Camera for a web designer

Lostinspace · 31-08-2010 1:23pm #1

Hello,

I recently set up my own web design company and am looking to buy a camera for the business. Basically the purpose is for taking photos for clients who don't already have photos at hand.

For example, I'm due to call to a cafe in the next few days to take photos of their premises, including the interior and exterior as well as some of the food that they provide (I'll borrow a camera for this). Perhaps one or two employee photos will also be required. What I'm looking for is some advice in relation to buying a camera.

What would you recommend for someone like me who is setting up? Obviously I'd like to keep the costs down as much as possible while at the same time ensuring that the photos that I take are good quality. A lot of my photos may be indoors so I presume it would need a good flash (I'm not great with cameras as you can probably tell). I'm only looking to spend probably up to €400 at the moment and maybe at a later stage I could upgrade to a more advanced camera. Or is that too little for what I'm looking for? I've been looking on amazon.co.uk and there is obviously a wide choice of cameras there.

Any advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

line6 · 31-08-2010 1:33pm

http://cgi.ebay.ie/Canon-EOS-450D-18-55-LENS-FREE-1-GB-CARD-/130424947955?pt=UK_CamerasPhoto_DigitalCameras_DigitalCameras_JN#ht_2182wt_911

i think this might suit you - you can upgrade your lenses later, add a decent flash - it suits me well anyway

DaireQuinlan · 31-08-2010 1:36pm

I'd suggest maybe sourcing some pro photographer to do the photography side of things, itemize it seperately on the invoices so the clients know exactly what proportion of the cost is going towards the shots, or alternatively getting the clients to employ the photographer and liaise with him or her to ensure you get the shots you need for the site.

Trev M · 31-08-2010 1:37pm

400 quid , in my opinion, is a very small budget for equipping what youve described, i.e a professional service ?

You'd get a Canon 450D second hand for around that , however you'd probably be advised to get a wide angle lense too for cafes and premises at a minimum ..300-400 euro (Sigma 10-20).... Kit lense will be pretty limited. Then maybe 150 or so for a second hand flash (the built in flash wont get over the 10 -20 and you'll have a dark shadow front centre).

An outlay of close to a grand would be closer to a minimum requirement in my estimation..and even at that you'll work hard to get pictures to a standard worth anyone paying for in my opinion.

Or what Daire said ;-)

joeKel73 · 31-08-2010 1:45pm

You seem to think that a quality camera = quality photos. I get the impression that your expertise is the web design, not the photography. I'd recommend getting a like-minded person onboard whose expertise is photography and not web design. Otherwise your work might be let down by the photos, despite a well designed site. And it'll help some upcoming photographer to gain some experience.

Have them there when you're meeting the client so they know what's wanted. Agree a price with them for taking and processing the photos, then itemise that in your final bill to the client.

sheesh · 31-08-2010 1:46pm

that dslr is not a bad idea. it makes you look professional they are easy to use once you get used to them. You could get a 50mm f1.8 for low light conditions in a place like a shop this lens is also perfect for portraits you can get this lens for under €100 online.

Trev M · 31-08-2010 1:55pm

A 50mm is a great value for money lens Id agree for portrait , but it wont do you any favours in a small poky little cafes or tight restaurants where the owner may want you to "maximise the appeal of the space available"

estate agents love the aulde wide angle for this exact reason.

charybdis · 31-08-2010 1:55pm

I think the most influential factor on the quality of photography like this is the ability and knowledge of the photographer. I'm fairly sure a knowledgeable photographer with a basic compact digital camera would get better results than a someone unfamiliar with the particulars of photography with a high-end DSLR.

Then again, if you can get photographs that are acceptable to your client: congratulations, you're a pro photographer.

sheesh wrote: »

that dslr is not a bad idea. it makes you look professional they are easy to use once you get used to them. You could get a 50mm f1.8 for low light conditions in a place like a shop this lens is also perfect for portraits you can get this lens for under €100 online.

I'd imagine trying to take photographs of the interior of a café with a 50mm lens on an APS-C camera would be challenging.

