[Enrique S Toso]

I know there is no such thing like "pro gear", that you are pro because of your photos, and bla bla. But I ve been working as a photographer for two years. I worked in a studio, and now Im on my own, with a partner.

I live in a small town (Mendoza, Argentina), so there isnt much amount of work to do just one kind of photography, so we are making weddings, and product studio too.

My partner uses Nikon D7100 and a D90, a 18-105 kit, a 24mm F2.8, and a 50 F1.4. Younguo radio triggers for two TTL flashes.

I use Pentax K30, a Sigma 17-70 F2.8/4.5, Tamron 70-300, and a SMC Pentax 50mm F2 manual that I just love. Just one manual Yonguo Flash, and a led lamp.

I also have a Pentax 645 with film, with a 75mm F2.8. We have the intention to make some wedding portraits with it, and process the film ourselves as a kind of fine art service.

Tripods, softbox, umbrellas, etc that we share.

Here you can see our work:

BIT imagery

Now I have some money to invest in gear. Around 2.5K.

How would you people spend that money??

Should I FF with Nikon D610 and just one lens??

What do I do with the rest of my beloved gear??

Pentax K3?? Wich fast lens?? Sigma 18-35 F1.8?? What about the AF issues??

I like APSC, I like its 8.3fps, and lightness.

Im traveling to the US for New Year, and whatever I buy, its gonna be there, since the prices here in my country are just too high.

Ok, this is all. Thanks for reading me, and sorry for my grammar mistakes, english is not my main language, and not even my second (it Italian, lol).

Cheers!!!

[Miguel]

As you know, your work drives the equipment you need. Since your current gear is serving you well, it almost sounds like you are buying for the sake of buying stuff.

I'm going to qualify my comments because I don't know anything about your specific business operations, so if you have covered these bases than I apologize.

Have your partner and you developed longer range business objectives and strategies? Would money invested in something that fulfills these plans be a better investment? I would focus on the future and how you can expand beyond Mendoza. If you are shooting products, what would help you get your "book" in front of creative directors and product managers? Marketing, communications tools, maybe some kind of agent. That's where I'd consider spending some money.

I enjoy your galleries; you both capture emotions very very well.

M

[nicoprod]

If you're getting into pro wedding photography, and you have 2.5k, sell what you have a replace everything. And yes start with a K-3.

[stevebrot]

I like APSC, I like its 8.3fps, and lightness.

And yes start with a K-3.

...though it is significantly heavier than a K-30. I know the user manuals say it is 650g vs 800g fully loaded, but those extra 150g are very dense.


Steve

[Sandy Hancock]

Glass first. I got my DA*16-50 and DA*50-135 for $750 each at the B&H Black Friday sales two years ago. They would be a great upgrade for your two zooms, and will work perfectly with your K-30.
If you get lucky, you'll have some change left over to use for a second body or a sweet prime (FA31 or FA77 come to mind).

[FantasticMrFox]

...though it is significantly heavier than a K-30. I know the user manuals say it is 650g vs 800g fully loaded, but those extra 150g are very dense.

If they shoot weddings and couldn't cope with the weight of an APS-C body, they'd have a problem

[FantasticMrFox]

To the OP: if you are working together closely, it doesn't really make sense to have gear by two different manufacturers. I'd recommend one of you give up his system and enter the other one, that way you can spend money on high quality lenses and both use them instead of spending twice the amount and having redundant gear lying around for two systems.

[Lowell Goudge]

To the OP: if you are working together closely, it doesn't really make sense to have gear by two different manufacturers. I'd recommend one of you give up his system and enter the other one, that way you can spend money on high quality lenses and both use them instead of spending twice the amount and having redundant gear lying around for two systems.

What works if the cameras are owned by the business but not if each partner owns their own. One of the things small business owners have to cope with is who owns the tools and assets. Many times they are personal assets, not business assets.

The partnership may be one of convenience and not perminant

[Sorver]

Ok don't hate me pentaxians but........ I love my k-3 and my k-50 and very happy but with hind site I would go the Nikon not from personal experience but just people that have gone that line I know and end up selling their gear for Nikon due to lack of lenses etc because third parties aren't releasing k mounts. I do love my cameras and not keen to leave pentax but I guess the best thing is read everything about both play with both and make your decision on what you like not what you have already got

[johnmflores]

Well, what do you find lacking/frustrating/limiting with your current gear and the kind of photography that you take/want to take?

