New Body or new Lens?

jonh68

I am saving up money for camera equipment. I am starting to make some realy good money freelancing for the paper. I purchased a 85mm 1.8 for volleyball, BB, and football pics to hold me over until I can get a 70-200 vr or 80-200 2.8. I have to be more patient with the 85 in regards to football, but it has been getting me great shots. I do want and need longer reach.

However, if my camera goes down, I don't have a backup. I am leaning towards getting a used D80 for higher ISO. I would like a D40, but I want to be able to use more lenses. Am I at the point that it would be better to get another body or get another lens?

rustic

I'd say that it depends on how important the games that you're shooting are. If your camera dies during a game, are you going to be in trouble for missing the rest of that game? If so, I'd say go for the second body. If not, I think I'd prefer the lower f/stop lens to the higher ISO body for now, and then get the second body later.

jonh68

The problem wouldn't be the game it breaks down or if it breaks down before the game, but the next game and the game after that. I would be in scramble mode to replace the camera. I may have the lens but no body to shoot and not have money to replace it.

Seymore

John... you mentioned the D40. I would not suggest this as the D40 needs AFS lenses (only) to focus. A D80, another D50, D70(s) or D100 would be my recommendations... in that order... for your use. Another option may be get a used D200 ($1000-1200 these days) and resign the D50 to your backup. But just a thought...

Miguel Delinquento

Both
Since you are starting to make some money, I would allocate my cash towards investments that will make you more money and bring a bit more pleasure.
Since your D50 works, I would purchase more lenses. One cannot have too many of these. I would also set aside a chunk of cash to purchase a new or used body within three months. Your D50 is more of a consumer level camera and as a pro you deserve something closer to the D200. Used or new.
Your personal budgeting philosophy may differ from mine, but I would not hesitate using credit to purchase a body immediately if your D50 went kaput. It is a cost of doing business, fully depreciable, and you need it. Saving now will cushion the financial hit a bit.
M

jonh68

I am not getting a D40. I figure my D50 is close enough and has 1/500 sync flash that is great for getting action when used with a flash. My reasoning with a new body is my 85 mm is holding me over and the paper has actually started to use more of my pics and printing them bigger.

If I get a new body, probably a D80, I can save up again for when baseball, softball, and soccer start in the spring for a 2.8 70-200 mm. Even if I can't afford one by then, I figure the 85 can still get me good shots in low light for those events and the higher ISO of the D80 can give me more use out of the 18-200 VR. I shot last spring with that exclusively as daylight savings gave me great light for most events so the lens isn't a REAL necessity, but it is next lens on my list.

billg71

Since you're being paid, I'd have to say your primary responsibility is to make sure you can bring your customer what he's paying for. And you can't do that if your one and only body craps out in the middle of a game.

That said, I wouldn't spend too much on a backup body. Since the customer is happy with your D50 frames, why not pick up another D50 or a D70 as a backup? Keep your costs down, make sure you can deliver a product, and save the extra money for good glass. Both bodies have very good high-ISO performance, at least up to ISO 800.

I'm a firm believer in investing in good glass. Bodies come and go, especially nowadays with digital, and good glass lasts a long time. But you've assumed an obligation to deliver photos and now have a responsibility to ensure you CAN deliver them, so a backup body should be your #1 priority.

And there's the learning curve to consider. The 10Mp sensors are much less tolerant of below-optimal performance on your part as well as that of the glass you're using. When I upgraded my D70 for the D200, I quickly found out that it was a heckuva lot easier to take a crappy photo with the D200. More resolution is nice, but the flip side is that you have a camera that's less forgiving of minor flaws in lenses and technique.

Save your money, get yourself a backup body that's comparable to what you have, invest in some longer glass and then upgrade your body to something in the pro range, either the D300 or D3.

Just my suggestions,

Bill

jonh68

Thanks everyone for the input and new thoughts to contemplate.