Camera recommendation for startup studio

T

TheStar

Sup,

Ok, I plan on opening up a photography studio in the near future and would like to know if there are any camera recommendation for a startup. I've been eyeballing the canon t3i for a while - it's inexpensive and has great features. I feel that it can do the job.

What do you all think?

:)
 
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TheStar said:
That's good to know but I swear I'm not doing this to fool people or make a quick buck (I know you're not accusing me of that). I admit, it's a stepping stone for what I really want to do. I'm a film student who happens to like photography. My passion is editing and making tv shows. I should have said this in the beginning but my friend/roommate/schoolmate is going to be doing most of the photography. He's a film student too but he's more knowledgeable of photography as he attended a photography school a few years ago. I'll be doing the editing and business part of it and photography when he is not available.
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Most people never even try (including myself -- I'm a total hobbyist). I'd say go for it. And if you fail? So what? You tried something most people would never consider tackling.
 
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I wasn't trying to be rude (as I stated), I was just trying to get a better grasp of your situation and trying to come up with a good recommendation.

Since you are just starting off like most have already have already recommended, start with the newer Rebel series. T2i, T3i, T4i. These cameras are relatively cheap and offer a lot of bang for your buck, they will also will allow you to grow as a photographer until you are ready to fully commit to it as an artist.
 
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My personal advice would be to freelance, at least for a while. Do you or your friend have any experience in actually creating and running a business?

You need to look not only at the initial costs of startup, but you need to have a viable business plan in place. You need to know that you'll be making enough money to support yourselves, pay for your rent etc.
Otherwise, you rent out this studio space for $300/month, and struggle to make that back per month, not to mention the outlay on cameras, lenses etc.

If you're serious about making this a profitable business, come up with a tangible business plan, and you can even borrow the capital to make your initial equipment investments. You should have no issue paying them off once business rolls in.

But, business needs to roll in for anything to be worth it - it's not simply a matter of 'build it and they will come' - there are better equipped photography studios than you guys will be that will be competing with you; in fact judging by what you're saying you won't be as equipped or experienced as shopping mall baby photographers. And you're directly competing with them. So you better have something to offer, otherwise the entire endeavour is a waste of money.

This isn't a 'lecture' or 'trying to be rude' - it's being realistic.

I'm not sure what your portrait photography skills are like (or your friend) but keep in mind that studio-based portrait photography is completely different to any other photography - it's nothing like shooting outside, the lighting conditions are completely different, and it's also different to shooting film as you're not necessarily lighting for a 'scene' (although sometimes you are). You also, in general, can't just open up to f/1.4 and go to town with your shallow DOF because people usually want to be able to see their whole face in focus. If your portrait photography skills aren't up to par, I'd work on them before opening up - people won't be happy if you take hours to tweak the lighting because you're not 100% sure how to work it, especially if you're charging by the hour.
 
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ZERO_# said:
I wasn't trying to be rude (as I stated), I was just trying to get a better grasp of your situation and trying to come up with a good recommendation.

Since you are just starting off like most have already have already recommended, start with the newer Rebel series. T2i, T3i, T4i. These cameras are relatively cheap and offer a lot of bang for your buck, they will also will allow you to grow as a photographer until you are ready to fully commit to it as an artist.
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Ok cool. I got a little paranoid after reading some answers at the photo forum. Apparently some of the members get a kick out of ridiculing and discouraging the less experienced before they actually decide to give a helpful response.


Thanks for your input. Some say the t3i is fine, others don't. With such a small budget perhaps I can start off with the t3i, then move up...
 
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jax_rox said:
My personal advice would be to freelance, at least for a while. Do you or your friend have any experience in actually creating and running a business?

You need to look not only at the initial costs of startup, but you need to have a viable business plan in place. You need to know that you'll be making enough money to support yourselves, pay for your rent etc.
Otherwise, you rent out this studio space for $300/month, and struggle to make that back per month, not to mention the outlay on cameras, lenses etc.

If you're serious about making this a profitable business, come up with a tangible business plan, and you can even borrow the capital to make your initial equipment investments. You should have no issue paying them off once business rolls in.

But, business needs to roll in for anything to be worth it - it's not simply a matter of 'build it and they will come' - there are better equipped photography studios than you guys will be that will be competing with you; in fact judging by what you're saying you won't be as equipped or experienced as shopping mall baby photographers. And you're directly competing with them. So you better have something to offer, otherwise the entire endeavour is a waste of money.

This isn't a 'lecture' or 'trying to be rude' - it's being realistic.

I'm not sure what your portrait photography skills are like (or your friend) but keep in mind that studio-based portrait photography is completely different to any other photography - it's nothing like shooting outside, the lighting conditions are completely different, and it's also different to shooting film as you're not necessarily lighting for a 'scene' (although sometimes you are). You also, in general, can't just open up to f/1.4 and go to town with your shallow DOF because people usually want to be able to see their whole face in focus. If your portrait photography skills aren't up to par, I'd work on them before opening up - people won't be happy if you take hours to tweak the lighting because you're not 100% sure how to work it, especially if you're charging by the hour.
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Haven't run a business but I went to school for it. Not saying I'm an expert but I know what to do as far as being legit and paying taxes. I've got my prices set up and composed an excel spreadsheet of all my expenses. I also play around with projections for best case and worst case scenarios to see if the business will be sustainable.

Yes, practice is a given! Very helpful advice, thank you!
 
