dslr advice

[mao]

Probably not the right forum for this kind of question but I guess I get a better answer here than on dpreview or similar.

I work as photographer, currently employed, and I really don´t need any new equipment since my employer has sufficent gear.
However now and then I do work on my own on freelance basis. For portraits I usually bring my Hasselblad, still loaded with Fuji NPS or NPH.
I´ve got a digital slr as well, an EOS 20D, which I also use sometimes. Quite a lot actually. Thougt of replacing this one.
Lenses are:
17-55 IS f.2,8 which is a great lens and I often end up using only this one. I dislike the quality of it though. A lot of plastic and it collects dust!
50 f.1,8 also crappy but great optics.
85 f.1,8 which is great!

The most natural is to get the EOS 50D and keep the lenses. Quite cheap and simple.
Today I tried a Nikon D300 and I felt a lot more comfortable with it than with the EOS. Feels more solid. Reliable! (perhaps it´s just heavier???)
Nikkor 17-55 f2,8 is also great with the same sturdy feeling. Unfortunately no IS.
Have to add a prime for portraits as well and the Voigtländer 58 mm f.1,4 seems nice.
A bit more expensive than the first option but think I would feel more confortable with it.

Other options possible:
The new 5dII or a D700.

I use the "old" 5D at work (together with a digital Hasselblad) and its IQ is of course nice.
"Fullframe" (hate that word) is kind of nice but mainly for the possibility of using wideangle primes.
Most of the time a smaller sensor is fine with me.
D700 is the most expensive option since I don´t have any lenses and the body is expensive. And only marginally better than the D300. But still affordable.

The other side of the coin, which relates to this site, is:
If I go for the cheaper options, which would be the 50D, D300 I can afford a nice rangefinder. A new Bessa or a used Leica.
Which would be real nice.

The advice thing...
I really don´t know, just want some subjective opions to define my own preferences. And maybe some experiences from D300 owners (if any?)

 

[willie_901]

I have a D300 which I use commercially. I use it occasionally for personal work as well. When I bought my first DSLR, I handled the 5D and the D200. The D200 felt much better in my hands, also I own some old Nikkor manual focus lenses, so I started with the D200 (which is now my backup body for paying gigs).

All the cameras you are considering are excellent and can get the job done.

The D300 is a reasonable alternate to the D700/5D II. I have no opinion about the 50D. I have no issues with the D300 which I shoot in RAW 99% of the time. Like all DSLRs, it does not do well when you overexpose an image. In fact, it may be a bit worse than the D200 in this regard. The image quality is quite nice at ISO 800 and below. With careful exposure the D300 does well at higher ISOs (but not as good as the 5D or D700). The AF system is superb. I've used AF for sports (indoor gymnastics, 50@1.8, no strobe!) and with manual focus lenses (to indicate focus), and for many applications in between. In my work (interior photography) the D300's 100% view finder is a plus. The D300 is well-suited for manual use (as are the 5DII and 50D I assume). I wish the exposure bracketing could be set to greater that 1 stop intervals. I don't know if it's important to you, but the Nikon CLS strobe system is very flexible.

At any rate, I advise you to buy either the 50D or D300 and spend the difference on glass and/or a Bessa.

Good luck,

willie

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Probably not the right forum for this kind of question but I guess I get a better answer here than on dpreview or similar.

I work as photographer, currently employed, and I really don´t need any new equipment since my employer has sufficent gear.
However now and then I do work on my own on freelance basis. For portraits I usually bring my Hasselblad, still loaded with Fuji NPS or NPH.
I´ve got a digital slr as well, an EOS 20D, which I also use sometimes. Quite a lot actually. Thougt of replacing this one.
Lenses are:
17-55 IS f.2,8 which is a great lens and I often end up using only this one. I dislike the quality of it though. A lot of plastic and it collects dust!
50 f.1,8 also crappy but great optics.
85 f.1,8 which is great!

The most natural is to get the EOS 50D and keep the lenses. Quite cheap and simple.
Today I tried a Nikon D300 and I felt a lot more comfortable with it than with the EOS. Feels more solid. Reliable! (perhaps it´s just heavier???)
Nikkor 17-55 f2,8 is also great with the same sturdy feeling. Unfortunately no IS.

Why would you want IS (in Nikon's speak, VR) for a fast lens? 😕

Have to add a prime for portraits as well and the Voigtländer 58 mm f.1,4 seems nice.
A bit more expensive than the first option but think I would feel more confortable with it.

Other options possible:
The new 5dII or a D700.

I use the "old" 5D at work (together with a digital Hasselblad) and its IQ is of course nice.
"Fullframe" (hate that word) is kind of nice but mainly for the possibility of using wideangle primes.
Most of the time a smaller sensor is fine with me.
D700 is the most expensive option since I don´t have any lenses and the body is expensive. And only marginally better than the D300. But still affordable.

I beg to differ: they are almost the same camera, with an improved ISO and (since you hate FF) FX.

The other side of the coin, which relates to this site, is:
If I go for the cheaper options, which would be the 50D, D300 I can afford a nice rangefinder. A new Bessa or a used Leica.
Which would be real nice.

