Help! Nikon vs Canon again, but for a specific use

[gottcam]

I'm a first time poster... I have an important photo shoot coming up and am seeking advice regarding a weekend camera rental.

I currently use an aging 40D with 110,000 shutter actuations and a Sigma 28-70 2.8 lens. I'm long overdue for an upgrade and I'm looking forward to buying a 5D III with the 24-105 kit lens by the end of the year.

But before then, I will be doing a portrait shoot in a studio, using 3 strobes (Alien Bees). I'll be shooting around 30 models, one or two at a time, during an all-day shoot. Nothing too dramatic; the photos will be rather flatly lit. I will rent a camera and lens for this shoot, and my question is the familiar Nikon D800E vs Canon 5DIII question.

Others have posed D800E vs 5DIII questions before, but for my particular circumstance I am very much on the fence. For my specific need of a strobe-it studio portrait shoot, which system would you rent? The D800E with Nikon 24-120mm lens, or the 5DIII with 24-105L? (I need the zoom for a variety of full body shots and tight shots, and these are the perfect range.)

In Nikon's favor:
I've been reading about the superiority of the Nikon at low ISO - I will be keeping it at ISO 100. But I'm wondering if that is very relevant, since these strobe-lit portraits won't have a huge DR.

In Canon's favor:
I am a lifelong Canon user and have rented the 5DIII previously - it was like an old friend, there was no learning curve whatsoever. I don't know Nikon and I'm a little apprehensive about using an unfamiliar system for an important shoot. But then again, I will not be delving too deeply into the capabilities of the camera - I will simply be composing (zooming) and shooting away. Should the comfort factor concern me?

Or:
Would you say that it ultimately does not matter? I won't be printing these photos at 6x9 feet - in fact, I won't be printing them at all. They will be used for an online portfolio. If the consensus is that the difference between the results of the 2 systems would be negligible or non-existent, I would go with the Canon just for the comfort factor. But if there would indeed be a noticeable difference between the images, that would ultimately seem to be the most important factor.

Which system would you rent for a weekend studio shoot? Thank you in advance for the benefit of your experience!

 

[35mm Film]

Hey welcome and good luck. If it was me I would stick to what I know especially for a wedding as you dont want miss any shots. I shot a wedding last weekend and got every shot I needed with a 5Dmk2 and a 1N. My wife joined me with her 7D to get candid shots becuase I seem to get people at their worst with candid shots. The only pictures I am not happy with is the brides family shot because some blokes were hiding behind people on purpose but ill just photoshop them out all together ;D

 

[M.ST]

Get a 5D Mark II with the new EF 24-70 2.8 L II and the EF 70-200 2.8 L II. Or better the EF 85 and EF 135 prime.

The 5D Mark II gives you more fine details than the 5D Mark III in the ISO range 50 to 200. You don´t need to go higher under studio condition and you don´t need the 5D Mark III AF-system for studio shots. The 5D Mark II is a little bit better in RAW and much better in JPG than the 5D Mark III.

The D800 produce very big files. Your workflow slow down dramatically.

Forget the mentioned lenses for portraits. The EF 24-105 is only good at f/9 to f/16.

I personally prefer the 1 Ds Mark III and H5D-60 for studio shots.

Re to your 40D: 110,000 shutter actuations are not very much.

 

[picturesbyme]

5DIII + 24-70L II or a sharp ver1.

...then again if it's studio and light is no problem + for online use only I think anything from 60D up with any sharp lens would work. If light is a problem 5D3 + 24-70.
What res. you are planning to use for online?
These http://atlanticpicture.com/p212321456 and these http://atlanticpicture.com/p224298311 are a mix of the 5D2, 60D and 24-70L I, EFS60, and 200L
The ones that are heavily cropped are still perfect for 8x12 print, the un-cropped ones are 16x24, 20x30 so the point is that for online use I doubt you will need/use all that MP from the D800E. Nothing against it though, it's an awesome cam. but I'd stay with what I know by heart for any important job.

 

[sjaak]

I do lot of portraits, up to 2500 a week.
I use a 40D with a 28/135 tethered to a laptop with studio flashes and the quality is great.

The only reason I could think of to get a D800 and a 24/120 or a 5DIII and a 24/105 is to impress my clients.

