Your current gear is fine although you are best to stick to photographing only in good conditions. Wider apertures may expose some of your len's limitations. You can always shrink your images down to 5MP (and still qualify for Large sales at IS) to reduce minor technical imperfections. If you struggle to be successful with your existing kit it is unlikely that more expensive gear will make much of a difference. It's a bit like golf in that respect __ if you have a hopelessly flawed swing then buying a $400 driver won't suddenly make it better.

I agree with Gostwyck, that your current gear is fine for starters.  Better to get out there and shoot, and learn.  As you shoot, submit, and learn from acceptances and rejections, you will get a better sense of what the limitations of your gear may be.  Then you will be in a better position to know what you should upgrade to.  

Something else you may want to consider is lighting.  If you plan to do any studio work, a couple of strobes are worth their weight in gold.  I shot stock for over a year using cheapo hotlights, but because they lacked the power of strobes, I had to use a tripod for every shot, which was quite limiting.  I couldn't believe the difference a $400 pair of strobes made in my life.  Saved literally HOURS on every shoot.  

As a designer, you have a big advantage from the start.  You know how to think like your customers and will be making images they want to buy

I'll add to the "stick with your current gear at first" chorus.

Depending on what you plan to shoot - studio or outside, still life or people - I'd modify the advice on what sort of lighting gear to get. If you look at Lisa's portfolio - lots of studio shots of groups of people or full length isolated shots - the strobes are a no brainer. If you shoot still life or people outdoors, you might consider reflectors or light panels and one or two off-camera hotshoe lights. Much more portable - have a look at the strobist blog for lots of good information on that approach to lighting. You can see some good overall lighting tutorials here and here. There's also a lot of how-to stuff on equipment use, like this one on light panels for a beach portrait.

When you consider all the things you have to learn about making good stock, I think you can do most of it with your current camera and a small amount of lighting gear. If you do well and like doing it, it'll then be pretty obvious to you what you need to do to upgrade your gear. And there's always more gear out there - check out the recent thread about Yuri Arcurs new studio - if you have 300K euros to spare

Hate to disagree, but I think 10MP just isn't enough at the moment.

There are a few sites where you earn more for bigger file sizes, so on those sites you're missing out on higher prices with an older camera. If you're in any way serious about this, and have any success then the cost of the new camera is far less than the sales you'll lose. You have to decide - is this really a business that I'm going to be successful in, or am I kidding myself. If its a business, then you need the right tools - an old rebel can be made to fit, but its a false economy.

Hi! Yes that was part of the question. Site likes iStock do give more per image. I think I will take on both advices on the sites.

I think I will first start off with what I have, can be 2 months, or 6 months, to get the right knowledge I need to submit to stock sites such as Shutterstock, and when I feel comfortable enough with what I do and what is required, move on to more than 10mp camera. I like the fact that if you use a 18 or 22 mp camera you can still downsize it to get good photo technically right if you do small mistakes. But yes my aim is to make stock my living for the next year.

Right now I am making decent side money with my Illustration, but I like doing many things to keep my creativity stimulated (Illustration, Animation, Flash, 3D, Video). I am aiming at photography to start changing my line of work from graphic designer to selling stock full time. With a family and all, I don't feel comfortable right now leaving the good money my small advertising company generates for me for 300-400$ per month at stock. I am working to increase the stock income (and been succesful so far in the last 2 months by increasing the revenue substantially every month).

I'll add to the "stick with your current gear at first" chorus.

Depending on what you plan to shoot - studio or outside, still life or people - I'd modify the advice on what sort of lighting gear to get. If you look at Lisa's portfolio - lots of studio shots of groups of people or full length isolated shots - the strobes are a no brainer. If you shoot still life or people outdoors, you might consider reflectors or light panels and one or two off-camera hotshoe lights. Much more portable - have a look at the strobist blog for lots of good information on that approach to lighting. You can see some good overall lighting tutorials here and here. There's also a lot of how-to stuff on equipment use, like this one on light panels for a beach portrait.

Hmm... 300k EUR is definetly not within my reach right now... Nor will I have a clue as to what to do with a 300k studio . Thanks for the tuturials site they may come in handy!

Again thanks everyone for you advices and for helping me out!

But yes, in "iStock light" you'll probably be OK. Guess if you're using ISO with lights in a studio, you'll be fine.

Thanks! I don't plan on stick to the "rebel" in the long term but for the learning process of getting all the required technicality right I think it's a good starter.

Photo and video certainly does not have the same issues and requirements! :p

Thanks again everyone!

Quote from: ShadySue on March 02, 2011, 11:08

But yes, in "iStock light" you'll probably be OK. Guess if you're using ISO with lights in a studio, you'll be fine.

Thanks! I don't plan on stick to the "rebel" in the long term but for the learning process of getting all the required technicality right I think it's a good starter.

Photo and video certainly does not have the same issues and requirements! :p

Thanks again everyone!

Crawl until you get stable, then get up and walk, maybe topple a few times, but you'll get your balance, and then if things are looking good and you want a new camera and better lens, RUN!

What most of the people who know best have said, is often missed. Lighting is more important for making a difference, no matter what level you are at.

I think a good lens will make an average camera better. Less problems with flaws and distortion, color problems, all kinds of things, and lenses last longer than your next 3-4 cameras. But if someone is starting, you have some nice tools, you should learn how to use them and work with lighting next.

