Canon 5D Mark IV – Image from Canon USA

The Canon 5D Mark III came out in 2012. Although I was hoping for the release of the Canon 5D Mark IV in 2015, it was finally announced in late August 2016 that it would be officially available on September 8th, 2016.

Have I pre-ordered the 5D Mark IV? NO! Will I upgrade from the Mark III to the Mark IV? Probably! Why wait? Keep reading!

I have watched numerous YouTube videos about the Canon 5D Mark IV. I have read a lot of the negative comments on those videos. I have seen the Canon specs on the Mark IV. What I am still waiting on are more REAL WORLD tests especially in low light shooting when compared to the Canon 5D Mark III.

My short wish list for the future Mark IV that I knew was coming at some point included 4K video (which it has with a twist), auto focus video (which it has) and better low light performance than the 5D Mark III (have no evidence at this point). However, there are a lot of things that the Mark IV does better and features that it has that make me seriously considering the upgrade in the coming months not on September 8th.

The Canon 5D Mark IV when compared to the Canon 5D Mark III has faster autofocus, 30MP vs. 22.3MP, autofocus video, more video capabilities, touchscreen, wi-fi, GPS, better low light focus and a list that goes on far beyond what I’ve listed here. You can visit Canon USA to see all the specifications listed for the Mark IV.

The big negatives that I keep coming across on the Mark IV are that the 4K is cropped to 1.74, it doesn’t support a CF Fast card, the 4K files are massive, that 4K only shoots 30FPS, there is no tilt screen and there is no electronic viewfinder. For me, although I’m not excited about short comings, none of those are deal breakers.

Is the Canon 5D Mark IV an upgrade to the Canon 5D Mark III? Yes it is! Does the Canon 5D Mark IV do everything in one camera that anyone would want it to do for both video and photography? No it does not! However, I don’t know any brand that has a model that will suffice every photography and video need. For the loyal Sony and Nikon users that love to bash Canon, I still don’t believe a camera exists without coming up short somehow in photography and/or video.

The Canon 5D Mark III has served me well and still does. As for the Mark IV, I do see it in my future, but it’s not a priority for two core reasons: 1) I want to see more real world testing which there will be plenty of in the coming weeks. 2) There are other gear priorities that take precedence.

The price of $3,499 is fair, but it would not surprise me at all if Canon does a $200 rebate on it by Christmas 2016. $200 is not a huge savings. It’s just a guess; however, I can wait a little longer to get the Canon 5D Mark IV.

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My latest $400 plus purchase is pictured to the left. It’s the Profoto Air Remote TTL for Canon cameras. Yes, I have one. Yes, I can trigger my B2’s with a $15 sync cord or pocket wizards. No, I cannot do TTL or High Speed Sync without it which is why I now have a backup. No, I’m not crazy about the expense, but I felt is was necessary.

The TTL and High Speed Sync are two of the many key features with the B2 system that I love. Although I have one remote just like it, I felt that it was time to get a backup. If the one and only remote that I had before getting the new one happened to fail on me, I would have thousands of dollars of lighting gear that would be limited use because of a $400 remote.

Typically most full time professional photographers will have more than one camera body, but it’s rare that the photographer will have a duplicate of each lens. There are some pieces of gear that are more of a necessity to have as a backup than others. For example, batteries, cables, SD or CF cards, speedlites, camera bodies, tripods and a few other things are usually on the list.

When it comes to lenses, there may be some cross over in focal length. For example, I own the 24-70mm f2.8 and the 24mm f1.4. Since I shoot so much at 24mm on commercial shoots, it’s nice to have two options for 24mm.

The other option is to rent a lens as a backup. For example, I don’t own (2) 70-200mm f2.8 lenses and don’t know of any photographer that I personally know that owns two either. However, I can rent a 70-200mm f2.8 locally for $35 for one day which is not bad considering it’s a $2,000 lens.

Whether a photographer or videographer buys backup gear and/or rents it, backup gear is often a necessity for those getting paid to complete a project. There are some things that cannot be rescheduled due to gear failure like our daughters upcoming wedding. I know the photographer that we hired has backup gear and there is a lot of comfort that comes from knowing that.

Gear failure is rare, but it can and does happen. What’s your backup plan?

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Oh, before I dive in, this post will focus on strobe lighting not constant lighting. Both types of lighting have advantages and disadvantages, but this post is more about overcoming the fear of studio lighting and starting out with strobes.

