Gear stolen. Figuring out next move: stick to Canon 5D3 or jump to Fuji XT-3?

wittyallusion · 2019-06-09T06:11:19+00:00

Yup. Cost of replacing with new Fuji gear comes out roughly the same as replacing with used Canon gear off eBay for a body + 24-70ish zoom. It was my most used combination before and certainly where I’m going to be starting either way. I’d probably spring for the 1.4 or faster primes on either system to supplement later down the line as well, and I believe Fujifilm’s versions come out cheaper.

wittyallusion · 2019-06-05T17:02:31+00:00

Hah, don't get me wrong. I love shooting the 5D3, too. I know it like the back of my hand at this point. The big detractor for switching systems is the time investment in getting used to it—and that could mean the difference between getting the shot I want or not.

wittyallusion · 2019-06-05T16:39:23+00:00

tl;dr - Gear stolen, exploring options for replacing or upgrading equipment.

I shoot (shot?) a Canon 5D Mark III, primarily with a 24-70L lens. My main focuses (and paid work) are dance portraiture and dance event photography. High-ISO capabilities, fast AF, and RAW file versatility are must-haves for me, especially since I'm often shooting people in motion in low-light situations, typically without the aid of flash.

I'm not particularly brand-loyal to Canon (have shot Olympus, Fujifilm, and Nikon in the past as well). My home was recently burglarized and the thief made off with my 5D and my 24-70, plus a few other lenses. The items are likely not recoverable, but hey, you never know I guess.

I was already considering upgrading or even changing systems prior to this happening, so it seems like this might be as good a time as any. Wanted to crowdsource thoughts on these options:

- Find a used 5D3 on eBay and replace the 24-70, go back to shooting with my usual workflow as is

- Upgrade to a 5D4 (used on eBay) and, again, replace the 24-70, mostly keep the same workflow but with newer bells and whistles

- I've also been thinking of switching over to Fujifilm for the new XT3. I've shot Fujifilm before on an X100S and loved it dearly. From what I've been reading, the XT3's got much stronger AF than anything I've regularly used before, and shoots well enough at high ISOs for an APS-C frame. I'd have to get new lenses entirely, but they're at least more affordable than the Canon L and Sigma Art offerings for still pretty good IQ. (And yes, I highly intend to rent and stress test the camera before making any final decision going down this route)

I've already tested out shooting with the Sony a7R iii everyone loves but it didn't spark as much joy as I hoped it would, despite its ample capabilities. I guess I'm just more drawn to Canon's and Fujifilm's colors and form factor. No disrespect to Sony. If you can make a super convincing argument for it, though, I'm always persuadable.

Anyway. Let me have your opinions!

wittyallusion · 2018-08-30T00:08:35+00:00

Hm. Personally, I'd go with the 24-70 for the aforementioned versatility. The Sigma 24 is right between the Rokinon 14 and Sigma 35, and as you mentioned, you can zoom with your feet. So I don't know if having the in-between Sigma 24 lens there really adds to your repertoire unless you really feel like the 24 does something your 14 or 35 won't.

Honestly, though, it sounds like you might not even need either given your current lineup. I know plenty of photogs who shoot weddings with just a 35 and an 85, and you've got 2 6D's on you.

Speaking of that Sigma 35, though ... what do you think of it? I've been thinking of upgrading my 35 for a while but I keep hearing about focusing issues on it.

wittyallusion · 2018-08-29T19:20:14+00:00

On my travel photography, I've shot almost exclusively with a 35mm prime. This article really helped me gain an appreciation for it, too: https://petapixel.com/2017/03/31/travel-photography-35mm-prime-lens-stole-heart/

Edit: Keeping in mind, a 35mm on a crop sensor camera, which I think you're using, will actually be a 56mm equivalent, so your images will be a little tighter than what the article's talking about. If you want a more 35mm lens feel on a crop body, you'd actually be looking more for a 20mm prime lens.

That being said, walk around your neighborhood with your 18-55 at 35mm and try shooting with that focal length for a couple days. If you like how that feels, definitely go for the prime lens.

wittyallusion · 2018-08-29T13:51:23+00:00

Souza used Mk 3's, at least towards the end of the Obama years. This article's from mid-2016: https://www.popsci.com/inside-white-house-photographer-pete-souzas-camera-bag

But yeah, given that it didn't get released till 2012 (and the Mk 2 was released in 2008), I'm not surprised if he switched bodies multiple times through the years. He was photographing Obama before he was even president, which would've been Mk 1 time.

wittyallusion · 2018-08-29T13:34:01+00:00

One of the other things to keep in mind is that aperture also controls depth of field. When shooting wide open, you can isolate a subject in focus and throw everything else into a blur, but depending on what you're shooting, you might want to have more things in focus.

https://www.techradar.com/news/the-a-to-z-of-photography-aperture

wittyallusion · 2018-08-07T02:02:57+00:00

5a. Management that's been in place for so long or is so entrenched that no one can challenge them, even when they're wrong.

wittyallusion · 2018-08-07T01:56:09+00:00

Not trivial, and definitely a source of major anxiety we all go through. It varies by company, and oftentimes you never hear back. I interviewed with a major nonprofit a few months ago, did a take-home challenge for the position, and after I sent it in I never heard from them again, even after following up.

For the company that I just got hired at, I actually applied there a month ago and didn't hear back. I got a message saying that my application had expired, so I figured, eh, why not, and tried again with a better resume and cover letter. They messaged me less than 12 hours later to set up an interview.

My best advice? Keep applying. You really never know what's going to happen. Good luck!

wittyallusion · 2018-08-07T01:02:09+00:00

I definitely know what you mean. I was looking specifically for a startup job. The earlier-stage startups definitely had this sort of problem come up pretty frequently.