[btnapa]

Enrique,

I was a Canon DSLR guy since year 2000. I shot well over 150 weddings with my various Canon cameras for three of those 13 years (2004-2007). For wedding photography a fast focusing body and lens combo is a must. After trying various lenses, I finally settled on a 70-200 f2.8 IS for my portrait work and a 24-105 f4 IS for all my wide work. Both lenses had USM motors inside and the focusing was lightning fast (but not accurate). Although I had issue with the bodies not working as they should have, I saw the combo as a must.

I switched to Pentax about a year go. First a k5IIs then shortly after that the K3. I love my K3 and the three amigos and a few other lenses I have. I do not do weddings anymore and the type of work I do suits K3 just fine.

For the kicks I tried to use my K3 and my three amigos at my cousins wedding about three months ago. I must say the system failed miserably. My tracking shots were 95% out of focus. I tried every focusing mode I knew of. The camera struggled inside of the church and the hall with low lighting. Outside, the K3 was a speed demon but inside it sucked. If I have to shoot professional weddings again I would seriously rethink my system.

The system that I did not have or particularly like, Nikon, had both the superior focusing and the best flash system I know of. I drooled over the speed and accuracy of Nikon focusing when I shot with Nikon guys and their flash trumped my Canon flash all day long.

I hope my comments do not offend any die hard Pentaxians. As I mentioned earlier, I love my K3s and would not trade them for anything (except a 645Z). I started my SLR journey with a Pentax MX which I LOVED. I came home to Pentax after 30 years of wondering around different brands. I just wish the focusing and tracking on my Pentax system were better.

For my money Pentax does not have the lenses (in focusing speed) to be used for weddings. Their SDM is painfully slow. I tried the 50-135 f2.8 at a photo show and was shocked at how slow the focusing was. For other types of work; product, studio, nature, etc. which is what I do, my Pentax system delivers with flying colors.

I also like the comment one of the posters made about you and your biz partner having the same system. In my wedding photography days, I shot with other photographers both as the main photographer and as the assistant. For almost all of of my shoots we both had Canon systems. On a few occasions, I shot with Nikon guys but never with any other brand. I learned a long time ago (in my film days), that different system lenses render colors differently. So both photographers having the same brand lenses insures consistency in color rendering. It also makes economic sense as you can buy different lenses and accessories and share them without wasting money on duplicating.

If you insist on staying with Pentax, get into K3 and try to put your hands on a used Sigma 70-200 f2.8 OS lens (the newest version). Too bad Sigma stopped making the lens for Pentax. I have tried the lens and the focusing is lightning fast and the image quality is pro class. I am not sure what you should select on the wide end. I have the 16-45 and it is OK but not pro grade glass by any means. You would be better of with Sigma glass with HSM motors as they are very fast, Canon USM fast. Unfortunately Tamron does not offer its star lenses (24-70 VC and 70-200 VC) for Pentax, otherwise I would have recommended both. I owned the 24-70 VC (for my Canon) and tested the 70-200VC extensively. If they became available for Pentax, I would get them in a heart beat.

It is a hard decision. Good luck to you regardless of which way you go.

[Rondec]

I think you need to figure out what glass you will need for weddings. My wife shoots weddings and honestly, a K5 is fine to shoot with -- I'd probably go with a K5 II for the better low light auto focus, but it isn't like weddings are sporting events. Having a couple of f2.8 zooms -- one normal 17-50-ish and one telephoto 50-135/70-200 -- is pretty standard. Mastering flash is pretty important too. With triggers, you can use it off camera, but being able to use it on camera as well and get good results is helpful.

You probably should get an auto focus prime or two -- 50mm is the obvious focal length.

Anyway, good luck in you decisions.

[Sandy Hancock]

That's an impressive spray from btnapa.

Both lenses had USM motors inside and the focusing was lightning fast (but not accurate). Although I had issue with the bodies not working as they should have, I saw the combo as a must.

I find it fascinating (almost shocking) that focus speed, at the expense of accuracy, could be considered a virtue.

In my experience my DA*50-135 might be a fraction of a second slower than my Sigma 70-200/2.8, but it nails it first time, every time rather than skitting all over the place. I have been very happy with my K-3's ability to focus in low light. No, I haven't tasted the forbidden fruit of CaNikon, but I have shot lots of live music and big parties with a pretty high keeper rate with my Pentax gear.

