What would you do? - DPChallenge Forums

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

05/13/2010 10:40:33 PM · #1

I've had a few paid "onsite" jobs and want to continue this with some outdoo senior school portraits. Eventually I'd move to a home studio.

I have a few bucks saved. I have:

D90 with less that 4000 shots.
SB800
Nikon 2.8 24-70
Nikon 2.8 80-200

I would really like to purchase the D700. This would require selling my D90.
To do this, I would have to save for 6 or more months.

Or...

I could get an SB900 to go with my SB800 and start to practice some off camera strobist shots. I could pay for the SB900 "outright". However, this would push my D700 back to this time next year.

What would you do?

snaffles

Nikon D7100

05/13/2010 10:57:33 PM · #2

Uhmm...if I had a little more gear I could help, but I don't...so I would suggest asking

Shutter-for-Hire or

Sarampo. Both good guys and of course Nikon D90 people too. Good luck!

Yo_Spiff

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

Olympus 12-100mm f/4.0 M.Zuiko ED IS PRO

05/13/2010 11:02:50 PM · #3

I'm not a Nikon owner, but from what I have seen from the D90, it is a good camera and very capable of the portrait work. I think there is more to be gained by learning effective lighting techniques now, instead of a better camera in 6 months.

-Edited for phat phingers-

Message edited by author 2010-05-13 23:03:14.

spiritualspatula

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX100

05/13/2010 11:09:55 PM · #4

There's nothing needed for you to start working at off camera flash work. It's just you'd be using one flash. Utilize CLS to get your feet wet. It's simple and fast. You'll find its weaknesses by understanding the concept and application more, which will be of benefit no matter what.
If you're asking if you should sell your D90 now due to its new condition, and then be cameraless for six months while saving, I wouldn't recommend that. Keep shooting, keep learning, hone your abilities while doing gigs that will help pay for additional gear.

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

05/14/2010 09:46:52 AM · #5

Oh no...I wouldn't be without a cam. I wouldn't sell until I was ready to purchase the D700. Looks like I'm leaning to the SB900 and putting the 700 on hold until I'm making some dough from photography.

Originally posted by spiritualspatula:

BrennanOB

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

05/14/2010 01:33:41 PM · #6

I would split the middle. Rather than getting the Sb900, I'd spend one third of that and get a few old Vivitars and some peanut optical slaves, and get your flash off camera on the cheap. Them folks over at strobist can get a big light from a very few bucks.

cdrice

Nikon D7000

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED

05/14/2010 01:49:28 PM · #7

Originally posted by spiritualspatula:

There's nothing needed for you to start working at off camera flash work. It's just you'd be using one flash. Utilize CLS to get your feet wet.

I fully agree with this sentiment... To expand a little, just make sure you understad what he's getting at -- You can use your existing SB-800 off camera by driving it as a CLS slave (or even an SU-4 dumb slave) and triggering it via the builtin flash. You can configure the builtin (in CLS mode) to not contribute to the exposure (although to make *sure* no highlights or reflections from the builtin show, you'll need to cover the builtin with an SG-3IR plate or homebrew something similar).

I would recommend a slightly different approach than previous posts, although very similar to

BrennanOB's comment... Spend your money on some more speedlights -- but I recommend sticking with CLS, so I'd say get some SB-600s and even a couple of little SB-R200s. Unless you really need some of the advanced features of the SB-900, save your money and get one or more of the "lesser" speedlights instead.

If using the builtin flash as a master really bugs you, you can always "upgrade" to an SU-800 unit as your CLS master. I did myself some time ago, just because I find it easier to deal with than an SG-3IR plate, I get another CLS exposure group to play with, and it is somewhat more powerful/reliable in "non-studio" conditions.

CLS is an awesome system -- milk it for all it's worth, I say.

Message edited by author 2010-05-14 13:54:07.

Yo_Spiff

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

Olympus 12-100mm f/4.0 M.Zuiko ED IS PRO

05/14/2010 01:51:56 PM · #8

Originally posted by BrennanOB:

Well, that's what I've done. An armload of Vivitar 2800's, costing anywhere from free to $19. It's still a learning experience. Fine control is taking some time to learn, but it's pretty easy to just blast something with lots of light if that is what's needed.

Joker1114

Nikon D7000

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ED

05/14/2010 03:34:09 PM · #9

(Imo) Having the ability to learn better lighting can take you further then a new/better camera can. The camera is just a tool used to make photos where lighting makes the photo what it is. Me myself have been wanting to replace my D40x for a while now but on the other end id rather have a few more lights and the ability to control them in a way that i can produce better images. With lighting there are many ways to save buck or two, as

Yo_spiff and

BrennanOB said you can get old Vivatars to save or even if you wanted to keep it all Nikon to say you could pick up a SB-400 to save a few. I have an SB-800 as well as an SB-400 and love em, next will be some Vivatars or even some Aleinbees to up my game, then a new camera.. But really its up to you in the end. I know i would be lost without a camera for 6mo so i would keep the camera, How can you take a photo without one?

Message edited by author 2010-05-14 15:34:47.

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX100

05/15/2010 12:21:10 AM · #10

Thanks all....I had no idea that an sb600 had commander remote....only about $220. Think I'll get the flash and learn some lighting.

spiritualspatula

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED

05/15/2010 12:25:32 AM · #11

Originally posted by kenskid:

Thanks all....I had no idea that an sb600 had commander remote....only about $220. Think I'll get the flash and learn some lighting.

Your body has commander! You don't need anything. You can put your Sb800 off camera in remote mode and trigger it however you want.

cdrice

Nikon D7000

05/15/2010 01:57:38 AM · #12

Originally posted by spiritualspatula:

Originally posted by kenskid:
Thanks all....I had no idea that an sb600 had commander remote....only about $220. Think I'll get the flash and learn some lighting.

Your body has commander! You don't need anything. You can put your Sb800 off camera in remote mode and trigger it however you want.

Correct. I think you (

kenskid) may have mis-read something above. We're talking about using your camera body builtin flash as the CLS commander. The SB-600 can *not* be a commander, only a slave.

D90 builtin flash - Can be CLS commander
SB-900 - Can be CLS commander or slave, or dumb slave
SB-800 - Can be CLS commander or slave, or dumb slave
SB-600 - Can be CLS slave only
SB-R200 - Can be CLS slave only

(All those usages are "out of the box" -- you could add more hardware to expand functionality... but you really don't need to in your case -- just use your D90 as the CLS commander, use your SB-800 off camera, and add as many other SB-900/800/600/R200's as you like off camera as well).