Starting a new business... gear advice?

[paolo80]

Hello everyone,
I am planning to start a side photography business and I recently sold all my gear (5D III, 6D and a bunch of L lenses) so that I can start with a new setup.
This post is supposed to be constructive, no trolling.
I am debating whether sticking with Canon (which I know and feel comfortable with) or going to the mirrorless route (considering mainly Sony).
I shoot 90% landscape, but I will be expanding to wedding photography.
My question is: if you could start from 0, which camera lenses would you suggest?
My initial budget is 8K-10K.
I have never shot with a 1DX, would that be an all-round camera?
I had a Sony in the past (8 years ago), but I was extremely disappointed with their repair costs/assistance. Do you know if it's now comparable to Canon service?

thanks in advance

 

[privatebydesign]

Weddings and landscapes really need two different beasts. The 5DSR is the newest landscape camera but probably isn't the best for weddings. However, I am sure it is very usable, but, the moire issue will arise soon enough for wedding shooters and the difference between the 5DS and 5DSR is miniscule.

In your position I'd get a 5DS and the 24-70 f2.8 MkII and 16-35 f4 IS, you can get deals and double dip rebates on the combo at the moment too. Then shoot and see what else you need, don't spend all your money in one go as your shooting will determine what else you need.

The 1DX is too compromised for landscapes.

 

[verysimplejason]

Hello everyone,
I am planning to start a side photography business and I recently sold all my gear (5D III, 6D and a bunch of L lenses) so that I can start with a new setup.
This post is supposed to be constructive, no trolling.
I am debating whether sticking with Canon (which I know and feel comfortable with) or going to the mirrorless route (considering mainly Sony).
I shoot 90% landscape, but I will be expanding to wedding photography.
My question is: if you could start from 0, which camera lenses would you suggest?
My initial budget is 8K-10K.
I have never shot with a 1DX, would that be an all-round camera?
I had a Sony in the past (8 years ago), but I was extremely disappointed with their repair costs/assistance. Do you know if it's now comparable to Canon service?

thanks in advance

I don't know why you sold your 5D3 or 6D and your L lenses if you're planning to start a photography business. Those are the equipment that you really need especially for wedding photography. Just add some strobes/lighting sets and you're good to go. You go only for 1DX if you need to shoot sports (though there are cheaper alternatives like 1D4, 1D3, 7D2, 7D). Changing from Canon to Nikon or Sony seem impractical especially from a business point of view.

BTW, I am an event photographer and I'm using 6D/60D combo (I really envy your 5D3... Why do you have to sell it??? ). I've got some lenses like a 24-105L IS USM, 17-40L, 28mm, 50mm, 100mm USM macro and a 70-200 F4L IS USM. I've got 3 flashes (Nissin, Yongnuo, Canon) with light stands/umbrella, reflector, snoots, backdrop and manual remote triggers.

If you're going to start a photo passport ID business, even a 300D or a 30D and kit lens will suffice. Just add some <$100 worth of studio lighting/backdrop and you're on.

 

[paolo80]

well, I sold my gear mainly for tax purposes and I almost got back what I paid for it (I couldn't say the same if I had Sony cameras). I appreciate your responses.
P.

 

[AcutancePhotography]

Since you are starting over, are you limiting your choices between Canon and Sony only?

 

[Sporgon]

Hello everyone,
I am planning to start a side photography business and I recently sold all my gear (5D III, 6D and a bunch of L lenses) so that I can start with a new setup.
This post is supposed to be constructive, no trolling.
I am debating whether sticking with Canon (which I know and feel comfortable with) or going to the mirrorless route (considering mainly Sony).
I shoot 90% landscape, but I will be expanding to wedding photography.
My question is: if you could start from 0, which camera lenses would you suggest?
My initial budget is 8K-10K.
I have never shot with a 1DX, would that be an all-round camera?
I had a Sony in the past (8 years ago), but I was extremely disappointed with their repair costs/assistance. Do you know if it's now comparable to Canon service?

thanks in advance

Good luck trying to make a (viable) business out of landscape photography. If you succeed you can join the elite few who've managed it.

