Age Old Question, Upgrade Body (XTi --> 40D) or Lens?

[Coppatop85]

Hello. I have been shooting for a year now when I purchased an XTi last may. Since then I have been quite addicted to photography. With the economic stimulus package comming shortly ($600) I have some money to spend on my hobby. I have been reading about the 40D quite a bit lately, and the LCD viewfinder + live view is almost enough for me to buy it, but as you all know, it has better performance at higher ISO, build, etc as well.

I do not have a large assortment of lenses, or many high quality ones. The lenses I have are as follows: Nifty 50 1.8, 28-105 f/4-5.6, Tamron 70-300, Tamron 17-50 2.8. As you can see, my only really higher grade lens is the Tamron 17-50, and I would also like a higher quality lens to get the 70-200+ range.

The lack of a view finder LCD with my XTi has me unable to get shots sometimes due to not being able to see through my eyepiece to compose a shot, and I absolutely LOVE the focus tool they have -- I find it hard to focus manually sometimes.

I'm basically on the fence here between selling my XTi, the tamron 70-300 and the canon 28-105 and picking up a 40D, or selling those other two lenses mentioned, and picking up a sigma 70-200 2.8 with a 1.4x TC.

Right now I shoot mostly landscapes and nature scenes that don't require me to have reach, and just last week I started dabbling in portraits, however, the reason I don't shoot other things (wildlife, sports, etc) is because I don't really have a decent lens for it (not a fan of the tamron 70-300).

So, what it boils down to is the age old question....

Body, or lens? Any input from people who have been in my position?

[Zansho]

I'm not exactly in your position, per se, but I remember back when I got my first digital which was the XTI. To be honest, it's a fine camera, but when I got my 5D I never looked at my XTI ever again - and I'll tell you why.

The 5D has far better ergonomics for me - I just found the XTI too small for me to handle - even after buying a battery grip for it. Shooting in manual mode was also a bit of a pain for me too - having to push a button then use the trigger dial to adjust the aperture was just rather uncomfortable for me. Once I got my 5D, things got so much easier. I could use the rotary dial and the "trigger" dial to adjust my f-stop and shutter speeds on the fly, all without having to look at the back of the camera to find that elusive button.

I also have a 40D, and while I do have the live view function on it, the only time I'm ever using it is to check composition every now and then, and to help me with some macro work. I love my 40D, probably even more than my 5D, which is saying a lot :D. The 40D has the same kind of feel as the 5D, in terms of where buttons and dials are placed.

That being said, it'll boil down to whether you want to stay with the current XTI body and you like the build of it. The XTI is a VERY capable camera, and it will do pretty much all you ask of it. Getting a Sigma 70-200 2.8 would be a fine idea too - however, you also might want to take a look at Canon and Tamron's offerings in that department too. I'd also think about getting an 85mm 1.8 if you're wanting to dabble in portraits, it's an excellent lens for that purpose. For portraits too, you'll also want a flash gun of some kind, but that's a whole other topic of discussion.

[Karl C]

My two bits...

Bodies come and go but good glass lasts a lifetime.

[DStanic]

Since you have the Tamron 17-50 you probably don't use the 28-105 much, so I'd sell that anyways.

When I got my Sigma 24-60 f/2.8, I found I no longer had a need for the 50mm 1.8, so I sold mine. Do you use yours much? I had a Tamron 75-300 and while it was OK to use outside (fun to use but not a sharp lens, and slow AF) I decided to get the Sigma 70-200 f/2.8. I have not used it much yet because I just got it last week. WARNING- these 70-200 f/2.8 lenses are BIG and HEAVY! Over 1300g ! You may want to consider a Canon 70-200 f/4 with IS or something, depending on your needs.

Have you considered selling the XTi and getting a 30D?? It would solve your viewfinder problem. If you sell the other 2 lenses and have the $600 you can get a 70-200 with t-con and come close to your budget.

[randomlinh]

Have you considered selling the XTi and getting a 30D?? It would solve your viewfinder problem. If you sell the other 2 lenses and have the $600 you can get a 70-200 with t-con and come close to your budget.
30D doesn't have live view, I think that's what he's getting at. But look into how Live View actually works, I believe there are some drawbacks. Sony's system on their A350 is actually pretty good.

With that said, I'd say go into glass. The XTi is still a very capable camera. The addition of Live View is nice, but what about all those great shots we've gotten before that? Plus, I would wait for a 2nd generation Live View from Canon (that's a technical preference I have for most things).

I'd say sell the 70-300 and 28-105. And then take a closer look at the 50-135/50-150/70-200 lenses across the board. How often do you really use the long end, how often do you want more reach? The 1.4x teleconvertor is nice, but is a bit of a pain depending on how variable you tend to be from your subject.

Also, w/o IS, I've found the 70-200 2.8 lenses difficult to handhold in lower light. A monopod gets me a stop or two sometimes, but I don't know how ppl use it as a portrait. Well, I guess part of it is I need to hit the gym :) And as a reference, I had a 70-200 F4L non IS. I extrapolated the weight of the 2.8 non IS and thought I could do it... the moral of the story is buy from a place you know has a good return policy, it's worth it.

[Right Cranium Imaging]

Glass

[RPCrowe]

Try to make the best use the equipment that you have... I know that it is difficult to shoot decent imagery when you have problems with the viewfinder. The old Leica (pre M-model) rangefinder cameras used to give me fits to use. Lots of photographers used them with no problems but, I was never content with this type viewfinder.

With the exception of view cameras, few experienced professional photographers over the years have used any type of live view. This is not because the cameras did not have it, but because IMO using a reflex viewfinder is a better way to view an image in varying lighting conditions. Additionally, although I have no personal experience with Canon live view, it appears that this system is not all that it is cracked up to be by the Canon folks.

If you are having problems viewing through your viewfinder, go to your local camera shop and put a Canon EP-EX15 eyepiece on your camera and see if it helps. I buy most of my equipment online but, when I want to try something and if the difference in price isn't great; I give the local store the business.

I love the EX-EP15 extender on my 30D but, it appears that this little piece of equipment is either loved or hated by the photographers who try it. Try it before you dump your present camera just for live view. The EP-EX15 is relatively inexpensive at about $16 or so...

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-Eyepiece-Extender-EP-EX15-Review.aspx

[Borbor]

glass.

The first time I saw my friend's 40D with the live view, I was envious of the live view function for composition purposes.

Having said that, that 9 point view finder serves just as good for composition ;)

[Tiberius47]

I was in the same position. I had a 350D body, the Tammy 17-50 f2.8 and I wanted to upgrade.

I got the 40D. I'm very happy with it. The 40D does offer advantages over the 400D.

[randomlinh]

The 40D does offer advantages over the 400D.
heh, of course it does :) But the upgrades are only worth it if you can truly exploit them. Otherwise, I would invest more in glass, and just hold off another round.