Do you carry two bodies, and why?

[erova]

Hi guys,

I'm really considering ponying up for the canon 40d when it's shipping next month after buying the 8 megapixel rebel xti last summer.

i've really enjoyed taking advantage of what the rebel's provided, but i'm definitely interested in what the newer technology can do for my shots. i've already invested (somewhat significantly, relatively speaking) in some nice glass and flashes.

that being said, is there any benefit to retaining the rebel body or is it just going to gather dust? what do you guys do with a body after you upgrade?

is there any point in me holding onto the lesser piece of technology, or just keep it in the car with an okay lens and catch some drive-by shots when inspiration strikes?

TIA
Chris

 

[miloblithe]

...and i think it's worth the tax write-off even though i really don't do too much business with my camera.

That's a curious statement.

 

[Grimace]

if you need to do a lot of quick lens switching or you are in a place (desert) where you cannot switch lenses, it makes a lot if sense. If you can afford to keep the XTi, it's a great camera.

 

[M@lew]

I've only used 2 bodies at the same time during shoots when I don't have time to change lenses.

e.g. The last one I did I was shooting a conference so I had a 30D mounted with a zoom and a flash and a 400D with a 50mm prime lens. It allowed for different types of photos and I wouldn't have had time to change set up should I have needed to.

If you pretty much won't use the second body anymore though, it's probably going to gather dust. Still a nice thing to have though.

 

[erova]

That's a curious statement.

to clarify, a lot of my photos end up in my professional design work, but i'm obviously not a professional photographer by trade.

grimace and m@lew--definitely makes sense about the ability to keep shooting. i was just out in yellowstone np and it was quite a hassle going back and forth between my 10-22 and 100-400...

 

[lilrichie]

Personally i only use the 1 body because of financial constraints but if i didnt have them constraints i would def have two bodies;

Some of the reasons already bought up in this thread are reasons why i would choose to carry two bodies around, if you are on location at a wedding or public event shooting candids or photojournalitic shots time given to a lens change isnt available so that would be an option why i would have two bodies.

Also the location you are shooting in may not allow for a lens change.

Their are many factors why people do carry two bodies and maybe someone with a bit more knowledge will come along...

R.

 

[Roy Hobbs]

Hi guys,

I'm really considering ponying up for the canon 40d when it's shipping next month after buying the 8 megapixel rebel xti last summer.

i've really enjoyed taking advantage of what the rebel's provided, but i'm definitely interested in what the newer technology can do for my shots. i've already invested (somewhat significantly, relatively speaking) in some nice glass and flashes, and i think it's worth the tax write-off even though i really don't do too much business with my camera.

that being said, is there any benefit to retaining the rebel body or is it just going to gather dust? what do you guys do with a body after you upgrade?

is there any point in me holding onto the lesser piece of technology, or just keep it in the car with an okay lens and catch some drive-by shots when inspiration strikes?

TIA
Chris

Shipping next month?? It's in stores already. I played with one at Best Buy yesterday

 

[shieldyoureyes]

If it is financially possible at all, keep both. I really regret letting go of my D50 when I got a D80, but I really could not afford both.

You really will appreciate having two bodies when one decides to have a bad day a stop working for you. It doesn't happen often, but trust me, when it does, you will be glad you had kept it.

Not to mention the huge plus of not having to change lenses.

 

[filmamigo]

I carry two bodies, one DSLR, one film.

Gives me the option to leave the film body loaded with B&W, or to load it with slide film and shoot ultra-wide with it (18mm on full-frame 35mm is pretty nice.)

In your case, the reason to keep two DSLRs is for backup. Do you intend to ever shoot pro? Especially for anything "once-in-a-lifetime"? Then you need the backup.

If not, I'd sell your first body while it still fetches a good price. I have a feeling most older DSLR bodies will eventually fall to a few hundred dollars.

Dave

 

[ChrisA]

I have carried two 35mm bodies in the past so I could shoot two different types of film. With my medium format system I had three film backs pretty much for the same reason. With digital this reason goes away. I think the only reason to have two digital SLR bodies is so you have a backup. If your business depends on a your camera you need the backup. Once you have two bodies you find ways to use them. You get so little money when you sell a used dSLR that you may as well keep it as a backup.

One thing about backups. You have to take it with you are it really is not a backup and you have to continue to shoot with it so you know that it works and you know you can trust it and you remain familiar with it. You can't just let it collect dust If you are not going to do this you are better of getting rid of it.

 

[Padaung]

Pros carry two bodies for all the reasons mentioned at points in previous answers. You can have a different lens on each body, each camera set up differently should you wish too. This saves time switching lenses, and reduces the risk of dust on the sensor. The biggest reason for having two bodies imo is as a backup: mechanical things fail/damaged - simple as. In the dark ages of film, I was in a real rush to re-load a film and put my thumb through the shutter. How I cursed, and the repair bill was nasty too, but the spare body allowed me to keep working. I finally learnt what 'more haste, less speed' means!
Realistically, do you feel the 2nd body is just going to collect dust? In which case, sell it and should you need a spare body in the future you can be rest assured that you will be able to buy it back at a lower price *lets out long groan, wising for the old days of film cameras holding their price for years...*

 

[maxi]

I think it is up to you really. I usually carry 1 digital and 1 film body together, but that's for artistic reasons.

