canon 30d portrait ?

Question

i'm looking for a camera that is good for portraits
i was looking at the canon 30d.
unless you think something is better
i know the 5d is better but too pricey
i dont wana spend more then 1300

so what would be a good lense also?

Answer 1

For portraits its not the camera but the lens, lighting and the person behind the camera that really matters (in that increasing order of importance).

The lens, as the first poster said a prime is the best for this application. But its best ONLY IF your subject does not move (try telling kids to sit still). If your subject sits/stands still and poses for you (and will not try and touch the camera as toddlers often do) then you can shoot with a EF 50mm f/1.8 ($80) or EF 50mm f/1.4 ($300) or whatever 85mm, 100mm prime you can afford.

Lighting, this is more complicated and depends on how much you want to spend and what kinda set up you have. As I often say, if you are new to lighting you should try the strobist method.

The person behind the camera is THE most important element. No one can teach you creativity, but you should know your camera really well to know its merely a tool and you are aware of the fundamentals. Sure that takes a bit of learning but its really worth it. Remember most professionals got where they are with learning and practice.

Answer 2

Any DSLR camera is good for portrait photography. It all really depends on the lens you use. But, the 30D is a great choice. I think I would buy the body only and not get the cheap kit lens...preferring to buy a good general purpose zoom lens instead. Prices of the 30D are starting to fall because it's replacement, the 40D, is expected to be announced before too long. So, keep an eye on prices in the next few weeks or so.
A good quality lens is an investment, so try to keep that in mind. It could easily cost almost as much as the camera body alone, and sometimes a whole lot more.
For portrait work, you could also consider one of the cheaper, but optically excellent, Prime lenses instead.
Check out the lens review links below...which has lens recommendations and reviews.

good luck...

Answer 3

As the other responders said, go for a prime lens for portraiture. The f1.4 would be ideal since it will easily allow you to blur the background plus its great in low-light situations.