STOP saying you are a natural light photographer because you don’t know how to use strobe lighting inside and/or because you don’t own any strobe lighting. I’ll give you links at the end of this post to start out on THE CHEAP.

You do not have to have the amount of studio gear that you see on the left. I intentionally used that image to overwhelm anyone readying this that is not familiar with using studio lighting. The best way to get started is to start small and just start shooting. Conquer your fear by getting started not continuing to fear by avoidance.

A classic, basic studio lighting setup is one light to your left and one light to your right. Typically, you would likely have one stand, one umbrella and one strobe on your left and the other on your right. Although you can start with just one light, the nice thing about two lights is that you can move them around the subject to experiment. You can change the settings by having one put out less light than the other. You can just do more with two lights than one. In addition, if you really want to be a one studio light photographer, by having two lights, you’ll have a backup.

Rather than continue to fear using studio lighting, why not make a small investment (as little as $200 +/-) and get started? With digital, you can quickly get up to speed by doing a lot of test shots.

Starting Two Strobe Gear List:

Two of the cheapest strobes that I am aware of that actually work: Get 2 For $88 Off Of Ebay
(*Yes, if you go really cheap, you can get two cheap light stands and two cheap umbrellas for under $100 total.)
Technically, you can get started with two lights, two umbrellas and two strobes for under $200 (That’s dirt cheap!).

If you want something more heavy duty at around $130 each, these would be a good option.

If you want to step up in the same power range as the $130 ones above, you can get these for $279 each.

You’ll need a way to trigger the lights unless you want to run the cord that comes with it into the side of the camera provided your camera has a sync cable connection (or you could get this to run the cable to – hotshoe adapter). Go to Ebay or Amazon and search for “youngnuo triggers” (under $75 for 4 of them- they come in pairs) if you are looking to stay on the cheap side. If you want something more high end, then search for “pocket wizards” ($99 each x 3). You’ll need one trigger to mount to the camera hotshoe and you’ll likely want one for each strobe or you could use the slave mode on one of the strobes.

*Yes, you can find (2) umbrellas on Ebay for $30 or less, but I would recommend going with a 45 inch (minimum) umbrella and here is one option for about $30 or if you want to get some that I have had great success with, here is an option for around $50 (LOVE THESE).

Finally, you’ll need two light stands. *Yes, you can find cheap ones on Ebay that are not that sturdy for about $15 to $20 each. However, this light stand is my favorite for the money. At $50 each, they are sturdy and will likely last for several years.

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Yes, there is a valid argument for more efficiency, quality, backup gear and other reasons beyond just increasing revenue. However, rather than going that deep with this post, I specifically want to focus buying a new piece of equipment that will increase your revenue.

I know someone who owns a Canon 70D that would like to own a Canon 5D Mark III. The reality of upgrading to the 5D Mark III is that in his case the 5D Mark III will likely not put a single penny of extra revenue on the bottom his bottom line. The end client that he is shoot for will not see a noticeable difference in the results of the two cameras based on what the photographer shoots on a regular basis. Should this photographer get a 5D Mark III which as of this post is down to $2,499? In my opinion, he should not. He is better off getting a 2nd 70D and selling his potential clients on the fact that he has a back up camera body with him that will keep him going should something happen while on location.

In my case, I was briefly tempted by the NEW Canon 1DX Mark II which starts shipping in April 2016 for just $5,995. However, being a 5D Mark III commercial and portrait photographer and videographer, I cannot justify the purchase nor do I believer that it will put thousands of more dollars in my revenue stream because I shoot with it. On the other hand, I do have a more logical purchase that I recently made.

I have been in the market for the right camcorder for months. I bought and traded one in 2015 that I really didn’t care for. Sony came out with a new model in October 2015 that I have researched. I just recently purchased it from Adorama because I couldn’t easily get it from Southeastern Camera in Raleigh. By owning a traditional camcorder, there are things that I cannot do with the 5D Mark III or maybe I should say not as easily do. For example, the 5D Mark III is a DSLR and is not made to recorder over 29 minutes. It gets very hot when recording for an extended period. On the other hand, the camcorder can record for hours straight which is helpful when recording speakers on a stage that are delivering long key note speeches with several speakers back to back.

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Manfrotto 055 Tripod (Picture from Manfrotto.us)

Although I only have a tripod pictured to the left, there are several items that professional photographer should carry with them all the time. And a tripod is just one of them.

FYI, this is not meant to be a 100% all inclusive list. It is just some of the core items and meant to get you thinking beyond just carrying a body and a lens.

