jerseydrew

If you “HAD TO” start over with no gear what would you buy today? Personally i would get either a sony rx1rii or a ricoh griiix for all the random stuff. And for wildlife probably sony a7iv with the sigma 60-600 or canon r5 with 200-800.

shenango

Knowing what I know about photography after 25 years of involvement, my choices would be easy.

Nikon D850, 45.7mp at 9fps.
Nikkor 18-300mm f3.5-6.3 for a general walk about lens.
Nikkor 180-400mm f4 for birds in flight and local sports.
Nikkor 600mm f4 for wildlife and celestial.

I would buy all used equipment and should be able to get everything for the same money I have invested in my new gear.
I currently shoot Canon mirrorless and see no real advantage in that format over the dslr format. People with loftier goals or the need for the latest gear will not agree with my last statement but at my skill set and the quality I expect from myself the above kit would be ideal.
Thanks for reading, Jerry

FWC

I was in Myrtle Beach last week and visited the Brook Green Gardens , where there are some good photo opportunities. I ran into and chatted with 2 different people about their gear. They both had Nikon bodies but one had a Tamron lens and the other a Sigma, each with an explanation as to why they liked that brand lens.

So the common thread is the Nikon body, which you would prefer. My question is why Nikon over Canon? I have an older Canon Rebel which does everything I want but want to upgrade my lens, I strictly shoot for fun mostly wildlife. The one fellow even gently hinted at upgrading my camera body before I move on a better lens.

I appreciate your input.

jerseydrew

Everyone has different wants, needs, expectations and skill level. for the money you can get a super pro level dslr from a few years ago for less than you can get an entry level mirrorless (or close to it). they each have pros and cons, only you can decide what works best for you.

FWC

I understand that, but have no experience with Nikon so I was curious what made them favor the Nikons.

jerseydrew

i cannot speak to that, but have noticed that certain areas (geographical) tend to lean to certain brands. it may come from the times before the Internet, where local camera shops only had certain brands or favored certain brands and everyone in that area tends to like that brand. I don’t think you can go wrong with any of them but traditionally canon and Nikon are the big two. Today with mirrorless it’s a whole new ball game.

it could also on available lenses at the time for particular styles of shooting. Don’t quote me on this because I really don’t know but let’s just say maybe for a few years Nikon had the best telephoto lens and a lot of wildlife photographers lean towards Nikon because the lens available was better. again that is just a theory, but it’s possible.

I actually used to have a Nikon D90, which was a pro-sumer crop sensor camera as i understood it. it was great until I realized that it had a problem where it was front focusing and there was no way to really adjust it in camera like you could with the pro bodies. So I moved on from it and that’s when I got into the Sony ecosystem when mirrorless was starting to go mainstream.

FWC

Thanks !

Nitro-C5

Honest answer...if all of my gear was stolen today I would got out tomorrow and buy the exact gear I currently own. ...and when I say exact I mean the main stuff like Camera Bodies, Lens, Strobes, soft boxes etc... I shoot in so many different genres I cannot go to crazy getting the very best of everything or I would be broke! For example I shoot motorsports where some of my colleagues that work exclusively in that genre could justify a $12K 600 f4 Prime Super Telephoto whereas I would not own that lens as it is too limited for what I shoot.

Regarding brands, here is my take. In this day and age it is almost impossible to buy "bad" gear...assuming Apples to Apples comparison. If someone cannot produce a great shot with the gear they currently own it is (almost) always user error and/or lack of knowledge. Take a group of competent photographers and hand them each a Canon, Nikon and Sony gear and let them shoot each for a full day....at the end show the photos to another group of people and if I held a gun to their heads IMO there is not one who could tell what photos were taken with which brand.

