ryepixels

<p>I have exactly same kit list (well, have 45mm instead of 35mm and 80mm instead of 55mm and Sekonic 758), and I use the Crumpler 7 million dollar bag - $100 here on Adorama: http://www.adorama.com/CL7MDHBRO.html</p>

<p>M645 fits in middle section with 80mm mounted, and other lenses on right hand side. Other gear on left hand side.</p>

<p>Faced with the same dilemma about 9 months ago I went with the EPSON V700. Seemed the best compromise of performance vs cost. After about 4 months of frustration with the film holder, I also bought the betterscanning.com film holder. A combination of the holder and practice is now yielding scans from which I have printed crops up to 12x18 using jpgs on a pro lab's Fuji Frontier with pretty good results. I do still get prints done from the film itself for "select" shots.<br>

There is something magic about landscapes on Velvia 50 120 film, and I'm now reworking scans I made when I first got the V700 with vastly better results.<br>

No, the scan is not going to reproduce on paper in the same way as an optically enlarged print, just differently. For posting on web sites as you are asking - you'll get digital file results that are fine for that purpose.</p>

Had a similar hankering to get back to film earlier this year, and did exactly what you're thinking of ... bought

myself the best 2nd hand V series Blad (501cm) I could find. Using Velvia again and loving it - colour depth is

unbeatable. Use a pro lab to process film.

Also bought the EPSON V700, but will tell you that there is more to scanning than might first appear. It is much

tougher to get great scans than I imagined (not too hard to get average scans), and have found that practice is

making better scans. Very envious of Kenny's scans above.<div></div>

Jack - I have the 16-35, 70-200 2.8 IS and the TS-E 24, and use all of them for very different uses. I can commend each of them for the types of use you have outlined. I use these on the 40D (and hoping the man in red brings the 5D mkII!).

For "events" the 16-35 f2.8 speed makes for great available light shots. At f8 - 11, I use it extensively for landscapes (I still have the 10-22 too, and whilst it is great for landscapes, the slow and variable speed doesn't commend it to "event" photography). If you buy this lens and the 70-200, then agree that you could sell the 24-70, but only if you have the 50 f1.8 handy.

70-200 f2.8 IS is also used for my landscapes, and for sports, and for events (especially for speeches). I also have the 1.4 extender which makes for a cheap high quality sports shooter (and for birds in the landscape - see my website for examples). So, this lens would provide use for all the types of shots you are taking.

And finally, the TS-E 24. A different beast ... even on digital SLR it slows you right down, which given the specialist nature of the lens and it's intended use, is no bad thing. Only ever use on a tripod, and for specific purposes.

I have looked at the 14mm, but really couldn't justify as I already had the 10-22 and then bought the 16-35.

And so to your question ... I would buy the 70-200 f2.8, then a 1.4 extender, then the 16-35 and then the TS-E. Keep your 24-70 as the general purpose/walk around lens (I have 24-105 for same reason).

Or, if you're somewhere that frowns on tripods (or there's just too many people such as nightly fireworks at a particular "mouse" theme park) then a lamp post and a bandana tied off and looped in a figure 8 with an IS/VR lens can let you do 2 or 1 second exposures (or faster) at f4. If I didn't think I'd be set upon by a surfeit of lawyers I'd post some pictures that I took using this technique last week in Hong Kong ... their display was very bright so trial-and-error saw me slip up to ISO400 so as not to blow out the frame. Used a Canon 24-105 f4L IS at 24-28mm.

Simply couldn't afford to do this on film as probably had ~40% success rate

This is the best resource I've seen for distinguishing between specs of these lenses

<a href="http://www.hasselbladhistorical.eu/HW/HWLds.aspx">[link]</a>

Hmmm. 40D shooting F1 race cars. Check out my gallery from this year's <a href="http://www.ryepixels.com/other-photos/20080315-GP/1_Sat_AM_Qualifying/index.html">Melbourne F1 here</a>.

That was an early 40D (Aug '07) with 24-105 f4L hand held. Yup, not all my shots were perfect, but enough goodies for my personal enjoyment.

Like Ian, I too have EOS 5 as film body ... can manual focus on EOS lenses. Sensational IQ with my L series lenses.

Off forum, but also have the brilliant Olympus OM system - much smaller/lighter, but have to maintain separate lens line. EOS5 and OM1n/2SP are really cheap used.

UK prices seem also as bad as those in Australia.

I think you'll find the price difference due to supply/demand ... there's more demand for for the 2.8 so the retailers must compete more.

I picked up the 2.8IS whilst recently in the US for approx 50% of the best street price available in Aust (US$1679 vs A$3199, and given exchange rate is almost 1:1 ... :-). I used Adorama, who did deliver to a hotel, but I had an established buying record with one credit card and called them to confirm the sale - they did take a little convincing to ship to other than billing address, though.

Declaring at customs still didn't get close to the price I'd have to pay at home.