Hi
This is my first post here. I've been shooting with a Canon G3 for the year and a half I've been seriously into photography. I'm moving to the US from Scotland next month and will be upgrading to a DSLR when I get there. I've got a budget of about $2500 and my question is how should I spend it?
You can take a look at my website. As you will see I shoot a bit of everything.
Are some great buys. If you like the wider side of the zoom range, you could always get a nice wide instead of the 70-200mm f/2.8. I hear the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 is a good lens. The wide apature lenses will give you a bit more versatility but they come at a cost.
you can also buy a Digital Rebel instead, tha costs less.
my choiches for the lenses would be 70-200 f/4L (less brighter than the f/2.8 but with the same spectacular quality, and less expensive, 640$: a must buy) and the 50 f/1.8.
maybe you may think of buying a 50 f/1.4 or a 1.8 f/1.8, but these are more expensive (320$) than the 50 mk II; or maybe a 50 f/2.5 macro, 230$, to gain a valuable lens for common use AND macro (even if for macro i'd buy the 100 f/2.8).
or you can think buying the 28-135 f/3.5-5-6 IS (450$).
and maybe a flash, the 420 ex or the 550 ex.
if you have still money, the 17-40 f/4L is a very nice lens (730$).
try doing a combination of some of these lenses, martin.
and enjoy them.
Hi
I dunno the thought of a Digital Rebel doesn't thrill me at all! It seems to me to be the 'poor mans DSLR'? But then again I ain't rich so maybe that is the way to go with my $2500 ?
well martin: the Digital Rebel and the 10D share the same quality: the chipset is identical, the so the mp, and most of the custon functions of 10D are only disabled via software in the D.R; but you can activate them with the firmware hack (FEC, 3200 iso, mirror lockup, AF One Shot, ability to change the JPG size when shooting in RAW mode ...)
the 10D have though a better construction, it's more solid and have a better buffer for sport photography.
yes: it LOOKS better.
it depends on you: i have a Rebel (in my country 300D) and am very happy of the buying; saving the money for lenses instead.
as a new reflex digitalist, i'd concern myself in having the best set of LENSES i can have: 10D and poor lenses is surely not better than the 300D with best ones.
It is a difficult decision for me. I am very tempted to go for the D20 because of fast startup time, high frame capture and low noise at high ISO. Then I would have about $1000 left to buy a lense or lenses + memory cards, bag etc?
I am keeping in the back of my mind also that I might at sometime get into wedding photography so I want a camera that is going to see me through that.
Get a 20D, a (70-200 f/4 L or 17-40 f/4 L) and 420ex. Then save for the rest. Don't start wrong coz you will only be frustrated. Be careful with your choice.
I would "just" buy a 20D in combination with the Kit lens, EF-S 17-85 IS, that gives you similar lens range in comparision to your Canon G3, even better, and the price would fit in your range. Than you had still enough money to buy a memorycard (CF) and a Filter and that stuff.
20D is better, yes.
and more expensive.
buy that, with a 24-70 f/2.8, if you can afford it (yes, it's a little over quota, but it's wonderful); and you have an all round excellent lens.
and the other lens/es in the future ...
Martin, the 17-40F4L, a 70-200F4L, a 420EX, then one of the following a 28-75F2.8 (Tamron) or 28-135IS (it's slower) or the 50F1.4/F2.5 macro (Sigma also makes a comprable macro). I will take the 10D over the 300 or the 20D because of the buffer size, 3FPS is adequate, however I do hit the 9 frame buffer limit frequently, FYI the 20D has a 5 frame RAW buffer.
Start with the 420EX, 17-40, and 70-200 and your choice of DSLR, then after a month or so add your next lens (you also could buy a cheap 28-90 just to try out then give it somebody as a gift).
I'm sorta with Giovannino on this one. If you have $2500 and you want to spend it on a killer piece of glass and what is shaping up to be a good camera body... The 24-70L is an amazing zoom lens, and will render stunning photos for years to come. For that matter, I let my boss use my 24-70 on his digital rebel, and he was just blown away. It just goes to show you, that good glass is the key. You can start with any digital body, so if you want to pick up a used 10D, that would be a good thing, too. You couldn't go wrong at $800 for a 10D, during this depressed 10d buyers market!
$2500 is a bit tight to do it all, but do you NEED to get EVERYTHING up front? Probably not, I assume you could pick up more stuff going forward
From what I saw on your website you'd probably like to have a good wide angle, portrait and macro lens. Opinions on all this stuff will drive you crazy, by the time this thread is finished you will be more confused than ever!!
Considering you did everything with a G3 I don’t think you need a large array of expensive lenses. You obviously have plenty of photography talent to exploit the use of any gear in your hands.
If I were buying new today with that budget and your portfolio - here is what I would purchase today:
1. 10D Body USED alone without the kit lens. $800. <-probably can do less.
2. 420ex Flash with Stofen $200
3. 1GB Sandisk Ultra Ultra/II or Lexar 40x Card. $110 No need to spend a ton of dough on a REALLLY FASSST card, maybe pick some up used?
4. Tamron 17-35 f2.8-4.0 $465
5. Canon 50mm f2.5 Macro $240
6. Canon 70-200 F4 $580
Total so far $2395 with $105 left over.
7. Left over money will be eaten up by shipping, but I’d buy a camera bag as well.
I looked at your portfolio and switched things around several times before I posted this list of equipment. I’m sure someone will agree, and someone will blast my list to high heaven.
If 2500 is indeed your limit and you will not be shooting nature that requires IS in long (500 or 600mm) lenses, I would purchase Nikon's D70, a flash unit, and appropriate lenses.
I think Nikon offers cameras at your price level that act more like real cameras should.
Your choice can depend on what you are shooting, rarely will you 'need' the 20D features over the 10D or even the Rebel. Another thing to think about is, when do you want the camera? If you want it 'now' or 'soon' then the 20D might not be available.
I think the 10D is the bargain of the year at under $1000, rarely do I ever shoot that I 'need' the 20D so it stays at home or in the bag. The features are 'nice to have' but usually not necessary. Startup speed, for example, whoop de doo it will start up in less than a second. It still takes time to check the ISO, what mode it is in, custom functions if you change them during shooting, other things.
Unless you need the 5fps I would stick to the 10D with a battery grip, set it so it doesn't turn off for 5 minutes, and run with it. Spend the extra money on glass.
Regardless of how good the 20D is, the 10D is an awsome camera and it did not get 'worse' when the 20D came out ;-)
I have grown increasingly frustrated with the limited dynamic range of DSLR cameras, and the 10D is a prime offender here. One really must constantly be on that big wheel on the camera's back to get shots that aren't blown out or underexposed, depending upon the scene and subject.
Although I'm shooting entirely Canon now, there are aspects of my Nikon cameras that I'm missing at the moment.
