Dipping a toe into alien waters: Rent something different for a trip?

Hi everyone, I'm going to NYC in November for a few days. I'm pondering the idea of renting a different system from my current Canon set-up (listed in my signature, and I am bringing my 6D and two lenses) for the trip. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not terribly great at paying attention to other brands' releases of new cameras or lenses, so I have a generic idea but no specific in-depth knowledge of what's currently out there.

Aside from wandering around and taking pictures of the city and other generic stuff, here's what I'll be doing:
- working with models on an all day studio shoot
- testing with new models outdoors (depending on weather) with natural light
- potentially shooting a dance performance indoors at night with stage lights of god knows what quality and distance (I'll probably use my gear for this though)

My top priorities are dynamic range, low light capability and ease of use.

With those parameters, what do you think I should rent? I'm open to the idea of pretty much just about anything that isn't hideously expensive. (*edited to add: hideously expensive would be something like a digital MF body/lens combo)

Thanks in advance!

Unless your results are unimportant to you or you'll be renting in advance to become intimately familiar with the system before using it I'd say it doesn't sound like the best of plans. Switching systems can be quite crippling initially. That said if you're still set on it why not think about Nikon for DSLR or Fuji for mirrorless? Nikon D750 D810, Fuji XT-1 XT-2... all good stuff.

Thanks for the info. I'd probably be using it for a day or two before going and will have my own gear with me, so if for some reason I decide to use the unknown gear in a critical situation and things go to crap, I'll be covered. Mostly though, I'll just be screwing around.

I figure that the best way to learn how to use new gear is to, you know, use it. And this seems like a good time to try something new, with all sorts of different situations.

The cameras I have my eye on, initially, are the Sony a7rii, Fuji XT-2, and Nikon D810. I'm just not necessarily committed one way or the other and am wondering what other people think might be a fun alternative to my current gear. Bonus points if it's cheaper but that's not the first consideration.

I'm a Fuji convert so I would personally suggest renting the X-t2 and a couple lenses. Not sure what focal lengths you normally shoot with but a combo like the 16mm f1.4 for walking around and the 56mm f1.2 for the model shoots might be a nice combo. But those might be way off from the focal lenghts (or equivalent focal lenghts) that you like. Either way Fuji has some very nice glass to try out along with their cameras.

Learning to use one's gear is crucial to good photography...use only what you are accustom to

Ok so with all due respect and no flames intended, I just want to be clear: Are you saying that trying new, unfamiliar gear is bad, because no good photos can ever come from using a different system than what you're already used to? Really? Because by that logic, none of us should have ever transitioned from film to digital and/or learned how to do post processing on a computer instead of a darkroom, or gone from natural light to strobes or anything of the sort.

I think learning new things is ALWAYS good because it forges new pathways in your brain and expands your skill set and you gain knowledge. Trying something, and failing, is part of the process of being an artist. If you're constantly afraid of failure and maintaining the status quo because you know you're safe there, you aren't growing, you're stagnant. People have asked me what is the most important thing about being an artist - I'm also a painter - and maybe I'm giving myself far too much credit, but my answer is "you have to be completely ok with totally screwing something up."

I'm a curious person. I'm going on this trip with my own stuff - a limited amount - that I will use in my more crucial situations, alongside whatever it is that I end up renting, if anything at all. However, it would be fun and interesting to also try something new. And this might sound bizarre to a lot of people, but I actually don't really care much about getting technically perfect photos while giving a new system a test drive. It's more about expanding my skill set, seeing differences compared to what I'm already used to, and tinkering to figure stuff out.

So with that in mind - learning and fun I mean - if anyone else has any actual suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

paintedlotus wrote in post #18167136
Ok so with all due respect and no flames intended, I just want to be clear: Are you saying that trying new, unfamiliar gear is bad, because no good photos can ever come from using a different system than what you're already used to? Really? Because by that logic, none of us should have ever transitioned from film to digital and/or learned how to do post processing on a computer instead of a darkroom, or gone from natural light to strobes or anything of the sort.

I think learning new things is ALWAYS good because it forges new pathways in your brain and expands your skill set and you gain knowledge. Trying something, and failing, is part of the process of being an artist. If you're constantly afraid of failure and maintaining the status quo because you know you're safe there, you aren't growing, you're stagnant. People have asked me what is the most important thing about being an artist - I'm also a painter - and maybe I'm giving myself far too much credit, but my answer is "you have to be completely ok with totally screwing something up."

I'm a curious person. I'm going on this trip with my own stuff - a limited amount - that I will use in my more crucial situations, alongside whatever it is that I end up renting, if anything at all. However, it would be fun and interesting to also try something new. And this might sound bizarre to a lot of people, but I actually don't really care much about getting technically perfect photos while giving a new system a test drive. It's more about expanding my skill set, seeing differences compared to what I'm already used to, and tinkering to figure stuff out.

