The Next Step

Portlawslim

Hi all, I've only gotten into proper DSLR photography in the past year and I must say I'm really enjoying it. I've learnt loads and I have loads more to learn. I joined my local Camera Club and I'm finding it a great help with the assignment challenges and POTY competitions which really help push you to develop your skills and learn your way around your camera.
My question is I'm thinking off upgrading my camera(I'm currently using a Canon 1100d with kit lens and I also have a 50mm 1.8 ef and a 70-300ef usm) which is great for a novice like myself, but I'm trying to plan ahead and budget for a purchase maybe in 4 to 6 months time. So my question is What should I aim for I was thinking maybe the 70d or if I can stretch to it a 7d?
Your advice and opinions would be much appreciated.:)

M.J.M.C

What does your current camera NOT do that you would like it to do?
What type of photography are you interested in (Sports / Wildlife etc)?
What's your budget?

Portlawslim

At the moment I'm loving the seascapes and landscapes and messing around with anything that comes my way from macro to light trails and anything in between. I'd like a larger pixel size(the 1100d is a 12 megapixel) for a bit more detail 18 to 20 would be great. Better auto focus, faster fps maybe if I go in for wildlife or sports stuff. I like the idea of the movable screen and having a second body is always handy.
Budget would be between €800 to €1000 if I can scrape it together!!

braddun

learn photoshop

that's what digital photos has come down too

magicbastarder

braddun wrote: »

learn photoshop

my advice would have been 'unlearn photoshop'.

the few more megapixels you want - do you regularly crop, or do you print larger than A3? if not, you probably don't need the extra resolution.
it's a general truism that with any mass market DSLR in the last 5 or 10 years, that the camera is better than you.
getting into wildlife first means learning a discipline with very different demands from other types of photography, so i wouldn't get hung up on FPS as being a gatekeeper for this discipline; i've heard it said (by a successful wildlife photographer) that the first thing you need to succeed at wildlife photography is a keen interest in and knowledge of wildlife; hopefully you already have this!

TL;DR - i know a few people who upgraded their bodies thinking it'd kick their photography up a gear, and ended up disappointed.

Bears and Vodka

braddun wrote: »

learn photoshop

that's what digital photos has come down too

Lightroom rather than Photoshop.

One thing to bear in mind, OP, is that glass is more important than the body. Bodies only last a few years and then become obsolete or worn up. Good glass will (hopefully) last you a lifetime. Think about what kind of photography you like to do, and then look into buying a lens that will help you in that regard.

But as DSLR bodies go, 70D is a great camera and has the flippy screen you want. In 6 months time it will depreciate in value even more probably.

kelly1

braddun wrote: »

learn photoshop

that's what digital photos has come down too

Are you a film snob? I get along just fine without Photoshop. I wouldn't be without LR though.

MagicHumanDoll

Photoshop needs to be used delicately. I consider myself an expert at photoshop and know exactly how powerful a tool it is and how tempting it can be for someone to keep adding stuff only to ruin/lose the original photograph. But that being said, there's a skill to using it well and it isn't something you should ignore in my opinion.

Portlawslim

Thanks for the replies, that's great advice about the glass, and I love Lightroom and I mainly use it over Photoshop and when I do use PS it's mainly just to remove something.

CabanSail

While the 1100D is working fine for you, keep using it.

I would say the next step would be up to a full frame body as that is where you will see a change.

tom tit tot

I'd still be focusing on getting really good lenses, that's the biggest impact you can make to your pictures. Otherwise any pictures taken with the new body will look just like that from the old body.

I personally found the 50mm prime was too "zoomed in" on a crop sensor camera. I have the new Sigma 30mm f1.4 art lens and I think it's amazing! 30mm on a crop body gives you very close to the field of view of 50mm on a full sensor, which is supposed to be ideal. There's other options as well like 10-20mm wide angles, or 90-110mm macros (which double up as great portrait lenses!) which would really spice up your game!

Portlawslim

tom tit tot wrote: »

I'd still be focusing on getting really good lenses, that's the biggest impact you can make to your pictures. Otherwise any pictures taken with the new body will look just like that from the old body.

