portrait camera

Which one is best for that? 7D or 5DII? I shoot children and pets mostly.

Teeny

5dii. What lenses do you shoot with? I'd rather shoot a 7D with great glass than a 5dii with cheap glass.

I have a Tamron 28-75 and a 55-250 and a 50, and a 18-200.

Thanks.

I would consider either the 7D or a used 5D and investing in better glass first. I had the 55-250 and upgraded to the 70-200 f/4L IS (roughly the price difference between the 7D and 5Dii) and it was night and day as far as IQ, much less the build of quality.

Any more suggestions?

If I had your setup and your budget, I'd just sell everything except the 50 and pick up a 7D + 70-200 f/4L IS and either the Canon 17-55 f/2.8 IS or Tamron 17-50 f/2.8. This should cover you quite a bit while noticing a pretty big jump in iq. That's just me though. If you want wider, you can look into a Sigma 10-20mm or Tokina 11-16 if your budget allows.

Your question has been pretty much been answered. Between the two cameras the 5Dii is the better one for portraits.

However, as Chris has mentioned, you need quality glass, too. The camera itself is only one part of the equation.

Then there are other elements to consider such as your patience, people and pet association skills. Running a photo business is mostly about the business part. Do you have a business plan? How about a marketing strategy? Have you determined your cost of sales, who is your competition, taxes to collect, etc.

It really is fun though!

The 5DII is a wonderful camera for portraits; some would say that portraits are its raison d'etre. However, if you intend to shoot children and pets in a less formal situation, i.e. they are running around all over the place, the af on the 7D may be better suited to your needs.

What camera do you currently have, and have you been doing this type of shots with it and getting bad results? If so, what are the issues?

FYI, the 55-250 and the 18-200 lenses are EF-S lenses, meaning that they will not work with a 5D2, but will with the 7D.

I'll say get used 5d, keep 50 and Tammy, both are good lenes.
Sell rest of lenses and get any 70-200 L you could afford.
Add couple of Canon flashes and it will be good to start.
28-75 and 70-200 are great portrait lenses on 5d.

kf095 wrote in post #13255885
I'll say get used 5d, keep 50 and Tammy, both are good lenes.
Sell rest of lenses and get any 70-200 L you could afford.
Add couple of Canon flashes and it will be good to start.
28-75 and 70-200 are great portrait lenses on 5d.

This sounds pretty good....

An alternative setup to a 70-200 would be 85/1.8 and 135/2. Both are excellent portrait lenses on a 5D. Used 5D is getting pretty up in age now, a 5DII would be better, if you have the funds for it. But, if not, the 5D classic can still serve very well.

Full frame is useful for portraits. Primarily, you have more control over depth of field. But also you have the potential for bigger enlargements than with a crop camera... and big prints might make for more profits.

My only concern is if you find yourself shooting kids or pets in motion frequently, then a 7D's autofocus will do a better job keeping up with them. Neither of the 5Ds are as good tracking moving subjects. Zooms will be important, too, to allow you to quickly change focal lengths without changing lenses.

This would be ideal:

7D + 17-55 IS + 70-200 F4 IS + 50mm (preferably 1.4) and you are all SET

if you're doing posed portraits, set aside some budget for lighting, too - and set aside some time to learn how to use it.

teeny wrote in post #13254586
Which one is best for that? 7D or 5DII? I shoot children and pets mostly.

Teeny

I would suggest any camera + fast prime to start with. Could even be a rebel or xxD.

On FF 35mm = full body shots / environmental portraits; 85mm = upper body shots; 135mm = head shots.

Then I would invest in lighting skills. Learn to use a flash (bounce), reflector and/or strobes.