<<<<<Newbee gear help>>>>>

Hi...newbee here. My first post and as expected, I need your help in deciding:

-I get the concept of "lens is more important than the body" so I'd like to start with a camera body that's decent with great (non L) lenses. I've looked at cameras ranging from used 40D's to used 5D Mark II's. My budget is around $1500 (with lens) give or take a couple hundred.

-I'm inclined towards these lenses: 15-85mm and 17-55. For general everyday portraits, which of these two lenses would you recommend?

I understand that my lens of choice cuts my camera body budget down to around $800. So, which used camera body would you recommend for the best image quality?

Thanks.

If you're going to invest in Canon, I can recommend my first purchase which was a Canon 550D/T2i body (there's the t3i body but I prefer the T2i since there is no swiveling screen). My first 2 lenses were the 15-85 f/3.5-5.6 EFS kit lens (cheap practice lens), and a 50mm f/1.8 EF ii lens (quality lens that is ridonkulously cheap). That will probably put you in the $900 range, maybe less.

Edit: Also for another lens which will be a little more about $470 or so, you can get a 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro EF lens which can double-duty as a macro as well as 100mm quality lens.

Your two choices are EF-s lenses, so that rules out a full frame body. Also, do you have any interest in video?

crn3371 wrote in post #14216851
Your two choices are EF-s lenses, so that rules out a full frame body. Also, do you have any interest in video?

No, no real interest in video. I'm more interested in the image quality...video will just be icing on the cake.

So really, my choices are down to: 40D, 50D, 60D, and 7D (although the 7D will eat up most of my budget).

60D the 7d is the top of the line crop. Make sure you need all that it offers before you drop all that cash into it. I think 60d and 15-85 will do you well.

Are portraits your one and only interest? The first post seems to make this the case.

If so, you may want to avoid the conventional wide angle zoom choices for 1.6X sensors and pick a lens that starts with a less wide angle view. To my mind a fairly fast zoom like the 24-70/2.8 is a good choice for strictly portraits on 1.6X.

Lenses like the 15-85 and 17-55 are better choices for all kinds of things due to their inclusion of a reasonable wide angle, but the 15-85 is pretty slow and the 17-55 ends a bit short to cover the full range for portraiture.

In the same vein, a used 5D with the 70-200/4L might be better for pure portraiture than any of the above, but if you desire to use the camera for anything else then adding a $250 EF 28-135 (for example) would be a very good idea.

Please elaborate on what a General Everyday Portrait is if you don't mind.

Higgs Boson wrote in post #14217087
Please elaborate on what a General Everyday Portrait is if you don't mind.

I guess you could say "walk-about" lens. The majority of my pictures will probably be of my family, people, street photography, etc. I guess I will eventually get into macro and landscape, but for the time being a good "general purpose" lens will do. The 2.8 aperture of the 17-55mm is good for indoors right?

My original recommendations I think is a good mix. The kit lens will take great pictures outdoors and in decent light and since it's a zoom lens, you can zoom from wide to almost tele with an APS-C camera. The 50mm is a great quality lens for indoor use and takes awesome portraits. The reason why it's a great portrait lens is due to it's bokeh which will separate out the background from your subject. The 50mm is also a f/1.8 which means more light will get through the lens so it's great to take lower light photos. If you needed a high quality lens that still isn't too expensive and can do indoor at a further distance, the 100mm macro will serve really well. The 100mm macro will also allow you to take some awesome macro detail shots.

Refurbished Canon 60D through CLP 60D body only is around $640 plus tax(you need a out of warranty canon, can get one for around $10). Then pick up a Sigma 17-50 2.8 OS for $670. You can pick up a Sandisk 16GB 45MB/Sec SD card for $25 be sure to buy directly from Amazon, LLC(the specs are old, newer card is actually 45MB/sec). Also pick up a spare battery for $14.25 (order directly from Aamazon, LLC also).

All of the above, will land you around $1400.

In my opinion 60D is worth the additional cost due to ergonomics, superior battery life, and superior focus points which is important for low aperture values f2.8 or less(often used for portraits). If down the road you really want to improve your portrait work pick up a Canon 85 1.8 or Sigma 85 1.4.

Thats essentially what I have, although I purchased the 32GB SD from Aamazon, LLC(currently not being offered) and I got the Sigma while it was on sale for $594.

URLphotographer wrote in post #14217344
I guess you could say "walk-about" lens. The majority of my pictures will probably be of my family, people, street photography, etc. I guess I will eventually get into macro and landscape, but for the time being a good "general purpose" lens will do. The 2.8 aperture of the 17-55mm is good for indoors right?

full frame option is 5dc with 24-70 or 24-105, you can add a flash with either for indoors, 2.8 is no substitute for flash, especially if you don't want the dof 2.8 provides. f/4 still looks pretty good on ff, IMO.

crop you can get 60d or 7d or a nice rebel with 17-55 or even the 24-105 or 24-70.

the 5dc images/files are really great, using the body will make you feel out of the tech loop so if you like new buttons, better screens, etc, you might opt for a newer crop.

whtrbt7 wrote in post #14217411
If you needed a high quality lens that still isn't too expensive and can do indoor at a further distance, the 100mm macro will serve really well. The 100mm macro will also allow you to take some awesome macro detail shots.

The 100mm f/2 is great for portrait work and low light anything, if OP needs those in a lens. You can pick one up for under $350.

Higgs Boson wrote in post #14217965
full frame option is 5dc with 24-70 or 24-105, you can add a flash with either for indoors, 2.8 is no substitute for flash, especially if you don't want the dof 2.8 provides. f/4 still looks pretty good on ff, IMO.

crop you can get 60d or 7d or a nice rebel with 17-55 or even the 24-105 or 24-70.

the 5dc images/files are really great, using the body will make you feel out of the tech loop so if you like new buttons, better screens, etc, you might opt for a newer crop.

If I didn't have to shoot sports and take video, I would trade my 60D tomorrow for a 5Dc.