recommend me a dslr camera set-up

[hoopdriver]

i've been tasked to find a camera that's good for taking good shots in low-light conditions, such as at charity events and gala dinners. i'll also need a zoom facility (10x or so) and it'll need to be fairly easy to use, with auto focus and decent auto settings (my skills are more in framing the shot, than understanding all the technical stuff). something that works well without a flash.

i've got enough photoshop knowledge to edit colours, white point etc. post-event, but what i need is sharp images.

any recommendations?

That is a tough ask for £1000 - not really very realistic. The 10X zoom in low light is the real deal killer and getting sharp images in low light without a flash is similarly beyond the reach of most budget cameras. My Canon 5D3 with a 35mm 1.4 L would do splendidly but that is miles over your budget, and even the 5D3 - which is a very popular low light choice among pros at the moment - can't manage the 10X zoom unless you are talking about putting some stupidly expensive glass on it.

 

[ttcycle]

As others have pointed out, if you want that type of zoom capability and good quality low light shooting - it's well out of the budget of the company.

You'll be able to grab an entry level DSLR and possibly another lens for it (but that's at a push anyway) but I would expect a compromise on the things they need, smaller chip- noisier images, less able to uprate the ISO.

Best to get back to them and be realistic about their expectations. However, it is worth asking what low light situations they'll be shooting and what they're expecting from the images. They obviously won't get professional, high end shots but it's good to know what they want so they don't get disappointed or frustrated with the limitations of what they can afford.

 

[smokeysmoo]

I haven't a clue on the subject matter TBH. But NotThatJasonKenny of this parish is into his photography.

I think he's taking a bit of a CC sabbatical at present but might be worth PM'ing him for his thoughts.

 

[fenlandpsychocyclist]

i've been tasked to find a camera that's good for taking good shots in low-light conditions, such as at charity events and gala dinners.

So there will be enough light for people to see what they are eating?
A large sensor bridge camera ... macro to zoom all with a single lens.

I have an Fujifilm HS30 ... probably plenty enough for your needs, mine follows me around everywhere
on my training bike. Its a good chuck around unit that's probably more resistant to six foot drops (or bike
crashes) than most dslr's and is fine in "exr" mode for point and shoot work.

Or if you want better performance with low light, i also have a Fuji XS-1 bridge, which i consider the best
and most versatile camera i've ever owned. Larger sensor than the HS30, able to produce nice depth
of field shots, great fun clicking through the menus and "driving" it into each shot.

Remember when diesel engines started appearing in cars, and all the petrol heads ignored them
in disgust? Most dslr owners who've spent ££££'s on lenses and filters probably think the same
about bridge cameras.

(Owner of three dslr's, two are faulty, the other is crap compared to the XS-1).

 

[Lee_M]

Remember when diesel engines started appearing in cars, and all the petrol heads ignored them
in disgust? Most dslr owners who've spent ££££'s on lenses and filters probably think the same
about bridge cameras.

not me

I have a 1dmk4, a 5d mk2, and about 5k worth of lenses, and a couple of proper flash guns (580 mk2)
But I've also got a canon powershot, just because it has a 30x zoom and fits in my pocket.

It can't do low light, high speed, low-noise though.

It's horses for courses, I wouldnt call the pictures from a bridge pro-quality, but if the OP is happy with the quality from a bridge then he should get one,

 

[on the road]

I have a Sony 330 Alpha, mine cost £360 with £30 cashback, as defy-one said, Minolta sold their camera side to Sony and they are cheaper than canon and nikon. The Sony's are good if you're on a budget and you'll probably be wanting to buy extra lenses.

But for a compact with 10x zoom in low light, you'll struggle to get a decent image although you'll probably be able to increase the ISO at the risk of noise, but don't forget that when you increase the zoom or focal length you also need to increase the shutter speed if you don't want everything blurred.

It's often said that you shouldn't have a shutter speed slower than the equivalent in lens size, so if you have a lens of 100mm than you shouldn't have a shutter speed less than 1/100th of a second. Having said that, by standing absolutely still and holding my breath I managed to take a photo at 1/40th of a second with a 100mm lens and still get a sharp image so it is possible to get a slower shutter speed .

I also have a canon with a 3.3x zoom and that's equivalent to about 120mm so they reckon so a wonder what a 10x zoom would be equivalent to?

 

[hoopdriver]

Me neither.

There are reasons people buy pro-level cameras.

as the above poster says, I would not consider images from a bridge pro-quality, not by a long chalk, but if that will work for him and keep him in budget then, yeah, sure.

