Bazinga wrote in post #13526930
I've been in the market for some upgrades since joining (my reason for joining) and I have bounced around from ditching my 60D and 15-85 altogether for a 5D2 and 24-105 to just adding some L glass to my 60D. I have scoured the forums, listened to your advice and have made some decisions solely based on the great advice here.
Well, don't solely base your decision on the advice here! 
1. I'm sticking with my 60D and 15-85. I have nowhere near mastered anything about this setup. I fell victim to thinking that better equipment = better pictures. I am going to master my current camera before even considering full frame. My current camera and lens is more than "good enough" and many would love to have this combo.
This is wise. The 60D and 15-85 are both quite capable and many people are way too quick to "upgrade" thinking they are going to get better results, but never really learn to get the best out of what they've got.
2. I came here looking for faster glass and read a lot of advice saying "get a flash, it will help tremendously". I chose to say Nah, I want L glass! I've decided to listen to the masses and get a 580EX II. It will open many options for me and my 60D/15-85. I read many threads in the lighting forum that have convinced me this is a great option and a must have for EVERYONE (well an external flash in general).
A flash isn't necessarily the be all and end all for everyone. There's a whole school of photography that only shoots by available light.
OTOH, it's probably wise to have a flash and learn what it can do for you. Especially if you are new to photography and/or DSLRs, or simply have never used a flash. There are cheaper, smaller options than 580EX, too, that are almost as powerful. A flash bracket and an off-camera-shoe-cord are important flash accessories.
And, "faster glass" doesn't necessarily equate to L glass! In fact, some L-series are fairly specialized lenses. "Lesser" models can in some cases be more versatile, faster focusing, cheaper, more compact, lighter weight.
3. I'm buying a tripod. I've been in photography way too long to have never owned a tripod. I'll be getting something decent that will be with me for a long time.
Another good idea. A tripod does a lot more than just help you make steady shots. It teaches you to slow down, to think about your shots and not "snap shoot". A good tripod might be a once in a lifetime purchase. One of my tripods is 30+ years old. Another is about 10 years old.
A good quality tripod encourages you to actually use it... not leave it at home or in the trunk of the car.
4. I am giving my nephew my 50mm 1.8 for Christmas. I'm going to add a prime to my collection. I'm considering the Canon 50mm 1.4 and the Sigma 30mm 1.4. This is the reason I posted all this in this forum. What prime in that price point would you recommend?
Two different focal lengths, so it depends upon what you are trying to accomplish. The 50mm is a "short portrait" lens. The 30mm is a "standard" lens. They aren't interchangeable. There are also the Sigma 50/1.4 and the Canon 28/1.8 to consider, so you actually have choices either way.
With prime lenses, it's more usual to have several, than to have just one. Personally I use Canon 20/2.8, 28/1.8, 50/1.4, 85/1.8 and 135/2 (but I'm using both full frame and crop sensor cameras). But if only planning to get one, you need to decide what you want the lens to do.
Sigma are nice lenses, certainly. They are a bit iffy on focus calibration, and tend to be larger and heavier than the closest Canon counterparts. In some cases the Sigma are more expensive, too (50/1.4 and the 85mm).
You might need to do the swap thing... trying different copies of a Sigma until you get one that's well calibrated for focus accuracy. So you might want to be sure to buy it from a retailer who will work with you in that respect. Alternatively, folks have pretty good luck sending Sigma in for calibration, under warranty. Just be sure to test the focus accuracy.
Since you are shooting with a 60D, which doesn't have Micro Focus Adjust feature that 50D, 5DII and 7D do, in general you might lean a little more toward Canon lens options, since overall they seem to much less often need focus calibration.
I haven't tried the 15-85 personally, but a lot of people really like it and it appears to be a good general purpose, walk-around lens choice.
My concern is that you haven't really defined your wants or needs in any detail. So it's hard to suggest what would be best to complement the one lens you have now (since the 50/1.8 is going to be given away).
There's certainly use for a faster (larger aperture) lens alongside your walk-around zoom. A fairly big aperture lens gives you a lot more control over depth of field. If that's what you need... go for it.
On the other hand, it also might be really nice to have longer or wider lenses, to augment what you have. But it's really hard to say, without knowing what you want to shoot and how you want to shoot it.
All these options COMBINED are going to cost me less than 1 good L lens and I think it will open up my photography much more than 1 L lens could ever do. I figure this will all cost me about $1000.
With that budget you should be able to get a tripod, a lens and a flash, at least. You just need to narrow it down to what lens will meet your needs best and how big a flash you have to have.
The good news is that virtually any choice you make, you can pretty easily change in the future if necessary... Selling off a lens or accessory that you find doesn't fit into your system or shooting style as well as you thought it would. It doesn't hurt much to experiment, in other words.
Lay out a plan for the future... This won't be your last purchase, I'm sure. As an example, portraits might be really important to you now and you might want a lens for that purpose... but also you might have a nagging desire to try shooting macro sometime in the future. You might be able to get a dual purpose lens now... Or you might prioritize a lens to buy today, another that you hope to acquire later.
Plans can change, too. Something that appeals to you today might lose importance in the future or be bumped down in priority by something else.
Still, make a plan. That will help you decide what to get now and what to work toward in the future.
Don't overlook some of the other accessories, either... For example, I would always recommend getting the matched lens hoods for whatever lenses you choose (if not included). A circular polarizer filter is useful for a variety of situations and is one of the few filters that cannot be replicated very effectively after the fact in image processing softwares. There are also other post-production considerations: Calibrating your computer monitor and printer is a good thing. Various softwares can be important, too, depending upon what you are trying to do.
I will remain active in these forums but I'm going to get out there...and master what I already have.
I would also recommend some books... both the "how to" type and "coffee table" books by photographers whose work you admire. The first can help you get the best out of the gear you've got and figuring out how photos that appeal to you were made can help guide your future needs. How to books come in at least a few varieties... there are guide books specific to your camera and to using your particular system... and there are general photography technique books (such as "Understanding Exposure", by Brian Peterson, which I highly recommend) and there are subject-specific books (portraits, wildlife, macro, weddings, etc., etc., etc.)
I also suggest looking for a photo club or meetup group near you... It's often a lot more fun going out and shooting with other people, seeing what they are doing and learning from each other. It wouldn't hurt to take a class, either.
It's a $250 setup so we shall see.
