Shopping Spree Ideas

Hey,

So, if you hypothetically had about $1200 and a full day to spend in the largest camera market in Beijing and a green light from the wife for my birthday what would you get?

I shoot with a 7D, primarily landscape, marco, travel and action sport. I currently have the 17-40L, 851.8, 70-2002.8, 1002.8, 580EX, ext. tubes, tele extenders, Lee filter set, and too many tripods. I want to start trying some more portrait and street. I will get a 50 1.4 (canon or sigma) and test it to make sure they don't have the issues brought up here regularly. At this market I can realistically get either of these for $300-400.

Ideas?

kforde wrote in post #14137915
Hey,

So, if you hypothetically had about $1200 and a full day to spend in the largest camera market in Beijing and a green light from the wife for my birthday what would you get?

... I want to start trying some more portrait and street. ...

Ideas?

a FF camera. you have a nice lens selection, buy an older FF camera and still keep your 7D

Had honestly not even thought about it. Interesting. Benefits? I have been shooting crop for so long that I honestly won't know where to begin with FF.

sell your 70-200 2.8, 85 1.8 and get a 70-200 2.8 IS II

I really like the 85 1.8, I can sell the 70-200 (sigma) and probably pick up a 70-200L I for about $900, but that doesn't give me anything new and selling on short notice here is tricky.

My other thought is scrapping the 50 1.4 and putting in a little extra into a 1.2L.

24-70L?

kforde wrote in post #14138019
Had honestly not even thought about it. Interesting. Benefits? I have been shooting crop for so long that I honestly won't know where to begin with FF.

better portraits, possibly better iso noise, shallower DOF. opens up you whole lens collection with a wider field of view.

plus, it something all new to play with

I had thought about the 24-70, just sold an older sigma one and found I just was not using it enough. All very convincing points mike. If I could swing the 5D mkii maybe, but I just don't see the 5Dc being enough convince me over a new lens or two...

kforde wrote in post #14138049
I really like the 85 1.8, I can sell the 70-200 (sigma) and probably pick up a 70-200L I for about $900, but that doesn't give me anything new and selling on short notice here is tricky.

I find I use the 70-200 II much more for portraits than I do the 85 1.8, 85 1.8 is also fairly susceptible to purple fringing. the *new* 4 stop IS is very useful for low-light work. e.g. I couldn't take this shot with 85 1.8 handheld

60D, 200mm, 1/20, f/2.8, ISO6400 handheld

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A very good point about the IS (will have to take your word on the pic as its not showing), looking at the local prices I would need another $1000, which is a little out of my price range right now.

Looking at some of the 5Dc images on this forum and thinking what my 17-40L would do with the FF is becoming a lot more interesting. I might even be able to "negotiate" a 50 thrown in for a decent price as well. Although I am pretty sure my wife will kill me if I leave looking for lens and return with a new body...hmmmmm

17-40 is not wide enough on a crop body. have you considered an ultrawide zoom? you should be able to get one under your budget. sigma 10-20, tokina 11-16, 12-24, ef-s 10-22.

Actually I hadn't thought of that. The sigma's are pretty cheap at this market so might be able to get a steal on one. Top choice of the UWA?

tokina 11-16 f/2.8 is the best I think, you can get one for under $700. I love shooting landscapes with my tokina 12-24 f/4.

You seem to have a good lens for all of your interests.

As landscape is your primary interest, or one of them at least, a wider lens or full frame camera may be the way to go. As your current line up stands the only short fall I see is not having anything very wide. Your 17-40mm is effectively 27-64mm on the 7D, not very wide for landscapes. So my suggestions:

1. Hold onto that cash for a little while longer and save for the 5D II, which should drop in price over the coming months (I don't know if the 5Dc will satisfy your 'new gear' craving lol). This will do your 17-40mm justice at the wide end.
2. If you travel a lot a general purpose lens like the 15-85mm or 17-55mm may be the way to go, both with IS.
3. And my favourite option - The Canon 10-22mm and 50mm f/1.4. I think you would have a killer line up with these- the 10-22 is perfect for landscapes and the 50 f/1.4 for low light and portraits. I think these would also be the most fun and the most satisfying purchase

Hope this gives you some ideas

Edit: haha you all beat me to it

I don't think the 5Dc will satisfy right now either and I don't think I have the self control to hold onto the cash right now either...but at the same time I have never played with FF and it would be a good way to get familiar and then maybe this time next year look to upgrade to the MKii once tax return season comes back around with all the people who didn't get the first run of the Mkiii start getting itchy to sell But that is all very unlikely. I like the third option, gives me the UWA that is missing (didn't even know it was missing...haha) and the 501.4 I was planning on anyway.