[nicoprod]

Enrique,

I was a Canon DSLR guy since year 2000. I shot well over 150 weddings with my various Canon cameras for three of those 13 years (2004-2007). For wedding photography a fast focusing body and lens combo is a must. After trying various lenses, I finally settled on a 70-200 f2.8 IS for my portrait work and a 24-105 f4 IS for all my wide work. Both lenses had USM motors inside and the focusing was lightning fast (but not accurate). Although I had issue with the bodies not working as they should have, I saw the combo as a must.

I switched to Pentax about a year go. First a k5IIs then shortly after that the K3. I love my K3 and the three amigos and a few other lenses I have. I do not do weddings anymore and the type of work I do suits K3 just fine.

For the kicks I tried to use my K3 and my three amigos at my cousins wedding about three months ago. I must say the system failed miserably. My tracking shots were 95% out of focus. I tried every focusing mode I knew of. The camera struggled inside of the church and the hall with low lighting. Outside, the K3 was a speed demon but inside it sucked. If I have to shoot professional weddings again I would seriously rethink my system.

The system that I did not have or particularly like, Nikon, had both the superior focusing and the best flash system I know of. I drooled over the speed and accuracy of Nikon focusing when I shot with Nikon guys and their flash trumped my Canon flash all day long.

I hope my comments do not offend any die hard Pentaxians. As I mentioned earlier, I love my K3s and would not trade them for anything (except a 645Z). I started my SLR journey with a Pentax MX which I LOVED. I came home to Pentax after 30 years of wondering around different brands. I just wish the focusing and tracking on my Pentax system were better.

For my money Pentax does not have the lenses (in focusing speed) to be used for weddings. Their SDM is painfully slow. I tried the 50-135 f2.8 at a photo show and was shocked at how slow the focusing was. For other types of work; product, studio, nature, etc. which is what I do, my Pentax system delivers with flying colors.

I also like the comment one of the posters made about you and your biz partner having the same system. In my wedding photography days, I shot with other photographers both as the main photographer and as the assistant. For almost all of of my shoots we both had Canon systems. On a few occasions, I shot with Nikon guys but never with any other brand. I learned a long time ago (in my film days), that different system lenses render colors differently. So both photographers having the same brand lenses insures consistency in color rendering. It also makes economic sense as you can buy different lenses and accessories and share them without wasting money on duplicating.

If you insist on staying with Pentax, get into K3 and try to put your hands on a used Sigma 70-200 f2.8 OS lens (the newest version). Too bad Sigma stopped making the lens for Pentax. I have tried the lens and the focusing is lightning fast and the image quality is pro class. I am not sure what you should select on the wide end. I have the 16-45 and it is OK but not pro grade glass by any means. You would be better of with Sigma glass with HSM motors as they are very fast, Canon USM fast. Unfortunately Tamron does not offer its star lenses (24-70 VC and 70-200 VC) for Pentax, otherwise I would have recommended both. I owned the 24-70 VC (for my Canon) and tested the 70-200VC extensively. If they became available for Pentax, I would get them in a heart beat.

It is a hard decision. Good luck to you regardless of which way you go.

If tracking is your shooting technic then you are right, Pentax is not right for you. I have shot about the same amount of weddings as you, all of them with Pentax cameras, and it all comes to how good you know your system, your experience with YOUR system, and how fast you can change settings. But yeah even though the k-3 does okay with tracking, it is no match for the best Nikon cameras in that respect.

[FantasticMrFox]

If tracking is your shooting technic then you are right, Pentax is not right for you. I have shot about the same amount of weddings as you, all of them with Pentax cameras, and it all comes to how good you know your system, your experience with YOUR system, and how fast you can change settings. But yeah even though the k-3 does okay with tracking, it is no match for the best Nikon cameras in that respect.

In its review of the K3 dpreview noted:

"Much of the problem with Z-axis tracking appeared to relate to the focus speed of the lenses, with even the fastest lens we used struggling to work at much above walking pace. Subjects moving laterally (and therefore requiring little refocusing) weren't a problem, but even the fastest-focusing of the lenses we used would struggle to get a good number of shots in perfect focus with an approaching subject."

It makes me kinda angry that years after other manufacturers retired that system even in their cheapest lenses, Pentax still ships lenses with slow, noisy screw-drive AF, and no matter how much money you throw at them, there is no lens available that performs decent in AF.C, whether it'd be SDM, DC or whatever.