Professional photographers: Which digital camera do you use?

Question

And which digital camera do you think has the best 'all-round' performance? (By this I mean what digital camera can be used in the most situations).

I cover modelling, music concerts, sports and more, so I need to know the best digital camera for all these situations and other general situations.

Answer 1

The new Pentax K5 has the widest dynamic range (>14 f stops) and the best low light performance of any current DSLR (51200 ISO) and that includes the Nikon D3x which costs 4X more and 6X less than a Canon 1D which is old technology these days.



It has 4 stop image stabilisation built into the camera so any lens I fit is image stabilised, even a 30 year old 50mm f1.4 (costs less than £100) will be image stabilised and is superb optically.



Much smaller than any full frame sensor camera they have all the functions you will ever need, magnesium and stainless steel chassis, fully weatherproof and has 7 frames per second in continuous mode, hi-res Movie Mode, fast auto focus (always was a Pentax weak point til this model) it really does touch ALL the bases.



Here is a comparison between the Nikon D3 the Canon 1D and the Pentax K5 from a well respected independent reviewer



http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/en/Camera-Sensor/Compare/Compare-sensors/(appareil1)/191%7C0/(appareil2)/438%7C0/(appareil3)/676%7C0/(onglet)/0/(brand)/Canon/(brand2)/Nikon/(brand3)/Pentax



Remember you get all this high spec on a camera that costs thousands of £'s less than the other two.



Chris

Answer 2

While a professional-grade camera (Canon 5D Mk II and up, Nikon D700 and up) is certainly a huge help for those who can take advantage of the features pro bodies offer, the most important tool is the photographer's knowledge. I currently shoot with a Canon PowerShot A590 IS (though I do not do professional work with it). I'm taking a 2-year break from paid photography work (and pro-bono work that would otherwise be paid). When this hiatus ends, I'll be upgrading to whatever camera sits in the slot the 5D Mk II currently occupies.



While I was shooting paid portraits, etc., I used the Canon Rebel XSi. Some pros sneered at my entry-level camera. My work sneered back at them:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/naturesmugshots/4521632221/in/set-72157622923292355/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/naturesmugshots/4823108736/in/set-72157622923292355/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/naturesmugshots/4421221148/in/set-72157622923292355/



The lens is still more important than the camera. Putting sharp, fast primes in front of the Rebel XSi will give better results than buying a 1D Mk IV and cheaping out on the lenses. Frankly, it's possible to take professional-quality photos with virtually any camera, if you know what you're doing. Camera upgrades mostly offer better features and more control over the image, more resolution, etc. Actual image quality bumps are fairly small between cameras after you get to the CMOS sensor.



Again—knowing your stuff is much more important than your gear. I took this picture with a Canon PowerShot A590 IS—a point & shoot camera that is so "outdated" that it hasn't been made for about 2 years.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/naturesmugshots/5463110472/



As far as flexibility... mostly it comes down to your lens choices. The sad truth is you need to have a pretty wide range if you want the sharp images that most people are after. Buying an "all-in-one" lens isn't a good choice if you want to do paid work. The four lenses I use the most are the 50mm f/1.4, the 85mm f/1.8, the 100mm f/2.8 Macro (non L version) and the 135mm f/2L. I like my primes.



Good luck!

Answer 3

Many professionals use digital cameras these days, but they're still pretty sophisticated models. They have the same degree of control that a professional film camera would have, they just store the images differently. To be successful, you will need to train to use things like shutter speed and lighting to the best of your ability. Photoshop can only do so much.

Answer 4

Nikon:

D3x or D3s - this is their top DSLR and is built like a tank for photojournalists and professionals. There's nothing it can't do.

D700 - less expensive, but can do nearly everything the D3 can do.



Canon:

1DMarkIV - Their top professional camera.

5DMarkIV - Their top prosumer camera.



If you want to have the cameras that the pros use, get one of these.



I use the Nikon D3. It's brilliant, and because it's their top camera I know that if the photos look like crap it's my fault, not the camera's! :-)

Answer 5

Hey there,

I have a dslr camera and I was looking for a good online photography course. This is the best one I found http://www.goobypls.com/r/rd.asp?gid=557



It really helped me a lot. I'm sure it will help you to become a better photographer as well

Bye Bye

Answer 6

For music concerts, sports, indoor events etc. I'd go for the Nikon D3s and fast glass attached if I could afford to... I can actually, but that's neither here nor there. If I were opting for Canon I'd be looking at the 1DMk4 or *maybe* the 5D Mk 2.

Answer 7

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Answer 8

1

Answer 9

Canon 5D Mk II fantastic camera and does everything i need

Answer 10

Definitely the Nikon D3's it's pretty much the last camera you'll ever buy; that thing is a ******* powerhorse.

Answer 11

I use Canon 5d mark II



http://www.flickr.com/photos/little_pooky

Answer 12

I use a canon 800x. It's good for everything.