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Ben, Thanks for the input. I'm using Canon 50 1.8 II, Tamron 28-75, and Canon 100 2.8 Macro now. I love macro work, but my slik tripod doesn't good enough. You're right. I must learn how to process digital pictures becasue they aren't as sharp as pictures taken from my G5 or Minolta XT Si.

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Peter, I apologize for the confusion. I spent a lot of time to deal, not to buy, with many non decent dealers to leartn how bad they are, and I would like to share with those who don't know about them. I posted this information before yet Bob deleted them. So I put those two paragraghs at the end of my message to make them "ligitimate". :)

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Jesper, Thanks for clarifying the triple zoom rule.

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TZin, Thanks for your input. I expect Canon 50 1.4 is better than 50 1.8. But I don't want to sell the 1.8 becasue it's so inexpensive and sharp enough.

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I'm a Mathematic professor, thus I don't have a lot of money. However, I'm in the age of 50s and would like to use part of my saving to award myself by learning DSLR skills and techniques. I realize that I will need a long time to shoot a perfectly sharp picture. I keep learning and have made some improvements.

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My next purchase is a good tripod yet still can't make up my mind. :(

Thanks Jean. Your advice is greatly helpful. Jim, you're right. I meant 17-40 f4/L. May be I have been thinking of Canon 14-70 f2.8/L IS for my 20D. But it violates the triple zoom rule. I still dream of a one-size-fits-all lens such as 11-85mm 2.0/L IS USM 1x-5x true macro. =)

I need your advices from my assumption:

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My first set of lenses will be Canon 14-70 f4/L, Canon 50 1.8 II,

and Canon 70-200 f4/L & 1.4 II extender. I didn't choose 16-35, 50

1.4, and 70-200 f2.8/L IS because I'm a beginner. In addition,

they're heavy to carry arround and too expensive.

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My second set of lenses will be Tamron 28-75 2.8 and Tamron 11-18

4.5-5.56. I choose the Tamron instead of Canon 24-70 f2.8/L becasue

again it's heavy and too expensive. I need Tamron 28-75 so I don't

have to carry many lenses while moving arround.

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My macro will be Canon 100 2.8 macro. People say Tamron and Sigma

have better macro lenses, but I want to stick with Canon because I

like Canon quality and fast focus. Tamron 24-70 is an exception.

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For speedlite, I decide to buy Canon 580 EX. I can get it for about

$375.

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I need a good tripod yet cannot make up my mind. There too many

choices. I'm using Slik 300DX. It works for me but I don't know how

good is a good tripod.

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When buying camera and gear, I try to only deal with B&H, 17th

Street, and Amazon. I found 17th Street has more friendly services,

but they use FedEx that is more expensice than UPS. Since I live in

NJ, it only takes a day to ship from NY to NJ using either UPS or

FexEd. So I buy more from B&H than from 17th Street. If you live in

the West side, I suggest you to consider Amazon. They have free

shipping and the best return policy. Their price however is a little

higher.

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I would definitely don't even spend a second with Broadway Photo, AM

Photo World, 47st. Photo, Camera Express, and many others. The rule

of thumb is that you don't buy from a dealer that offer "too good to

be true" price. That is impossible. I would check their prices for

little things such as batteries, memories, and waranty. Many sell

1GB memory for $500. If you fall in those traps, I cannot help you.

I don't think you're a fool. I think your greed has blocked your

wisdom. You pay and learn.

www.expresscameras.com is a trap. Don't even spend one second thinking of that dealer. You should buy online instead of local stores except you want to support your hometown business. However, you must choose one store for camera and gear. I agree with many that you should choose B&H. Their prices are low enough compared with a local store. Don't try to save a few dollars unless you're experience with shopping on internet.

I need a very good tripod for my Canon 20D mainly used with 70-200

f4/L & 1.4 II extender and 100 2.8 macro. I need a very good tripod

and head yet don't want to spend more money than I need.

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Which one do I need? Pan/Tilt, 3D, Ball Head, Geared Head?

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All of your advices will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you all.

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I value and appreciate your help. I have learned a great deal of macro techniques especially from Sheldon and Mark.

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Would you suggest a decent tripod and head from $300 - $400? or should I keep my current tripod? I'm using Slik ABLE 300DX.

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Thanks again.

I cannot hold the 20D still to take a sharp picture. Would someone

please explain and suggest a solution? Thank you.

I would like to hear from professional photographers who had the

opportunity to make a head-to-head comparison between Canon EF 24-

70mm F2.8L USM and Tamron SP AF28-75/2.8 XR Di LD. An in depth

review is not necessary, yet preferable with demonstration. Please

ignore the brand name and price factors.

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Thank you.

Please check this

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http://194.100.88.243/petteri/pont/Reviews/de_TC_vs_TC/a_Tamron_vs_Sigma_1.4x.html

$10/year for a $1500 camera including accident and thief. I'll call my insurance company tomorrow to pay them $10 every year. If my camera is not working for any reasons, I just claim that I've lost it. It's a good deal.

Canon 16-35mm 2.8L cannot replace Tamron 28-75mm 2.8 lens. If one has 16-35mm 2.8, 50mm 1.4, and 70-200mm 2.8L, then he might not need Tamron 28-75mm. I have 17-40mm 4L, 50mm 1.8 II, and 70-200mm 4L. I need Tamron 28-75mm because the 4L are a little too dark when using indoor. Therefore I use Tamron for two purposes: indoor with low light condition and when I'm moving arround and don't want to carry extra bag. I'm a rookie SLR user. however, The Tamron lens has convinced me that it is indeed a good lens. If you have it, just don't sell it. I don't see how Canon 16-35mm 2.8L can be better than a combination of Canon 17-40mm 4L + Tamron 28-75mm 2.8L. Instead of using 50mm 1.4 or 1.8, I use the $350 Tamron with 6 years warranty most of the time.