But don't rent Nikon stuff for an important photo shoot, stick to what you know.

 

[Drizzt321]

I'll reiterate the stick with what you know. Since you're renting, I'll assume you won't have more than a day or so to play with it first, at best. This is a recipe for bad things to happen, since you aren't all that familiar with the Nikon system. Stick with the Canon.

Definitely agree with what M.ST said, the 5d2 will be cheaper and probably better for a studio situation, and ditch the 24-150. 24-70 would be OK, but depending on the exact shot list you need (headshots, 3/4, body, etc) I'd get primes. 85/100mm, 135mm, and probably 50mm if you need a 3/4. Or go for one of the 70-200, and add the 35 or 50mm primes. The 70-200 will get you the majority of portrait shots, and they are of very high quality. If you really want to open up the lenses and get a shallow DoF, don't forget your ND filters, and make sure they fit all the lenses you will get.

Heck, the 40D can probably give you great shots with any of those listed lenses and studio lighting, although I'd change it to the 35mm, 50/85mm, and possibly 70-200 since the 1.6x crop on the sensor. Good lighting and great glass will give you great photos, almost regardless of what body you are using.

 

[Menace]

As suggested previously, stay away from a system you are not familiar with especially when dealing with 30 models in one day - make sure you have spare batteries and memory cards.

I'd rent the 5DII with 24-70 f2.8 II for this shoot - this combo will be more than sufficient for your desired outcome IMHO.

Have fun

 

[Sith Zombie]

I do lot of portraits, up to 2500 a week.
I use a 40D with a 28/135 tethered to a laptop with studio flashes and the quality is great.

The only reason I could think of to get a D800 and a 24/120 or a 5DIII and a 24/105 is to impress my clients.

But don't rent Nikon stuff for an important photo shoot, stick to what you know.

+1 for 40D, I'v printed at A2 sized with this camera with great result. Save some money and just rent great glass, I agree that if you have great glass and lighting, you can't go wrong.

 

[agierke]

stick with what you know and....

canon has better color especially with skin tones.

no brainer here. canon.

dont use the 24-105. 24-70 is better.

 

[RLPhoto]

Unless you have a specific lens use here in the canon camp, I wouldn't buy canon. IE: 50L, 135L, 85L, 100-400L. Etc

I'd recommend you look seriously into nikons options.

 

[Trevor]

For important shoots, stick to what you know.

I've shot lots of studio portraits with the EOS 5D and the 5DIII
Using the 24-105mm and the 24-70mm

Some of my clients have had images from both setups ... No ones ever commented on differences in the finished images.

 

[symmar22]

Hello, I would advise as well to rent a 5D2 or 5D3 for the ergonomics. It seems this shooting is important to you, so please don't take a chance with a camera you don't master. Nikon and Canon cameras controls are quite different, if you are familiar with Canon's, then go Canon.
Having full control of your camera in such a situation is more important than a 15% IQ improvement. Better spend your energy on your shooting, than struggling with a camera you don't know yet.

I would love to have a D800E for my tripod work, but IMO, in your case the added benefits of the better Nikon sensor, are irrelevant. Resolution is pointless for web editing, and the extended DR won't improve much in a well lit studio environment.

Like others, I would rent another lens (2.8 or better), since the 24-105mm, though an excellent lens, has IMO a bit too much DoF to allow for full portrait creativity.

If you have enough working space, a 50mm f1.4 AND a 85mm f1.8 or 100mm f2 or 135mm f2 could be all you need.

Good luck with your choice and have fun shooting....

 

[preppyak]

If it was me I would stick to what I know especially for a wedding as you dont want miss any shots.

This makes me believe you didn't bother reading the post, as he didn't mention a wedding or anything even wedding related in his post.

As for the actual question, I'd consider this the perfect opportunity to test out your idea to upgrade. I agree with others that if you are doing portrait work, the 24-70 may be the better way to go over the 24-105; but if you are happy with how the 28-70 does on your 40D, the 24-105 would give a similar DOF. The fact that they are going online for a portfolio means they don't need to be super high-res, so going the D800 route is just introducing more hassle, unless you think you'd change your mind on wanting the 5dIII down the road.