I personally found the 50mm prime was too "zoomed in" on a crop sensor camera. I have the new Sigma 30mm f1.4 art lens and I think it's amazing! 30mm on a crop body gives you very close to the field of view of 50mm on a full sensor, which is supposed to be ideal. There's other options as well like 10-20mm wide angles, or 90-110mm macros (which double up as great portrait lenses!) which would really spice up your game!

Thanks Tom tit tot, Yeah I've been looking at some new lenses a wide angle 10-20mm being a target

TheQuietFella

Portlawslim wrote: »

Thanks Tom tit tot, Yeah I've been looking at some new lenses a wide angle 10-20mm being a target

If you intend on upgrading your camera to a FF at a later date, this lens will become redundant as it's an EF-S so THINK CAREFULLY before deciding what you want to purchase & what usage it will get.

Silva360

The next step would be to take a step back. Review your photographs and try to figure out what is that you believe is lacking. Is there something that you want to do that your current gear does not enable you to do?

If the answer is yes, then you need to try to understand where the deficiency lies, is it technique or technical? If it’s technique, then you simply need to practice and then practice some more. Get things wrong until you understand why and then think through solutions. I can guarantee that money on new gear will not solve technique issues. If it’s technical, then you need to try to understand what the technical issues are, ie, can they also be overcome with your current gear? If not, then you need to try to figure out what you want the most from a camera and lens. There is no one camera and no one lens that will cover all bases. There is no fast track solution.

I consider myself an outdoor photographer and I am struggling to think of photographs that I would not have been able to take with your gear. I use, and have done since 2008, a 12mp D700. It’s a bit bedraggled at this stage but I would expect to get another few years out of it. I understand its limitations (ISO/DR) and work around them. The point is that there is very little that I require of this camera that it cannot achieve. The mega pixel sales pitch is nonsense unless you are a professional requiring the utmost quality. FPS should not be a priority unless you are photographing fast moving subjects, and even then I would wholeheartedly agree with Magicbasterer’s wildlife photography friend. Anticipation of the action is key and then good camera technique to capture it.

I hope this does not come across as negative, or patronising, but the push towards gear as a way to improve photography is mostly a marketing ploy and I believe that such improvement can be obtained for free until you're ready to ‘take the next step’. By thinking through the above, you will eventually come to a conclusion as to what you do need (which only you can determine) and then you’ll spend your money wisely. Good luck.

Portlawslim

TheQuietFella wrote: »

If you intend on upgrading your camera to a FF at a later date, this lens will become redundant as it's an EF-S so THINK CAREFULLY before deciding what you want to purchase & what usage it will get.

Thanks for the tip.

Silva360 wrote: »

The next step would be to take a step back. Review your photographs and try to figure out what is that you believe is lacking. Is there something that you want to do that your current gear does not enable you to do?

If the answer is yes, then you need to try to understand where the deficiency lies, is it technique or technical? If it’s technique, then you simply need to practice and then practice some more. Get things wrong until you understand why and then think through solutions. I can guarantee that money on new gear will not solve technique issues. If it’s technical, then you need to try to understand what the technical issues are, ie, can they also be overcome with your current gear? If not, then you need to try to figure out what you want the most from a camera and lens. There is no one camera and no one lens that will cover all bases. There is no fast track solution.

I consider myself an outdoor photographer and I am struggling to think of photographs that I would not have been able to take with your gear. I use, and have done since 2008, a 12mp D700. It’s a bit bedraggled at this stage but I would expect to get another few years out of it. I understand its limitations (ISO/DR) and work around them. The point is that there is very little that I require of this camera that it cannot achieve. The mega pixel sales pitch is nonsense unless you are a professional requiring the utmost quality. FPS should not be a priority unless you are photographing fast moving subjects, and even then I would wholeheartedly agree with Magicbasterer’s wildlife photography friend. Anticipation of the action is key and then good camera technique to capture it.

I hope this does not come across as negative, or patronising, but the push towards gear as a way to improve photography is mostly a marketing ploy and I believe that such improvement can be obtained for free until you're ready to ‘take the next step’. By thinking through the above, you will eventually come to a conclusion as to what you do need (which only you can determine) and then you’ll spend your money wisely. Good luck.

Thanks for a great insight and inspiration and your time to write the post