Tripod
If you pay attention to photographers Joel Grimes and Peter Hurley, you’ll notice that they almost always use a tripod in every shot they take. A tripod is still a fundamental piece of photography gear that every photographer should own. I’ll admit it. I have a bad habit of not using a tripod as much as I probably should, but I have learned that I need to keep one with me at all times just in case something arises because there are times that a tripod is a necessity.

General Items
Several other items that professionals should carry with them at all times are extra batteries, extra SD/CF cards, extra miscellaneous items like cleaning materials, cords (shutter release), etc., a speedlite (flash) and a backup camera body. Being old school, I still think you need a gray card in your camera bag. Although many of these items are self explanatory like back up batteries and cards, you may be wondering about the speedlite and camera body.

Speedlite (Flash)
Even if you are doing something that no extra strobe type lighting is needed, it is a good idea to have a speedlite with you in case something arises that you may need it for. For example, you are hired to photograph the outside of a building and that’s the only thing the client said they needed. However, when you show up, they ask you if you can photograph Jane Doe sitting at her desk. Well the speedlite may or may not be needed for that shot, but it’s good to have it with you just in case.

Backup Camera Body
If you are a full time professional or a photographer who shoots anything that cannot be conveniently rescheduled in case of an issue, you should either OWN or RENT a backup camera body for projects that you work on. Most new photographers will likely struggle with this one, but a photographer has ZERO business shooting a wedding (for example) if he or she doesn’t have a backup camera body that is either owned or rented to cover the wedding. There are certain cases that you can just not say, “Sorry, we’ll need to reschedule because my camera body is acting up.”

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UNEDITED image shot by John – Left: Canon 5D Mark III (Professional) – Right: Canon SL1 (Consumer)

DANGER – WARNING – WATCH OUT! This post will get a few photographers down right ANGRY and spitting mad. How do I know? I’ve posted similar things before comparing pro to consumer and I’ve posted this image above before on Instagram with text on it that got some folks in an uproar. What I find amusing is that it’s NOT the photographers with the gear on the left whining and complaining, it’s the ones with the gear on the right saying they don’t need to gear on the left. That’s fine! I get it. Do the best you can with what you can afford, but whether you agree or not, there are differences that matter to full time professionals that make the investment difference worthwhile. If you feel that a $700 investment can yield the same results as a $7,000 investment, please, by all means, save your money and spend $700 not $7,000. Just do me a favor and don’t complain on social media about how much gear costs and call other photographers idiots for investing in gear catered to professionals.

I am still a firm believer that photographers should buy the gear that they can afford and that photographers should do the best they can with what they have to work with. However, the frustrating part to many established photographers is competing against photographers using the gear on the right above (consumer) at a much lower price point than they have to charge by using the gear on the left above (professional).

What are some of the differences in professional camera gear vs. consumer camera gear?

1) It’s clear to see in the image that size is obviously one difference.
2) Price (thousands vs. hundreds) is a key factor which has a lot to do with build quality.
3) Full Frame Sensor vs. Crop Sensor

There are numerous other differences, but the blog post would be very long if I tried to explain it all. Therefore, I’ll write briefly about the 3 areas above.

You may be wondering why size would really matter especially if you are a mirrorless camera owner. However, even if you shoot mirrorless, once you add a professional lens like the 70-200mm F2.8 on the left in the image, that mirrorless camera is not so small any longer. The reason the lenses are larger is because of all the glass that makes up the lens. The reason that professional DSLR bodies are larger than consumer bodies are things like DUAL card slots: The Canon 5D Mark III has a compact flash and an SD card slot vs. the Canon SL1 (and the majority of other consumer cameras) having just an SD card slot.

Professional gear can add up to several thousand dollars very quickly vs. consumer gear often only being a few hundred dollars. Here’s an example: 5D Mark III, Canon 600 EX-RT Speedlite, Canon 70-200mm L F2.8 and Canon 24-70mm L F2.8 has a current pricing as of this post of $5,800 and this same gear has been as high as around $7,500 at it’s peak when it all first hit the market. When compared to the Canon SL1 with a 18-55mm STM lens and a 55-250mm STM lens for $695, you can quickly see that even with current pricing that the professional gear is over $5,000 more. Yet, many people by simple consumer kits for under $1,000 and start a part-time photography business charging under $100 for a CD which confuses the average consumer. However, if there is no obvious quality difference, the photographer with the professional gear needs to step up his or her game because the part-time thorns will not be going away anytime soon. So stop complaining about it and do something productive about it.