 

[fenlandpsychocyclist]

Far too many numbers being banded around ... the o.p might be a newcomer to the hobby and might not
understand pixel density, depth of field, shutter speed, etc.

I posted a technically crap self-portrait the other night on facebook.
Face lit by an ultraviolet light, luminous yellow goblin hat, half my face out of focus due
to poor choice of F stop, etc.

18 likes later and i'm thinking "why didn't i get that many likes of my macro photo of a dragonfly eating a fly?"

Answer:
99% of people looking at photos look for content rather than technical quality.

Buy a bridge camera, take pictures. Don't faff around trying to be a pro.

 

[hoopdriver]

That might be all very well for Facebook, but I believe he is looking for a camera for his company and, I presume, to take sharp photos at meetings, functions, dinners etc without flash and up to a standard that would be useful for corporate purposes. That is a far cry from posting funny looking self portraits on Facebook, and 18 likes isn't going to cut it in the real world.

 

[pplpilot]

That might be all very well for Facebook, but I believe he is looking for a camera for his company and, I presume, to take sharp photos at meetings, functions, dinners etc without flash and up to a standard that would be useful for corporate purposes. That is a far cry from posting funny looking self portraits on Facebook, and 18 likes isn't going to cut it in the real world.

Could not agree more. Digital photography has kind of killed the skill in understanding the technical side of photography. Having a Digital SLR does not a photographer make. To get sharp well exposed usable images from such a camera requires an understanding of Aperture/Shutter speed / iso and the effect each one of these has on the other. Simply putting the camera in 'auto' does not cut it.

 

[fenlandpsychocyclist]

I've had to help out a director at work with said £900 worth of dslr ... he was attempting to video something and the flourescent lights above
were causing a strobing effect that he couldn't get rid of.
I switched them off, and set up a pair of halogens instead.
A case of "expensive camera" but "no skill".

 

[the_mikey]

I take it none of you ever get camera anxiety? It feels like taking photographs is wrong somehow...

 

[hoopdriver]

I take it none of you ever get camera anxiety? It feels like taking photographs is wrong somehow...

I guess not. What do you mean?

 

[NotthatJasonKenny]

Lots of technical stuff being posted and yeah, it's true that in very low levels you might struggle to get 'great' results from your £1000 budget but I'm wondering how good you need the results to be? Good or great?

I'm only a hobbyist but if you are taking shots in a function room then I'm guessing you will be mixing close up shots with candid zoom shots across a room? I swap between a 18-55 lens and a 55-250 lens and swapping is a bitch when you can see a shot you want.

I would say a canon body and then get the lens I'm linking to below.

It's an f 3.5 with image stabilisation and an 11 times zoom and tbh is the best you will get for the money and will be suitable for your use.

Camera is £700 - http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-canon-60d-body/p1522200
And this lens at £399 -
http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-canon-ef-s-18-200mm-f3-5-5-6-is-lens/p1028041

Probably the best you will get for that budget.

 

[Crankarm]

Have you thought of hiring kit as and when you need it? There are quite a few places that hire out pro-kit cameras, full frame bodies such as Canon 5d Mk2 or 3, Canon1d Mk4 or Nikon D800, D3s or D3x or D4, pro lenses, lighting equipment. You will need a decent flash gun or two, with diffusers, ideally off camera flash controlled by trigger if you want to do decent portraits. A couple of reflectors such as california sun bounce would be useful. Don't forget to adjust the colour balance on camera and use a gel on yor flash if you need to. You might want a grip with the camera body as well to give you more battery power if it is a long evening or event. Two camera bodies are better than one, one wide angle the other a telephoto eg 70-200mm with image stabilisation for low light shots preferably a fast f2.8 lens or f1.4/1/2 if a prime lens such as 50mm. These can all be hired. Don't forget spare batteries and CF or SD cards as you don't want to run out of memory and have to start deleting images on the job. Some form of 3rd party liability insurance would be wise in case some is injured as a result of your photography on the day/night. Take a note book and pen to record details of any subjects. HTH.

www.LensesForHire.co.uk

Alternatively buy 2nd hand cameras such as a Nikon D200 with a couple of lenses or Canon 40D with17-85mm lens. Budget for a flash gun as well. Go for as high a Guide Number (power) as you can. A tripod could be useful at some stage during the evening/event as could a monopod to give you a much more stable camera support and sharper images.