Upgrade Help (Camera, Lens, or Other)

[troy_fagan]

<p>Hey Everyone,<br /><br />I am coming to you guys for upgrade help. New Camera, New Lens, or something else I don't know about. I don't have a lot of disposable income, so I want to try and maximize my bang for the buck. I'd rather take my time and save for the right choice, then compromise now and regret it 2 years from now. <br /><br />For lenses I like the <strong>Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS</strong> lens or the <strong>Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L</strong> lens. For cameras I really like the <strong>original 5d</strong>, the <strong>7d</strong>, or the <strong>50d</strong>.<br /><br /><strong>Background about me, what equipment I have know, and how I use my camera:</strong><br /><br /><em>Complaints about the gear I currently own, at the bottom if you want to skip some of this text</em><br /><br />I got my first dSLR camera(Canon XT) as a hand me down gift this spring, along with the kit lens, and the Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS lens. About 3 months ago I bought the popular EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens. <br /><br />Since receiving the camera back in April, I have taken about 2,500 shots. Being a new dad, I have had the camera in my hand about every day. Photography has became my sole hobby, and I have even been reading books to improve my shooting when there is nothing to shoot. Its my hope to start shooting some senior portraits and family portraits next fall. Not as a job per say, but to have some fun and maybe make a few bucks. I have also enjoyed shooting some nature shots while out walking the dog. That being said, taking pictures of my family growing up will always be my #1 shooting priority.<br /><br />Current Gear Complaints<br /><br />Manually focusing with the small XT view finder <em>(Auto focus never seems get that great focus on the eyes)</em><br /><br />Digital Noise <em>(At times I can notice it at an ISO as low as 400)</em><br /><br />Camera feels uncomfortable small in my hands <em>(I'm a big guy, 6'4" 235lb)</em><br /><br />Button Layout <em>(Setting exposure in manual mode seems impossible with out moving the camera away from my face)</em><br>

<em></em><br /><br />Fears<br /><br />Mounting the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS on the XT body <em>(Has anyone done this? How was it?)</em><br /><br />Missing out on shots due to a grainy ISO or a Slow lens<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Sorry for the long post, and once again thanks for any help and incite you guys might be able to offer.<br /><br /><br />Also, though I haven't posted many shots yet, you can see a few of my photos to date at Flickr. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/the_lurgadhan/" target="_blank">http://www.flickr.com/photos/the_lurgadhan/</a></p>

[mathew_gardella]

<p>well, how much are you willing to spend. there is about a $500 difference btwn a used 5d and a new 7D. also there is a $500 difference btwn the 24-70 and 70-200 IS. personally, i might recommend a 40D around 650 used and a used 24-70 for around 1100. then you can have both for around the same price as the 7D. I have placed the 24-70 on an XT body and the lens definately dwarfs the body but you will still get quality pics. i think the 24-70 is more practical for the kids and portrait work you are looking to move into. Might i also recommend the 50mm 1.4 and 85mm 1.8 primes for the kids and portrait work as well. I also shoot my kids a ton and find these lenses work better due to the fast aperture. You might consider a used 5D for $1200 and the 50 1.4 and 85 1.8 for around 600 used. that combo is still close to the price of a new 7D and it's Full Frame. Much better detail and low light performance than the XT will give you. well, there are tons of possibilities but they all hover around the same question. How much can you spend?</p>

[mark_ethridge]

<p>I have an XTi and I mount the 100-400L on it. I do have the battery grip that makes the camera much larger--you might try that. I think you'll go a long ways by upgrading your kit lens. The one that came with the XT was pretty lousy (assuming it was the original 18-55 non-IS). I personally use a 24-105L, but the new IS version of the 18-55 kit lens is much better than the one you are using. Also consider the 28-135 IS if you want a little more reach. Both of these lenses are available as kit lenses and so they often show up on Craigslist when a photographer gets one the he doesn't need as part of a kit. You can often find one new in the box this way for a pretty decent price.</p>

<p>As far as getting the eyes in focus, try changing your focus from all points to center point only (again, I'm making an assumption that your XT is like my XTi and this is an option). Then focus on the eyes and recompose the picture. Your percentage of in-focus eyes will go up exponentially with autofocus.</p>

[link]

<p>Troy,<br>

Reacting to your list of peeves...It seems you want to shoot in low light, with minimal grain/noise.</p>

<p>My suggestion: Get a used 5D mk1. Also get a 100mmf2.0 prime and a 35mm f2.0 prime. You already have the 50mm 1.8. <br>

The 5D mk1 looks fantastic at ISO 800.</p>

<p>You can sell the old camera if you need to. This combination should cost close to the price of just the "L" zoom lens and give far better low light performance without having a humongous heavy lens at the end of your camera. If later you still really feel like you need the really long lens you can save up for a year or so for the 70-200, but you may find you don't really need such a long (and big!) lens.</p>

[fmueller]

<p>Your main gripes with the XT seem to be focus, digital noise, and handling. You should be able to overcome the focus issues easily by following Mark's advice. Unless you employ the AF to your best advantage, you will likely have similar issues with any camera. Regarding 'digital noise', I wonder how large you print your images, and what post processing you use before you print. In reasonably sized prints (up to letter size) or if you just post you images on Flickr, digital noise should be a non-issue with the XT at ISO 400, and probably even at ISO 800. I used my XT a lot at ISO 1600, and for web publishing I find the quality to be superb! The handling issues are about personal preference. If it feels to small for you, not much can be done about that short of getting a larger camera, but I am about your size, and love the small size of the XT. I started in photography using comparatively small film SLRs (Minolta XD series), so that's what I am used to. If money is in short supply, it might be easier getting used to a smaller camera than buying a bigger one! Regarding big lenses on an XT, I have used my XT extensively with my 100-400L, and it has never caused me a problem.<br>

