that are also photograhpers have them. They also have cheaper models of them, so you could find them for under 500 for sure.
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February 18th, 2010 at 11:02 am
Not really.
You could do happy snaps but I wouldn’t count on getting amazing photos every single shot.
To get the quality that people will pay for you would need to cough up at least $1500 (That’s a Base price once you’ve added in a Battery grip, memory cards and whatever else you want to get to accessories your camera) and more
http://www.canon.com.au/products/visual/cameras/digital_slr.html
But it is a investment. Think of it that way… Once you get going and if you take photos well it will pay itself off.
References :
http://www.canon.com.au/products/visual/cameras/digital_slr.html
February 18th, 2010 at 11:18 am
Get a beginners SLR camera – the Olympus E-410 is a good beginner’s camera, and is around $450-$550, depending on where you buy. The Nikon D40 is a little cheaper, and another good beginner’s digital SLR.
Before opening a business, you should definately get some photography experience..it’s not just a case of point and click, you know. Try one of those Photography courses that only last from a day to a week or so in college, or something like that. Read books. Get out, and take pictures (for free). -Then- you should consider a business.
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February 18th, 2010 at 11:50 am
Casio Z75 under $150
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February 18th, 2010 at 11:55 am
I would go the extra mile and get a Nikon D40X, it’s a great Nikon for beginners, has the same interface as pro Nikons, so if you move up, not much, if anything, will change. You can get great pictures and it’s easy to learn the technical side of things. Don’t forget to get a better flash if you’re plannin’ on doin’ anything with it professionally.
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February 18th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
Nikon D40x
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February 18th, 2010 at 1:27 pm
Yet again, I am amazed by someone saying they want to start a ‘photography business’ but have to ask the most basic question about what camera to buy.
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February 18th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
First, there really isn’t any "skills transfer" between being a DJ and a photographer. You need some classes in photography and lighting. If formal classroom instruction isn’t possible, check The New York Institute of Photography (nyip.com). They offer correspondence courses and have been in business since 1910 so they are reputable. Reading books by Monte Zucker, the late Master Portrait Photographer, will also help.
Second, trying to take portraits with anything less than a DSLR is pointless. Canon, Sony, Pentax, Nikon, Sigma all offer excellent DSLR cameras that will get the results you want without spiraling you into debt.
Third, working as an assistant to a professional photographer will greatly benefit you. As Yogi Berra once said: "You can observe a lot just by watching." So find a pro who needs an assistant.
Forth, simply buying a DSLR will not magically transform you – or anyone – into a competent photographer. It requires training and experience.
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February 18th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
I agree with the previous answer, the D40x is a good choice for slightly over your budget of $500, but the camera is the least of your concerns. You may want to learn a little more about photography before you start a photography business. I mean no offense but the fact that you don’t even know what kind of camera to get shows me that you probably don’t know how to use one either. Being a professional, and running a photography business is not simply pointing a camera and taking some pictures. I know you think your idea is clever and since you already own a DJ business that it makes sense [to you] to add photography to your list of services, but the truth is there are wedding photographers everywhere that specialize in what they do, have gone to school, and have the proper tools of the trade. You will need a lot more than a few muslins and a camera, there are lenses, lighting set-up (which can cost into the thousands alone) props, editing software, marketing tools, and other business related expenses. You can take a photo with a cell phone you got free from Verizon wireless with a 2 year contract, if all you’re concerned with is creating an image of something. If people are going to pay you, what are you going to offer, a cell phone pic printed on HP printer paper? Will you make prints, or send out to have them made at costco, because if you make your own, you would need a printer capable of making prints someone would want to pay you for. And you’ll need a camera capable of a high enough resolution to give the sharpest image at the largest reproduction. There are many options starting from a nikon D40x at $700 (with a lens NOT suitable for weddings), add another $1800 on a good [and fast] telezoom and a good normal-to-wide prime lens and you’re already FAR over budget. A D40x would do the job, but you’d want a camera capable of even more, perhaps a nikon D2xs [or even a D3] for $5000 or the creme de la creme a canon 1Ds Mk III as long as we’re talking cameras that wedding photographers use, that one costs $8000. You can get the job done with $1000, if you want to be a wedding and portrait photographer with a D40x and a nikkor AF 85mm f/1.8D (add $500 for the f/1.4 version which is better) and that’s bare bones, NOT including what an even cheap lighting set-up costs. If you can’t go over $500, you’re better off getting a good PDA phone with a camera from Verizon wireless and using that.
