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The canon 550D specification list certainly seems to point that it can hold its own against more expensive models. But is it of a high enough grade to be used as the main camera of a professional photographer?
Image quality wise it will be similar, Build quality wise don't expect it to last as long as a Pro Grade body......!
Quote: is it of a high enough grade to be used as the main camera of a professional photographer?
A Pro photographer will make good pictures with whatever camera He or She is using......
Its not the camera that takes or makes an image, Thats down to you.....
If a camera takes or makes a bad pidture, Thats down to you....
As for what camera you use, Thats down to you, Its a personal choice, One made by your requirements, Your budget, Your desire, Your intention, Your dreams....Whatever....
Bottom line, Its all down to you at the end of the day, But don't run off with the idea that buying a Pro Spec or expensive camera, Will somehow turn you into a photographer....
That is down to you.....
Quote: The canon 550D specification list certainly seems to point that it can hold its own against more expensive models. But is it of a high enough grade to be used as the main camera of a professional photographer?
There are others better qualified than me to reply, but I think it depends on what kind of pro work you are thinking of. If it is to live indoors in a nice warm portrait studio, then it might well do everything you would wish for. If it has to be used outside in all weathers to get the shot regardless, you'd be looking for better weatherproofing for the camera. And since you're a pro, you'll obviously need a back-up camera as well in case the main one develops a fault on a shoot.
Cameracat - I certainly agree that it is down to the photographer to capture the relevant exposure and composition to achieve ones desired results. I am a firm believer in this myself. However I suppose maybe it is more a question of will this camera hold its own in terms of performance and image quality in the often fast pace and highly competitive market that is commercial photography? Just a thought.
Good point about build quality, I suppose you get what you pay for in this world.
From a description of the 60D:
The Canon EOS 60D is much closer to the 550D than to the 7D in design but now incorporates more of the technology than ever before! For those wanting a professional camera the Canon EOS 60D isn’t it, for those wanting professional image quality then you need look no further.
Absolutely no doubt that in the right hands the camera can produce images of a professional standard.
It would hamper some professionals though. People who sometimes need to keep shooting when the rain starts, (or when there's a dust storm). Guys who need very fast frame rates and very fast and accurate autofocus.
You also need something built to take knocks on a daily basis rather than something that might only come out of the house on a Bank Holiday.
You'd have to ask "what profession?" - For example, studio portrait photographer, sports photographer, war photojournalist etc.
The 550D has professional quality components within it (such as the imaging sensor), but the camera and its feature set is designed with 'enthusiast photographers' in mind, rather than people who may depend on their camera as a tool to earn their living.
This means that things like the build quality of the body and the AF system are not as advanced as the more expensive models . The control interface too is simplified (no second wheel on the back), and the smaller lighter body is designed to fit into bags easily, but may not balance with heavier pro grade lenses so well.
The full frame cameras also tend to be better at high ISO - which for some Pros may be an important consideration.
So.. as other have said it really depends on your photography and how you work. The 550D may be all the camera you need to earn your living from photography... but for others it may not be.
I'm a Nikon man - stop already, for I have something to add from experience. I've just handled the Nikon D7000 at Focus, and it felt like a toy because it's so light. I wouldn't have a great deal of confidence in it, despite its magnesium alloy frame, to withstand the sort of treatment that my cameras get. Besides which it has a DX sensor so light is an issue. It's also very small (sub 700g ex-lens). There are so many DSLR users out there that are advertising as pro (with Canon 450/550D, Nikon D300, Sony Alpha 300 on one occasion that I spotted) and get into the mindset that professional photographer status means that all jobs are within reach. If you try to cover a wedding/party/event with a 550D the chances are very good that there will be enthusiasts present with better cameras. That's potentially embarassing.
Today at Crufts I bumped into a guy with a couple of Canons - 1 or 5D. He was complaining about the light pushing him to shoot at ISO3200, which he wasn't comfortable with. The light was a mixture of fluorescent, radiant, daylight through skylights and some that were probably sodium-based - often all in the same place. In the open air he'd be singing as he worked, but the conditions meant that he had to think more about which light was nearest and whether the shot was 'action' or not. If he was carrying 550Ds he would have given up and gone home, but he was at least able to work. There was no kit-jealousy. We were a couple of old pros having a conversation. He was sure to get workable shots and I was comfortable with shooting at ISO1600 for the most part, but went to 6400 for a couple.
Don't try pushing the limitations of your camera. Work well within the limits and you'll have a comfortable shoot. If you try to go beyond the capability of the camera you're likely to have an unhappy client.
PS - you need two cameras
I don't have any knowledge of the specs of a 550d, but as a landscaper, I get everything I need out of my trusty 400d. In my opinion, the lens that you use plays as much a part as the body, obviously I appreciate and agree with what has been said previously in this thread about ISO's and build quality, the more you spend the better they will be, but I am sure buying a cheaper body with better lens would give you better results than an expensive body and cheaper lens?
