Something New…

I’m really excited about something new that arrived today – my new camera!  After doing a lot of research, asking other photographers, and renting, I narrowed down my choice to the Nikon D700.  Amongst photographers, I’ve noticed a bit of a debate about gear and a sense of pride taken in whether you are a Nikon or Canon shooter.   I find the whole dynamic rather trivial because honestly, when you have a pro-camera and when you know how to use it to the  best of your ability (because really, photography isn’t about the camera anyways, it’s about the vision of the photographer!), it won’t really matter what brand you favor.  The images produced by a Canon 5d Mark ii or Nikon D3 or D700 are going to ALL be stunning.  For me, my decision came down to comfort using the camera (as in, how the controls were laid out), quality and availability of lenses, and ability to perform well in the circumstances I shoot in frequently (low-light, somewhat fast-moving action).

In those regards, the Nikon D700 fit me perfectly!  When I rented the camera, I loved the control layout – it was very similar to what I was already used to.  When I tested out a friends Canon, I had a really hard time adjusting to the rear dial and it’s location.  The layout of the Nikon just felt way more intuitive to me.  Lenses are easy to come by, and Nikon is known for having top-quality gear.  The last criteria, performance, was more something I had to test out and ask other photographers about.  What I loved about the D700 is the Auto Focus is amazing in low-light, and quite quick.  Its handling of low light and rendering of high ISO images was outstanding.  I was 100% confident using this camera at a mostly candle-lit wedding service, or photographing quick moving children outdoors.

So I went for it, and upgraded!  I see having professional quality equipment as an investment in both my business and my clients.  I’m still the same photographer and I still have the same vision for sessions and weddings.  Now I just have the added bonus of providing some absolutely stellar quality images, and knowing that I am offering my very best in all areas, including equipment.  This also means that my current camera (Pentax K10D) can serve as a trusted back up camera should anything go awry, and hopefully that will never happen!

This means I can check off (part of) one of my goals from the 101 in 1001, 18.Upgrade my camera equipment – specifically, get a rockin’ prime lens, preferably the 85 mm 1.4. Woohoo!

My excitement over this new addition can’t be contained by words, so here’s a few pictures!

I guess I missed the dust on the LCD screen!

And another new addition, which I’ll share more about soon…