CabanSail · 31-08-2010 2:05pm

Getting good quality images for Web use is not really about the camera. Any Point & Shoot on the market will get results good enough for use on a website.

Knowing how to take that photograph is where you either need to learn about photography, which isn't going to happen overnight, or find someone who does to assist you.

If, on the other hand, you are happy with snapshots then most cameras out there will fit the requirements.

Trev M · 31-08-2010 2:09pm

:D Id be willing to wager a wide angle on a 450 on auto in a complete novices hands will consistently give better results than your average point and shoot?

:D Ya know giving the set up ... setting up a website , multiple clients quick turn around, minimal dependance on other people etc

sheesh · 31-08-2010 2:16pm

Trev M wrote: »

A 50mm is a great value for money lens Id agree for portrait , but it wont do you any favours in a small poky little cafes or tight restaurants where the owner may want you to "maximise the appeal of the space available" estate agents love the aulde wide angle for this exact reason.

charybdis wrote: »

I think the most influential factor on the quality of photography like this is the ability and knowledge of the photographer. I'm fairly sure a knowledgeable photographer with a basic compact digital camera would get better results than a someone unfamiliar with the particulars of photography with a high-end DSLR.

Then again, if you can get photographs that are acceptable to your client: congratulations, you're a pro photographer.

I'd imagine trying to take photographs of the interior of a café with a 50mm lens on an APS-C camera would be challenging.

yes both of you are right challenging to say the least! if you wanted a hand held shot in low light it can be useful.

Trev M · 31-08-2010 2:38pm

No doubt low light 50mm is yer man for a cheap reliable and sharp lens couldnt agree more....

I currently have a topic on the go around flash there... Im not a flash fan, my default in low light is the 50 and its been very useful. I have a few lenses now including an 70-200L lens and euro for euro the 50 is by a long way the best value for euro lens I have in my opinion.

BostonB · 31-08-2010 2:57pm

Do a photography course. That would be very useful if you are going to be taking and working with Photos on the web. Once you've done a course you'd know better what you need.

Lostinspace · 31-08-2010 4:30pm

Thank you for all of the comments. I do appreciate it. I know a few people have mentioned getting a pro photographer to come along with me to take the photos and then add their bill onto the clients final invoice. However, I really would like to keep the costs down for the client. It's hard enough to get business myself at the moment so by doing it myself I'm adding value to my overall offering.

The clients don't appear to be too picky on the photos. As long as they are a decent quality and not blurred then I think they are OK with that.

Trev Ya I know 400 is quite a low budget but I'm only starting off and when I do get some revenue coming in I will be able to upgrade my lenses to a wide angle lens.

I will (after a few months) look at doing a professional photography course and actually learn how to take photos the right way but at the moment I just want to get the basics set up while I'm establishing my business. And I will be back here again looking for recommendations on professional courses.

So just from reading the comments, is it best for me to go with the Canon EOS 450D and perhaps purchase a Canon 50 mm Lens to go with it? Am I better to go with amazon rather than the eBay link that was posted earlier. The eBay camera is cheaper (and it comes with a 1GB card) but it may be missing its original packaging and they're not exactly new. Or am I better to buy the body only and get the 50mm lens with it?

Sorry for all the questions and I do appreciate the advice.

Thanks

CabanSail · 31-08-2010 8:48pm

The Canon was only an example of an entry level DSLR. If you are going to learn more about photography then a DSLR is probably the way to go. You should probably have a look at what's on offer from the three major systems. They are Canon, Nikon & Sony. Go into some shops and see which feels best in your hand. You may also get some value by buying locally as it's not too convenient to ask the eBay seller follow up questions. You don't say where you are but if Dublin based then head for Gunns.

At this stage I would stick with the kit lens rather than the 50mm as I think a general zoom lens will be more useful than a mid telephoto. For what you are shooting you will probably find that you need to go wider than longer. The nifty fifty may be a useful addition later on but at this stage for web use you will get away with slower glass and using a higher ISO as on low res the noise will probably not be a major problem.

Have a look at the FAQ Thread as there is a lot of advice in there about buying a camera.

Camera for a web designer

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