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I'd also second the recommendations of focussing on lenses rather than camera bodies - I'd rather shoot on a T2i with Zeiss CP.2s than shoot on a 1Dx with a Canon kit lens.
 
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Can we see some of your photos? I started off getting serious just a short while ago, mostly a hobby for the time being, but have some calenders out there. I'm learning both video and still on my cameras via the school of hard knocks and online tutorials/training. I was gifted a flickr account by a long time friend so we could stay connected with each other. It was what really got my love for photography re-kindled. Here's a link to my account:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/71892487@N06/
I started with a $45 point and shoot, then moved to a bridge camera and finally got a Canon T4i during Black Friday sales. I still feel it's not the camera but the person behind it, just some cameras do more of what that person wants to do.
Anyone else on here a flickr addict? Post up your accounts... (separate thread? sorry to thread-jack, didn't mean to)
 
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Your question's already been answered, I think, but I suppose I'll open my big mouth anyway.

Seems like the verdict is that the T3i or T4i is fine for you. And, like it's already been said, you should be more concerned about your lenses.

Since your partner went to photography school, I think I might be a little surprised if he/she doesn't know what kind of camera he/she wants.

?

Though the question has already been settled, I can't hep it. As well as the Canon Rebels, if your willing to spend a little more, two other Canons that might be worth considering are the 60D and the 7D; both have dropped in price quite a bit.

If you're more interested in Nikon, the D7000 seems to be widely praised as being one of the best DSLRs. It also has been dropping in price, though still not as affordable as the Canon Rebels. Of course, you want to think about what line of lenses you want to invest in long-term...Canon, Nikon, or other.

Being a fan of David Hobby's Strobist Movement, I can't miss an opportunity to recommend checking him and the strobist community out, and they're also on flikr. Great way to learn about lighting. After all, there's not much more important than light, if anything, when it comes to photography.

I know I've already posted this on another thread somewhere, but I like Zac Arias. He seems like a good guy, and he's inspiring. I'm not suggesting you buy this instruction course. But you can watch this intro for free, and he talks about starting his studio business. Might be worth your time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHD9Win0I1I&feature=related



Nice work, Icba Pictures. And nice idea. You should start that thread. =)
 
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Go with the T4i for portraits. It has a better auto focus system and touch screen. From what I understand the auto focus system comes in handy on short depth of field shots. If you watch Amazon you can pick up the the T4i for the price of a T3i.
 
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If you choose to go with Canon bodies, do not buy EF-S lenses. If you choose to step up to full frame at some point in the future, EF-S lenses will not work on your new 1D, 5D or 6D body. You should only pay for EF mount lenses or lenses that can be adapted to the EF mount. There is an old adage in photography that states, "You buy bodies but you invest in glass (lenses)". Always get the best glass you can afford at the time you get it. Resist the temptation to buy a shit load of cheap lenses that you will ultimately have to replace.
 
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Lucky Hardwood said:
If you choose to go with Canon bodies, do not buy EF-S lenses. If you choose to step up to full frame at some point in the future, EF-S lenses will not work on your new 1D, 5D or 6D body. You should only pay for EF mount lenses or lenses that can be adapted to the EF mount. There is an old adage in photography that states, "You buy bodies but you invest in glass (lenses)". Always get the best glass you can afford at the time you get it. Resist the temptation to buy a shit load of cheap lenses that you will ultimately have to replace.
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Thanks. I'm like screw it! I've decided to go all out and get the 5D Mark II. :yes: Really hope there's a good sale by the time I'm ready to get it.
 
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TheStar said:
Thanks. I'm like screw it! I've decided to go all out and get the 5D Mark II. :yes: Really hope there's a good sale by the time I'm ready to get it.
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The Mk II is a fantastic camera. The Mk III is obviously better, but the II is no slouch.

Be sure to get the latest Magic Lantern firmware, if you're going to be shooting video. Among other things, it lets you increate the bitrate of the encoded video, drastically lowering compression artifacts. (The Mk III has this ability built-in.)
 
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If you are only going to shoot stills, you can get a 5D mark 1 for cheap. It's "only" 10 mp, but that will still do poster sized images with no loss of quality. If you plan to do video as well as stills, get the mk ii or iii. I'm about to pull the trigger on a 1Dx.
 
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TheStar said:
Thanks. I'm like screw it! I've decided to go all out and get the 5D Mark II. :yes: Really hope there's a good sale by the time I'm ready to get it.
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You should be able to get a used mkII body for $1000-$1200. Lots of people off-ing them after the mkIII came out. I agree with Lucky though. If you are not looking for video features find the best/newest 1D<something> that you can afford. Its basically built for pro-photography, by and large.


http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/pho/3511723413.html

For example.

Perception is a big thing in the business of providing a service to people. Showing up with a tiny consumer camera - no matter how awesome of a picture it takes - means fighting the perceptions of people who may not know cameras, but they are signing your checks. :)
 
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On ebay, you can get a mark 1 1D (4.2mp) for around $400.00, a mark 2 (8.2mp) for $650.00 or so, a mark 3 (10.1mp) in the neighborhood of $1500.00-$1600.00. The mark iv does 1080p video and has 16.1mp and will run you about $2700.00 used. The 1Dx is $6800.00 and still has 18.1mp. The only reasons to get the 1Dx over the 1D mk iv are the video improvements, the new autofocus and the better low light capabilities.
 
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