DSLR Choices for the Wedding Photographer

Seems like everyone wants to be a wedding photographer these days. :-)

I get asked a lot of questions about shooting weddings, and a lot of them are about cameras and gear, which is understandable since there are so many choices and so many different opinions out there.

There have never been so many DSLR camera choices available as there are today. Even a few years ago, some DSLR cameras were much better suited than others for the task of shooting a wedding. These days, a competent photographer could easily shoot a wedding with pretty much any DSLR on the market.

That said, there are DSLR cameras that are better suited to weddings than others.

The Nikon D3s and Nikon D700 are the best DSLR cameras ever available for shooting weddings. Their insane image quality at high ISO settings allows the photographer a wide latitude of creativity options that just aren't possible with any other camera. Add to that their incredible image quality, the fact that they have the best auto focus system on the planet today, and are built to withstand a nuclear explosion, and you have a pair of really incredible DSLR's that are perfectly suited for the challenges of photographing a wedding.

What's that? The D3s and D700 are a little out of your price range?

No problem. The Nikon D300s or the Nikon D90 are excellent alternatives that are a little lighter on the pocket book. I'd have no problem shooting a wedding with a pair of Nikon D90 DSLR's, and at less than $1,000 per body, their probably the best value on the market today. The image quality from the Nikon D90 is exceptional, and the auto focus performance is VERY good.

So far I've only mentioned Nikon DSLR cameras. While I think Nikon makes the best DSLR cameras available today, and certainly offers the BEST warranty of any DSLR manufacturer, there are certainly some other great camera options out there outside of the Nikon line-up. Canon, Sony, and Pentax all have some excellent DSLR offerings for the wedding photographer.

Canon's 5D MkII is a full frame favourite among a lot of wedding photographers. It's high ISO abilities are very good... not in the same league as the Nikon D3s or D700, but still very good.

The new Canon 7D is also fast becoming a wedding photographer favourite for those who shoot Canon. A crop sensor DSLR, which at 18MP produces images which are a little noisy for my taste, the 7D features a new and improved Canon auto focus system.

I'd stay away from the Canon 50D if you're shopping. It produces images that are noisy by comparison and are not of a quality that is worthy of a Canon DSLR in my opinion. You're better off with the previous Canon 40D.

The Canon Rebel XSi is a pretty decent little performer if you are on a tight budget. Not a bad idea to buy 2 of these bodies and spend the rest of your money on high quality lenses if you can't afford the more expensive bodies and the better lenses. I'd steer clear of the Rebel T1i as it has a similar chip to the 50D so you get the same image quality issues as the 50D.

For those of you considering a Canon DSLR purchase, Canon quality control is not the best, so be careful to test your new Canon DSLR if you buy one to make sure it doesn't have auto focus problems, exhibit banding in the images, or have other functional problems. You can find numerous accounts of folks who have problems with Canon DSLR's if you search the net, and I really hope they address the problem soon.

Sony has quite a few options in the DSLR arena now and are obviously looking to establish themselves as a major player. If you're a Sony fan, consider the full frame A850 as an excellent pro featured DSLR at a bargain price. I personally don't know of any pros shooting weddings with Sony equipment, but I'm sure that will change as they continue to improve their offerings.

Pentax fans can have a look at the K7, a great value that is one of the most full featured DSLR cameras on the market today. For the price, it's a bargain. My only caveat to the Pentax system is that their auto focus isn't quite up to par with Nikon or Canon (when Canon auto focus works).

My #1 Recommendation for a Wedding Photographer's DSLR is the Nikon D3s. It's simply the best DSLR out there right now.

My #2 Recommendation for a Wedding Photographer's DSLR is the Nikon D700. Lighter and less expensive than the D3s, you still get 90% of the D3s goodness at almost half the price.

My #3 Recommendation for a Wedding Photographer's DSLR is the Nikon D90. To date, the Nikon D90 is the best value in a DSLR ever. If your budget doesn't allow for a D700 or a D3s, the D90 will do you just fine.

Unfortunately, Canon's quality control issues, auto focus problems, and shorter warranties, prevent me from recommending them in my top 3 recommendations. I feel that these problems just shouldn't exist in top quality equipment, and therefore I can't recommend them in good conscience.

Remember, if you're charging money to shoot weddings, you ABSOLUTELY have to have a back-up body. If you can't afford a D3s or D700 and a backup body, you NEED to be looking at two less expensive bodies like the D90 that fit in your budget.

