Cheapest DSLR for wedding photography?
Canon and nikon.pros and cons!
FUJI! (finepix Pro)
pros:
-very high dynamic range!
-nikon lenses and flashes!
cons: a bit old, so it's slow and it's DX
'Cheap gear' & wedding photography DON'T go together!
You need a LOT more than one DSLR if you are going into wedding photography - plus the knowledge & skill to use both camera & lighting manually.
My basic wedding kit is;
- two DSLR bodies (one as a backup)
- fast prime lenses (50mm f1.8, 85mm f1.8)
- fast zooms (24-70mm f2.8, 70-200mm f2.8)
- at least 2 speedlights plus modifiers & triggers
- plenty of spare memory cards plus batteries for both cameras and speedlights.
Don't think you can just buy a DSLR, kit lens & use it on Auto to shot weddings, or you'll find yourself in a lawsuit pretty quick when the you've just ruined the bride's most important day. 'Sorry' won't cut it.
I Really hope you aren't intending to DO wedding photography as a business…
cheap usually equates to BAD PHOTOGRAPHER!
most SERIOUS wedding photographers aim for the best they can afford that covers the basics they need… Light sensitivity, image quality, etc… Though the lenses are slightly more important than the DSLR… A fast lens tends to be expensive… Anything that is f/1.4 to f/2.8 (depending on the focal length)…
then there are the accessories needed…
and experience…
and understanding of the basics of photography…
however, if you are just a guest… Any will do, but the quality might be poor…
You don't go with cheap gear to shoot a wedding… And brand doesn't matter so much. It's best to stick with Canon or Nikon mainly because it. Easier to rent gear when needed.
It's not so much that better cameras will result in better photos but you need gear that is built for the photography pro in mind. Next, in term of lenses, you need lenses that are optically perfect to minimize risks to yourself from unhappy clients.
The MINIMUM kit you should have to shoot weddings for money is:
- Main DSLR
Pro grade along the lines of a Canon 5DMkIII and up
2500$ and up
- Secondary/backup DSLR
High end entry level or up like a Canon 60D, Canon 7D…
1200$ and up
- 24-700 f2.8
1600$ to 2600$ depending on brand
- 70-20 f2.8
900$ to 2600$ depending on brand
- 50mm f1.4
350$
- Junk lens as a backup like a Canon 24-105 f4
Varies depending on the lens… My example is 1500$
- TWO fully sdjustable ttl flashes like a 430EXII or better
390$ - 790$ EACH
- Two spare camera batteries PER CAMERA
Varies depending on the camera. Let. Say 90$ per unit so 360$
- Tons of rechargeable batteries for your flashes.
?
-Tons of small (4 or 8 gig only) memory cards.
?
This is the MINIMUM gear you should have to shoot weddings as a hired photographer.
The next problem here is that if you don;t have a camera yet, you are YEARS away from even being ready to consider about thinking of pondering the possibility of maybe dreaming of doing wedding photography.
Wedding photographer is high pressure, high emotion, high expectation… Most of the important shots are split second and if you miss them the bride and groom will be anywhere from disappointed to furious and if your images aren't perfect you can and most likely will end up in court.
Just google "Wedding Photographer Sued" and see what I'm talking about…
Here are a few links of interest on this subject.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2668137/Couple-sue-over-wedding-snaps.html
or better yet this specific clip from that
http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/wedding-photographer-sued/
http://www.nytimes.com/...vorce.html
And so on, so forth.
Cheapest DSLR for wedding photography? I would not recommend anything less than a full frame Nikon D700, which costs no less than $1, 700.
The body is just the tip of the iceberg. Like others have said here, you WILL need another camera body, and SEVERAL good lenses.