Is Canon EOS 400D a presentable tool for a freelance wedding photographer?

[madmacs]

hi ! if i am the wedding couple, i dun care what camera u used...

the results better be good and professional standards.. people pay money hor. :think:

aiyo..dun shoot down the poor chap before he even starts his engine leh. its good that he has a goal. and mind you he's not asking 5d or 1dmk2n better. 400d and 30d are good cams to start learning with. perhaps we should recommend him one of these and some good lenses that can last him on his journey.

anyway..my recommendation is stay away from ef-s lenses if you can help it cos these wont work with the higher end cams should you upgrade as your skill level improves.

suggested starting equipment:
- 30d
- 17-40 f/4L for group shots
- 85 f/1.8 for portraits
- 50 f/1.8 - a cheap and good lens for general use

 

[madmacs]

oh yeah...invest more on good quality lenses than on camera bodies. lenses can last you many years if you take care of them.

 

[irrelevance]

And lens prices tends to stick better than bodies

 

[Splutter]

Actually I have had clients who know the difference between the cams you use. If you can afford it, just push for the best gears lor.

 

[XC Pictorial]

economical

Sorry bro, there is NO economical in this line.
You are paid decently for this job, you better deliver..

Top class DSLR equipment is nothing compared to those of other systems eg. MF

If you are not even willing to spend on good DSLR gear, u might as well make do with Prosumers, some of which do give better images than so-so lens.

I shoot using Nikkor 17-35 class lens, alot of the images i feel can be replicated using a 18-70 kit lens, esp since clients only print 4Rs most of the time.

But you have to work on the safe than sorry principle, if that slightly bigger aperture lens can increase your chance of a better shot, you better have it.

I ALWAYS carry a FULL extra set of system, from body to lens to flash, because i CANNOT afford to mess up. I carry lens like 80-200 f2.8 for 20hrs though i may not even use it.

But if i can take even just one moment defining shot with it, it is all worth it, otherwise, i make do having that peace of mind.

 

[madmacs]

Actually I have had clients who know the difference between the cams you use. If you can afford it, just push for the best gears lor.

haha...those no choice cannot fool them. so have to convince them based on work quality. at least they probably wont ask you about how many mp

 

[madmacs]

Sorry bro, there is NO economical in this line.
You are paid decently for this job, you better deliver..

Top class DSLR equipment is nothing compared to those of other systems eg. MF

If you are not even willing to spend on good DSLR gear, u might as well make do with Prosumers, some of which do give better images than so-so lens.

I shoot using Nikkor 17-35 class lens, alot of the images i feel can be replicated using a 18-70 kit lens, esp since clients only print 4Rs most of the time.

But you have to work on the safe than sorry principle, if that slightly better aperture lens can increase your chance of a better shot, you better have it.

I ALWAYS carry a FULL extra set of system, from body to lens to flash, because i CANNOT afford to mess up. I carry lens like 80-200 f2.8 for 20hrs though i may not even use it.

But if i can take even just one moment defining shot with it, it is all worth it, otherwise, i make do having that peace of mind.

oh yeah...redundancy. something he needs to factor in eventually ;p

 

[TrailsofLife]

Ai yah...just use the cheapest way or tool. But make sure you know what you are doing or looking for....People shouldn't be paying you to screw up their only records of their wedding hor...

Dun look at me, I like to shoot with the best I can afford...because I feel good...ha ha....because I like to scare away those relative with compact digicam with my huge camera and flash! When my flash flashed, everyone will siam for me! Ha ha....:bsmilie:

Must feel confident to deliver! If you feel inferior because your camera look like toy, you won't be focussed enough on the wedding!

Jokes aside....Make Sure you know how to shoot a wedding (any traditions!)... And I can tell you no course in the world will teach you how to shoot a wedding well! You need to do afew tag-along jobs for free to learn...most importantly, shoot with passion! dun just shoot for money! Can tell one you know....:bsmilie:

 

[ST1100]

Gearwise, any SLR system is more than sufficient to cover a wedding. Wedding clients who really care about the gear are few and far between.