I want you to know that I don’t mean any offense and though I sound like I’m being a little too sarcastic it’s really because there are usually 5 questions asked a day just like this one. I get annoyed because people don’t understand what the word professional means, as if a hospital would allow you to be a brain surgeon just because you’ve seen a brain surgury done on Discovery Health Channel and think you could do it based on that. A professional photographer is no different from any other professional, a person who has mastered aspects of a given field and can count on that field for his or her livelihood. You haven’t the slightest idea of how to BE a pro-photographer other than a vague ability to use a camera. You should understand that it takes more than just that, and decide you want to learn HOW to be a photographer BEFORE you actually decide to be one.
EDIT:
In response to your *note:
Again, I didn’t mean to be quite as sharp as my answer may have come off, but I think the sentiment is overwhelmingly the same. Folks ask what is the easiest way to be a "pro" photographer almost daily because their friends say they take good photos with their camera phones and whatnot at it gets a little old is all. I liked that you added some details and it shows me you have a general interest. My advice to you is to get yourself a gently used DSLR like the D40, which you can find even brand new for $497.00. http://www.adorama.com/INKD40KSD.html?searchinfo=nikon%20D40&item_no=6 with this camera you can get your feet wet, but know that it is an entry level camera with 6MP, despite it’s low MP rating the camera is more than sufficient. Read this review and you will see. http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40.htm
It’s a good camera body, from there you should save up for the best lenses you can afford (which is where the bulk of your investment should be).
I will also recommend that you find yourself some photography workshops in your area. They are often cheaper than classes as well as shorter, but they can serve to teach you the basics. Start here: http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=photography+workshops+in+indiana&fr=yfp-t-310&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&vm=r
Good luck.
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February 18th, 2010 at 2:54 pm
You may be in for a rude awakening. A $500 camera is not going to make you a wedding photographer. Neither will a $5000 camera, nor any combination of equipment, no matter how much it costs. It doesn’t sound like you are ready to shoot weddings. First you need know how and experience, and from your question it appears you have neither. The fact is, you cannot get set up to professionally photograph weddings for $500, at least not in digital. Shooting weddings is not like taking snapshots, or even doing portraits for Christmas cards. Also if you are the DJ, it would be impossible to do the photography and keep the music going.
If you are interested in the photography of weddings, ask a wedding pro if you can shadow them for a wedding or two, maybe carry gear or set up light stands. You will need a solid foundation in the basics of photography, either through school or from shooting for several years as a serious hobbiest. You will need to plan to apprentice with an established photographer for a season or two. Then you will need equipment, at a bare minimum two bodies, two flashes, several fast (expensive) lenses covering a focal range from wide angle to telephoto, and the brackets, cords, diffusers etc etc that go along with all that stuff. Not to mention a fast computer, Adobe Photoshop, and the post processing skill to go along with it.
Shooting weddings ain’t brain surgery, but it requires more skill and experience to do well than many people realize. Not to mention a hefty investment in equipment. Do some research into the business, read Steve Sint’s book "Wedding Photography: Art, Business and Style" before you decide to go any further.
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February 18th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
I am trying to do something similar and I have a Nikon D40. It’s a great camera. My other half has a Canon 350 I think but he has openly confessed to preferring mine having done the same shot with both. Get yourself a basic digital SLR at any rate. As your experience develops and you have a better sense of what you want to acheive, you can buy further lenses and other accessories.
I don’t know where you are based but I’m doing an evening course AS Level course in the UK (penultimate high school diploma year) which requires a 35mm camera as we are learning to process and develop black and white film. We are also learning Photoshop now and doing studio shoots.
I’m not struggling as such, but others in my class are far ahead of me in turns of output and understanding of composition and such and there are one or two pro’s looking for a qualification to stick on their business cards. This has helped me realise that before I take on the mammoth task of setting up shop I need experience, a portfolio and some experience and I can only advise you to do this too. Break a leg!
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Experience
February 18th, 2010 at 3:52 pm
I think the Nikon d40 is the best camera in the $500 price range. It is very popular right now. I have recommended it to a few people and they love it. Try Costco or BJ’s or a wharehouse club for a good price without shipping charges.
