Would a 7d pay for it self?

joshhuntnm

I am near the end of my second year of wedding photography. I have done about 20 weddings. I have upgraded mostly glass and lots of flashes. I am trying to rationalize buying a 7d. Could I justify such a purchase by suggesting you would get x more wedding in the next year or 2 if I got one?

ChatKat

joshhuntnm wrote:

I am near the end of my second year of wedding photography. I have done about 20 weddings. I have upgraded mostly glass and lots of flashes. I am trying to rationalize buying a 7d. Could I justify such a purchase by suggesting you would get x more wedding in the next year or 2 if I got one?

No one cares what gear you use but you. I think if you are using what works for you and you are enjoying the bodies you are using then justifying a purchase based on that criteria - I'd say no. No one ever hired me because of my gear. They hired me because of the image quaility and me and who I am and what they get.

colourbox

joshhuntnm wrote:

Could I justify such a purchase by suggesting you would get x more wedding in the next year or 2 if I got one?

Well that's going to depend on what it is about the 7D that will allow you to get more weddings. What are the reasons that you've missed weddings you wish you had done, and does the 7D address those reasons?

The 7D has improved autofocus, improved high ISO performance, a built-in remote flash trigger, and more resolution, among other things. If you can integrate those features with your lens and lighting upgrades, and convert them into a visible improvement in quality, particularly in situations where you could not produce properly lit results before, then maybe you can sell more weddings with a 7D. But is sure isn't going to be because of the camera alone, it will be because of the camera plus your other gear versus the types of events you are up against.

Darren Troy C

Will any camera, at any price range, ever pay for itself....based on your abilities alone? That's the question you need to ask. Like ChatKat said, they should be hiring you for your talent. Not a single bride EVER has asked about the model of my gear. You say you've completed 20 weddings in 2yrs. Roughly at an average of $1000, you should rush out and get you a Hasselblad H3DII-31. It's only $18,000. You'll have $2000 left to splurge. Not being a smarta$$, just agreeing whole-heartedly with ChatKat. If the ability and talent and shere creativity and drive is there....the work will come to justify the means.

tenoverthenose

I guess the way to answer this question is to see what advantages there are of having a 7D over your current body. Generally speaking however, buying gear does not buy creativity or good business sense. Having the latest and greatest might make you feel better, but will rarely make you more creative. I would focus much more on technique so that you know what the advantage of a 7D is and you can't live without it. There will always be some new camera, lens, PS action, or gadget to chase and want. Master what you have before you move on.

That having been said... I currently use a 5DII almost exclusively (I still have a 5D and a 1DII) because of its low light sensitivity. It enables me to work and shoot in environments that just are not possible with my previous bodies, so it opens up new creative doors for me. Thats a huge thing to me, but I also felt the limitations of my gear before I upgraded. Whether or not my 5DII makes me more money is up for debate - it has created new creative options for me, but I would still have found a different creative way to get the shot without it. And yes, I have had clients ask me what gear I use and I tell them. I don't really think that (a) most know enough about the gear to say anything and (b) can argue with great results from any camera.

In short, creativity is king.

Sam

Lots of advise for you to digest. Here's some more.

I don't know what equipment you have now so it's a little difficult to be too specific. What bodies do you have now? What is your main and your back up? If you don't have a back up then it's a no brainier. You need to buy a second camera, which one is up to you.

That said, your prices seem to be on the low side. You do need to make enough of a profit to justify new / additional / replacement equipment each year. While you don't always need the absolute latest you do need tools that will meet the technical requirements of the job.

Great images and good marketing will get you more business. The gear will help you create great images. You can't just tell potential clients you have such and such gear.

Photography is part science and part art. We need to buy the science and work hard to develop / improve the art. They go together.

Sam

sweet caroline

If the gear allows you to do your job better, it's worth it. If the camera has better low light performance, and this would enable you to shoot better in a dark church, you'll be more confident offering that coverage and end up with more shots for your portfolio.

Let's not pretend gear doesn't matter:) The person behind the camera matters much more, but the gear can help.