 

[mrfranklee]

Hi All,
Thanks for your valuable advice. It's great to have a community like this to trade experiences and advice. I picked up photography again about a year or so ago when I bought a Nikon Coolpix 5400 for the casual social shoots. This is my first digital camera. Formerly, I used to shoot in film with my EOS-RT and used mainly zoom lenses for their economy and flexibility, of which 1 of them was the 70-300, but that was really ages ago. Somewhere down the road I got distracted by work and other commitments and eventually left my camera and lenses to mold in the box. By now all 3 lenses and camera body must be quite soggy keke. I'm still keeping them as a memorabilia of my youth. I lost my job recently because I resigned. My good wife gave me her full support and allowed me the grace of a year to settle with God what I want of my life. I thought whilst doing so, I could venture into wedding photography to bring in some income. I have shot for a couple of weddings before and had fond memories of those experiences, maybe because I met very happy people those few times. Anyway, I think I'm sharing too much un-photographically keke, but guess no harm being more forthcoming in a sharing la, maybe can even make some friends. Ok, I think I'll most likely buy the 400D or 350D. I'll build up my lenses gradually, and perhaps like some of the harsher critics have expressed, I should really polish up my knowledge and skills some more before opening shop keke. Ok, thanks for all your help again guys!

 

[unseen]

ease up on the guy mate

It's not an attack, I'm speaking from the POV of someone who knows of several victims, whose photographers did such a bad job of covering that they have to go beg for photos from their guests.

Look at the facts:
1) doesn't know what camera to buy
2) doesn't know what lenses to use
3) intends to turn pro because of the $$

An equivilant analogy would be a 18 (rich) year old driver fresh out of driving school wanting to know which car he can buy is presentable to do cross country motor racing. Sure, any car can do, problem lies with the driver, if he can drive well enough to make the car look presentable.

I feel the problem lies with the fact that the TS plans buy a camera BECAUSE he wants to do full time photography, rather than buy a camera BECAUSE EVENTUALLY he plans to do full time photography.

I'm speaking from the POV of someone who knows of several victims, whose photographers did such a bad job of covering that they have to go beg for photos from their guests.

Look at the facts:
1) doesn't know what camera to buy
2) doesn't know what lenses to use
3) intends to turn pro because of the $$
An equivilant analogy would be a 18 (rich) year old driver fresh out of driving school wanting to know which car he can buy is presentable to do cross country motor racing. Sure, any car can do, problem lies with the driver, if he can drive well enough to make the car look presentable.

I'm of the view that it's how the photographer behaves with the camera that makes the camera look professional, not that the camera makes the photographer look professional. That's because 50% of the world can't tell the difference between 1 model of the camera to the next.

---------
On a side note, it seems to be a trend nowadays.

A few of my friends want to quit their jobs and take up photography when they know roughly how much some wedding/event photographers make. Especially so when they get to know that some professional photographers never underwent any formal training.

They all come with the mindset "I pick up tools that the "pros" are using, I'll be able to produce the same thing. Just stand there and press the shutter only mah."
Soon after, they'll go "I want to buy a camera big enough to impress my potential clients! What would you recommend? What lenses should I buy?"
Soon after, they'll go "Wah, so expensive. How come even flash also must buy? What's the cheapest option out there? is it good enough? Oh ok I think I'll settle for that. Don't need to buy expensive lenses lar, at least not until I'm more pro."

 

[dragos]

2 things to consider....

1. train your eye to see things.

2. buy whatever x 2 as backup...

 

[unseen]

Hi All,
Thanks for your valuable advice. It's great to have a community like this to trade experiences and advice. I picked up photography again about a year or so ago when I bought a Nikon Coolpix 5400 for the casual social shoots. This is my first digital camera. Formerly, I used to shoot in film with my EOS-RT and used mainly zoom lenses for their economy and flexibility, of which 1 of them was the 70-300, but that was really ages ago. Somewhere down the road I got distracted by work and other commitments and eventually left my camera and lenses to mold in the box. By now all 3 lenses and camera body must be quite soggy keke. I'm still keeping them as a memorabilia of my youth. I lost my job recently because I resigned. My good wife gave me her full support and allowed me the grace of a year to settle with God what I want of my life. I thought whilst doing so, I could venture into wedding photography to bring in some income. I have shot for a couple of weddings before and had fond memories of those experiences, maybe because I met very happy people those few times. Anyway, I think I'm sharing too much un-photographically keke, but guess no harm being more forthcoming in a sharing la, maybe can even make some friends. Ok, I think I'll most likely buy the 400D or 350D. I'll build up my lenses gradually, and perhaps like some of the harsher critics have expressed, I should really polish up my knowledge and skills some more before opening shop keke. Ok, thanks for all your help again guys!

I hope you won't take it against me, I really have nothing against you, just your idea of picking up a camera to turn professional. Hope you will look at it this way:

If you turn in crap for a few assignments, you probably won't be getting anymore assignments in the future, even if you may be as good as the top Singapore photographers. Most people won't want to risk their "special" moments being screwed up even if they're just paying like $200. It's very often that the less they pay the more they demand.
Imagine if the singapore brides forum start to bitch about you. It'll be really really hard to get jobs in the future.