I'd say rent the 5dIII, and then consider all the possible lenses you might want in your future. You've got 30 models all day, so, the scenario doesn't get much better for testing different lenses and seeing what works for you. Maybe rent the 24-70, the 24-105, and a prime in that similar range (maybe the 50L or 85L) and see which you like. Consider it a small investment now to maybe save you some money in the future by making the right purchase

 

[Bruce Photography]

I have both the Canon 5D2, 5D3, Nikon D800, 800E. I really like the skin tones of the Nikon but would not advise going Nikon for such a short time. I have found the Nikon to have quite a steep learning curve. There are some settings that if you overlook, you will not have shots in focus unless you use live view or use manual focus. I shoot mostly Nikon now because I print large and mostly high dynamic range landscapes.

I will go with everyone else - stay with what you know. Maybe even the 5D2 if it is cheaper. Great camera and a less confusing AF than the three. The 5D3 would be fine if you bought it, but since you are renting, the 5D2 is closer to the 40D (I also have one of those) and so you learning curve would be minimal. I assume you will be shooting raw and processing with something - right?

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I bought a D800, but sold it after I discovered that Nikon has few really top lenses to match my canon lenses. I also discovered that images were very time consuming to process due to their huge size, and high ISO images took a lot of time consuming NR.
I would not consider a D800E for studio use due to the moire. For landscape use, fine.
Just pass by the Nikon 24-120mm lens in any event, It has extreme CA's, but it is sharp. Its a really poor lens, the Canon 24-105 L is wonderful in comparison and sharp even at f/4.
If you get Nikon, get the 24-70mm f/2.8G. The 85mm f/1.4G is supurb. There is nothing in the low cost area like Canon's 135mmL or 100-400mmL that is really good, so don't plan on telephoto unless you want to go for big $$.

 

[ishdakuteb]

for studio shoot, i guess you are probably doing fine with canon 40d since you have to retouch all of your images anyways. however, as if you are really want to upgrade, i would then pick either
1. 7d, or
2. 5d mark ii (under $1500) for now, or
3. wait for 6d to come out

at least you will save kinda decent amount of money. nikon d800 is good also, but like others have said that file size is too big which will slow down your process. however, canon or nikon both yield good images imo... i prefer not to switch gear to look for hassle. if you really want to switch to nikon due to some personal reasons, i would go with nikon pre-owned d3s...

note: keep in mind that you are in canon forums which obviously means most of us are canon fans, so asking for suggestion to switch to nikon in this forum seems like a bad move for me. as i was you, i would go online and do a research about pros gears in your area and find out further information from there. (i.e. i love/like shooting wedding and portrait (not my career), i did research on gears of yervant, ghionis (previously canon users, but now use nikon d3s being won from a contest), buissink, bob and dawn davis, etc.)

important: donot buy nikon d600 since it does offer a good dust collection to its sensor...

 

[Kernuak]

I would agree with sticking with what you know for critical work. For studio shoots and web use, the 40D should be more than adequate and because you are unlikely to be going for extreme depth of field, why not rent the 24-105 to confirm whether it is the lens for you when you eventually buy? That way, you can kill two birds with one stone. You could even rent the 5D MkIII for the same reason, but it would be a learning curve to some degree (just not as much as if you rented Nikon).

 

[Halfrack]

Rent the 5d3, and I'd go 24-70v2 personally. Shoot tethered, and have your 40d handy. Depending on the fee, I'd almost say have a backup 5d2 and prime lens just in case something doesn't work well. Check for hot pixels as you go.

30 models - at any $ each, this isn't a time to try something new.

 

[awinphoto]

A lot of people are suggesting to go with the 5d3 as it is more "familiar"... let me tell ya... I got my 5d3, a day later did a pro model shoot (a friend so not a paid gig) and I had to still take about 30 min during the shoot to fumble around the menu system to figure something out... I think i was trying to get expansion iso's or something like that... needless to say the camera menu has changed and the AF compared to the 40D is such a different beast... It WILL 100% guaranteed be a different beast than the 40D AND D800 for that matter... If the only reason is familiarity, the learning curve would be so different i dont think it would matter either way. That being said, if you study the user manual the day before and fumble around with it... If you learn the system, I think the 5d3 could seriously be a better option, but it could be partially biased.. I've shot with many different cameras and systems and brands... My keeper rate has never been higher than it has been with the 5d3, but i'm sure the same can be said of shooters with the D800... Good luck...