Please help with possible once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity camera budget

I am considering as much of the following gear as I can buy on a

budget of about $4700. Excellent condition used gear is certainly an

option. Please let me know your recommendations and what choices you

might make if you were in my position,considering the gear I already

own, and any other gear that you would suggest instead of, or in

addition to what I have listed below. Any of the items below would

greatly upgrade my current equipment and I have personally only rented

and used the 17-40 and 300mm lenses. Currently I have EOS 10D, Elan

II, broken 430 EZ flash, Canon 35-105mm 3.5-4.5, Canon EF-S 18-55mm,

Canon EF 100-300mm USM, a Bogen 3001 w/ 486RC2, and a Lowepro Nova 5

and 58mm filters. I enjoy nature photography as a hobby, but I am

interested in working part time taking children and pet portraits (and

animal humane work), and eventually photographing events such as

weddings, graduations, etc, and bonsai exhibits. I do mostly outside

photography, usually of forests, but I want to expand. I am

considering the following:

 

Canon 580EX and/or a Canon 550 EX or 420EX as backup and slave, and a

flash that will work on 10D well.

Canon EF 50mm 1.8 (Is 50mm 1.4 worth extra money with USM)(This will

be one of my main portrait lenses, as I like 85mm w/ film)

Canon EF 100mm 2.8 Macro (Can this be used for portraits with 35mm

film camera, as well as for poss. of Macro work in future? Would the

85mm be a better choice for portraits as I like the 55mm on the

digital camera? Would the non-macro prime be a better choice for

prtraits?)

Canon EF 17-40mm / 4L

Canon EF 28-135/3.5-5.6 IS USM(would use as main walking around lens

or would more costly Canon EF-S 17-85 4-5.6 IS USM be better as I

shoot mostly digital and I want this for more flexibility with

hand-held shots)

Canon EF 70-200/4L USM

Canon 1.4x II

Canon EF 300/4L IS USM (I like USM, but would Canon EF 100-400mm

4.5-5.6L USM be better idea?)(How does older 300/4L compare?)

Arca Swiss B1 Ball Head (486RC2 is OK, but not that great)

Lowepro Photo Trekker AW

 

I'm also interested in recommendations for other lighting gear

including diffusers and reflectors, and for info on filter

coordination and my options above. I am not that interested in

aquiring mostly primes, as I don't like to risk changing lenses too

much with digital sensor. I'm also considering a used EOS 3, but I am

unsure if it would be usable for kayaking with some of the L lenses

above. Also, I haven't selected anything really wide-angled on

digital cameras, but I don't think there are too many options.

 

Thanks for any advise. I'm really not familiar with any third party

lenses, so I haven't listed any possibilities.

If your not planning on changing your bodies any time soon, the 550ex will suit your needs just fine over the 580ex. The newer flash has some upgrades that only work on the 20D, 1D and 1Ds MkII's, and probably the new rebel digital. You can save a hundred bucks that way. As far as the focal length of the lenses, that is up to you. You know what you need, better than the rest of us. But I can tell you the 300mm f4L (non is) is a great lens, nice and sharp. I did a lot of wide open shots while covering sports with that lens, before I was able to upgrade to the 2.8. One thing to consider, if your shooting a mixture of digital and film, you might want to stay away from the EF-S lenses, as they will get in the way of the mirror on film cameras, therefore not working on them. As far as lighting gear, Alien Bees are hard to beat, for the features, power, recyling times and the price. They are made by the same company that makes White Lightnings. As far as changing lenses on a DSLR, its not really a problem unless your shooting in dry, dusty conditions. Thats when the sensor is more likely to pick up dust.

If you are currently using the EF-S 18~55 on a 10D, the lens must have been modified. There is no guarantee you can do that with other EF-S lenses, and with the higher-priced ones it may be a risk not worth taking, although I expect a skilled camera technician could do it for you safely if it can be done at all. So the EF-S 17~85 may not be an option.

 

Apart from the weight and value, the EOS-3 would actually be better for kayaking than anything you have now, because of the designed-in water resistance. Even better would be a -1v and one of the gasketed L lenses (not all are).

 

But you do not sound to me to have the kind of requirements that would make a strong case for retaining a film capability. You do not need to be that nervous about changing lenses on a DSLR except in fairly extreme conditions, and those can be bad news for film cameras as well. The main problem with prime lenses is the time it takes to change them, but if you manage to have the right one on the camera at the right moment, you can get excellent results, since both handling and optical performance are in many ways better than a zoom.