The advice thing...
I really don´t know, just want some subjective opions to define my own preferences. And maybe some experiences from D300 owners (if any?)

Alright... I was about to tell you to switch from Canon to Nikon (vaster range of glass to choose from, and that's just the beginning, despite the recent introduction of a dSLR with 21 million pixels), when you ended up saying you'd consider a Bessa or a Leica.

Those are very different animals. Wanna dSLR? I'd go the Nikon route. In that case, and in the case of any dSLR, aim high... so that you have ample room to grow in your knowledge of the camera. Why not a D700? It offers the best of both worlds, because it allows you to use DX and FX glass, and also AI and AIS lenses (which are the old Nikkor with manual focus and remarkable performance). BTW, the D200 and D300 also allow the use of these lenses. The D3 is my dream camera but that is really out of my league (pricewise, it handles like an F5 to me) and, why bother with one if the D700 has almost the same features?

Now, your second choice, the Leicas, well... again, those are very different animals. How are you lighting skills? As a pro, you should be able to get by without a meter after a while, so you could aim at getting a classic Leica body (M3, M2 and M4 and their variants), with a 35mm lens. If you want built-in metering, any M6 in good shape will do; and here's where the Bessas come into play. I'll stop here (I don't know the line any more)... but you may want to decide what is it you want and take the plunge.

 

[mao]

Why would you want IS (in Nikon's speak, VR) for a fast lens? 😕



Now, your second choice, the Leicas, well... again, those are very different animals. How are you lighting skills? As a pro, you should be able to get by without a meter after a while, so you could aim at getting a classic Leica body (M3, M2 and M4 and their variants), with a 35mm lens. If you want built-in metering, any M6 in good shape will do; and here's where the Bessas come into play. I'll stop here (I don't know the line any more)... but you may want to decide what is it you want and take the plunge.

I find my 20D usable up to ISO 800 and a f.2,8 lens can sometimes be limiting. IS/VR is great for low light.


The rangefinder is another chapter...
The option in Leica is actually only a used M6. Want built-in metering, love Astia.
The affordable Bessas are tempting since they seem... affordable and priceworthy. I can get a R3A,M with a 40 or 50 and add a R4 when a get a wideangle. For example.
But let´s save that for later.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Still undecided then? About dSLRs? 😕

Go Nikon. 🙂 Many have done it and don't regret it. 😉

 

[Sam N]

If you end up keeping the 17-55 IS, putting a filter on the front will stop it from sucking in dust. Mine has no dust problems.

Since you're not too heavily invested in Canon glass, you should switch to Nikon if you feel more comfortable with their ergonomics. I personally like the xxD series, but the D300 is a fine camera.

 

[gavinlg]

I went from a 5d to a d300 - man was that a waste of time. The canon CMOS sensors handle hues and tones like no other. I had serious difficulty getting nice skin tones out of the d300, and ergonomically there are some things with it that don't make sense. Also it's menus are very complex.

I then went Olympus e-3, which is a fantastic allrounder, with the best all purpose lenses (by far) to boot. Great sensor though not so great above ISO 1600. Plus it has in-body IS.

Now I'm running dual systems - Olympus and Canon. I have my old 5d back and I just received a 50mm 1.2L which is an absolutely stunning piece of glass. Nikon AF primes are poor in comparison, and I'm a prime kind of guy.

Maybe the d700 is better with the whole wonky colors/tones/hues/skin tones that the d300 had though - the 5d is such a bargain at the moment I wouldn't even consider anything else.

 

[Rogier]

Get the 5d first version at a steep discount.
Buy "L" glass only. I really like the 17-40 even if its "only" f4...

 

[gavinlg]

Get the 5d first version at a steep discount.
Buy "L" glass only. I really like the 17-40 even if its "only" f4...

I agree - my old one was basically "un-flareable" and very very sharp stopped down a bit right to the corners. I'm ordering another one on the weekend.

 

[mao]

Thank you all!
Right now I´m leaning towards the easy/cheap alterantive. Buy the new 50D and put my money on a nice rangefinder There is an auction coming up where I live with 3 nice-looking Leica M6. I´m gonna get one of them. There are also a a bunch of summicrons 50/2.
Together with the 28/2 Ultron it will be a nice kit.

 

[sojournerphoto]

I'd do some side by side with a 5D before buying the 50D - just a thought. You might find an old 5D gives better image quality, albeit with slihgtly lower resolution (the 50D will show diffractionblurring much earlier). I also think the 5D2 will liely be a cracking piece of kit - as it's likely to offer cleaner high iso files than a 1Ds3...

Mike

 

[dimitris]

I would get a used 5D. I was in your shoes (20D with 3 L lenses as well as F3hp with 6 manual Nikors) and finally decided to get a used 1Ds mkI. Sweet as the D700 and new 5D I couldnt convince myself to pay so much money for a digital.

 

[35mmdelux]

get a canon so you can use the glass you already have. This will leave you funds for a used Leica.

don't become a collector, bankrupting yourself. get a few good tools and learn them well.