A Deal????

January 6th, 2009

So as you know I've been considering a D50 for a long time, but now I have found this deal:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130085891803&ssPageName=MERCOSI_VI_ROSI_PR4_PCN_BIX&refitem=220074455929&itemcount=4&refwidgetloc=closed_view_item&refwidgettype=osi_widget

What do you guys think? Are these lenses enough to do a wedding with?

Are they cheap lenses?

Ok seriously... my last post:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Canon-Digital-Rebel-300D-50mm-f1-8-E-TTL-flash-Xtras_W0QQitemZ250090577653QQihZ015QQcategoryZ1079 08QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Another Update:

sigma4less.com has the following:

Refurbished Canon EOS 350D for $429.95

Refurbished Tamron 28 - 70mm lens f2.8 for $289.99

-------

Whatcha think?

RMT - I don't want to sound too harsh but I will -

These lenses are NOT FOR WEDDINGS!!!

Doing weddings means using quality gear - the camera is fine but you need fast lenses. Would you want your wediing images taken with someone using the cheapest gear they could find? Probably not....

Weddings should not be taken lightly. This is a couples most important day of their lives.

The problem with weddings is anyone with a DSLR thinks they can do one. You need 2 cameras (what if yours stops working)! Believe it or not this happens. I'd to stand in for a friend whose camera broke.

You need a wide - normal lens (something like a 17-50 f2.8) and a telephoto lens like a 70-200 f2.8. These are not cheap. Smaller apertures will be useless in low light.

You could maybe use an 85mm f1.8 and/or a 50mm f1.4 for low light shots (like inside a church) but you'll need to be close to get decent images.

I use a 20D and 350D. I have a 24-105 f4L IS (or a fast prime) on one and the 70-200 f2.8L IS on the other.

I also have 2 flash guns a 580EX and a Sigma EF500 DG Super. You need lots and lots of memory, diffusers for the flash, a decent bag, a couple of camera batteries for each camera, batteries for the flashes etc etc

Do not take weddings lightly. You want to be able to produce quality images for the couple and this means quality gear.

I wish you luck.

Regards
JD

On the flipside if you know the people well, and they realise that they will get what they pay for (I assume you are not charging the close to a grand wedding photographers often do?) you should be able to shoot with a basic SLR and a film backup.

I did an aunts wedding on a Nikon D200, a 18-70mm f3.5, and a SB-800 flash unit. The backup was a Nikon FE with a 50mm f1.8 prime, and they were more than happy with their results

That's exactly it. If I had the cash to go buy two bodies, and several fast 15-90 lenses and a few quick zooms, do you think I'd even post?

I've been getting by with my Canon A610... I beg of you to go look that camera up and see the limitations I am under...

I didn't ASK to become a semi-pro photographer... I merely started showing off my flickr to a few friends, and it grew... now I get calls EVERY DAY, and YES I have turned away about 50% of the jobs offered, because of a lack of equipment.

However, this is a friend of a friend who was going to make their poor old mother in law with her digital camera take the pics. They hired me, and paid me, to take some practice shots on the beach of them (engagement photos), and after seeing the results, hired me to do their wedding... with the understanding I would be using my A610 Canon.

However, I am starting to take this seriously, and since I have a day job, two kids, a wife, rent, car payment and blahblahblah, I have to buy my equipment in PIECES...

So that's why I asked. I am not someone with a "DSLR who thinks he can do it" just because I spent 500 dollars on a camera.

I apologize if I sound snarky, look it up, but I KNOW already what I would LIKE to have for the wedding... my question is... what are the bare necccesaties.

Oh, and I know I'm not the greatest, but you can view my flickr:

www.flickr.com/photos/rmthompson (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rmthompson)

Ryan

Basics (if that's all you can afford) would be a Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 XR Di (not terribly expensive - I own one and it's a quality fast lens) and a Canon 50mm f1.8 (canon's cheapest lens).

You'll get decent coverage with this although it can be a little on the long side. Maybe the Tamron 17-50 bight even be better.

The biggest thing about getting a DSLR is that it's night and day from using a compact. Takes time to learn how to get the best from it.

You'll get a lot less noise from the DSLR and a lot more control of aperture (depth of field). Learn about this if you haven't. Essential for good wedding images. Read understanding exposure by Bryan Petersen - a great read.

I'd get the Canon XT or D50 and the above lenses. You could at an absolute bare minimum do the wedding with the 50 f1.8 on its own!! But you'd be using your feet a lot as the "zoom" :)

You'd be wasting time getting a long lens slower than f4 for a wedding. might be ok for outside shots (if it's an outside wedding) but indoors it'll be all but useless. The flash would be unlikely to reachj the subjects from far away and your shutter speeds will be way too low for anything over about 1/50th sec at high ISOs (so using anything longer than a 50mm lens and you'll end up with camera shake).

Your images are pretty good for only using a P&S but learning to use a DSLR will take you a few months.

Happy to help but start small and buy the best equipment you can..... So

Nikon D50 or Canon XT are ok cameras to start with but keep the compact handy in case it stops working

Either a Tamron 17-50 f2.8 or a Tamron 28-75 f2.8 - Both fast lenses (for zooms) and will be capable of doing most of the work. Although not very wide I'd choose the 28-75 only because of the way I shoot.

Canon/Nikon 50mm f1.8.Very cheap lenses but are very sharp and decent performers in low light. Use your feet to zoom.

Buy a flash gun if you can. If low light it'll be a big help as the on camera flashes are crap!

Start low and build good gear. I still use the Tamron which is an excellent lens.

So..

How about this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Nikon-D50-Digital-SLR-Camera-18-55mm-55-200mm-Lens-Kit_W0QQitemZ160088938399QQihZ006QQcategoryZ122616 QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The lenses seem better...

well the 18-55 is the kit lens. cant say anything about the 55-200.