Talk about full frame and crop sensor could fill up an e-book and goes far beyond this short paragraph. Yes, it’s true that most professionals shoot with full frame. However, there are exceptions to that statement and there are advantages to shooting with a crop sensor camera. For example, the Canon 7D Mark II is more conducive to action sports photography than the 5D Mark III. However, I am not an action sports photographer and the 5D Mark III works better for what I do. An advantage to using the 24-70mm on a full frame is that it’s a true 24mm-70mm lens which means that it is wider than using the same lens on a crop sensor which makes the 24mm multiplied by 1.6 (on Canon) to become a 38mm lens. However, the 70-200mm lens used on a crop sensor camera means that the 200mm multiplied by 1.6 (on Canon) become a 320mm lens which as you can see would likely be beneficial in numerous cases.

6 final thoughts on professional camera gear vs. consumer camera gear

1) Do the best you can with what you have to work with and can afford.
2) Don’t let gear envy hold you back on growing your photography business.
3) Even if you are using consumer gear, don’t be the cheapest photographer in town.
4) Don’t get hung up on full frame vs. crop sensor – DO LOTS OF RESEARCH
5) As your business grows, there will be certain clients that ask about your gear.
6) Invest in professional lenses first before buying a pro camera body and using a cheap lens.

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First Things First – Defining A Professional Photographer
Although some people say that being a professional photographer means that 100% of the photographers income comes from photography and that they have to be FULL -TIME, I think someone can be a part-time professional photographer. The dictionary defines a professional as “engaged in a specified activity as one’s main paid occupation rather than as a pastime.” The part-time professional photographer may only do photography and nothing else for their source of income. Therefore, I believe that if a photographer is making all of their income from photography whether it it part-time or full-time that they can still be classified as a professional. To me an amateur photographer can get paid for photography, but they are someone that has another primary source of income.

Professional Photography Gear vs. Consumer Photography Gear
Here is where the argument begins because some people think it’s a misnomer (inaccurate name) for photography gear. However, at the end of the day certain gear is targeted to professional photographers and other gear is targeted to the consumer (amateur, family, hobbyist, etc.) market. Buying the more well made expensive gear does not make someone a professional photographer and buying the less expensive gear does not mean someone cannot be a professional photographer.

The Nifty 50 And The Argument Continues
The Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens that retails for $125 is meant to be an entry into prime lenses. The Canon USA site actually says, “great entry into the world of EOS prime lenses.” That doesn’t mean that it cannot be used professionally or capture professional quality images. It’s an amazing lens for the price point. However, professional camera gear is typically more expensive because of the build quality, in lenses because of having more glass, because of the features available, weather resistant and/or weather sealing, etc. And those are just several reasons that many professional photographers (those that get 100% of their income whether full-time or part-time from photography) choose to buy gear targeted to the professional market.

The Gear Doesn’t Make Someone A Professional Photographer
I believe that every photographer should do the best he or she can with the gear that he or she can afford without going into serious credit card debt to buy a camera that is way out of his or her budget range. And someone can be a professional photographer without owning photography gear catered to the professional photographer. It’s not the gear but the fact that a photographer gets 100% of his or her income from photography whether that is full-time or part-time that can classify someone as a professional photographer. Personally, I think it goes a little deeper than that, but I’m not going to be argumentative in this post. Although if you have read to this point, you probably already don’t agree with something I’ve said.

My Personal Choice When It Comes To Photography Gear
Yes, I own Full Frame Cameras catered to the professional market. Yes, I own Canon L lenses. Yes, I own Profoto Lighting. And I could go on and on about gear. However, as a full time professional photographer that has a lot of very large corporate clients, I feel that it is important to shoot with the best gear that I can afford. Gear catered to the professional market is meant to last for many years and the build quality is very solid. For day in day out use including airline flights and hauling gear from location to location, I’m sticking with gear catered to the professional market. That doesn’t make me a photography snob. It’s a business choice. You have to choose what’s right for your business and your budget.

Happy Shooting!

The post It’s True! Professional Photography Gear Is Not A Requirement Of Being A Professional first appeared on .

Image of Canon SL1 from Canon USA

The Instagram message that I received below is what sparked this blog post.

“Do you think canon Rebel t6i is good for professional use? I’m an amateur, interested in portrait and fashion photography. This is my first time buying a DSLR and my budget is $900.”

