Do you need a DSLR w/ ability to use a full system of lenses, and to monitor through the lens, or can you get by with a nice point-and-shoot w/ a good-range zoom lens?

For decades, I used Nikons, even up through the early digital days. I was able to use many of my lenses with the later digital cams, but as they were DX frame, the effective focal length doubled.

However, I have fallen in love with the little Canon G-10 (think it's up to G-12 now?). It obviously does not allow me to change lenses, but has decent wide-angle (I use that, more than tele), is light, sharp, and offers a lot of control. As my DSLR bag w/ lenses will not fit into either the overhead storage, or under-seat storage, on a lot of the commercial jets flown out of Phoenix, it stays home much more often now - the little G-10 goes into my briefcase.

It just depends on the work that you want to do, and also the adaptability, that you require.

Let us know a bit more about your work, and others can make recommendations.

Good luck,

Hunt

You pose a good set of questions, but they do not have easy answers.

With the student vs pro, you spend more time getting good work from the student, but one, who is competent, and willing to work to get things done, can be just fine. However, if you are paying by the hour, i.e. a day-rate, expenses can mount, and in a hurry. With a professional, competent in the type of work required, the time will be less, and even factoring in the higher day-rate, can be the bargain.

Now, day-rates vary by type of work, and also location. In Denver and Phoenix, before I retired, my day-rate started at US$ 1800, plus all expenses. However, rather than quoting "day-rates," I always liked to get all info for the project, outline what was to be delivered, and the time frame, then issue a "not-to-exceed" price for the project/assignment.If it took me longer, say due to more R&D, than I thought, that was MY problem, and not my client's. As I did advertising photography for 38 years, I was pretty good at quoting just what it would take to get my client exactly what they needed, and they had a fixed price, before they signed the contract. Unless something changed on their end, they could budget exactly, and were almost always happy.

Many times I would be asked to quote on "saving a project," that had initially gone to a less experienced shooter. Unfortunately, some of the clients had already blown their budget, when going with someone, who had a lower day-rate. Still, when faced with a budget, with which I could not work, I never hesitated to recommend one of my assistants, who usually had lower overhead, than I did. Heck, I would often lend equipment to do some of those jobs, to help both the assistant and the client. I found that better, than cutting my rate, as that almost always came back to bite me.

Now, my philosophy was that there only three reasons to take an assignment:

1. It would allow me great material to use in my portfolio
2. It would be so much fun, or make me feel so good, that I just had to do the work, regardless of the profit
3. It would pay me enough, that I could afford to do # 2

Number 1 also went a long way to allowing me to do # 2.

Some assignments incorporated all three, and those were blessings, but I would usually settle for two out of three..

If you find the right student, or beginning pro, and you can convince them that they will benefit from at least # 1, and maybe # 2 also, they might be a good find, especially if they are creative, work hard and have talent. Just be patient, and also very clear. Treat them with respect, and remember, creative endeavors are usually best, when they are a two-way street.

Good luck, and I wish that there was an easy answer.

Hunt

Late to the "party," but DPReview is a good source of info.

Now, I am a big fan of brick and mortar stores, and local ones, at that. When I need X, I want to be able to drive to a store near me, and buy it. Though I have bought a lot of equipment from stores, like Calumet Photographic and BH Photo, when possible, I shop locally.

Trust me, the $ you might save over local, can be eaten completely up, when you need it tomorrow, just by Fed-X Priority Overnight shipping. If I do not buy much of my stuff locally, then they will be out of business, and I will be forced to pay a major premium on shipping, though the unit price might have been lower.

I have been a "Nikon guy" for many decades, and all of my large-format lenses are Nikkors, it is not necessarily and end-all - be-all brand. Many of my friends have shot Canon, for nearly so long (they are younger, than I am), and now, my favorite camera is a Canon G-10, that I inherited from my wife. I got it to replace a dead Canon p-n-s digital, that replaced a Nikon 35mm p-n-s. She wanted smaller yet, so I found myself with the Canon. I used the little beast, and it was great! Now, my Nikons often stay home, and especially as United Airlines has downsized the planes out of Phoenix to CRJ-200's, and none of my camera bags will fit in the overhead, or under those tiny seats. That little Canon fits into my briefcase, so it gets to do more traveling, than my Nikons. BTW, she went for a really tiny Panasonic/Lumix, that looks like a swollen credit card. It takes great pic, but lacks almost any control, compared to the larger (though still small) Canon.

Hunt