Professional photographers ALWAYS need to have backup equipment. Don't even think about skimping here. You could be sued if you've been paid to shoot a wedding and you have an equipment failure and no backup. And rightly so. ALWAYS have backup equipment on hand.

Full Frame DSLR Camera or Crop Sensor DSLR Camera… What to do?

So, the new Nikon D300S is out. It's a great camera, and it's a crop sensor DSLR camera. Likewise, the new Canon 7D is out, and it has some great things going for it too. It's also a crop sensor DSLR camera.

Both Nikon and Canon have many other great crop sensor DSLR cameras in their line-up like the Nikon D90, Nikon D5000, Nikon D3000, Canon EOS 50D, Canon Rebel T1i, Canon Rebel Xsi, and the Canon Rebel XS.

Then you’ve got the new Nikon D3s full frame DSLR camera, and it’s a fantastic piece of equipment. Likewise, the Canon 5D MkII is a full frame DSLR camera that many Canon shooters have fallen in love with. There’s also the Nikon D700, another great full frame DSLR camera, and the Nikon D3X, the full frame DSLR camera that is Nikon’s flagship offering. Canon has the 1DsMkIII full frame DSLR which is the current Canon flagship.

Which is better, crop sensor or full frame?

Why do the full frame DSLR cameras cost so much more?

So what do you need? Will a crop sensor DSLR camera do the job, or do you need to step up to a full frame DSLR camera?

As many people have found out, there aren’t any simple, cut and dry answers to these questions, but I’m going to try and help simplify things for you.

First off, let’s look at which is better… crop sensor or full frame. The short answer is neither. Many people will tell you that full frame is better. If you’re a professional photographer, you’ve probably been told that you should shoot full frame as it’s better, or more professional, or that you’re not doing right by your clients unless your using one of the latest and greatest full frame DSLR cameras.

There’s no question that full frame DSLR cameras are great. No question that they are capable of amazing image quality. No question that a full frame DSLR like the Nikon D3s is capable of delivering mind blowing image quality at insanely high ISO settings. You can practically shoot in the dark with that thing!

But does that suddenly mean that anything less than a full frame DSLR isn’t capable delivering a great photo?

There are some incredible photographers shooting with crop sensor DSLR cameras and creating amazing images. Loads of incredible images were captured on crop sensor DSLR cameras before full frame DSLR cameras were even available. Some top notch photographers have even gone back to crop sensor DSLR cameras from full frame. Case in point, the new 7D. More than a few photographers have decided it suits them better than the full frame 5D MkII. Are they suddenly going to have worse photos because they’ve gone from a full frame DSLR to a crop sensor DSLR? They don’t think so, their clients don’t think so, and I don’t think so.

I myself am still quite content shooting with my Nikon D300 and Nikon D90, both crop sensor DSLR cameras, and both capable of incredibly good image quality. For the bulk of what I do (portraits and weddings), the venerable little D90 is more than capable of getting the job done. Sometimes I prefer the D300’s slightly better auto focus, but the trade off is that the D300 is heavier.

There are times when I’m shooting in dim lighting that the D3s or D700 would be nice for their super high ISO abilities, but I can even the playing field by knowing how to light properly. A single, inexpensive flash unit can make a shot from a D3s and D90 indistinguishable for all intents and purposes. And a single, inexpensive flash unit is a hell of a lot cheaper than purchasing a D3s.

With proper lighting, I’m perfectly comfortable shooting with any DSLR, whether it’s a $400 or $10,000 camera. Even my little Canon G10 is capable of amazing quality with the right lighting. The point is, you don’t need a full frame DSLR to take good photos. You don’t even need a high end crop sensor DSLR to take good photos. A good photographer can take a great photo with ANY DSLR on the market today.

Now, that’s not to say there aren’t times when you might benefit from some of the advanced features of the higher end crop sensor or full frame cameras. My point is that you likely don’t NEED a full frame DSLR camera. You may want one, but you probably don’t NEED one.

If you’re an amateur hobbyist who takes nature photos, landscapes, and maybe some family photos, a crop sensor DSLR camera like the Nikon D90 or Canon T1i will do just fine. Even one of the lower end DSLR cameras may be all you need.

