Yeah my friend at work has only just started mucking around with DSLR and he has only one lens at the moment... but will be getting more (hopefully) soon.

Its such a tough decision.

My main aim is to have a camera that would take the best night time shots as this is really the only spare time I would have. I will be taking some day time shots on the weekends. I want to do events and gigs etc.

Also, the less noise at night is paramount. And shots have to be sharp and the colours punchy.

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TEAM オレンジ

Dyno queen

Prime lenses are great for night shots. Cheap too, can get an F1.8 50mm Canon prime lens for around $130.

You need to think of the body almost as if it is a consumable. I.e. unless you damage them you will have your lense for a hell of lot longer than any body. They are a bit like your PC at home. By the time you get it home there is a new model out. The same can not be said for lenses.

As per what other people have said buy the absolute best lenses you can afford and then update the body when / as you can afford it.

Also remember that the the lenses are not going to depreciate like the body will.

Unless your mates have some really good lenses I would go and buy the system that you like best.

Brendon

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Losing is worse than death. You have to live with losing....

Ken Rockwell is the biggest clown on the internet haha

I would stick to Canon Both nikon and Canon Are great but Value for money the canon will come through.

Buy the right lens to start with and you will have them for years.
No point wasting money on what people call a Starting Learning lens, becuase u wont get the true capabilitys of what you can produce and have to buy a better one later anyway.

Stick to f2.8 and L series lens and they will be by your side for years to come and you can just upgrade body.

I would go for a 5d or 5d mk2 stright off. Dont waste your time going anything less if you plan on doing weddings and gigs like you mentioned. Becuase they wont perform in low light and you just spending money for nothing.

Get the best of what you can afford and play with it with in 6 months you will be shooting events and all.

on another note I woudlnt wait for people to upgrade Becuase if you buy the right lens to start with you dont need to upgrade.

I would recomend

24-70 F2.8 L about $2000
70-200 F2.8 IS L about $2700

a 580ex II Flash $550

and a good Tripod $200-350 mark

You can pick up a 5D for $1800 or there abouts now days.
and a mk2 for about $3900.

Think of it all as a investment though.

I Have bought other lens before cheaper ones and then regret it becuase they dont perform how i need them to So I have learnt to get the right stuff from the start now. Lens specially.

Agree with Tim, If your gonna shoot events and Gigs low noise is very important and a Full Frame Camera is the best choice, Have you been shooting for long? because jumping straight in saying you want to shoot gigs is a big step haha, If you want to do that and make money then you should get the proper gear.

Yes on that note 5D was rated one of the best cameras for Noise in low light too.

I shot a microsoft gig at the convention centre went from 7am to 10pm all day
I used the 5d and 24-70 and 70-200 those rooms were dark so the 2.8 i needed to focus as well. and i needed images to come out good from the camera as i didnt have much time to edit as i was feeding them from lightroom quick edit then up to the plasma screens around the expo .

Whatever your final choice regards brand, body and lenses, LEARN HOW TO USE A DSLR! There are as many differences with a P&S as there are similarities. RTFM many times over to get the most outta your DSLR, check google for good photography sites, even do a basic photography course which focuses on SLR (pardon the pun) if time & $$$ permit.

This way, you won't be someone who keeps the dial on Auto setting, hoping for the camera to do all the work, and never realising the full potential that an SLR has to offer.

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MY99 WRX sedan WRC blue Sold :(
MY99 WRX sedan Dark blue pearl :D
MY97 Liberty Outback Ltd Wagon
1990 Mk3 Supra turbo fully rebuilt 7M-GTE (Older son)
1991 Celica GT4 (Younger son)

Really fcuking scary that sort of stuff happens!!!

As for cams, everybody is going to recommend their fave brand...you need to go with what you think is best (brand wise) and choose something within your budget.

My recomendation would be a D80 and the 18-200 VR lens. The d80 is fairly cheap now and is a good camera. The 18-200 lens is good value for money and works fairly well in low light...it is also a versatile bit of kit. As people have said, get a prime ~f1.8 and a cam that does well with high ISO stuff if you're serious about shooting gigs!

Lastly, why is Ken Rockwell a knob...he seems to be fairly successful at what he does! He seems to have a decent fan base and fairly well respected from what I can see! Just curious?

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...He said Smooth Bee the skins is fat
I don't beg cause I'm not in begonia
I dress warm so that I won't catch pneumonia
My rhymes are stronger than ammonia
I'm a diamond, you're a cubic zirconia

My exact setup currently

Also go for an RF remote (not IR) like this one which has a hot shoe mount for the receiver and 100M range on the transmitter. While on eBay, look for a tripod, decent ones can be had for under $100. Both items are essential for night shots.

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MY99 WRX sedan WRC blue Sold :(
MY99 WRX sedan Dark blue pearl :D
MY97 Liberty Outback Ltd Wagon
1990 Mk3 Supra turbo fully rebuilt 7M-GTE (Older son)
1991 Celica GT4 (Younger son)