Caroline

catspaw

Better than a D3 paying for itself

If I'd been getting into photography NOW, I'd have gone for the same lenses (Canon versions of course) and the 7d Canon over the Nikon D3 I have now. ok ok, the full frame is awesome, but the VALUE of the 7d at that price is just mindblowing.

divamum

Your profile says you're shooting with an xti. If you need a second body (likely) then it seems with more than "just a couple" of weddings a year you can easily justify the 7d as an efficient and appropriate tool to do the job - it'd be tax deductible, and a reinvestment into your business. (I know that if I was shooting weddings I'd probably go one further and get a 5dII since it's the canon of choice for low light situations)

Will it "pay for itself"? Unlikely, for all the reasons previously stated. But if it's a better tool to make doing the job easier and you have the money to spend on it, then it is "justifiable".

Blurmore

I told myself that in 09 I wouldn't buy a camera, I also told myself that business wise I wouldn't buy another till I could swing a 1D series (I have beef with the 5D, no $2k+ camera should be supported by Canon as an advanced amateur camera). I have a 40D, 30D, and 20D. The 40D got serviced just out of warranty for a main board, the 30D has 150k+ actuations on the original shutter, the 20D is 10k into the third shutter has been dropped and is 25% gaffer's tape. I feel confident shooting a wedding with any one of these cameras with another as backup. I do not feel comfortable shooting a wedding with any single camera.

So far as will it "pay for itself" well that depends on how much business you do. In the first 3 years that I was actively buying equipment, nearly 40% of my photography income went to purchases. Last year it was less than 10%, I think your target should be 15-20%. So are you going to make 20 thousand dollars off of photography in the coming year? The metric according to my accountant is different (because of depriciation) so given that, are you going to make 20-30k off of photography in the next 3 years? If so it may be worth it to you. Can you make 20-30k in three years with an Xti? Sure you can, but you risk serious damage to your reputation if you have camera failure and no backup. Right now if I were to buy a camera to replace my 30D it would be a 7D, it is truly an awesome camera with an unreal auto focus system. There is no real comparison between an xD and XT series camera. At one time I was interested in getting one for the HD video on the cheap, then I handled one and ergonomically it was like it was made by another manufacturer. If I was only interested in it for the video maybe, but if I wanted to use it as a camera I'd be confounded.

There is always going to be a better, faster, bigger, badder camera, you need a backup if you are going to be serious, you do not necessarily need the best rig out there.

joshhuntnm

thanks for all the input.

As far as backup/ second body. I normally use my son's 40d. I know it doesn't make a lot of sense-- i should use his as the main. But, I know mine so much better and make adjustments with out thinking. i am more confident with mine.

My main reason for wanting the 7d has to do with low light performance.

I borrowed my niece's 5d mark ii and was blown away but this undefinable quality. . . the pics just looked better--a lot better.

Here is how i could see it paying for itself--the pics just look better. brides look at you work and they couldn't tell a megapixel from an ISO rating, but they know the pics just look good. They want that photographer. This doesn't have to happen too many times to pay for itself. I hadn't thought to much about he better focusing thing.

As for my prices. My plan was to start low and build up. I don't charge as much as some of you because i don't take as good a photos as some of you. I think there is a place in this world for various price/quality points in any market.

zoomer

I know nothing about Canon.
For me when I upgraded to the D700 and the D3 they paid for themselves in the first year by allowing me to improve the quality and appearance of my work immediately.
The pictures just look better and combined with the low ISO capability they really allowed my work to go to the next level....in my opinion.

ChatKat

joshhuntnm wrote:

thanks for all the input.

My main reason for wanting the 7d has to do with low light performance.

I borrowed my niece's 5d mark ii and was blown away but this undefinable quality. . . the pics just looked better--a lot better.

Here is how i could see it paying for itself--the pics just look better. brides quote]

If you felt your own photos looked better because of the gear, then it might pay for itself. I am one that contends that you need the capabilities to do some tasks. If you are shooting in low light, you need lenses that work under those conditions and the ISO that the 5d2 or 7D will offer yot to get the shot.

The real question is whether you have pushed yourself to create better photography - despite the gear you have. That is what will make people book you. Some of the photos that I have taken on vacation with a disposable camera have been some of my best sellers. It's not about the equipment only.

Mishka

I think everyone's pretty much summed it up: if the 7D will enable you to take your photography to the next level, then buy it, keeping in mind, though, that YOU are still the person behind the camera.

Much like Blurmore, I've told myself several times "I'm done with buying new equipment for a while," only to realize I felt hampered by my current stuff. You shouldn't let a lack of equipment keep you from producing the images you want...but neither will all the equipment in the world turn you into an amazing photographer by itself.