 

The lenses you mention are in the good to excellent category, and almost any of them will produce better-quality results than your present lenses, in some cases by a large margin. Don't spend all your money at once, take it a step at a time, and think particularly hard about some of the big-ticket items, where misjudging what best suits your own way of working can be expensive to correct. It might help you if you get used to working with an optically high-quality lens so that you can see how much difference it makes, and without doubt the cheapest way to learn that would be to spend the very modest amount of money that a 50/1.8 costs. The weakest link in your present set-up is almost surely the 35~105, and replacing that with the 28~135IS would be a big improvement in almost all respects, even though the 28~135 is still only a high-end consumer lens that would not compete optically with some of the L-series lenses or prime lenses that are available within that range of focal lengths.

OK: the main thing I hear here is

 

(1) no digital body envy

 

(2) want to get serious about portraits.

 

My advice:

 

(1) Buy a 550EX and 420EX, to experiment with lighting. ($320 + $170). A 580EX only adds ergonomic advantages on a 10D body (smaller, easier to use menus). On a new digital, the 580EX adds a few bells and whistles which. . don't seem to work 100%.

 

(2). Get a 85/1.8 ($350) and a 50/1.4 ($250ish). These will be the only lenses you need for portratis. Speed is key for portraits.

 

(3) For fun, buy a 17-40/4L for walkabout use ($650). The 17-40/4L, 85/1.8 and 50/1.4 is just fine for walking around. You won't really be swtiching lenses extensively. PS: the 17-85/IS is really too expensive and won't even fit a 10D.

 

(4) Having spent $1740, you have $3000 remaining. I would suggest placing the money in a bond fund (not a stock fund, not a bank CD) until you get a feel for future directions. You may need substantial lighting upgrades (additional flash / ST-E2 / umbrellas).

 

(5) The telephoto arena is a different ball of wax. The 300/4L is too heavy not to have IS (and the prices in the used market are too high relative to a NEW 300/4L-IS) Have you picked up the 100-400/L? It is huge. Do you like that? If so. . .buy one. Otherwise. . the 70-200/4L, 1.4TC, and 300/4L-IS is the way to go.

Nice budget.

Here what I would do. Get like 3 flashes (Canon or Sigma). Get the 17-40f4L for landscape. For portrait get the 85f1.2L, the best. Get the 50f1.4. Get the 200f2.8L. Get the 400f5.6L (if you want to do serious wildlife photography). I think this is within your budget. If you want macro you could substitude the 200 prime for a Sigma 150EX.

Sigh, I wish I have a budget like that.

Have fun

If you are primarily interested in doing portrait work wiht a little nature on the side, I'd sell your exisdting lenses and get yourself a 50/1.4, 85/1.8, 17-40/4L, and maybe either a 70-200L lens (2.8 or 4, yur pick) or 300/4. The 17-40 will cover your "environmental portaits" and landscape work, the 50 and 85 will give you great portrait lenses that are easy hold, great for controlling depth of field, and won't intimidate your subjects. The 70-200 or 300 give you reach for your nature work and occasional effect for portrait work. There you've got a fully functional kit that's top quality and flexible. Maybe add on a backup body and a 550/580.

 

The rest of that money... well, you could take it and go on a trip and try out all those great new lenses. Otherwise, I'd say put some of it towards lighting gear. Depending on what you decide to do re: telephoto lenses and backup bodies, you could have a nice portion of change to spend on some nice and inexpensive Alien Bees or White Lightning strobes and modifiers. Since you're shooting all digital, you don't really need huge w/s ratings like a 6x7 or 4x5 shooter needs to fill out their needed depth of field - I have a couple 320 w/s lights and with digital, the only times I need to go above 1/4th power for portraits are when using softboxes or using them to fill a room at a wedding reception or the like. I'd grab maybe one AlienBees 400 and 2 800s plus stands (one with a boom arm), 2 umbrellas, a large softbox, and a couple grids. The AB lights are great, the only thing I find lacking are that the modelling lamps are too dim to really be useful - but if you spend a little more on the White Lightning line (same manufacturer) they can run a more useful 250w lamp.

I am a firm believer in keeping things simple. I am also a firm believer in the sort of "doubling" focal lengths rule. Like, 24-50-100-200 and so on succession.

 

Canon offers plenty of choices, you have to decide if you prefer the convenience of zooms, the bright viewfinder from primes, or both.

 

Personally, I prefer primes, the faster the better.

Thank you for all of the assistance and ideas. I think I will sell my current equipment, except for the 35-105 which I will leave on a cheap body in the car. I think I will rent a Canon 100-400 to see if I really like it with its weight, image quality, etc., but I am probably leaning toward the 1.4X and 300mm. I will cetainly get the IS lens at your recommendation if I go this route. It just seem sthat the 1.4X might be usable if someday I upgrade to a 500mm or larger. As for the other lenses, I am certainly going to get the 50mm, 85mm and the 17-40mm. I think I will splurge and get the 1.4 50mm. The rest I am not so sure about. I am still considering the 28-135mm. Also, I will look into the lighting ideas you have suggested. The problem is that I have to spend money now. I cannot wait and invest later.

