zumarose wrote:
I'm slowly educating myself through experience and resources such as this one. I've been shooting for about 5 years.
I started with a Nikon d3100 and moved to a d5200. I've got all the lenses I need to keep me covered (which doesn't mean that I don't covet more stuff) but I realized after I bought the d5200 that I should have made a more significant move to a full frame rather than a more advanced crop sensor camera.
Despite [or perhaps because of] all the advice you have already been given, I am adding my thoughts and answers to your questions. I purchased my first DSLR [Nikon D7000] in 2012, along with two lenses [18-105mm and 55-300mm]. Somewhere along the way, I also started thinking about a FF camera. Eventually replaced my DX lenses with FX. Then last fall, I purchased the D810. So I have been where you are now.
Just knowing you want a FF camera is not enough. You need to explore the features of different cameras and decide which ones are important to you. Reading specifications is one way to get this information. Reviews can help as well. When listening to opinions, you will hear many different ones, which only means you still have to decide for yourself. I heard things about how heavy the camera and lenses would be, but unless you are not able to carry around a couple of pounds, the differences are really not all that significant. People talk about not being able to see one camera's photos as being different from another. I only know that I DO see that the D810 gets sharper, clearer images than the D7000, with the same lenses.
zumarose wrote:
Although I'm a hobbyist I am challenging myself to shoot for others and to stretch myself. I'm the "official" photographer for my Zen Center and I shoot all their ceremonies and they feature my photos on their site, I volunteer to shoot local businesses and give them the photos so they get something and I get the experience.
My end game is to still enjoy photography as an art form but to get good enough that I can make a couple of bucks shooting here and there when I retire (about 5 years away) so that I can enjoy a better quality of cat food.
Although I'm a hobbyist I am challenging myself to... (
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It is always good to undertake challenges that will help improve your photography. No matter whether you want to take photos for yourself [as an artistic endeavor] or for others [to make a little money], the underlying skills are the same. It is the way you apply them that calls for some different techniques.
Being an "official" photographer for a group to which you belong is a wonderful way to use your photography, and your photos also get acknowledged on the website. On the other hand, I am not sure what kind of photos you are taking for local businesses, and what your objective is. Something to consider, because later when you are retired, you cannot suddenly switch and say you want to get paid. Are you actually giving them prints or are you sharing them by email or social media? Eventually you could figure out a way to at least get reimbursed for expenses! Another idea is to find businesses in your town which will display your pictures for the public to see and purchase. That would help them to realize your photos have value...
Making money with photography is never easy, and many of us do not make a living at it. In fact, I put a lot of effort into displaying my work in different places, but only because I enjoy doing it. Lots of admiring comments, and I do sell some, but not enough to make a living. Actually, I am not interested in putting in the kind of planning and work that would require because it would no longer be just for fun!
zumarose wrote:
So I figured I might as well start working with full frame now and get really used to it. Is my thinking flawed? If not, what would be a good quality but not too crazy expensive full frame Nikon camera that I could keep and use for a long time? I only need the body. I also have reservations about the additional weight a full frame would bring to my camera bag. So I don't want to go super heavy.
Will the lenses I currently use with my d5200 work? I have the Nikon 18-200 mm zoom, the Nikon 1.8 35 mm prime, the Tamron 90 mm, and the Tokina 11-16 mm.
Please don't suggest I should get a Canon.
So I figured I might as well start working with fu... (
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Buying a good camera, the best you can afford, and lenses to go with it, is not flawed thinking. You do not need a top-of-the-line pro camera, but a FF like the D810 with its 36.3MP sensor will make photos with great resolution. For me resolution was key to deciding which camera, not articulated LCD screens or weight. And keep in mind that while you can use DX lenses, you will not be using the full potential of the FX camera. For that you will need good FX lenses. Choose them based on what you will be using them for. Best not to buy lenses that are "all-purpose". Remember the Nikon "golden triad" of lenses: 14-24mm f/2.8, 24-70mm f/2.8, and 70-200mm f/2.8. These cover the gamut of most used focal lengths, with great sharpness, resolution, and light-gathering ability.