OH... one more thing.

How does everyone feel about "Factory Reconditioned"...

http://www.sigma4less.com/sess/utn;jsessionid=1545ec4959dceb7/shopdata/0040_Cameras/0010_Digital+Cameras/product_details.shopscript?article=0070_Canon%2BEO S%2BDigital%2BRebel%2BXT%2B%3D28350D%3D29%2B8%3D25 2E0%2BMegapixel%2BDigital%2BSLR%2BCamera%2B%3D28Si lver%3D29%2BKit%2Bwith%2BCanon%2BZoom%2BWide%2BAng le-Normal%2B18-55mm%2Bf%3D26slash%3D3B3%3D252E5-5%3D252E6%2BAutofocus%2BLens%2B-%2BFactory%2BReconditioned%2B%3D28CAXTS1855KR%3D29

Another Update:

sigma4less.com has the following:

Refurbished Canon EOS 350D for $429.95

Refurbished Tamron 28 - 70mm lens f2.8 for $289.99

-------

Whatcha think?

Perfect :)

28mm is not very wide so the 17-50/18-50 range will be slightly better for groups but these are decent quality lenses good enough to complete a basic wedding with. I'd still look for a faster lens for use indoors - 50mm or 85mm f1.8.

the package above will work..... In the right hands :)

I personally wouldn't purchase from that person an expensive item... the feedback isn't all that great especially with over 25k items sold. 7 bad feedback within the last few months...

First off.. the *deals* you normally find on eBay like that arent deals... there is a lot of items in there you simply wont use much...

The lenses arent bad but they are simply low-end consumer lenses... that lens kit goes for $199 on any given day... the RebelXT can be had for in the $500s... 1gb cards are cheap now... you will be better off in the long run paying slightly more and getting from a VERY reputable dealer...

I do ALL my business with Allens Camera in PA... its a phone call only... no web sales... but worth its weight in gold EVERY time... I cant stress that enough...

Also other places will be B&H, Adorama (just be careful with them... had a few bad experiences with their shipping abilities), KEH, and a few others...

Well the problem I am having is that I only have around 700 dollars to spend on a camera, and part of me says to get as much equipment with it if I can.

However, if these lenses aren't good enough to shoot decent shots at a wedding, then they are useless to me.

Thanks for the help... I am going to look for a D50 kit that comes with the 18-55 Nikon lens!!!

the 18-70 is as sharp as a tack

That's a wide angle of 42mm corrected for the smaller sensor size in the digital camera. You would need to be standing quite a distance away in the procession to make use of a lens like that. I shot a wedding on an 17mm lens which worked out at 25mm corrected, and it really was just wide enough to get decent action shots in the wedding, especially while mingling with the crowd.

I hear better things about the D50 then I do the 350D.

OMG The closer this purchase gets the more nervous I get.

So..

How about this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Nikon-D50-Digital-SLR-Camera-18-55mm-55-200mm-Lens-Kit_W0QQitemZ160088938399QQihZ006QQcategoryZ122616 QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The lenses seem better...

http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Best_Price_Cameras_6

Get one from a known stockist

Hope this helps

Steve

Ok seriously... my last post:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Canon-Digital-Rebel-300D-50mm-f1-8-E-TTL-flash-Xtras_W0QQitemZ250090577653QQihZ015QQcategoryZ1079 08QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Don't get the 300D. very poor at high ISO and if you are using a 2.8 lens indoors you'll need ISO 800 or maybe even ISO 1600.

if you can stretcg, get a 420EX or a even a Sigma EF500DG super which is an excellent powerful flash for the money.

Honestly, you'd be better off getting the camera and then using the 200 dollars that would buy those two lenses (since you will never use the 70-300 in a wedding) and put it towards a fast ultra-wide.

Since you need a lens that is wide angle (factoring in the crop factor) and especially need a lens that is fast. Maybe buy your camera and shoot something (if you get something other than weddings that may be the best bet) and use that money to pay for your quality glass.

Garbz post is also a good idea.

But yeah, I dont think any of us have the access to money for camera gear that we'd like, so piecing it together is part of the process.

And I dont think EOS's post was meant to be an insult or anything, he is just saying that to get the quality that most people come to expect, you can't cheap out... As someone who actually does wedding photography, his advice is good.

EDIT: You do great work with a P&S alone, so I definitely stand by my first idea. Buy the XT like you want, and maybe something like the 50 1.8 and do some more portrate photography like the pictures of the girls (dont break your foot this time ;)) and use that money to buy the stuff you need to get into the wedding deal.

I did a wedding with a friend a few months back
Our combined equipment was as follows
2x Canon 20D
2x Canon 24-70 f2.8 L
1x Canon 17-40 f4
1x Canon 70-200 f2.8
2x Flashguns (can't remember what type but both were the same and good quality)
1x Canon 70-200 f4 L (possibly)
Numerous CF cards, Battery grip and at least a dozen batteries for the flash guns and bettery grip

High quality gear and back up that is also high quality is a must for a wedding.
I wouldn't rule out Ebay but more care is needed when buying from there. as far as that seller is concerned - on average 1% of transactions don't go to plan. Personally i could live with that and would buy from someone with that average. However only you can decide if you trust that seller.

As has been said, I don't think that gear is good enough to shoot a wedding.

Yes they are cheap lenses, and they are cheap lenses for 35mm film cameras rather than digital ones. Therefore 28mm is the widest focal length there and that won't be all that wide on that camera. In terms of quality the lenses are probably ok compared to a standard kit lens. But the extras look very cheap too and it generally doesn't look like that great a deal to me. Keep looking IMO.

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A Deal????