You will notice if you look at one of my recent posts that I just received a Pentax K10D. It was the camera that I thought I wanted. I had done a lot of research and handled it along with a few other cameras.
At the same time that all of this ‘research’ was going on I also was going into negotiations with a photographer and a website developer about starting a business centered around wedding photography.
The other photographer uses Nikon equipment. I didn’t think that would matter, we could certainly have two brands of cameras and work together, right? But then all kinds of other considerations started appearing as I began to assemble gear. Here are a couple of them:
If we had different brands of cameras we couldn’t swap or borrow lenses from each other. No batteries or other camera specific equipment either. Those were big considerations, especially for something as critical as wedding photography where it is important to have as much redundant equipment as possible.
(See the comments at the bottom of this article: http://photo.net/learn/wedding/equipment)
Since this photographer I was going into business with had Nikon equipment already my decision to buy a Pentax was going to make it so that we would both have to have our own doubles or triples of everything instead of being able to rely on some sharing for redundancy. At any rate that was strike number one against me owning a Pentax (notice I did not say against Pentax).
The other big factor that sealed the deal and sent my Pentax back to the store was that there is nowhere to go from the K10D right now. It is a great camera with weather seals, a sensor cleaner, builtin image stabilization, etc, but there is no next step for the professional photographer. No faster camera, no full frame sensor model, no upgrade path.
At any rate I sent the camera back and I am getting a Nikon. Good decision or bad, I am not sure yet. I think I will miss some things about the Pentax but I feel safe being under the Nikon umbrella of products and better about being able to use the same equipment as my partner.
I just want to hear some comments about why people own the camera they do. Each person that comments will be entered to win a $20 Amazon gift card which I will give away to what I deem as the best post, just make sure that you put your email address in the mail field when leaving your comment.
Come back Friday (29 Nov, 2007) when I will post the winning commenter (not sure if that is a word but hopefully you get my drift). One entry only please, I will be checking for and disqualifying double posters via email address and IP, etc.
State your position, don’t attack anyone else. I will delete simple argument or flaming comments without any warning. Let’s make this useful for those looking for a new camera.
Here are a few things that would be nice to know:
How long have you been doing this?
Are you a professional (livelihood) or amateur (side-money or hobby)?
What do you primarily shoot?
Digital or film?
You are welcome to post links to your own gallery or site so that people can see examples.
Thanks for stopping by.
14 responses so far ↓
1 Karl // Nov 25, 2007 at 10:02 am
I own an Olympus E-510. I have been shooting pictures seriously for about 7 months and I cannot get anyone to pay me for it yet
I like my camera because it came with two very good lenses for under $1000 US and it is very easy to use. I like the live view feature that lets me focus on something, change settings and see the difference in what the camera picture will be.
I take a lot of shots of the American Southwest and the clarity of this camera is very good.
I think the Olympus E cameras must be the easiest cameras for a new camera user.
2 Heather // Nov 25, 2007 at 11:40 am
Love my Nikon..D70…I find Nikon to be tough..durable..and amazing quality…
I am out in the rugged bush ..of Northwestern Ontario…and I have no worries about..it….and the Nikon lenses are some of the best glass out there..
3 Robin // Nov 26, 2007 at 12:33 pm
I love love love my Canon EOS Digital Rebel, Anything Canon for that matter… I started off with a tiny little Canon Powershot and I still swear by that camera.
4 BBCue // Nov 26, 2007 at 3:27 pm
I also have a Canon DR XTI, though we call it a EOS 400 here. It is real easy to use but takes slammin pics and is a good bargain.
Canon lenses are easy to find and do a great job.
5 The other Billy Joel // Nov 26, 2007 at 4:19 pm
Put me down for Canon as well. I have a 40D. I love the big LCD, crystal clear pics, great AF that is loads better than other Canon models like the 20D I used to have. I have also shot a Nikon D200 but I will stick with Canon since I have about a zillion lenses and am very comfy with the controls and everything.
6 Os Sutrisno // Nov 26, 2007 at 11:15 pm
Thanks for stopping at Photography7.com!
Personally I prefer Nikon too. Well know for its durability and ruggedness, I love the Creative Lighting System of the speedlights too.
The only gripe would be a consumer priced Full Frame body and more affordable lenses.
Cheers!
7 Mark // Nov 27, 2007 at 11:56 am
I started out with a Nikon D40x and it was a great camera, until I realized the narrow selection of lenses I have with it.