If you turn in some good/ok pieces of work, chances that (good stuff about) your name would be passed around is alot higher. However, turning good/ok pieces of work isn't as easy as it looks.

IMHO, if you plan to be doing any extended period of photography, reputation is very important.

 

[HippingHippo]

Look of the camera aside, I suggest you try out the grip cos you will be holding the camera the whole day. I have a rather big hand and when I covered a wedding recently using my backup camera (cos my main camera developed some fault), 350D, my finger was swollen about 2 days. Lens wise... keep it simple, I find the EF-S 17-55 IS f/2.8 indispensable and use it 90% of the time.

 

[Danntbt]

A newbie in digital, may not mean a newbie in photography, sometimes we tend to jump the gun and assume a non-pro has no business in taking pictures for others for a fee as they are not good enough, there are all kind of photographers just as there are clients,I have seen pro taking pictures with badly setup lights which stands are visible etc, and I have seen non-pro taking shots which are "PRO" standard. I have heard of pro recalling, where clients asked for the kind of camera he uses and run to the computer to check out on the the specs....coming back to him and said.."Wow 1 series...very expensive, you take the job." Lets not be so judgemental, a forum is to share views and in this particular forum, I believe its meant to encourage and make friends with like-minded people, I don't think it is meant to be an elitist pro only domain, I feel too many so called pro are being too protective and defensive of their turf, but uinfortunately you have no control on how other people view or apply their photographic skills. If you want, go petition with your MP to ask the government to make photography a restricted vocation, or perhaps there should be a pro sub-forum, non-pro stay out.

I have seen events where, though open to public and in public places, which restrict photography....and I have seen tourist spots which restrict photography too....but if everyone start to restrict, guess, it will be a pro-haven, because then, they and only they have the right to shoot.

 

[Zplus]

Hi All,
Thanks for your valuable advice. It's great to have a community like this to trade experiences and advice. I picked up photography again about a year or so ago when I bought a Nikon Coolpix 5400 for the casual social shoots. This is my first digital camera. Formerly, I used to shoot in film with my EOS-RT and used mainly zoom lenses for their economy and flexibility, of which 1 of them was the 70-300, but that was really ages ago. Somewhere down the road I got distracted by work and other commitments and eventually left my camera and lenses to mold in the box. By now all 3 lenses and camera body must be quite soggy keke. I'm still keeping them as a memorabilia of my youth. I lost my job recently because I resigned. My good wife gave me her full support and allowed me the grace of a year to settle with God what I want of my life. I thought whilst doing so, I could venture into wedding photography to bring in some income. I have shot for a couple of weddings before and had fond memories of those experiences, maybe because I met very happy people those few times. Anyway, I think I'm sharing too much un-photographically keke, but guess no harm being more forthcoming in a sharing la, maybe can even make some friends. Ok, I think I'll most likely buy the 400D or 350D. I'll build up my lenses gradually, and perhaps like some of the harsher critics have expressed, I should really polish up my knowledge and skills some more before opening shop keke. Ok, thanks for all your help again guys!

Dude! How can you say that you lost your job because you resigned? In this case, you did not lose it since you choose to leave.

Back to the thread. Yes, a 400D can turn in nice pictures. How presentable you are, depends a lot on the person rather then just the equipment itself. Are you presentable? Patient? Sensitive to clients? Doing photography as a full time job is not as easy as it might seem. Sure, the money is good but is it regular? Do you have the business sense to price it correctly and to put it across as value added.

My advice is for you to look for a job first to put bread on the table. When you are confident enough to get regular photography jobs, then consider going full time. By then, you won't have to ask if a 400D is presentable. Or what lens to buy. Because you'd already have the experience to help you decide.

 

[Moonstone]

400D is good enough plus some L lenses and a 580EX flash.

 

[Hoky]

400D is good enough plus some L lenses and a 580EX flash.

plus flash strobes + flash stands + omnibounce + reflector boards ++++++
It never ends... :bsmilie:

 

[Kongo]

I hv no experience in paid wedding shots, but not new to being asked to help relatives & friends cover their wedding either as main or backup. Very much free service.. :cry:

I think if you use a 350D or 400D with a battery grip, mounted with a 17-55IS with the lens hood, and a 580EX with a Lighsphere PJ2, you shd looked decent enuff to most. If u still wanna push further, get a photog vest lor.

 

[madmacs]

i think photovest a bit overdoing it liao :bsmilie: but ya if you really need to use a photovest by all means use it.