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February 18th, 2010 at 4:07 pm
u might be able to get a good slr for 500… and that would just be the body … your going to need lenses also and memory cards, and lights, and…… well the list goes on ……your best bet would be to find a local photographer, and add them to a business, and work together
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February 18th, 2010 at 4:28 pm
Sorry to be so blunt about this but…..
If you don’t know what camera you need, then you have no right starting a business.
You should have all this stuff planned out BEFORE starting a business.
You could get a digital SLR from Nikon or Pentax with a 50mm f/1.8 prime that would work great for portraits for around or a bit over $500…but that’s pushing the limits.
There is more to taking a good protrait than just putting someone in front of a backdrop, setting the camera on auto and snapping away.
There is lighting, and exposure issues to deal with as well as posing.
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February 18th, 2010 at 5:14 pm
maybe you could assist a few of those wedding photographers first, and THEN steal their business.
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February 18th, 2010 at 5:52 pm
I think the other answers here have summed it up nicely.
I’ll add that offering "professional" wedding photography services without AT LEAST two of every vital piece of equipment is "professional" negligence, and could possibly be subject to civil action when something goes wrong.
Buying a hammer doesn’t give you the ability to build a house, and if you market yourself to brides as competent to chronicle one of the most important days of their lives, you’d DARN well better be able to deliver, ’cause there aren’t any second chances with weddings.
References :
Professional Wedding Photographer
http://www.evanbaines.com
February 18th, 2010 at 6:17 pm
within your budget, i recommend Nikon D40 (6.1mp) and Canon Rebel XT （8mp). they are both good camera. the body is good. but when comparing the kit lens, D40 has a sharper one. but overall, if i’m you, i will go and get th Canon Rebel XT. it has 2 more mp you can play with for cropping. it’s a good starter camera.
my last suggestion, by adding $100 more to get a Canon Rebel Xti is the best way. coz it has 10.2 mp you can play with. also, the body is well designed with dust vibration system. also, it’s comparible to the higher class of 30D.
hope this helps!
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Graphic Design Major, Photography Minor
February 18th, 2010 at 6:36 pm
you really expect to do weddings with a beginners camera? do you know how hard it is to do wedding photography. and you want to do both? stick with what you know. you don’t want a p*ssed off bride because you don’t know what you’re doing.
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February 18th, 2010 at 7:00 pm
I bought a canon S5IS it has a great resolution, and a easy scene mode that allows you to take photos like a proffesional since u don’t have to deal with the camera settings, and also allows you to use lenses and flashes. A great deal…
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February 18th, 2010 at 7:46 pm
Sorry to be so blut, but if you need to ask this question you have no business starting a photography business.
EDIT IN RESPONSE TO YOUR NOTE:
My personal opinion is if you are starting out, and plan on gaining experience you should go with a film camera. You can get all the technical expertise anyone could desire, and still not have talent, and quite frankly talent is what sells. A friend of mine knows ALOT more than I do technically, he can tell you how to pose a subject, how to light them like he has been doing it for years, but his pictures are not so good. Why? Because he does not have the talent of being able to interact with his subjects and make them feel at ease and relaxed, so he gets a cookie cutter image everytime.
Start out with a good Nikon or Canon SLR that ranges from fully automatic to fully manual, so you still have artistic control over your photos. You can keep your developing/printing costs down by using this lab:
http://www.prophotoimaging.com/
they do excellent work, and you get a complimentary HighRes CD when you send your film in to be developed, and you can use their CD to do reprint orders on your computer. And you can continue to use them after you go digital. But start out with a Higher end 35mm camera, so that if you do decide this really is not your thing, you have not lost that much money.
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February 18th, 2010 at 8:02 pm
Nikon D-series SLRs are great for starters. They’re easy to use but produce great quality photos. I use a D100 and it is very handy. If you want a easy camera to use, i suggest a Nikon D40x. If you want to go professional, the newest release in the D-series is the Nikon D300. It has 12.3 megapixels and up to 0.13s shutter speed. It is a photographer’s dream and a brand new D300 is much cheaper than a brand new D100 and is much, much better. Good luck with your business!
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February 18th, 2010 at 8:08 pm
I would go with a Canon Rebel XTi…you can find them online without lenses for about 259… and you know how lenses can be…depending on what size, the prices add up.
References :
http://MarissaBillings.imagekind.com/