If you get that $500 driver you'll feel more confident as you slice one off into the trees? But it won't lower your scores. Good lighting will make your pictures better.

Also get a basic photo book and learn your way around the terminology and what effect the speed, aperture and ISO have on pictures, as variables.

0.8 f is not fotolia, I don't know what the 3.6ft meant? The 18-55 EF-S is f/3.5 and the 55-250 EF-S is f/4 starter kit lenses which some day you'll want to replace, but for now you need to get the basics and see how you like it. There's an advantage to being an artist and illustrator and knowing the market. You should be fine and move up fast.

some good pointers here.

I also started with a canon digital rebel (way back -- I think it was the first digital rebel version). 

I would have to say the two biggest things in terms of equipment would your lighting and your glass (lenses).   When I went from the Rebel to the 20d I noticed difference in quality of the images (slightly better sensor), but when I acquired better lenses, ditching the "kit lens" and getting high-rated lenses I noticed a definite quality improvement.  Maybe the kit lenses are getting better these days, but I would highly recommend making sure you have good glass. Check out dpreview.com or other online places for detailed reviews and you can always rent good lenses if money is an issue or if you want to "try before you buy"  (I use borrowlenses.com or prophotorental.com but there are others). 

Also, when I switched to the fullframe 5D there was a very noticeable improvement in the technical quality of my images. (that's what I'm using now - it's not the Mark II version -- saving up for that one still).

Lighting.  If you're going to do indoor shots you need to have some good lights. You can get some great lights from Paul C BUff (www.alienbees.com) - I would recommend getting at least a b800.  You can also do quite a bit with a few flashes - I often use two Canon 580EX flashes for fill-light outdoors and even for smaller subjects/objects indoors/studio. 

Also already mentioned -- check out some photography books.  there are some great books on stock photography as well as working with models/people. I have a bunch of photography books on everything from composition, lighting, models, landscapes, monochrome, art, etc.. pretty much every subject related to photography. "never stop learning" is my motto! 

Wow you guys here are really helpful, I'm taking all your tips and will be going forward with this. Will start with the lighting as this is where I lack the most experience, I do know the effects of ISO and shutterspeed (this is the same for video camera), but I am still struggling a bit with the aperture, which I know is the opening left in your lens to let the light through, but I don't quite grasp yet how it affects the depth of field and/or the overall quality of the photo, nor how to change the apperture...

In hindsight one thing I regret is not getting a larger MP camera much sooner. File sizes aren't that big a deal if your independent, but if you ever switch to being exclusive it becomes extremely important. 

If you're treating microstock as a business, then equipment isn't the place to start saving money.

Put it this way - an 18MP camera costs about $600. If this investment doesn't pay off over the course of 12-18 months, then there's zero chance of actually making a living out of stock as is the OP's intention.   

For the equipment thing I understand. Someone bright once said to me: We are too poor to buy bad equipment!, always liked that saying :p.

But I was just wondering if instead of going halfway to 18mp I should wait a bit longer and make the leap to a professionnal body. With my current earnings it would only take 2 months of stock earnings to pay for this, which might actually be worth it :p. I have a lot of "food for thoughts" here

Funny, there must be some kind of automatic replacement in place. Try writing F T (without space).

LoL did not notice this hehe! I wrote F T , no I didn't buy any Fotolia lens :p.

Posted by: jamirae
Insert Quote
some good pointers here.

I also started with a canon digital rebel (way back -- I think it was the first digital rebel version).

I would have to say the two biggest things in terms of equipment would your lighting and your glass (lenses).   When I went from the Rebel to the 20d I noticed difference in quality of the images (slightly better sensor), but when I acquired better lenses, ditching the "kit lens" and getting high-rated lenses I noticed a definite quality improvement.  Maybe the kit lenses are getting better these days, but I would highly recommend making sure you have good glass. Check out dpreview.com or other online places for detailed reviews and you can always rent good lenses if money is an issue or if you want to "try before you buy"  (I use borrowlenses.com or prophotorental.com but there are others).

Also, when I switched to the fullframe 5D there was a very noticeable improvement in the technical quality of my images. (that's what I'm using now - it's not the Mark II version -- saving up for that one still).

Lighting.  If you're going to do indoor shots you need to have some good lights. You can get some great lights from Paul C BUff (www.alienbees.com) - I would recommend getting at least a b800.  You can also do quite a bit with a few flashes - I often use two Canon 580EX flashes for fill-light outdoors and even for smaller subjects/objects indoors/studio.

Also already mentioned -- check out some photography books.  there are some great books on stock photography as well as working with models/people. I have a bunch of photography books on everything from composition, lighting, models, landscapes, monochrome, art, etc.. pretty much every subject related to photography. "never stop learning" is my motto! 

Yes this is my starter kit lens as I didn't know enough about lenses to feel confident buying 1k $ ones . But I do see the limitations my lens have in less lighting, which is annoying. I hate taking pictures with the "body" Flash of the camera as it's the best way to screw up a photo, but doing some reading I found there are external Flash and lighting to help with that.

I bought a few book, one about creating your lighting for indoor, and a few about stock photography, but I really need to get in the technicallity of it all :p Will check dpreview.com, and more so I will start shooting with a different eye ;p. Most shooting (photo) contracts I had was for clients which I was to use the picture for their website and some small size print, so I always thought my pictures were great... that's until I try to submit a few at Shutterstock.

Thanks everyone for sharing your experience with me, it will "speed up" my learning process by giving me good cues from experience photographers!