Help with choosing kit

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Markone

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Hi. New member here. After some advice please. I used to be a keen photographer back in the day and studied it to o level standard. However I lost my mojo some years back and now want to get back to it but have no idea about digital. My last camera was a cannon T90. I have some money to spend and I’m after a cannon( brand loyalty) of some description. Needs to be weather proof as I like to carry a camera out and about. I liked portraiture, motorsports, a bit of studio work, but of everything really. Ideally after a body and two or three lenses. Thank you
 
Hi and welcome to TP

Can I suggest you state your budget for the body and lenses separately?
 
Ah yes. That would be helpful. I can stretch to £2000. I was looking at the cannon eos5dsr but think this may be overkill
 
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Markone said:
Ah yes. That would be helpful. I can stretch to £2000. I was looking at the cannon eos5dsr but think this may be overkill
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Is that budget for both the body and lenses, if so IMO you would be looking at second hand gear.

I note your preference for weather proof! Unless you have deeper pockets IMO the right expression is weather resistant;)

My 'take on this' is for Olympus E-M1 mk2 with the pro lenses....that combo is weather resistant to a good high standard......but the pro level lenses even second hand do not come cheap!

Have a look say on MPB for that body, the 12-40mm f2.8 & the 40-150mm f2.8 (if budget allows the x1.4 teleconverter)

This IMO is a good starting point based on your criteria where weather resistance is desired.

Note I have not accounted for any flashgun(s) or editing software in my thoughts.

If you removed the weather resistance as a key criteria the Canon crop sensor bodies are good but again the budget question......the 24-105mm f4 is IMO very good and the 70-300mm L lens has IIRC a good reputation .
 
Thank you very much for your response. And yes I should have stated second hand gear. I shall have a close look at your recommendations
 
It’s a big ask on your budget (which I appreciate sounds utterly ridiculous)

If you went for an older body, second hand, I reckon you could get:
Canon 7d mkII
17-55 2.8
85mm 1.8
70-200

I reckon could be had for your budget and would be a great kit.
The 70-200 might struggle at track races, but would be great for club meets, rallying and some carefully researched spots.
 
Oh
And welcome back to photography.

Digital will be a steep learning curve but you’re going to be blown away by the low light performance and AF systems.

And when you inevitably upgrade; you’ll find that the latest mirrorless cameras are another leap forward.

Just bagged all that for 1871 at MPB.
Leaving change for a monopod and a bag.
 
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5DSR is a very specialist camera. Not for most people.

For circuit based motorsport, you'll ideally want more than 200mm if you hope to fill the frame with the subject. A 100-400 or -600mm zoom lens would be a better option for this - unless you have a high megapixel body and are content to heavily crop.

Given a £2k budget, I'd be tempted to consider either DSLR / Mirrorless or straddle the technologies with lens adaptors. May have to haggle / search out deals.

5D Mk 4 or R7
24-105 or something slightly wider if R7/crop body
70-200 or 100-400 II or 150-600
 
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wow how on earth can anyone decide on what to get starting out again in photography, let alone into the digital world?

Even if choosing a particular make there are so many variations even within one brand. Ok obviously starting off with a fixed buget is a good start . Then choosing a brand and what is on offer within that brand. Then, taking into account cost of lens and what a good general working distance of say 24 to70mm is a starter, if going for a camera that also needs a lens. motor spor would need a long lens and the cost increases. Then there is the queston of getting an editing suite and if the camera shoots in 4k then what about using a 4k monitor as well? if the camera also does video then a video editing suit also goes into the shopping basket. Can the computer handle 4K is worth another thought, and also photo storage????

All this let alone things like tripods and flashguns soon add to the cost. So maybe better to go cheap to start with and find out what you actually want to get out of taking photos before spending a large wedge on something unsuitable.

Seeking advice by ask 50 photographers and you will get 50 differerent answers as each has their own preference. £2000 seems a lot but not in the photographic world when one camera body alone could cost far more.

Could hiring a camera for a weekend be the answer? definately if deciding on a particular make and model, it would be the cheapest option and well worth thinking about before splashing the cash.

I always go by my own golden rule "If I like the photo then I am happy, if others like it as well then it is an added bonus"
 
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Markone said:
Hi. New member here. After some advice please. I used to be a keen photographer back in the day and studied it to o level standard. However I lost my mojo some years back and now want to get back to it but have no idea about digital. My last camera was a cannon T90. I have some money to spend and I’m after a cannon( brand loyalty) of some description. Needs to be weather proof as I like to carry a camera out and about. I liked portraiture, motorsports, a bit of studio work, but of everything really. Ideally after a body and two or three lenses. Thank you
Click to expand...
For motorsport you are probably better off with a 100-400 lens, but a lot will depend on which circuits you go to. All of the following photographs were actually taken with a 70-200 lens, with minimal cropping.
 
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Canon do free 48 hour equipment loans, so it may be worth trying some kit out from them, to get a feel for things.
 
Markone said:
Ah yes. That would be helpful. I can stretch to £2000. I was looking at the cannon eos5dsr but think this may be overkill
Click to expand...
A 5dsr is half your budget.
It will only sing if you add the best lenses, it’s not a practical option.
You’d realistically be able to afford the camera and one lens. Either a 50mm L or an older 24-70L.

That’s why I suggested the 7dII, a pro built body for c £500. That leaves you enough for a very good std zoom, the 85mm 1.8 (which is equivalent to 135 2.4(ish) and the 70-200 which is an equivalent of 320mm at the long end.

It’d help if you were more specific about what motorsport. There’s a massive difference between grass track and F1.

In an ideal world, you could go for a longer lens for motorsports but that’d require a bigger budget. But I never had anything longer than the 70-200 on crop and I shot rallying for years. Also had a couple of outings for bike racing and did fine.
 
Oooo tough one.
First 2k although a considerable sum its not going to go far depending on your asperations.
I would make two lists the must have and the would be nice to have.
You mention weather proof most bodies have a degree of weather sealing but how much do you really need, check out Amazon for rain covers not as convenient I know but it could save a fair bit of your budget. Do you need full frame or will APSC work for you.
 
Oops pressed post in error.
DEcide on lenses and search the second hand retailers on a regular basis and check out the price guide web sites there are deals to be had but sometimes you need to be quick.
Only you can decide on your needs everone will be different.
You will see a huge change from the film days.
As for software photoshop CS2 is available free with activation code from adobe via sites like download.com (CNET) ok not the most up todate but still a capable program.
Good luck and enjoy
 
Thank you for all the replies. Given me a lot to think about. Thank you
 
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