Hey everyone,

I used an APS-C pentax camera since 2008 and I feel like it's time to upgrade to FF. I have been checking different options in the last couple of days, and it seems that the decision boils down to two cameras: either canon 6d or nikon d610.

What I plan to use the camera for? Ideally, it should be an "all around" shooter. I don't shoot sports, landscape or anything (except microstock) professionally, so I don't really benefit from high burst-rates and this that a specialist in the field might need. However, there are a couple of things I would like to focus on:

 - low light photography
 - native high dynamic range (without hdr)
 - realistic color representation (fidelity)

To explain the points. Low-light performance is important for me if I want to do street-photography at the night without using flash. I also plan to do a bit of astrophotography, so noise and color fidelity are pretty important (because I don't want to spend hours in post). Dynamic range is important to me just because I like the look of boosting the blacks and shadows, but keeping some of the detail in them. And it's always nice to avoid clipped highlights. Realistic color representation might be a more subjective criterion, but I'm looking for a more accurate representation of skin tones and, actually, all the colors that the sensor can capture.

I always shoot in raw, so I don't care about jpg performance, jpg noise reduction, jpg-based hdr's and things like that. In-camera effects are of no interest for me. If I want to do some post, I'll fire up photoshop. I care about native raw performance.

I don't plan on doing video, but you know, you never know. But it's not a priority by any means. So, based on this, which camera would you recommend? Would you scrap my suggestions and go with something else, like the Nikon Df (pretty!) or D800E (not that much more expensive than the d610)? Or maybe a Sony?

Let me know your thoughts. But please keep in mind that your criteria for choosing the "better" camera might not be the same criteria that I choose the "winner". 6d might be better in some cases, and d610 in other ones. This is not a nikon vs. canon pissing contest (I was a pentax user, so I'm really distanced from all that), so let's try to be polite towards each other and make some good recommendations! Fire away!

Your vote, please

(If there are some options I did not cover, just write them down. Maybe the admin can add them in later)

Let's just imagine, for fun's sake, that the thing described in the subject happens. Also, all your OD's fall to the lowest price tier.

Would you quit?

I know a lot of contributors who report that around 70% of their earnings are from shutterstock. It's easy to have integrity when a small agency screws you over. If they account for 3% of your income, who cares, you have principles!

Is it the same story when the best earner does it?

EDIT: I don't understand why the downvotes. Is it wrong to ask a question like this? Some things I'll never understand.

I'm thinking of deactivating my account on DP (we all know why) and I'm looking into other options.

I submit to SS, IS (here and there), FT, DT, Alamy, P5 and BS. I stopped uploading to BS because the results from that agency are bs for me, in contrast to what the poll here says. It's not even worth to push images there for me.

Anyway, I'm wondering about canstock and photodune. Are they good earners for you, is there any particular image type that goes well on those agencies, as compared to other agencies? They are all rated lower than BS, but then again, so are DP and P5, and I earn a lot more on those agencies, then on BS. So maybe expanding would be a good idea.

Any tips, stories from your own experience? Where is the upload process the easiest (I don't wish to lose time uploading to an agency which will not give results)?

Thanks

Hey guys, I guess some of you had their images "featured" in the top 50 images of the week. What I'm wondering is, how many dl's per day does that actually mean? My bestseller image has been downloaded around a 1000 times in around 450 days and I am wondering what is the scale here. How many times does an image has to be downloaded in a week in order for it to be in the top 50 of that week.

Has anyone tried it?

http://www.octopusmicrostock.com/

The creators state the following:

Octopus is designed to assist microstock contributors in the process of managing uploading and submitting their content to chosen stock agencies. It is a service for those who look for maximum efficiency.

From the description, it seems to be something like picworkflow, but with auto-processing so that one doesn't need to visit the stock agency's website and with added MR support. Minus the keywording and retouching. However, i haven't found anyone using it and there isn't a dedicated topic about it here, so if anyone is using it, can you please share your thoughts and experiences?

Cheers

Hi there,

I'd like to know, from more experienced microstockers, what is the best way to go about this type of shoot? For the shots that would be isolated on white, I'd use a studio, that's no problem. However, I'd like to go into a mall or a store and shoot there. So, I have a couple od questions.

1) Would I need a property release for shooting in the mall/store?
1.2. What to be the best way to obtain one?

2) What would be the best way the contact the store/mall?
2.2 Is there some kind of a email template for doing things like these?

3) I'd like the shoot to span a lot of activities - such as buying new shoes (I'd need a shoe store), buying groceries (so, a supermarket chain) etc., that's why I thought it would be best to shoot in a mall where all those things are nearby. But who to contact for things like these and how?

I have experience in studio shooting and shooting in nature, but not on private property. I am by no means a big name, just a regular photo enthusiast, so I don't know exactly how to approach these things and some guidance would be appreciated!

Thanks in advance

Let's pretend shutterstock offers contributors exclusivity with these benefits:

 - 25% more royalty (for example, 0.25$ contributors would now earn 0.31$, 0.33$ would earn 0.41$ and so on)
 - better search placement leading to 25% more views of your photos (in total)

What would you do?

I'd go exclusive. The hassle with lower tier agencies isn't worth it, iStock is sinking, Dreamstime/Fotolia/123rf income would be covered by the search placement boost and higher royalty. So it would be a no-brainer to me. What about you?

I've been in this microstock thing for almost two months. I'm a member of shutterstock for a month. All the agencies i'm a member of (stockxpert, 123rf, iStock, BigStock, dreamstime) have earned 6$ total in two months. At shutterstock, I've earned 55$ in a moth. So, my question is - what's the point? Or better - what's the problem?

I'm thinking of going exclusive with iStock since I barely sell anything on other sites and iStock at least gives the highest revenue - for a photo sold there, I've gotten 1.68$. On other sites, I get about 0.3-0.5$ a photo sold. Doesn't make sense. Seems just like waisting time uploading to these sites.

Does it get any better and do you have some tips about this, since you're longer in the "game"? I'm kind of getting desperate.

Btw, depending on the site, my portfolio is around 75 photos (except for istock).

Thanks