So with that in mind - learning and fun I mean - if anyone else has any actual suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

I think the concern is that you are suggesting moving to a completely new system, while on a trip that seems completely based around achieving a high standard of photography, not only for your own use, but for others. Getting great results while under pressure, while also learning new kit seems like a poor decision. In that sort of situation I would want to already be fully conversant with the equipment, with those neural pathways already developed, allowing you to work quickly and easily with minimal fuss. Of course if that is not the situation of this trip, and it is say more of a learning situation, where these studio sessions are more like a seminar or class, well then maybe hiring new kit wouldn't be such an issue, especially if you can rent a few days in advance, and will also have time to get to grips with the basics of the camera. Learning something new every day is a really good goal by the way, and something a fully endorse.

Alan

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paintedlotus wrote in post #18165693
Hi everyone, I'm going to NYC in November for a few days.
Aside from wandering around and taking pictures of the city and other generic stuff, here's what I'll be doing:
- working with models on an all day studio shoot
- testing with new models outdoors (depending on weather) with natural light
- potentially shooting a dance performance indoors at night with stage lights of god knows what quality and distance (I'll probably use my gear for this though)

paintedlotus wrote in post #18165763
I figure that the best way to learn how to use new gear is to, you know, use it. And this seems like a good time to try something new, with all sorts of different situations.

I am in favor of trying out new gear, so that you can get a feel for what is out there, expand your horizons, stay current, etc.

However, this trip seems like a particularly bad time for you to explore the unfamiliar. Why? Well, typically, new gear is tried out in situations that don't really matter. This is because it is generally considered a very heartbreaking thing to miss a chance at a good photo because of unfamiliarity with gear, gear malfunctions, etc. I mean, the basic premise that most serious photographers go by is, "never allow yourself to be in a position to miss a (good) shot, no matter what".

Hence, it seems that trying out new gear would be better suited for everyday situations, like shooting stuff in your backyard or at the neighborhood park. You're going on what seems like a pretty big, exciting trip, with a lot of good subject matter to shoot. Wouldn't it be a pity to miss a potential shot because you weren't familiar with the gear you were using? Yes, it would! It is always a real pity to miss a good shot, no matter what the reason.

One does not need inspiration in order to learn new gear and how to use it. Learning new gear isn't really something that you need to be excited about. It is an activity whose goal is to learn something with the left side of your brain, not to feel something with the brain's right side. Learning new gear is typically a logical, analytical activity - not an artistic, expressive activity. .The typical, mundane, everyday subjects are just fine for learning how to use a different system.

This is my own opinion, as one who places paramount value on capturing as many good images as possible. If you really don't care about missing out on a few keepers, then go ahead and use the rented gear on your trip. But I do caution you - if you do that, you may miss a shot or two......which really is a pretty big deal.

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Thank you everyone for the replies, I really appreciate it and totally see your point. However, I think the part where I said I would be bringing my own gear for the important stuff got lost in translation and maybe bad wording on my part.

Playing around with rental gear would be something that I'm primarily doing while wandering around and sightseeing.

For my scheduled shoots I'm going to be using my own gear (Canon) with which I have, generally, about 18+ years of experience with. The rental stuff might get pulled out and tested depending on how I feel about it at the time, but I'm not relying on it to get my work done.

So no, I'm not going to make the rookie mistake of going into a situation with totally unfamiliar gear and NEED to get a shot - this will be for walking around, experimenting and trying new things, and MAYBE play with during a test shoot if I feel like it.

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Sounds like a perfect way to handle the balancing act between using the old and familiar and experimenting with, and learning, the new.

Sounds like a really fun time!

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Fuji X-T2 and a 10-24mm, 16mm f/1.4 (if you like 24mm FL equiv) or 23mm f/1.4 (if you like 35mm equiv), and for model shoots the 56 f/1.2.

This is what I'd say would cover alot of ground for your trip.

You may find the fuji files to be eye candy. It's pleasant and organic like your 5dc. Not hardcore digital looking like the 6d, 5dmk2,3,4, 1dxmk1(mk2) etc. As you can see I'm simply saying fuji has a different "flavour" in how the digital file looks both RAW and sooc jpeg.

I've only been shooting Canon for 10yrs. Fuji has been one of the most pleasant experiences I've had in how the files look sooc.

Only thing sucks about renting fresh new gear is that if you use Lightroom you may run into a hiccup in camera recognition if your using older versions.

Thank you for the info! Right now the Fuji XT-2 is coming out on top of the potential pile. I have Lightroom CC so hopefully that means I won't have any weirdness with the raw files...

Lightroom cloud version you should have no issues

Learning is all about experiencing new things. You have the perfect excuse for trying out new gear. Go for it!