shenango

My reasons for wanting to jump the Canon ship are probably only clear to me, but I'll try to explain. 25 years ago Pentax was pretty flat while Nikon and Canon were fighting for control of the DSLR market. After a few different pocket cameras I turned to a couple of my friends who were Canon shooters and I went in that direction with my first ICL camera, a Rebel T2i. I have up-graded twice since then and now have a Canon EOS R6. I will say that Canon makes a superb camera and great lenses so better quality would not be my reason for switching. I have won many awards, in amateur competitions, over the years with my Canon gear. 2 1/2 years ago or so I was considering the mirrorless move and I also considered a move to Nikon for no other reason but to shoot something different. The gear I listed above is what I would have bought had I not gone mirrorless. The people I normally shoot with are a mix of Canon and Nikon users with gear ranging from department store grade to full on pro quality crazy expensive stuff. For the most part, brand loyalty is fairly strong with most folks but there are people I know who have changed brands just to see what the other brand has going for it.
In the original post, Drew said starting with nothing what would you buy. Since I have done the Canon thing for so long I would go Nikon without reservation and mirrorless wouldn't be in my thought process.

Thanks for reading, Jerry

jerseydrew

i am kinda a gadget geek so i like the newer fancy stuff. and the new autofocus with subject detection makes this stuff almost a joke. but that being said the only thing i really like with the mirrorless is that you get a realtime view of what the pic will look like on screen or in the viewfinder. so if you have the camera in the wrong mode or if you didn't change your settings from your last outing you see it as soon as your eye gets to the viewfinder and can make your adjustments instantly.

with the dslr you would have to review the photos after and you may have missed something by then. at a car show not a big deal, out in nature you may miss some animal or bird. i have learned to put a baseline or a personal preset for the type of day it is in the camera before even leaving the car cause i have botched it so many times. lol and then even if not perfect i can still get a few usable images prior to making minute changes for the conditions.

FWC

Good answers and they all make sense. I will probably stick with my current body and get a better zoom, and see what happens.

shenango

Something to think about is the mount on the lens you buy. Your Rebel camera has an EF-s mount and while your camera will accept an EF-s or an EF mount lens if you ever up-grade to a full frame camera the EF-s lens will not fit.
I had a Tamron 150-600 for about 6 years and it provided very nice images on my Rebel and my 5Dmklll as well. My copy was prone to getting dust inside and was sent back for cleaning 3 times during my ownership. I have a friend who uses a Sigma 150-600 Sport lens and produces very nice images and I haven't heard him complain of dust.
If you are looking for something that long, either lens is capable of nice image quality and are not that expensive on the used market.
Jerry

FWC

Thank you, I think that is the direction I am leaning.

Gixxerman

Canon for me, you don't worry about body, you invest in lenses and accessories and bodies come and go.. it's more about living in an ecosystem where you understand and can effectively use and live within it.. Brand doesn't mean a damn thing.. a good photographer can get a great pic from almost anything decent.. no camera will take good pics automatically for you after all

jerseydrew

it really wasnt meant to be a brand war but more about what your choices of equipment would be. Like for me a more pro level point and shoot would be just fine at this point rather than have 4 lenses. And my wildlife setup would be very similar to what i have now. I dont use most of my lenses and they are quite the cost to just sit there.

FWC

Since I had just gotten back from vacation I decided to wait a month or two before spending any money so I put a new lens on the back burner, but then my buddy called about an eagle in a field near me. I get there and it's about 150-200 yards away , so I snap a bunch of pictures with this one being the best. After looking at them at home I said, how many times am I going to get that opportunity and how many great shots have I lost to just good ones, so I ordered the Sigma from B&H in NYC. With free overnight shipping I got it yesterday , snapped a few pictures and what a difference in the zoom. Finally the weather is better today so I am going out to look for some subjects! Thanks for the input all.

jerseydrew

enjoy! There is a learning curve to the long lens! Lots of light helps, sun at your back does too. If you want take off or landing shots try to have wind at your back or all you will get are **** shots!

FWC

Thanks, I also took a lesson from my kids, Youtube is your friend!

shenango

Excellent choice. I'm sure you will be getting great shots in no time at all. Remember, with a long lens a tripod can be your best friend. With your Rebel you will have a maximum 840mm equivalency.

​​​​Good luck, Jerry
​​​​

FWC

Dividends already, minutes after my last post my buddy called and said he was sitting on a nest. I never would have gotten these with my old lens.