We have plenty of professional camera stores here in Atlanta. PPR (Professional Photo Resource) not only sells but rents the best of equipment to professionals. They are located on 11th Street, very close to GA Tech. I have been dealing with them and renting equipment for 25 years. And all of the imaging labs are located in that area.

The 80D only has one card.

Today good filming requires following a subject, moving in and away from a subject, panning across and around a subject, walking with the camera etc. You will never achieve those good quality characteristics hand holding a good camera. A lot of practice and strength are required with a Glidecam, investment in a good motorized gimbal rig (DJI Ronin Stabilizer), a 24" to 48" Glide Bar, and a fluid panning head on a tripod are required. Also a good Jib can be an asset, but if you have the DJI Ronin, you can replicate the same motion up and down and panning with smooth results. A monopod can produce noticeable shake. You will always get steady interview footage with a fluid head and a tripod, speaking from experience. One can definitely tell the difference between a professional video shot with good equipment and a hand held operation.

In all my years of shooting I have never found the need to shoot both RAW and Jpeg at the same time. Second card for backup, that is a different matter.

Make sure the old lens was made for digital cameras. Digital lenses have made vast improvements since 2005 when digital cameras became affordable and used the old film lenses.

Well said...expensive tooling with a limited market, and unlike a camera with planned obsolescence, a Gitzo (the best) will outlive me. Same thing goes for anything "Marine." A Marine starter for a Ford 352 boat engine costs 4 to 5 times what a starter for a Ford engine costs. Now that is ripping the public.

I don’t know if you are responding to my edits or not. These photos are not mine if you read my post.

Have nothing against studio portrait photography at all. However in many places it is drying up. Millennial are using cell phones.

I completely agree with your assessment of talent. In the majority of cases talent is a learned and developed asset through dedication and desire to emulate the best of pros out there. Only through lots of practice can one become proficient and develop a style of their own.

One very important area of photography is the ability to edit photos. Attached is what you get when you hire the cheap wedding photographer for $600.00. This bride is a fellow teacher with my wife, and when she saw my ability to make composites and advertising photography at career day for the students, she requested if there was anything that could be done with her photos. Being very unhappy with the photography, I said I will take a look at the photos. Of the total mix, at least 50% were out of focus. Either the photographer had crappy equipment, bad eyesight, or the lack of knowledge of how to focus on the eyes and let the rest fall in place, but had I delivered these photos, I would have refunded the money and hope I did not get sued.

She wanted to give this photo to her mother for Christmas. The photographer evidently focused on the rock wall, because that is the only area of semi-acceptable focus. The face was totally out of focus. One might not be able to tell from a small photo, but at 8 x 10 plus, pure crap.

So I looked through the mix of photos and found the attached close up which was in focus, took the head and face, and placed it on the original photo. She wanted a blurred background so that the viewer would go to her image when viewing. The original was flat and ugly with gray sky. By adding a new sky and compositing, she was happy with the result. Under every condition, you get the best results by using an off camera flash for fill and focusing on the eyes.

Looks like you are good. I no longer carry insurance; keep all my equipment locked up in a safe. If I have a loss, I will just write it off and upgrade to the newer model if I still need it.

USAA is one of the finest and most respected insurance companies in the industry. It is always good to inquire about how much a home owners policy will insure and under what conditions. Many do not. When I supplied an inventory it was too much for them to insure under a home owners policy. They required special insurance. I may get away with a camera and lens loss under my homeowner's policy, but several camera bodies and lenses?--don't think so.

Ditto for my wife's diamond ring. It required a special insurance policy due to the value. I would advise that everyone check with their agents and not assume their homeowners policy covers everything with no limit. There are limits, and receipts, date of purchase, and serial numbers are required. Antique cameras require an appraisal. Insurance companies are no dummies.

One thing you will find out is that most companies that offer good coverage will cover replacement costs; others depreciated cost, and since old equipment is worth very little on the used market, your recovery will be minimal. They will not replace a 5D with a 5D-MKIV. But good luck to you...hope you do not have to find that out the hard way.

Unfortunately for you Florida is the state known best for fraud. Many companies have pulled out of Florida for that reason. Every time you hear a homeowner bragging about getting a new roof paid by insurance-bingo that's it.

They may insure a camera and a couple of lenses, but if you have multiple bodies, studio lights and equipment, insurance companies will declare you as a pro and fail to pay off. Commercial policies are expensive (if you can get a good one). While on a job I never let my equipment or vehicle out of sight or have a friend or attendant watch it. I opted for a good very heavy gun safe for my equipment. I can't move it, and neither can a thief.

If I ever lost a camera due to water conditions etc. I would chalk it up as time to upgrade. For outdoor use with water and rough terrain I use a cheap Go Pro or Canon 80D. If I lose them, no big deal.

The only problem with insurance is that at some point they will not insure multiple cameras and lenses on a homeowners policy—you are considered professional.

Professional business policies are very expensive even with USAA-using the Hartford. So for the $650 annual cost I purchased a 650 lb gun safe with padded shelves. Took 4 men to get in my studio on a hydronic dolly. I have never dropped a camera or lost one on sight in 30 years, so that takes care of theft, Fire, and flood damage to my cameras, lenses, guns and valuable papers.

[quote=E.L.. Shapiro]Nah, never said I have all the answers- just my opinion. I never insult anyone's intelligence. Folks can read different opinions and make up their own minds. I am pleased to hear of your financial success- if you work hard and deliver good work you are certainly entitled to good fortune. Mentorship in technique and marketing skills are not mutually exclusive. One can do both! Hopefully, skill and business savvy go hand in hand.

Never accused you of being a know it all, but I find it puzzling why you ask the question only to disagree with half or more of them, having all the answers.

I respect any portrait photographer that can make it today in a market where young people do not see the value of a portrait when a cell phone pic is good enough. Most homes have gone from oil portraits, to photography portraits, to nothing on the walls but modern art.

Jay Fletcher one of Atlanta’s best displaying 8’x10’ huge photos of Donald Trump & Family, Sidney Portier, Yovander Holyfield and other VIPs, was forced to close. The only portrait photographers making it today have a senior portrait feed, weddings and other photography to augment their portrait activity. I would not recommend that somebody go into portrait photography today. The market is shrinking fast. With the movie industry moving to Atlanta from Hollywood and Toronto, that has helped but the photography is fashion, casting, and portfolio work.

And of course, when you can’t make it any longer in the market, you teach.