Setup questions...

[sharpie1k]

I am considering a new setup or adding to my current setup. I have a Canon T3 with a kit lens right now with no accessories, and while it was okay as a hobby camera, I am now shooting more food, portraits and automotive than before, all of which require more professional results than my current body/lens can give me. Also, the T3's shutter is so loud that it's impossible to shoot unnoticed at events.

I am at a crossroads where I could spend more buying a 50-1.8, a camera-mounted flash, a tripod, and a wireless mic for shooting video with the T3 (the video's actually not half bad). But would it be better to just buy a refurb 60D body and a 50-1.8 to build up a setup from there?

I was also looking into Nikon and D3200 aren't too expensive. I was spoiled where I used to work and used a D800 and a D3 and liked the quiet shutter and the layout. I also have a few manual Nikon lenses sitting around (a 135 prime, a 75-150 3.5 and a 28-2.8), so that would help make the setup more versatile.

Any thoughts?

[nathancarter]

The sensor in the T3 is OK. Not the best, but not terrible.

Does it not have a silent shutter mode? It would be under the "drive" menu, along with burst mode and the 2-sec and 10-sec timers.
[edit] looks like it doesn't, per this manual

The 50mm 1.8 is OK for the price. Wide-open, it's not the best, but if you stop down to f/2.8 or smaller it starts to give pretty nice results. The autofocus leaves a lot to be desired, but for food and posed portraits, you don't need ultra fast autofocus.

For food and portraits, IMO your money would be better spent by starting a collection of off-camera lighting equipment. You can sometimes get by with natural lighting, but you're constrained by location, time of day, and luck. For a few hundred bucks you can get some manual Speedlights (Yongnuo YN-560III or Godox/Neewer V850), triggers, and associated gear such as stands, umbrellas, reflectors. With good light, you can get nice results from even a mediocre body & lens.

[sharpie1k]

Thanks! I think I will look more into lighting. When the time comes, I can step up to a newer body (although I should make sure the lighting is compatible with both Nikon and Canon in that case?)

[Bsaint]

Thanks! I think I will look more into lighting. When the time comes, I can step up to a newer body (although I should make sure the lighting is compatible with both Nikon and Canon in that case?)

Don't spend all your money on a body, get good glass first for sure.

[CosmoE36]

Glass and lighting will make the largest improvements to image quality more than a body. Newer body will only give you more convenient features like button layouts, more MP, higher ISO but the stuff that matters such as flash sync, shutter speed is the same or similar or not necessary wit the type of photography you have mentioned. You wont need 1/8000 shutter speed or quiet shutters or high ISO with Food and portraits. Good glass and lighting will really give you more improvement along with proper lighting education.

Get a flash... any decent flash.. then get it off camera... then get it diffused and start experimenting with light and practice with seeing how light lands and falls and wraps on your subject.

you can do a lot with one light such as a flash or cheap studio strobe and a piece of white foam core or multiple pieces of white foam core.

[sharpie1k]

Thanks for the advice. What would be your suggestion on lenses? I make due with the kit lens so far so I was considering a 50 1.8, but maybe it'd be better to go with a 28-135 3.5 since the kit lens is not as crisp as I'd like?

[e24mpwr]

You're almost certainly far better off creatively with the 50 f/1.8 than any zoom. The 28-135 seems to be a nicely rated/reviewed lens (I shoot Nikon), but it just depends on your style. When I'm really trying to be creative, I grab my primes (currently 35 f/1.8, 50 f/1.4 and 85 f/1.8).

Personally, I"m not a fan of Canon's handling (button/menu setup) or AF system. The prices you can get a D7000 for these days are crazy-cheap, and that with Nikon's 50 f/1.8 (which is a very inexpensive lens) would be a really strong start. Nikon's new 28-85 zoom is selling for pretty cheap money too...

[sharpie1k]

Thanks for the input. I've done time with both, and I don't mind Canon that much anymore. Some things are rather annoying (if you're a left-eyed shooter) but it works.

Re-evaluating, I'm putting a huge down-payment on a new car, so I don't have the cash to fund a full switch-over to Nikon anyway, so I'll probably get glass. I can get both lenses I was looking at for around $250 total, so that's probably the better deal as yet.

[e24mpwr]

Good glass is always a good choice - just make one of those lenses a prime and grab a copy of "Understanding Exposure" if you haven't read it. Scott Kelby's "Digital Photography" books (set of four) is also excellent.

Come back and post some pix!

[sharpie1k]

Good glass is always a good choice - just make one of those lenses a prime and grab a copy of "Understanding Exposure" if you haven't read it. Scott Kelby's "Digital Photography" books (set of four) is also excellent.

Come back and post some pix!

I'm going to see about lens adapters for my Nikon manual lenses as well–a 135mm prime and a 28mm prime both f2.8.