 

[paolo80]

Since you are starting over, are you limiting your choices between Canon and Sony only?

As I mentioned above I am considering mainly Sony, that doesn't mean I'm not open to Fuji or others. I'm trying to collect some feedback

 

[unfocused]

Paolo, I don't know if you are in the U.S. or not, so I don't know what your tax situation might be, but I'm still with verysimplejason – it seems like you sold all the equipment you needed and now have to replace it. If you sold it for what you paid, then I suppose it's no big loss, but I'm still trying to figure it out.

Regardless, Jason's advice seems solid: A 5DIII, some key lenses and lots of lighting equipment should be a good start.

Like Private, I'm also perplexed by the combination of wedding and landscape. I'd be curious as to what market research you did before making this decision. There just isn't much of a market for landscape photography unless you focus on some very specific niche markets and have a customer base figured out.

On this forum, Sporgon is probably the most successful at landscape and I believe his bread and butter is really architectural work. You might private message him for advice.

My biggest advice: don't quit your day job. Earning a living in photography is not for the faint of heart. Everyone with a camera thinks they can go into business. I don't want to discourage you, but I strongly urge you to have a well developed business plan -- that's much more important than what camera to buy.

 

[paolo80]

Hello everyone,
I am planning to start a side photography business and I recently sold all my gear (5D III, 6D and a bunch of L lenses) so that I can start with a new setup.
This post is supposed to be constructive, no trolling.
I am debating whether sticking with Canon (which I know and feel comfortable with) or going to the mirrorless route (considering mainly Sony).
I shoot 90% landscape, but I will be expanding to wedding photography.
My question is: if you could start from 0, which camera lenses would you suggest?
My initial budget is 8K-10K.
I have never shot with a 1DX, would that be an all-round camera?
I had a Sony in the past (8 years ago), but I was extremely disappointed with their repair costs/assistance. Do you know if it's now comparable to Canon service?

thanks in advance

Good luck trying to make a (viable) business out of landscape photography. If you succeed you can join the elite few who've managed it.

Luckily this would be a side job, my main goal will be to cover gear expenses so that my wife doesn't divorce me
I will be doing some weddings as well, but like 4-5 a year. Landscape photography is my passion, and I'm aware that the chances of succeeding are near zero. Nevertheless I managed to sell a few shots in the past.

 

[tayassu]

First, good luck with your business!
Second, to the gear:
Depending on how much weddings you'll do I would get the 5DS (for mainly landscape and a few weddings) or the 5DIII (for like 50:50).
For lenses, I'd say 16-35/4, 24-70/2.8 II and 70-200/2.8 II. That covers the weddings in terms of lens fastness and the landscapes in terms of FL, although the 70-200 is really heavy to drag up a mountain :/
Get a good, solid tripod with a ballhead, e.g. Manfrotto MT055CXPRO4 with the Novoflex CB3II and a 600EX Speedlite, then you should be just within the 10K range.

 

[Sporgon]

Luckily this would be a side job, my main goal will be to cover gear expenses so that my wife doesn't divorce me
I will be doing some weddings as well, but like 4-5 a year. Landscape photography is my passion, and I'm aware that the chances of succeeding are near zero. Nevertheless I managed to sell a few shots in the past.

OK, well that makes more sense. You are more likely to get a wedding photographer who does landscape on the side, not the other way round.

I'll stick my neck out: for weddings I think you'd be crazy to go for anything other than Canon or Nikon at the moment, and as you are already familiar with Canon I'd go for that. There is no time at a wedding to learn the fine points of a new camera system. As far as the Nikon sensor is concerned I've been playing with a Sony Exmor for a while and there are just not the differences at low ISO in practice that the exmor brigade preach about - assuming you expose reasonably correctly on the Canon that is.

On this forum, Sporgon is probably the most successful at landscape and I believe his bread and butter is really architectural work. You might private message him for advice.

Thanks for that ! Yea, the monument work might be bread and butter but there's no jam. And I don't run four showjumping horses from that I can assure you !

Without social photography I think most would be stuck nowadays for full time work.