Don't trade with the shop. They'll rip you off. If you don't want Canon 50mm 1.4 and 100mm 2.8 macro, sell them to me.

I suggest using Google ad or photo.net market place.

Within less than 8 months, I bought and sold ten lenses. Here is the rule I would suggest to follow:

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Economy way: Start with Canon 50mm f1.8 II. Then add Tamron 28-75mm f2.8. Then add Canon 17-40mm f4/L. And finally add Canon 70-200mm f4/L.

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Luxury way: Start with Canon 24-70mm f2.8/L. Then add Canon 16-35mm f2.8/L. Then Canon 70-200mm 2.8/L IS. Add Canon 50mm f1.4 any time you like.

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You can't go worng with either choice.

The information from Paul is 100% accurate.

Buy the Canon 70-200mm 4/L with back collar (ring A/B). If you decide to try the Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM, stick with B&H, 17th Photo, or Amazon so you can return it because you will. I did.

Although 17th Photo don't support Photo.net, they do have the best service. They are as good as B&H or even better. The S/H is higher because they use FedEx. You therefore receive your camera faster. My suggestion is before buying any item, check these two dealers and compare the total cost. Adorama is also very reliable, they're as good as B&H or 17 Photo.

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If you want to save a few bucks, feel free to try buydig.com and Digital Foto. Just remember that you might have made a wrong decision or change your mind afterward, stay away from the dealers who charge 15% restocking fee or even higher depend on how many plastic bags you have opened.

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If you don't want any problem, then compare the final prices among B&H, 17th Photo, and Adorama. You can't go wrong with these three dealers. Don't bother to shop anywhere else.

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When Bob Atkins says a good thing about Canon, you may disagree. But when he says a bad thing about Canon, it's bad. Bob said that the Canon 17-85mm EF-S price is higher than he had expected. You should believe him.

<br> Jim Larson is a reasonable man. You should also consider his opinions. You'll feel more comfortable with Canon lenses than third party lenses. There might be one exception: The Tamron 28-75mm/2.8.

Thanks Jim

I'm new to digital EOS and very young in photography. In the past several weeks, I bought 4 lenses for my 20D because of the following reasons:

<br> 1. Canon EF 70-200mm 4L: It's Canon, sharp, and affordable.

<br> 2. Canon EF 17-40mm 4L: It's Canon, sharp, and easy to carry arround.

<br> 3. Canon EF 50mm 1.8 II: Bob [Atkins] said that it's almost a crime not to buy one. He is right.

<br> 4. Tamron 28-75mm 2.8: 4L are not good for in door or in the evening. Canon 28-70mm is too heavy and too expensive.

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So I have Canon 17-40mm and 70-200mm as good lenses while Canon 50mm and Tamron 28-75mm as walk arround lenses. I have just bought Canon 580EX but don't know how to use it effectively. I can't see the difference between pop-up flash and the 580. In addition, I have gained several conclusions in photo shooting:

<br> 1. This forum is the best place to learn, and most of people here are nice with good hearts.

<br> 2. Canon EF 18-55mm in Bob's hands is better than Canon 17-40mm 4L in my hands.

<br> 3. Stick with Canon lenses but watch your pocket if you cannot make money with your gears.

<br> 4. The bottom line is the photo, not the camera and gears. However, it has nothing wrong if one wants to put a red band on a Tamron or Sigma lens. Hey Danny, do you still have the red rubber bands, would you sell me one?

17th Street Photo is another best place to shop. They charge a little more S/H but have the best service. When buy photo equipment, try not to save 20-30 dollars. If something is wrong, you might end up paying more. Bestbuy price match policy is good but you have to pay tax and need to check carefully because they have many items returned from non-professional users. You should stick with B&H Photo, better S/H charge but just ok service, 17th Street Photo, excellent service but slightly higher S/H (due to Fedex Express Saver), and Adorama, ok in everything.

The price will be raised when they have the 580EX. Apparently the dealer cost should be under $380. However, I doubt that most dealers will drop the price when holiday season is coming. If you want to have it before Christmas, you must pay this hot item $100 surcharge.

I'm a beginner yet want to buy a good camera to replace my Canon

PowerShot G5. I'm thinking of buying the Canon 20D, and based on Bob

and Yakim's suggestions, I might get Canon 17-40mm F4.0 L, 50mm

F1.4, and 70-200mm F4.0L lens. My questions are:

1. On the top of this page, there are two photo stores selling Canon

20D with great prices, $1189 for Canon 20D with 18-55mm lens and

$1119 for Canon 20D boyy. Why can their prices are so low compare

with Adorama amd B&H price that is $1499?

2. If I decide to buy The camera, I need extended warranty as well

because I can't afford the repair cost. Regarding MACK 3-year

extended warranty for digital camera from $1000-$2000, 17th street

Photo lists for $79, but Broadway Photo sells the same offer for

$399. Why is the difference so big? I called MACK and was answered

that both stores are selling the same warranty.

3. I might be in the wrong place to ask some silly questions. Would

any professional bother to tell me how to use the 17-40mm lens with

Canon 20D inside the house with low light condition? I tried the

300D with 24-85mm lense that I borrow from my friend. It didn't work

well with the built in flash. What is a "stop" by the way?

Your helps and clarification are greatly appreciated.

Phil