Rather than list numerous options compared to the Canon t6i, I’ve decided to focus on the Canon SL1 vs. the t6i.

Here is a a comparison link to the two cameras. Although the t6i got 72 points compared to the SL1 at 61 points, there are things that don’t matter to me personally as much like the touch screen, higher ISO and wi-fi of the Canon t6i. I do admit that I like more focal points which is 19 on the t6i vs. 9 on the SL1. However, for portrait shooting vs. action shooting, I could live with the 9 for portrait photography.

As of this post, the Canon t6i is listed on Amazon with the 18-55mm STM lens for $749 which on a $900 budget leaves $151. On the other hand, the Canon SL1 with the 18-55mm STM lens and the 55-250mm STM lens is $559 which on a $900 budget leaves $351 allowing more room for some other items that I have listed below.

As a full time professional, I think getting these other 3 items within the $351 left makes the SL1 a better overall starting DSLR because the $559 kit also comes with the 55-250mm lens which is $299 by itself: 1) Yongnuo 600 Hotshoe Mountable Flash for Canon 2) A Rogue Flash Bender to use on the Yongnuo Flash for some nice bouncing of the light. 3) A 50mm f/1.8 lens which becomes an 80mm lens on a crop sensor SL1 or t6i.

The 3 additional items above which I think are important to a starting DSLR kit are $286 total which leaves $65 out of the $351. $65 is enough room to buy some SD cards.

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UNEDITED image shot by John (assistant)

Dueling Cameras 
The Canon 5D Mark III with the Canon 70-200mm L F2.8 lens pictured to the far left along with the Canon 24-70mm L F2.8 are two of my core go to lenses especially for corporate event photography. Since I have a second Canon 5D Mark III (not pictured), I can use a dual camera strap to have one lens on each side.

I kept the small lens pictured which is a Canon 50mm F1.8 to give some perspective on the size of professional lenses. However, the 50mm (nifty fifty) is hard to beat for around $125.

Focal Range For Photographers
Whether you are shooting with professional or consumer photography gear, the 24mm to 200mm range will cover most anything you shoot from wide angle to telephoto needs. That’s a key reason why the two larger lenses on the left are likely covered by most professional photographers pending there exact shooting needs of course. (Soccer and football are two quick, potential exceptions that come to mind.)

The Nifty Fifty
I got my first real camera for Christmas in 1981 which will be 35 years ago this Christmas. It came with a 50mm F2.0 lens. The core kit lens with film cameras of that time period was a 50mm lens which is also known as a prime lens because it has one focal length and doesn’t zoom. Even today, it’s a good idea to pick up a 50mm prime to keep in your bag. *Canon has 3 versions: 50mm F1.8 for $125, 50mm F1.8 for $349 and 50mm F1.2 $1,349.

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UNEDITED Image Shot By John – Profoto B2 One Head Kit And MOGOPOD

At over $2,000 for the setup above plus a $400 hotshoe trigger (not pictured), the setup above may not be practical. However, as a full time professional that regularly shoots on location and regular uses at least one assistant, the setup pictured is a life saver. (FYI, although it’s not the same amount of power, you can use a speedlite and a wireless trigger on a MOGOPOD.)

I ended up with the MOGOPOD (monopod) because Tony at Southeastern Camera in Raleigh decided to show me how cool it is. I tend to agree with the MOGOPOD statement of “World’s Most Versatile Monopod.” You’ll have to put one in your hands to see what it’s different than a typical monopod. Although it’s not as compact as some monopod’s it works well for how I use it.

The Profoto B2 One Head Kit is also pictured above. The really nice thing about the setup is that an assistant can use the shoulder strap to hold the very lightweight power pack and easily carry around the MOGOPOD with the B2 head mounted on top of it. The Profoto B2 head is crazy lightweight but puts out 250WS compared to a speedlite that is around 60+/-WS. With the Profoto Air Remote TTL, the system becomes wireless with an assistant serving as an on the go light stand.

As I often say and still firmly believe, do the best you can with what you have to work with. You can get a MOGOPOD for about $120 plus a 3rd party flash like YONGNUO and a wireless trigger for $200+/- depending on what brand of camera you shoot with. If you shoot Canon, you should check out the YONGNUO 600EX and wires trigger if the Canon version is out of your budget range. Although you would not be comparing apples-to-apples, you could have a similar set up for under $400 and put it in your assistants hands (which could be your son, daughter or spouse if you cannot afford an assistant yet) to see how nice it is to shoot wireless and have someone move around for you with the light.

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