Upgrading from G2

[Squeaky]

I have had my G2 for just over a year and taken some quite stunning pictures with it ... I am now considering purchasing the 10D.
Most of my pictures are taken outdoors at Military Re-enactments and, whilst I have read the postings about choice of lenses I am still a little unsure which lens to go for.... mostly I go for facial portraits with a little fill in flash... I also like the idea of a 'staibised' len.

I am also looking for advice on downloading flash cards to some sort of portable storage device that I can use when on extended holidays away from my computer

[martcol]

I had my G2 for a year and then went to the 10D - you will love it!

I was pretty new to SLRs apart from a having one for a year or two twenty years ago. I found the lens discussion/decision harder than the camera. In fact, there's no debate, the 10D is a fabulous biece of kit but as for lenses wow!

Have you tried searching this forum for lens discussion? There's quite a bit there and opinion is wide. Overall, the main thrust is buy Canon, buy L. I have a Sigma 15-30 and a Canon 28-135 IS. I am much happier with the canon lens in terms of colour and sharpness although the Sigma has a good feel about it. I also have a 50 1.8 which, though it isn't on the camera much, is lovely. It's cheap well, it is when you put it next to the 10D and an L lens!

As soon as I can, I'm going to sell my other lenses (and car, and jewelery, shirt and soul) to get L lenses! :D

Good luck

Martin

[Squeaky]

Thanks Martin.... Your input is greatly appreciated.
I feel it is really just a matter of time before I make the plunge. However, one perhaps wonders what else is in the 'Digital Pipeline'.... but I feel it will need to be something quite extrordinary before I decide to switch from Canon.

[AndyDe]

I too had my G2 for a year. before I decided to get a 10D.was made to sell my eos5 & some other stuff to pay for it but haven't regretted it one bit, it really is a superb camera. I'm still using my 20-35 & 28-105 canon zooms along with a sigma 105 ex macro & 50mm 1.8 that I had already...was hoping to get another lens but somebody wants new carpets for the house!

[RichardSimon]

I recently upgraded (from a G3) to the 10D; as I expected, going to an SLR has dramatically increased what I can do with my photographs. Take the time to really learn the 10D (I'm still learning!), because it is very different from the G2 or G3. The longer lenses one uses on an SLR, in particular, require more care and understanding of focus and depth of field.

I recently took hundreds of pictures at a 2-day outdoor gathering - some scenery and flowers, but mostly people. The lenses I used most were the Canon 28-135IS (when I had to be prepared for almost anything), and the Canon 100-300 f5.6 L zoom. The latter is especially good for candid portraits, because your subjects have no idea how close you are. I also made use of my Canon 50mm 1.8 in the evening when light was low. When shooting many people in many different ways, I find that having a zoom lens (whether the 28-135IS or the 100-300L) helps tremendously in composition.

I had the chance to compare a used Canon 100-300 F5.6 L lens with Canon's 75-300mm "regular" lens. In a side-by-side images of the same subject, there was no comparison - the L lens was far superior in sharpness and color. As a result, I bought the L lens, and I love it. It takes getting used to - one must compensate for the long FL with higher ISO, a tripod, or whatever -- but some of the results made my audience gasp in amazement. What more could a photographer want?