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<img src="http://www.fmueller.com/wp-content/gallery/helianthus/helianthus-5.jpg" alt="Neolamprologus helianthus" /><br>

<em>Rebel XT with 100/2.8 macro at ISO 1600.</em></p>

[landscape_shooter]

<p>How much do you want to spend? Would you be happy with a set of primes or do you want a zoom now? Do you like using the fixed 50mm prime? What aperture are your shots with missed focus? If shooting at 1.8 or 2 it can be really thin depth of field. You would need to focus on the eye and not recompose or a little movement and you would loose focus.</p>

[arie_vandervelden1]

<p>First of all, congratulations on the latest member of your family!<br>

If I was in your shoes, this would be my shopping list:<br>

Priority #1. Hotshoe flash. Learn how to bounce.<br>

Priority #2. f/2.8 standard lens. Get the Canon 17-55/2.8 IS if you can. Tamron 17-50/2.8 is also a fine choice.<br>

Priority #3. Camera body. Personally I'm a crop-factor fan and I just pulled the trigger on a 7D. Very happy with it so far. I think the video feature would be a great asset for recording junior's early years.</p>

<p>FWIW, Canon 50/1.8 is a fine lens, but achieving focus can be a challenge especially if your subject is moving.</p>

[troy_fagan]

<p>Hey guys,<br /><br /> big thanks to everyone on the great replies so far, I certainly appreciate it. I figured when I asked this question in this forum and a few others, i'd get a fairly diverse group of answers. I thought I might even some some heated arguments, as I know how opinionated some of us can be about equipment. Surprisingly though, there are more body upgrade replies then I though there would be. With all the "Glass Lasts", "Only as good as your Glass", comments I have heard in the past, it was a surprise to me. From the replies it seems I should either start collecting fast primes, upgrade my body, or both. Sounds like maybe the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS isnt the all purpose lens I thought it would be.<br /><br /> After reading all the posts and thinking a little about it, I am leaning towards a body upgrade first. Although I am not sure yet which camera would be best for me, loosing the ability to use my EF-S lenses wouldn't be a complete wash if I went 5D. I use my 18-55 IS kit lens almost exclusively at 18mm for landscape shots, which could be replaced by a wide angle prime. The 55-250 IS lens is often too slow to use. I took my nephews to the park the other evening at around the golden hour to let them play on the fort and get some good photos, but zoomed in at f/5.6 and 1600 I was looking at 1/60 shutter speed or slower most of the time. Needless to say a 5 year old and 2 year old at play, don't photograph well at 1/60 and below. In the end I used my 50mm f/1.8 to get some action shots of them at play, was just difficult to get some of the shots I wanted with out range. The EF 50mm is definitely my workhorse right now.<br /><br /> Though I only have one right now, I don't really seem to mind the primes. In all the forums they were mentioned quite a bit due to their cost and their speed. Another thing that surprised me in the replies, it seems like most of you stick to autofocus. Besides the user, what plays a role in autofocus? Camera? Lens? Both?<br /><br /> As for processing, I do shoot raw, and I import into Aperture 2.0. I have used the Nik Define 2 plug in before, and it does work wonders. Still though shots at 800-1600 ISO in lower light situations look pretty bad imho. I have used 800-1600 ISO to better results during brighter conditions to increase shutter speed. To <strong>Frank M, </strong>your cichlid? shot is very nice. I am guessing that was done in either brighter conditions or with off camera flash? It looks similar to some of my bright light high ISO shots after de-noise post processing. Either way a nice shot. I have seen some other nice shots too on the XT, so I know I haven't pushed it to the limits yet.<br>

I also started reading the Strobist blog about a month ago, and I am going to buy the Strobist Starving Student SC3 2 light kit from Midwest Photo Exchange. I know good light can make a would be grainy shot, amazing. That being said, there will be quite a few candid shots of my little man where setting up even those small strobes will be unpractical. When it comes to taking portraits though, I can't wait to see what they can do.<br>

<br /> Everything being said, looks like the best bet for me right now is to look around some more at camera prices, maybe read some reviews, and get my XT and possibly lenses up for sale. Other then B&H or Addorama, any sites you guys recommend for gear shopping? Also how do you guys feel about used? <br /><br />Thanks again for all your help so far, who would of thought a post about gear might help me to focus better.</p>

<p>PS Thank again to all of you who posted focusing tips, I will give them a whirl</p>

<p>Also to Landscape Shooter</p>

<p>Price isn't the biggest factor. I don't have money to blow, but if I have to save awhile to get the <em>best item for me</em> I will. I only have the 50mm prime right now, so its hard to make a blanket statement about primes. That being said, I use the 50mm more then any of my other lenses right now, zooming with my feet. As for focus, too many times when using a wide open aperture, AF seemed to just miss the eyes. Often leaving the nose or a hat brim in perfect focus. Also trying to stick with the rule of thirds, how to you guys AF focus the eyes with out loosing focus composing the shot?</p>

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