I changed over to a Nikon D80 and am in love. While it has a lot of easy to use features you can also get really creative with all of the advanced features it has.
Sure Nikon can be a little bit more costly than some other cameras out there. I think that in General you get what you pay for…..
Would you pay an extra couple hundred for a good name and a reliable product or pay less and take a chance?
8 Dave Smith // Nov 29, 2007 at 8:05 am
I’ve shot Nikon all my life. When I finally switched to digital I did it with the D40. I’ve had a blast with that little bugger. This week I picked up a D300. Much larger footprint in the hand. That said, “It is sweet”.
I was tempted to try the new Canon but as so many have said in the past I have a lot of glass for Nikon. So for the near future and with a D300 I’ll be sticking with them a while, maybe a long while longer.
9 Royalty free stock photos and images // Nov 29, 2007 at 11:29 am
[…] Win a $20 gift card, what is the best camera brand? […]
10 Susanne in Key West // Nov 29, 2007 at 11:53 am
I’m working in wedding photography with NIKONS since over 35 years now. It was and will never be a question to work with any other cameras than “my Nikons”. And I had never any problems with this brand!
Comparing the 35mm SRL’s to the todays Digitals, I love the speed by working in a wedding, the ability to shoot more pictures without to change the film rolls and to save a lot of money in lab costs.
11 Matt // Nov 30, 2007 at 1:23 pm
Thanks everyone!!! I announced the winner here:
http://www.therightpic.com/wp/life/the-winner-is-karl
12 David // Dec 1, 2007 at 4:13 am
I see the contest is over but I would just like to say that I have enjoyed my Nikon D-70 for a couple of years now. It takes very sharp photos. Nikon has amazing lenses and they keep coming out with more of them. I don’t if I will ever fully understand this camera but it’s fun trying.
13 Matt // Dec 4, 2007 at 3:59 am
Hey thanks, David. Good to see you poking around my blog.
14 Whimspiration // Dec 26, 2007 at 9:36 am
Well the contest if far over, but since I’ve popped over from Cre8buzZ, I’d like to comment anyway, as a sort of “other-side-of-the-fence” thing. *chuckle*
I’ve been taking photographs since I was a child. i started with film, and a few years ago was able to go to digital. I am what most folks would call a hobby photographer, though I am rarely without my camera.
I got my trusty Polaroid i832 as a gift a couple of years back for Valentine’s day, and I have never let it out of my sight since except for once, to repair the battery door.
I shoot whatever catches my eye, but I find I am most drawn to nature, or odd angles and rare views. I also have a small obsession of photographing people when they are taking pictures.
I find that working in digital allows me to capture more images, giving me a better chance of achieving the “perfect” shot without being afraid of the cost of developing. My photography has really raised in quality since I switched to digital, much for the same reason. I am no longer afraid to snap off 30-50 frames of a single object or event.
I really like my little cheap camera. It takes mid-grade video, it records voice, and I have several settings for stills. The photos are crisp and beautiful. It has a relatively quick boot time, and is frugal with the battery power compared to most other consumer-grade digitals.
Things I don’t like about it;
The battery door is made of plastic, and likes to break if one is not exceedingly careful.
I could really use a shutter speed setting, and a low-light setting, and it would be handy if one could zoom in and out while filming.
Other than those small things, I am really glad I have what I do, and for the beginning or hobbyist photographer, I would suggest it above all other little pocket-sized 8MP digicams in the under $200 range. Worth every penny and more.
That said, all of my film cameras have been either Vivitar (110), or Cannon (35mm). I have a friend who has a Nikkon digital 10MP, but she takes photos like I do, using very few of the features.
I hesitate to say it, but I think one of the reasons the professional-grade cameras are so large and unwieldy isn’t because of stability or superior functionality, but rather that when hiring a photographer, you want to see that they have the biggest, latest, and best equiptment for your special photos. Most people wouldn’t hire me to do a wedding, for example, for the sole reason that it looks rather cheap and unprofessional to have a camera you can wrap your hand around. My friend with the Nikkon, however, shadowed a wedding within 5 months or so of acquiring her camera, and she has fewer quality photos even with her big fancy camera, than I do with mine. She is learning fast though. *smile*
I’d have to say that without the specific features I need in a camera, I will never switch away from what I have. The only thing that could make me go bigger would be something with all of the features I want and need from a camera, plus some others I wasn’t aware I couldn’t live without until I had them. *chuckle*
Leave a Comment