Camera Search: Part 2

{Photography by Katie Pietrowski}

Today I am so happy to be able to share with you advice from the very talented Katie Pietrowski.  Not only does she take extraordinary photographs she is so kind!  Here is her extremely helpful advice on finding a DSLR camera:

1. Decide what you’ll be using it for.

A lot of people will be drawn towards the number of gadgets and gizmos that come on a standard camera these days, but they probably won’t use most of them.  Decide what you’ll be photographing most of the time, and then make your purchase based on that. 

-Are you shooting landscapes?  It’s best to focus on the lens for this and a full frame sensor.

-Buying it to take pictures of your toddler? You’ll probably want something with a faster shutter.

-Will you be shooting video a large chunk of the time?  Then you need to buy something with video capabilities. 

2. Educate yourself.

Before actually buying, educate yourself on how cameras work.  Learn what ISO is. Learn what aperture is and why it’s important.  When you start to shop around, you’ll actually understand what the box is saying or what the sales man is trying to sell you on.  If you’re uneducated, you’ll be swayed by numbers that aren’t relevant to your camera search.   You’ll end up buying a camera with an extremely high ISO when you’ll be shooting landscapes the majority of the time.

PS. High ISO is for shooting in extremely dark places.  Think dark church where you’re not allowed to use flash.

Here are some links so you can better understand how cameras work:

http://www.digital-photography-school.com/digital-photography-tips-for-beginners

http://thephotographerblog.com/567/resources-for-dslr-beginners/

For more amazing advice read the full post after the jump.

3. Buy for quality, not quantity.

Once you figure out why you’re buying this camera, then it’s time to narrow down the search.  Again, it’s nice to have a camera with all the goods, but make sure what you’re buying is quality goods, not a half-ass version of everything that’s ever existed.

-It’s not about the number of pixels (the cameras I shot your wedding with are a mere 12.8 pixels)

-It’s not about the lens that comes with it (they’re all crappy stock lenses)

-It’s not about the bundle deal Best Buy just offered you which includes a camera bag, memory card, and a fancy lens cleaner.

- It is ALL about the sensor and the lenses you buy.

I repeat, it is all about the sensor and the lenses you buy.

Would I choose a $6K camera body and use a stock lens?

OR

Would I choose an $800 camera body with a $1,200 lens?

I would choose the latter all day long.

Good lenses are what give your images depth.

4. Buy used.

Once you know what you need, my number 1 piece of advice is to buy used.  I have bought most of my equipment (which is used for work, not play) used and in the process, saved hundreds if not thousands.  You can go ahead and get a better camera if buying used.  So, you don’t get the rush of opening the box for the first time, but you will get the rush of taking significantly better pictures with the used camera. 

Tips on buying used:

- Look for a used camera with LOW # of actuations (number of times the shutter has been open and shut) If it’s not listed in the auction, ask the seller. It’s become the norm to post actuations, so go with a seller who knows. 

-Make sure the seller has a 100% rating.  I go with nothing less than that.  Also ask about their return policy so you can have a few days to make sure everything is in working order.

-Insure your equipment.  Head down to your insurance agency, and have them add it to your insured items in the house.  It will only add a few bucks each year, but any damages will be covered.

**What would I recommend?  The cameras I use for weddings and any other professional shoots are the Canon 5D.  NOT Canon 5D Mark II.  You can find a used 5D on ebay for around $1K.

The 5D provides outstanding coloring for skin tones, is full frame, and is one of the most trusted cameras Canon has made.  A lot of professionals have moved on to the 5D Mark II, but a lot have stuck with their original or even made the jump backwards after experiencing weird magenta tones with the Mark II.

5. Buy decent lenses.

It’s worth saving up for, I promise.  A good lens to start with that is decently priced is the Canon 50mm 1.4.  At around $350, it provides great depth with an aperture of 1.4, and is small so you can tote the kit around in a small bag. 

Jumping up quite a few steps in quality, I would recommend saving up for the Canon 24-70mm 2.8 as it provides a great range and great depth with an aperture of 2.8.  The 35mm 1.4 is also a FANTASTIC lens, but pricey.

6. Experiment with an editing software like Photoshop or Lightroom.

They are both expensive programs to buy, but try asking around for friends who already have an old copy that you can put on your computer.  There are so many resources for these programs, and I’m only going to give one tip on post-processing:

Don’t overdue it.

Keep your images simple, not over-processed.  If I had one tool I would recommend it would be the auto-contrast action.  It adds a little pop to your pictures; enhancing the image just a little bit!

7. My recommendations.

-Go with Canon when buying a camera.

-Buy a used 5D, new 5D Mark II, 60D or 7D.

-The Rebel line is a nice beginner camera with a lot of gadgets. You’ll probably be drawn to them, but seriously consider getting a better camera that costs a few bucks more.

TIP** When shopping around, ask to hold the camera.  You’ll notice the quality of the plastic, and the weight of each one.  The Rebels will feel like feathers and the 5D’s will feel much heavier.  That’s for a reason… quality.

-Save up for a good lens.  Before making such a big purchase, use a company like www.borrowlenses.com to test a few out.  I’ve used them before and they are phenomenal!

-Have fun, and experiment.  The best way to take great pictures is to shoot, shoot, shoot, and shoot some more.