DSLRUsers.com

...Nikons that is....

Just wondering what the view of you esteemed folk is on the number of camera bodies one should own.

I currently have a D70 and D70s with the associated extras. Now I am having a bit of a think as to whether I need both, or sell them both to help purchase a D200 (either locally or internationally).

Should I have two bodies with different lenses mounted (24-120VR and 70-200VR) or should I just have one body and swap lenses as required.

Is it more appropriate to have two bodies, in case one buggers up?

Curious to hear your opinions.

Cheers!!!

I have 2 bodies simply because I use them in my business and if one fails I can’t risk losing work

Yes. It's okay to have two bodies.
In fact, it's the law. You must have at least two cameras.
It's only unlawful if they have the same lens on each at the same time while they're being carried by the same person.
The law loves you better if you sell one identical body to upgrade.
That is the only time where it's lawful to only have one camera body.

Trust me.
I will have the appropriate legislative references shortly

Photography is my hobby, not my work.. Therefore, I cannot possibly justify having two bodies (unless in the future I update to whatever the D200 equivalent is, and just hang onto my current D70s).

I think that if you depend on the equipment for your work, you should definitely have at least one backup.

Well thats what I thought also. If I am doing a paid job and the D200 fails, I have nothing to fall back on. But I know a professional photog who only has one 20D body ans says that cameras are so reliable the odds of it happening are few and far between.

If you rely upon your camera to earn you money, then you need to have a minimum of two functional bodies because you're going to be screwed if one body fails on a critical job and that's the only body you have.

If the camera is not used as a working tool for you, it becomes a matter of choice, and whether you believe that your money could be better spent elsewhere.

Raskill wrote:But I know a professional photog who only has one 20D body ans says that cameras are so reliable the odds of it happening are few and far between.

Which is why there are no camera workshops, and why you can take your non-functioning camera into, say, Maxwells or Canon Oz, and get it back, fixed, that very same day.

Please also be sure to tell this person that I have some oceanfront land in Broken Hill that I can let him or her have for a very attractive price.

Your mate with the 20D would look a pratt at the races or a rally if his gear did fail. They wont stop the Bathurst 1000 for him Sell one to upgrade, keep the other

I'd say it only depend on what you depend your camera on. If they are the tools to fill up your hungry wallet, then you must have a backup to it.

Also if you shoot alot of close/far mixed distance subjects (wide and tele) you might want to have two bodies with you without the fear of dust getting into the cam and the hassle of changing lenses between shots.

a colleague of mine once shot a wedding using a single hasselblad body.
a screw had fallen out allowing a light leak, the camera appeared to be functioning normally, he lost the whole wedding.

I wouldnt think of covering an important event without backup.
at least with digital you could review what had been shot and taken action but in film days, no chance. That's why I used 3-4 bodies (2 35mm and 2 medium format) that way undetected equipment failure would only cost a max of 25-33% of the wedding. Luckily though I never had equipment failure other than the odd flash sync cord.

Steve

If you're getting paid for taking pics, then a 2nd body is mandatory, even if it's film, as long as you capture what you're getting paid for.

My camera broke just won't cut it on a one time event like a wedding.

Even if you are a hobby photog, one day a loved one will ask you to record their wedding/21st/baptism etc etc.
You will feel like a moron if you let them down because of equipment failure. There is one moron that sits in the same chair that I use.
He attempted to shoot his sisters wedding with a brand new untested Pentax. He still gets it in the neck 35 years later.

Ivanerrol, have you mentioned to your sister that you only get 14 years for murder and if she keeps it up it may be shorter to kill her than endure another 35yrs of barbs.

It would be a Multi account murder charge.
The barb has may hooks!

......I have two bodies, as said above, "one day ya gonna get caught" it will be when you are taking pics for someone else! or you are being relied upon.

The main reason I have two, is because of my location, which is serviced by a very slow camel train, and when I go away for a day or two to a spot to take pics its usually a 500 to 700 Km's round trip or more.

I am not travelling 4wd all that way to have a failure and return empty handed and then wait months for a repair / replacement.

Well, thats how I justified my D2x purchase

Also with the dusty conditions here, having two lenses mounted and ready to go saves a lot of cleaning!

sirhc55 wrote:I have 2 bodies simply because I use them in my business and if one fails I can’t risk losing work

Same here. I can't set up a shoot and then have any one piece of equipment fail and not be able to carry it out.

sirhc55 wrote:I have 2 bodies simply because I use them in my business and if one fails I can’t risk losing work

Ditto 2 digital bodies and 4 film bodies to back up.

ALways carry a backup and then something to backup the back up.

Raskill wrote:Well thats what I thought also. If I am doing a paid job and the D200 fails, I have nothing to fall back on. But I know a professional photog who only has one 20D body ans says that cameras are so reliable the odds of it happening are few and far between.

I happen to own a large bridge in Sydney that I am willing to sell this photographer at a very good price.

Murphie's law "what ever can go wrong will go wrong at the worst possible moment"

Dug wrote:

sirhc55 wrote:I have 2 bodies simply because I use them in my business and if one fails I can’t risk losing work

Ditto 2 digital bodies and 4 film bodies to back up.

ALways carry a backup and then something to backup the back up.

So when i get my d200... i should be ordering another??