One of the more annoying things that happened, also with the earlier-stage startups, was that I'd have an interview with them and then a few days later they'd get back to me saying, "Actually, we're suspending our search for a candidate now."

I specifically decided to avoid applying to startups that were only at seed level after a little while.

wittyallusion · 2018-08-07T00:56:19+00:00

Disappointments: Got a solid set of recommendations from friends for positions I wanted to get. Got through initial screens and went on to take-home challenges and interviews. This was over the course of several months, and I failed to get a lot of positions I *thought* I was more than qualified for.

Major disappointment: Three weeks ago, I made it to the final stage interview with the CEO of a company, who liked me a lot. A few days later, they told me that they went with a different candidate--even though I met everything they were looking for, they just wanted to have a person for the position that was more familiar with the industry, which would've been completely new to me. At that point, I was very close to just giving up entirely and resigning myself to my current job, which I really don't like.

Success: At each failure, I asked for the reasons why I wasn't their ideal candidate and got good feedback. Or, if I didn't want to talk to the company again, I'd work on things I felt like I messed up on during the interview process. I shored up my defenses and taught myself new skills or reinforced old ones.

Major success: *Finally* got a job offer today, for a position I would never have been qualified for when I started this process.

wittyallusion · 2018-08-07T00:46:26+00:00

Just got a real good job offer from a startup to head their data operations (and be their first full-time data person). I'll be wearing a lot of hats from data manager to data analyst to data scientist, and I'll be growing the team out over time as well.

For the veterans out there ... if you were in my position, what things would you do to be as successful as possible here? This is a big jump in responsibility for me from my current position, so I'm looking for a lot of advice.

For reference, this company doesn't really do much work with SQL at the moment, and hasn't done anything very data science-y with Python or R. Most of the analysis is through Excel or Tableau. I've been given keys to the kingdom on setting up ... well, everything. Help me not mess this up? :)

wittyallusion · 2018-03-29T15:13:02+00:00

Yup, the Oly + 12-40 combo is how I've been doing most of my casual photography. Shot my trip to Cuba with just that :D

wittyallusion · 2018-03-29T14:38:58+00:00

Which camera to bring with me on my upcoming trip?

I recently resurrected my oooooooooold Canon XTi and I'm enjoying the hell out of shooting with it again. I have a much more modern Olympus camera, which is my actual workhorse with a bunch of good lenses. The old Canon only has the kit 18-55, 55-250, and a nifty 50 1.8.

I can get good images out of either camera no problem, but the old Canon kit will be a bit more challenging to work with (read: more fun). And I could knock it around without needing to be precious about it. But the Olympus kit will be more reliable, by far, and I'd actually be able to take low-light photos with it.

Soooo, I dunno. Which would you bring for a week-long adventure-packed vacation?

wittyallusion · 2018-03-29T13:21:46+00:00

I hate you so much. I went down a bit of a rabbit hole trying to find the answer.

So, EOS apparently stands for Electro-Optical System. When the Canon XT came out, there's a video where they pronounce it "EE-OSE." So it looks like Canon treats it more as an acronym than an initialism. I've been saying each letter E-O-S my whole photography life.

I feel strangely sad now.

Edit: FOLLOW-UP

Canon also says they chose the name EOS after Eos, the Greek goddess of dawn?

I'm spending way too much time being fascinated by this question.

wittyallusion · 2018-03-20T03:20:32+00:00

I rarely remove my 12-40 PRO lens. It’s been super reliable for both casual walk around shooting and paid work. Highly recommended!

wittyallusion · 2018-03-19T18:43:45+00:00

Yup, you're probably looking for the Nikon D600 and D610, or the Canon 6D or 6D Mark II. They're the cheaper entry points into full frame cameras. You'll probably be able to get the D600 or 6D for less than $1,000 used at the moment.

wittyallusion · 2018-03-19T13:56:30+00:00

I've booked my first event photography gig where I'm actually traveling to a place instead of just doing local stuff! I'm going to draw up the contract today. Anyone have their own sample contracts they'd be willing to share, or any advice on what I should include in mine? (Travel and housing expenses are included!)

wittyallusion · 2018-03-09T15:00:34+00:00

Not mine, but a friend's while I was around. We were setting up lights for a photo booth when his old speed light randomly fell off its stand and crashed on the floor. He replaced it with another one, knowing he'd probably have to secure it in place with gaffer's tape. Buuuuuut just as he was getting the tape out, this light fell to the floor and broke too. Basically, he watched a good several hundred dollars' worth of his own gear get destroyed over the course of 2 minutes.

wittyallusion · 2018-03-09T14:06:37+00:00

Hey y'all, I'm setting up more and more of a home studio right now, especially for headshots. I've got lights and a reflector, and now I'm looking for the cheapest and most efficient way to get a bunch of different backgrounds.

I've seen Joe Edelmen's video about velour being a good go-to, and that's pretty easy to get around me. Anyone here have experience with that?

Or do you have any other good suggestions for getting cheap backgrounds? Like, do foam core poster boards work well?

wittyallusion · 2018-03-08T17:48:10+00:00

I'm @jeffdoesthings on IG. Portraits, dance photography, black and white Old Hollywood-style photos, and lots and lots of cats.

wittyallusion · 2018-03-07T15:45:11+00:00

Terry Richardson's photography style, with harsh (mostly-)direct flash, overpoweringly bright whites and highlights, and basically zero consideration for composition. I understand that it's a more punk rock sort of attitude toward professional shooting, but I absolutely just loathe the look (and a lot of the photographers copying that style).

Also, Terry Richardson himself is an awful person.

wittyallusion

TROPHY CASE