Dan7312

Creativity and sense of art is a very important part of photography but it's not everything. Its something I am weak in and unconsciously I know I think I can use equipment as a proxy for it.

Cartier-Bresson was already a skilled artist when he started out with a box camera... did the Leica he switched to pay for itself?

Sometimes the equipment spawns the creativity. I'm guessing it will have that effect on you, go for it.

joshhuntnm wrote:

I am near the end of my second year of wedding photography. I have done about 20 weddings. I have upgraded mostly glass and lots of flashes. I am trying to rationalize buying a 7d. Could I justify such a purchase by suggesting you would get x more wedding in the next year or 2 if I got one?

FedererPhoto

As people have said:

If it lets you do your job better - yes, it will eventually pay for itself. But it is unlikely that it will actually help you do your job better than the same amount of money/effort invested in improving yourself/workflow/sales.

But also remember, 'wanting' something counts as a reason to get things sometimes. Why do I have a 4 montiors when 3 could easily do? Because I WANT 4... that's why. A 300 dollar piece-o-junk could get me to weddings, but I WANT something nicer (though I still drive a 13 year old car). Etc. If a new camera will spark some creative juices for you - then it's also worth it.

Scott_Quier

There's been a lot of advice already offered and some of it has danced around what, in my opinion, is the only really good reason to get new equipment, "What is is that one's current equipment will not allow one to easily do that the proposed equipment will?"

If one can easily answer that question, then a business case can be made for the purchase of the new equipment.

If the only answer one can proffer is .... then there's your answer.

To put a finer point on it .... when compared to any Rebel series dSLR, the 7D has

• faster AF
• more focus points
• sensor cleaning
• better high ISO performance
• AF Microadjustment
• larger buffer, faster data transport to the card

So if you find that you are waiting for your camera to catch up, or for the AF to do it's thing, or ....

As for equipment being a marketing tool - don't bet the mortgage on that one. I've had only one bride ask me about my equipment before the contract was signed and that's because she is also a photographer and was curious. She was excited about my images and, I think, if I had told her I used a Kodak Instamatic 104 I would still have gotten the job.

zoomer

I agree equipment is not a marketing tool.
The average wedding customer only cares if you can create the photos, not what you use to get there.

tenoverthenose

FWIW, a local photographer that I work with a lot purchased a 7D right when it came out hoping it would be a major improvement over his 40D. After three months of use, I just got word that the 7D inspired him to sell all of this Canon gear and switch to Nikon.

Moogle Pepper

tenoverthenose wrote:

FWIW, a local photographer that I work with a lot purchased a 7D right when it came out hoping it would be a major improvement over his 40D. After three months of use, I just got word that the 7D inspired him to sell all of this Canon gear and switch to Nikon.

Ouch!

I am surprised no one mentioned renting. These days, I have been renting lenses out of the wazoo testing out and experimenting with different lenses.

If you really believe that the 7D is a justifiable purchase, rent it first, try it out several times, and then decide.

devonweddingphotographer

We got a 5D mk2 this year and it is fantastic for low light. It also has fantastic video capability and I know that the 7D is meant to be even better.

If you are planning to make use of the video function (this could be a extra you could offer) and will find the low light capability useful then its worth the investment.

Mr_Beach_Bum

devonweddingphotographer wrote:

We got a 5D mk2 this year and it is fantastic for low light. It also has fantastic video capability and I know that the 7D is meant to be even better.

If you are planning to make use of the video function (this could be a extra you could offer) and will find the low light capability useful then its worth the investment.

I was wondering if anyone would mention the video aspect. Will it pay for itself? Maybe, if you add some video to your packages (perhaps in a "Love Story" type slide show?).

Granted, it's not a super functional video camera. And I'm sure you don't want to divert your focus from photos at an event. But it does offer an extra tool to your arsenal. So if you add that to all the other benefits mentioned earlier, perhaps it really can generate a decent RoI over your existing gear.

Well, I say all this because this is exactly why I bought mine this week. Its a corporate event that I'm doing but the camera has already paid for itself in 1 show by incorporating video into a photo presentation. Woot!

Ken

VayCayMom

zoomer wrote:

I know nothing about Canon.
For me when I upgraded to the D700 and the D3 they paid for themselves in the first year by allowing me to improve the quality and appearance of my work immediately.
The pictures just look better and combined with the low ISO capability they really allowed my work to go to the next level....in my opinion.

/\ What he said!!