£730 - how best to spend it...

<p>My new years resolution was to take a photo every day and to try and ensure I achieve this I've been saving money as a bribe... each day I put £2 in the pot so by the end of the year I'll have £730 (which I'll probably round up a bit) to spend on something photography related. If I fail to take a photo every day, my husband gets half for his computer game problem...<br>

So, to help keep me focused, I've been thinking about what I should spend the money on, and I can't decide if I should go for one good lens, 2 less good lens or a new body.<br>

Currently I have a Canon EOS 450, the standard 18-55 lens and a 80-200. I have yet to develop a favourite subject for photography.<br>

So ladies and gents, what do you think I should focus my motivation on? All thoughts gratefully received.</p>

<p>If you like wide angle lenses - good for dramatic landscapes and architecture - then how about the Canon 10-22mm? About 650GBP. I had a lot of fun with this lens before I went to full frame.</p>

<p>If you prefer people type shots a nice fast mid range zoom would be nice. How about the Canon 17-55 f 2.8 at about 815GBP. (I know - it is the same range as your kit lens but makes people shots come out better as you can blur backgrounds more) .</p>

<p>PS if you do spend the money this way please do not mention where you got the ideas from to hubby.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Stourhead,</p>

 

<p>May I suggest? Wait until the Fall. At that time, ask yourself, “Now that I’ve been

taking a picture every day for the past several months, what do I wish I had that would make my life

better?”</p>

 

<p>If you still haven’t figured it out by then, then spend the money on a nice vacation with your

husband.</p>

 

<p>Cheers,</p>

 

<p>b&</p>

<p>it is indeed an interesting resolution. if you could keep to the saving then the pot would be worth digging into. what is your kind of photography? equipment related purchase should go towards improving your skills by providing superior tools. a good lens and tripod should be worth a consideration.<br>

i would like you to change your resolution somewhat. try to take one 'excellent' photo each week rather than one per day. think about each shot and spend time understanding the effect of light on your subject or subjects. the result of this would be 52 good pictures and with a bit of luck, a clear indication of what type of photography is best suited to your skill set and personal taste. then buy the new tool or tools..</p>

<p>don't count your eggs before they hatch : ) Just focus that pic a day for now. You have a year to figure it out. You will grow a lot as a photographer in a year and I bet when the time comes, you will know what kind of photography you're after and what gear you need to do it. I would imagine you'll figure it out long before then and won't be able to contain the excitement for new equipment.</p>

<p>The most important thing is to work out if is there something you can't do now that you would like to do? Or if there is something specific about your images that is disappointing?</p>

<p>I would upgrade the body for functional aspects such as a faster frame rate in sports photography (maybe 7D) or colour rendition in landscapes (5DMkI) or ability to crop heavily (7D). I am just not convinced that something like the 50D would be a significant enough jump.<br>

My best guess would be to go for one good lens that covers the range of pictures I take most - at the end of the year pick your 50 favourite pictures and see what focal length you used most. If you have the 18-55 non-IS, then a cheap upgrade would be the MkII IS version (the new kit lens). Next up would be the Tamron 17-50 (non-IS or the new IS version) then the Canon 17-55 IS. For long lenses I would go for the 70-200 f4L non-IS. Or the IS version if you can top up the funds. Or maybe a macro lens or teh Sigma 10-22 if those grab your interest.</p>

<p>But why concentrate on lenses or body? If you have any change left over then consider accessories such as tripod, cable release, filters, flash unit (s) etc. Or maybe a new camera bag to carry your gear. Or post-processing gear like Photoshop Elements, a screen calibration gizmo, or your own printer? You just need to take your time and be realistic about what you want to concentrate on.<br>

Or even spend some change on buying your husband the latest version of his favourite game. That would <em>really</em> butter him up for the following year!</p>