My turn! I love to spend other people's money. :-)

 

If I were going to blow more than $4,500 on camera equipment all at once and I wanted the most flexible use (low light, landscape, portrait, wedding, etc.) I would first add three items to your list:

16-35 f/2.8L ($1,400--wide shots of the bride and groom dancing while others site at surrounding tables; room shots; etc.)

70-200 f/2.8LIS ($1,700--zoomedin, hand-holdable in low light with a very nice background blur; those who have it love it.)

550ex ($310--You've got to have a decent flash that will bounce off the ceiling and allow you to adjust the flash strength)

 

Next, consider the lighting you'll want. How about a light, portable, setup in your bag? (check out B&H's 2-550ex plus ST-E2 wireless transmitter $800...and then you won't need the $310 single flash) or maybe you'll want to stick with the 550ex single flash and get a studio style setup? (a couple of Alien Bees AB400s or AB800s plus stands, umbrellas and a softbox can get rather costly but could be a good investment if you want to do studio style portraits)

 

Then, with the change that was left over, I'd buy a cheapie 50 f/1.8 for a fast lens to fill the gap between 35 and 70.

 

One last thought...

Instead of trying to get the most items for the money, I'd get a few of the most expensive items that you know you'll eventually want/need. Why? Well, as you said, this may be a once in a lifetime chance. You'll probably have a good opportunity to buy the less expensive stuff a piece at a time later on but you may never have the money for a big purchase again.

<i>The problem is that I have to spend money now. I cannot wait and invest later.</i>

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About half the problems in the current US culture can be summed up with that line. I see it more often than I like. <i>Use it or lose it</I>.

<p>

Sounds like you are going to add a baby (or a wife) (or both) to the family; once you do that, you won't be able to spend any play money on toys! Either that or .. .you came into some money, and you need to spend it before the other half finds out!

<P>

The reason I am coming down harsh is simple: You are buying too much equipment too fast with too little experience. Doing this will result in costly mistakes. It is better to go slow, and build your kit as you define needs. All you are doing now is either (a) Wracking up debt or (b) depleting savings, or © both.

<p>

I guess I am talking from a recent experience where I saw a friend spend money on something expensive when there was a <b>known</b> expense coming three months later. When that expense showed up. . .on schedule. . .it was a real jam. I compared that to another experience I had where I had an <b>unplanned</b> expense of major money pop up. . . but because I tend to be more conservative in my savings. . .I was able to charge off $5000 on the spot (to do what needed to be done) and pay the credit card in full at the end of the month, without losing a wink of sleep.<p>

If the money really <b>must</b> be spent now. . .I would really consider a B&H gift certificate along with a more modest purchase of equipement now.

Jim, thanks for the words of wisdom, but its not like any of the scenarios above. The opportunity is sort of like having a gift certificate to a certain store and having a time limit to spend it on. I cannot "save" the money, or I would. And heck, if I buy something not useful, I will sell or swap. Instead, I want to be as proactive as possible and buy what I can get now, since I will not be able to buy in the near future. I'm hoping that the equipment will allow me to have a part-time business.

Ah. I see.

 

I concede I came down too hard. Don't you hate that expiring gift certificate crap?

Joe, I shoot portrait and event photography for income and enjoy nature and street photography for a hobby using EOS 20D and the EOS 3. The equipment I use is EX550 flash, 50mm 1.4, 85mm 1.8, 17-40mm f4 L, 70-200mm f4 L and a small britek light set with a Adorama Flashpoint 1820. Minus the camera bodies this equipment costs approx $3075. Throw in a couple reflector and a few filters and a soft box and you will have about all you need to do the type of work you want to draw income.

Now, all the equipment I metioned is great for this type of work, except there is one lens I feel would be very useful to my event photograpy. The EF 28-300mm L IS. It is expensive, but it is the lens I am working for regarding event photography. The 17-40mm is great for up close event, but I shoot a lot of events, such as balls or conventions, where I am next to the dance floor and something happens on the otherside of the floor. That lens would let you get the shot with out running. Just remeber, you make money with your equipmet for income and to upgrade.

Last bit of advice, don't get ef-s lens, the 50mm 1.8 (the 1.4 is better and has full time manual) or non-Canon flashes and lens if you already have Canon lens. Mixing up lens causes confusion in lenscaps, zooming (zooming is differnet directions for Sigma), etc. Goood luck.