Advanced amateurs can still do just fine with a Nikon D90 or Canon T1i. Even professionals like myself find DSLR cameras at this level to be more than adequate for most jobs. It comes down to choosing the right tool for the job, and in a lot of cases, the top end DSLR cameras are OVERKILL.

So, the short answer is NO, full frame DSLR cameras are not necessarily better. They may have advanced features such as super high ISO or crazy accurate auto focus that are better or necessary on some jobs, but I don’t think its correct to say they’re better. They’re different. Some nature photographer actually prefer the crop sensor for it’s 1.5X extra reach, but does that make a crop sensor DSLR better than a full frame DSLR? No. They may be better for a specific job requirement like nature photography, but they’re not flat out better. Different horses for different courses.

Let’s look at it from a cost perspective. Full frame DSLR cameras are MUCH more expensive, especially when you’re talking the flagship bodies like the Nikon D3X and the Canon 1DsMkIII. The reason for this is quite simple.

Sensors are basically get cut from a larger sheet of sensor material if you will. You can cut more crop sensors out of a single sheet of a given size than you can full frame sensors. This also makes it more efficient to make crop sensors as there is less waste as well, hence an added cost savings for crop sensors and cost increase for full frame sensors. Factor in the cost of bad sensors (i.e. how many sensors are bad and go to waste out of a given number), and the cost of full frame is even higher in relation to crop sensors. It costs less to throw out a bad crop sensor off the production line than it does a full frame sensor.

Of course, you’re also paying a premium for the full frame sensor simply because they’re still newer and perceived to more desirable. Pure and simple. Like a high brand product that is no better than a relatively unknown brand product, the one costs more than the other.

Now, with that said, and understanding a little more of why full frame DSLR cameras are more expensive, let’s consider the value vs. cost of full frame vs. crop sensor DSLR cameras. For the sake of argument, let’s use the Nikon D700 and the Nikon D90. The Nikon D700 lists for $2899.99 here in Canada at Henrys. The Nikon D90 lists for $1019.99. (If you’re in the USA, UK, or someplace else, feel free to substitute local pricing. It’ll still make the point nicely.)

You can buy almost three Nikon D90 DSLR bodies for the price of one Nikon D700 body, or you could buy one D90 and some nice lenses and a couple of flashes. Proper lighting will almost always do more for you than a full frame DSLR will.

So the question is, do you really need the full frame D700 bad enough to spend 3X the price of a D90?

Some will still say yes, and that’s fine. Just be aware of why you’re saying so. Most don’t need the D700... they just want it, often REALLY bad. Some do actually need the D700 over the D90. Some need an even more expensive camera like the Nikon D3s or the Nikon D3X. The point is, be aware of what you need and what you want. I want a D700 REALLY badly, but I don’t NEED one. I’ll likely get one at some point, and I know the main reason is the POWER file it generates (as my good friend Peter Gregg likes to call them) and the SUPER clean high ISO. I often shoot in dim lighting, so the amazing high ISO will be welcome. That said, I’m creating great images with my D300 and my D90. The D700 is mostly a WANT.

If you don’t have a real need for a full frame DSLR, then you get better value for your money by buying a crop sensor camera like the D90.

Factor in too that DSLR cameras do not hold their value well. Within a relatively short period of time, your DSLR will be worth less than half of what you paid for it, no matter which one you buy. So, the more expensive DSLR you buy, the more money you lose when its time to upgrade. If you make your living with your camera, its not so bad as you can write it off and use it to make more money. If you’re a hobbyist, the fast depreciation of your DSLR probably hurts a little more. Spend more, hurt more.

I’d be remiss not to note the WANT factor as being valid in and of itself. If you’re like me, you love to have a new high tech toy. If you can afford it, and are aware of the real reasons why you’re buying a more expensive DSLR than you may actually need, go for it! Get a full frame DSLR and enjoy it! Hell, buy the best if money isn’t an issue.

If you’re a struggling photography business owner, maybe you should think twice. Would the extra money be better spent on marketing or improving your photography skills to set you apart in your market? Likely.

Full frame DSLR cameras are great, but there are some great crop sensor cameras too. A good photographer can take an amazing photo with any DSLR on the market today. Good lighting will improve your photography far more than a fancier camera will. Unless you’re on an unrestricted budget, take the time to consider if you really need the more expensive full frame DSLR, or if a less expensive crop sensor DSLR will meet your needs just fine.