What you should be very aware of is that a new body won't do anything significative for your photography. Don't expect to get more keepers because you have a newer/more expensive body (of course there are exceptions such as wildlife or sports shooting).

 

[valiar]

I am always carrying two Olympus bodies... Because I have one of them converted to infrared-only

It is a bit unorthodox, but that is my reason for having two.

 

[Clix Pix]

When I've gone out birding with fellow photographers, I've had one camera body (D2Xs) on the tripod with a long lens and then have had a second camera body (D200) around my neck with the 70-200mm lens mounted on it so that I could shoot other subjects (my fellow photographers!) as well as the birdies.... That works out well.

 

[EastCoastFlyer]

You know, I thought I would, but I haven't, so far. When I bought my D200, I decided to hang onto the D50, thinking I'd keep a short lens or a wide angle on it and a long lens or telephoto zoom on the 200. The 50 pretty much just sits in the house or stays in the car... I like the tripod vs. handheld idea, though...

 

[sjl]

Depends on the circumstances.

At the moment, I only have the 20D, but down the road, I'm planning on getting a 5D mark II. I'll keep the 20D (with the intent of upgrading to the 40D at some stage), but I'll only be carrying around two bodies when I want the flexibility of having two lenses mounted.

eg: 5D with a 70-200mm, 20D with the 24-70mm, would provide a good working kit for some occasions (there are times when the 17-85mm just didn't provide enough reach, and those times, I never went wider than 24mm anyway). Also, if I ever end out on safari, the 5D with the 70-200 and the 20D with the 100-400mm would be an ideal combination (possibly with a second full-frame body with the 24-70mm, to cover wider angles when needed, although I don't see that being necessary.)

Conversely, if you have time to change glass at will, and conditions aren't too wet or dusty, there's no significant point to having two bodies. (Or if carrying two bodies is too hard - you'll never see me scuba diving with two cameras at once, unless one is a compact, for example ...)

 

[MacNoobie]

My next body would have to be a 1Ds Mark III and keep my Mark II n if I were to have a backup body and really I should when shooting concerts.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

When I'm doing field archaeology, I use three cameras...one each loaded with slide and B&W film plus a digital.

If I picked up a second, higher-end DSLR I would keep my Rebel XT with a 50mm prime mounted - a lightweight combo that can take great shots.

 

[Westside guy]

I can't afford two bodies right now - but if I could, I don't think there'd be many situations where I'd carry both. I'm finding (after buying too much crap) that I prefer to go light. Not really minimalist, since I like to have a second, wide angle, lens handy; but light enough to where it all fits in a sling bag.

But then I do this for fun. Pros have very good reasons for taking multiple bodies.

 

[srf4real]

Shooting mostly on the beach, I take the dSLR and a panasonic fz50, allowing me to have one versatile tele from 35-420mm f/2.8-6.5 for any kind of shot from landscape to spontaneous sports action, and will choose which lens I want to have attatched to the L1 body for the subject I intend on capturing with best image quality. Changing lenses is a poor option as I don't think the salt air, water, and sand would be very good on the 4/3 sensor, dust reduction or no! If I did have two dSLR bodies, I would certainly keep and use both of them to reduce removing and exchanging lenses, which is where the IQ really comes from. New technology may offer extras in features, but a good lens ready for use is irreplacable!

 

[Digital Skunk]

Deadline is in an hour, event is over in 15 minutes, subject is moving toward me fast, shoot long for now but have to shoot wide in a few seconds, crowded area, gotta change lenses while moving backwards....

Do I:

(A) Carry another $2000 D200 body to complement my D2h and put the tele on the second body?

-- OR --

(B) Switch lenses while walking backward and risk dropping either the $1500 17-55 f2.8, or $1800 70-200 f2.8?

-- OR --

(C) Hold the tele between my legs and hop backwards like a duck, trip and fall and break all said gear and my ankle.

The answer is (A), because you don't want to risk dropping an expensive piece of glass when you could have just carried a second body. Most usually have the same body, or a good complement to the body, but anything works.

 

[MacNoobie]

Yep 1D Mark IIn and a 5D

 

[Clix Pix]

Yesterday I went out to Conowingo Dam again and had two bodies: one had th 300mm f/4 mounted on it and the other had the 300mm f/2.8 mounted on it. Both also had teleconverters. This was the first time I'd mounted the lenses on the cameras prior to going up there, and I was glad that I had done so because when I arrived there was a lot of eagle action going on and it was great to jump out of the car and grab the camera with the lighter weight lens (for handholding) and go running over to where an eagle was majestically perched in a tree surveying the area...... Intead of putting everything together on site I was set to go immediately. Later I retrieved the other camera with the heavier lens and put it on the tripod for additional shooting.

 

[seany916]

2 bodies. One with a close-up to somewhat medium length lens. the other with medium to somewhat longer distance.

Also works in a cinch as a back-up body. Only 3 bodies needed if 2 photags.

Always use an assistant. It'll be worth the few bucks.

 

[SLC Flyfishing]

I don't own 2 K10D's but would if I weren't a full time student and unemployed. However, after playing with my camera, I've 3 or 4 friends who bought one just like it. I have a bunch of lenses and so when I'm shooting a wedding or something else that can't be redone, I borrow one of theirs to have as a backup just incase mine decides to fail. It hasn't happened yet but with weddings you can never be too cautious. Also, it's nice to have a camera for whoever is assisting me to toy around with; often times they get some really neat looking shots.

SLC