From my understanding of the canon range they go:
Enthusiast - 400d, 450d,500d, 550d, 600d
semi pro - 30d, 40d, 50d, 60d, 7d
pro - 5d/5dmk2?? 1d range
Although I am not 100% sure where the 7d and 5d models stand
To answer your question we need to understand more what you intend to do. The 550D is not a professional camera as many have pointed out, but its results in terms of image quality on static subjects will be near as dam it the same as a 7D, which is as I understand it what Canon classify as the start of their professional range. So the sensor itself pretty good. But the professional cameras have functionality and durability advantages.
For example shutter life on the 550D is probably in the 50,000 shot range where the professional ones tend to 150,000 plus these days. That is not to say all will get there without failure or that all will die shortly after, it is the design point where it will operate and be within calibration for that number of shots for a high percentage of the units. Also features like autofocus differ with the more expensive cameras not only having more AF points they are also better optimised for fast lenses and also tend to have faster processing so more capable of tracking moving subjects. and then you get things like connections for studio flash and weather proofing.
All that means that the 550D gives good performance for its costs, and for many uses will turn in images equal to those produced by cameras 3x the price. But there is a reason why the others cost more, and if it is to be used to make a living from then accept it may well have a short life.
Quote: I'm a Nikon man - stop already, for I have something to add from experience. I've just handled the Nikon D7000 at Focus, and it felt like a toy because it's so light. I wouldn't have a great deal of confidence in it, despite its magnesium alloy frame, to withstand the sort of treatment that my cameras get. Besides which it has a DX sensor so light is an issue. It's also very small (sub 700g ex-lens). There are so many DSLR users out there that are advertising as pro (with Canon 450/550D, Nikon D300, Sony Alpha 300 on one occasion that I spotted) and get into the mindset that professional photographer status means that all jobs are within reach. If you try to cover a wedding/party/event with a 550D the chances are very good that there will be enthusiasts present with better cameras. That's potentially embarassing.
Today at Crufts I bumped into a guy with a couple of Canons - 1 or 5D. He was complaining about the light pushing him to shoot at ISO3200, which he wasn't comfortable with. The light was a mixture of fluorescent, radiant, daylight through skylights and some that were probably sodium-based - often all in the same place. In the open air he'd be singing as he worked, but the conditions meant that he had to think more about which light was nearest and whether the shot was 'action' or not. If he was carrying 550Ds he would have given up and gone home, but he was at least able to work. There was no kit-jealousy. We were a couple of old pros having a conversation. He was sure to get workable shots and I was comfortable with shooting at ISO1600 for the most part, but went to 6400 for a couple.
Don't try pushing the limitations of your camera. Work well within the limits and you'll have a comfortable shoot. If you try to go beyond the capability of the camera you're likely to have an unhappy client.
PS - you need two cameras
so you are saying that the D300s isnt a pro camera?? even though it is on the Nikon list as such? There is NO WAY you can compare a D300 (s) to a 450D or Sony 300!!
Quote: The canon 550D specification list certainly seems to point that it can hold its own against more expensive models. But is it of a high enough grade to be used as the main camera of a professional photographer?
again I would go with what is being said ' depends on the type of photography ' , having just completed a wedding shoot in the lake district over the weekend in which I spent over an hour outside in the pouring rain , sleet and freezing conditions , my camera ( 5D2 ) and lens ( the 24-105 ) combination handled everything admirably with no more than a wipe off of the filter now and again , once inside thoroughly dried and cleanded , A1 no problems ... I rely on this being the case and know that i can shoot in demanding conditions without a helper , a rain cover or any other messing just get the shots i need without fuss.. and I also know that i wouldnt trust anything less than a 1D or 5D and a weathersealed L Lens to do this. I also know from experience that there is a world of difference between the 1d and 5d series and all the rest in terms of low light capability and noise ... so it depends what youre going to shoot professionally .... and one last point , do you really want to go on a shoot with people involved to find out audience etc have the same camera as you ? as it often happens especially at weddings there are countless amateur and semi pro cameras in the wedding party.
Cameras aimed at the pro market are not necessarily any better optically than those aimed at the enthusiast. The difference tends to lie in the way that they are put together and the materials that they are built from. Enthusiasts usually pay for their kit and few get much of their outlay back from selling the pictures because photography is their hobby. Consequently they tend to look after their cameras, so they don't need to be exceptionally robust to produce years of reliable service. Pro cameras, on the other hand, are tools for people for whom photography is their job. They are designed to be slung in a bag and hauled up a mountain or to the bottom of the sea. They are designed to perform reliably in the Arctic and the Sahara. Whereas an enthusiast's output will amount to thousands of shots over the camera's life, the pro's will be measured in hundreds of thousands. That is where the difference lies. Assuming similar lens quality and ability on the part of the photographer, the pictures won't look any better.
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