Tim

At least one more;-)

This kind of reminds me of when I am cave diving. I have a primary light, two backups plus the modelling light on my strobe (and yeah, I have come out of a cave system using the modelling light as all my others failed)

Ant.

Dug wrote:At least one more;-)

Sounds good to me!

Tim

Dug wrote:

Raskill wrote:Well thats what I thought also. If I am doing a paid job and the D200 fails, I have nothing to fall back on. But I know a professional photog who only has one 20D body ans says that cameras are so reliable the odds of it happening are few and far between.

I happen to own a large bridge in Sydney that I am willing to sell this photographer at a very good price.

Murphie's law "what ever can go wrong will go wrong at the worst possible moment"

Exactly right. The body may be reliable, but what if you drop it? It may be insured, but that's not going to help when the action is happening right now.

How silly would you look if you return from an event saying "sorry, my equipment let me down". No payment; so the extra cost of the additional body doesn't look so bad. Or if some organisation had gone into making everything happen for a shoot, and you say "sorry, you can all go home now, my camera is broken".

rmp wrote:

Dug wrote:

Raskill wrote:Well thats what I thought also. If I am doing a paid job and the D200 fails, I have nothing to fall back on. But I know a professional photog who only has one 20D body ans says that cameras are so reliable the odds of it happening are few and far between.

I happen to own a large bridge in Sydney that I am willing to sell this photographer at a very good price.

Murphie's law "what ever can go wrong will go wrong at the worst possible moment"

Exactly right. The body may be reliable, but what if you drop it? It may be insured, but that's not going to help when the action is happening right now.

How silly would you look if you return from an event saying "sorry, my equipment let me down". No payment; so the extra cost of the additional body doesn't look so bad. Or if some organisation had gone into making everything happen for a shoot, and you say "sorry, you can all go home now, my camera is broken".

+ it's a cool look to turn up with up lot of equipment people trust you more and are happier to pay more if you have lots of "stuff"

avkomp wrote:a colleague of mine once shot a wedding using a single hasselblad body.
a screw had fallen out allowing a light leak, the camera appeared to be functioning normally, he lost the whole wedding.

I wouldnt think of covering an important event without backup.
at least with digital you could review what had been shot and taken action but in film days, no chance. That's why I used 3-4 bodies (2 35mm and 2 medium format) that way undetected equipment failure would only cost a max of 25-33% of the wedding. Luckily though I never had equipment failure other than the odd flash sync cord.

Steve

should have checked it with a polaroid(still too slow)

Of course Alan, all this two body talk is crap if your phone has a camera in it - no back up required, just bring the phone as backup

I have three camera bodies: D100/ D2H and D2X, and I'm shooting for fun, no pro works nor any income from photography.

Why?
I always shoot with the D2 and each one mounted with certain lens which I mostly used.

I learned recently a meter failed on my D2h and I still have the D2x in action.

I also learned another fellow photographer, who tagged along with me, changing lens in rush and accidentally dropped other lens on the concrete floor, big repair bills.

I know that, changing lens may make me missing few opportunities to shoot

And the D100 is just for the backup purpose or have an assistance to cover the gap which I missed.

Most pros I've watched have 2 to 4 bodies hanging on them. Two is most common, with what looks like a wide or wide-to-normal zoom and a 70/80-200; sometimes a 300/2.8 or 400/5.6.

I always carry two bodies with me and a third when I know I'll use it. On my last shoot I had three along with a 12-24 on one, a 180/2.8 on another, and a 400/5.6 Macro on the third. I kept a 24-60/2.8 and a 105/2 DC in my vest. I shot from daylight til dark and used 4 of the 5 lenses I had. Wish I could plan that well every trip.

Thanks for all the replies folks. I do appreciate your comments. I need to decide if I'm getting enough paying work to justify two bodies or trade them in for the one D200.

So far I've managed my paying jobs with one body, but have always thought that having another would be great. But now I have two and wonder if I canget away with one better one. I guess the grass is always greener.

I guess it is always a moot point if the tax man doesnt come to the party. Fingers crossed.

Thanks again!

Keep the newest old body as a backup and trade the older one on the D200 when you can afford it.

That is my plan anyway

cheers doug

geez.. ill prolly end up with a D200, D70s and a D70 lol


Tim

ana D300 ana D400 ana DQLX 9000 ana..................

Dug wrote:ana D300 ana D400 ana DQLX 9000 ana..................

Yup.. and I can thank you for this addiction

Thanks Dug!

Tim

Admitting you are an addict is the first step to a cure.
The second step is to want to be cured, I have not got to that one yet

Hi Everyone, My Name is Tim *crowd cheers, "Hi Tim!"* I'am an addict, Ive suffered from my addiction for 1 year now, and I dont wish to stop being an addict... Iam a Photoholic *crowd boo's*

No cure for this madness Dug, cept buying more glass and sexier cameras

Tim

Zeeke wrote:Hi Everyone, My Name is Tim *crowd cheers, "Hi Tim!"* I'am an addict, Ive suffered from my addiction for 1 year now, and I dont wish to stop being an addict... Iam a Photoholic *crowd boo's*

No cure for this madness Dug, cept buying more glass and sexier cameras

Tim

Tim,
You should blame the person who take you down this long suffering road

He does! trust me, HE DOES!!!!!

Tim,
Are you a victim?