Help - thinking of upgrading again

The fact that this thread exists indicates to me that the OP is at least stopping to think about his purchases.

None of the questions asked are hard and all are fair game to ask.

convergent wrote in post #15393859
Since I'm bored, I did a little data gathering and found that the OP has only participated in one thread that wasn't about buying gear. I was actually trying to find what they talk about shooting, to offer a recommendation. That one thread talked about indoor sports with kids.

That was exactly what I did before my last post, trying to get an idea what the OP shoots but found the same thing you did. I still want this guys day job so I can buy gear at will.

I did the upgrade shuffle for about 3 years. It does not cost much when you purchase used L-glass to start with. Otherwise, very expensive when you sell.

OP: you have some excellent glass. Keep the 7D and get some flavor of FF. Since you seem to have GAS, if I were you, I'd start with the best you can afford. Get a 5D3 or 1DX the first time. Nowhere to go from there. Until Canon releases the 1DxII, that is.

Nathan wrote in post #15394263
The fact that this thread exists indicates to me that the OP is at least stopping to think about his purchases.

None of the questions asked are hard and all are fair game to ask.

Agree - too much analyzing the dude's motives going on. He asked a simple question, not for G.A.S. therapy or a group intervention.

ctwatkins wrote in post #15394646
Agree - too much analyzing the dude's motives going on. He asked a simple question, not for G.A.S. therapy or a group intervention.

How so? Without any clue what he's using the equipment for, how can his question be answered with any intelligence?

I need a new car. Should I sell my Jeep and buy a Honda, or should I sell my Ford F150 and buy a Mazda? I won't tell you what kind of driving I do, or what I use the vehicles for... Which should I do?

Trust me guys- you do not want my day job....really - if you had my job you will not be able to take pictures - as now I don't have any time to post.

My main focus are two kids. In addition -- if I can -- I would like to get into just taking pictures of nature. The problem is that all this is hypothetical....i.e. I see the threads of pictures and then I want to go out and get that gear.

Obviously I can't afford to get everything otherwise I would end up getting 1DX and build from there.

To those who think I am spending too much money - I buy when I find the best deal then I sell it without trying to make money - so that it is fair and easy and fast to move gear.

Coming back to the original question - the reason for thinking of 5D iii is that lately I have been look at the sample pictures of that camera - especially pictures taken in dark - and I just love it. I remember seeing a picture of a child someone posted here couple of months back - holding a candle/light in the hand and it was simply awesome and that is something I want to capture. The right thing to do would be to develope the technique but looking at the posts I think it would be easier if I just had a full frame camera......

One more thing...sorry but most of the pictures I take are of the kids and after I posted initially - my wife has forbidden me from posting family pictures here...I think she is concerned though I don't understand why because everyone else is doing it here...

So from your own admission you're wanting the better gear to get the better photo. Honestly, you've got a great camera! You'll have more "reach" with a 7D than you will with a 5DIII for less money because of the 1.6x conversion of the crop sensor, that'll help you with the wildlife shots you aspire to take. Sure you'll get better low light performance from a FF but if you get the exposure right (maybe even expose to the right a bit) on a 7D you'll get great images in low light.

My honest opinion....stick with the 7D and invest in lenses instead.

I too, had/have a case of G.A.S., but I had an objective in mind from the start...

When I made the move from point and shoot to a used 30D with a couple of kit lenses, it didn't take me long to realize I needed something better to take mostly indoor shots at church events, many without flash. I also knew I needed more megapixels to give more 'cropability'. So 8 months later, (black Friday 2011), I upgraded to a 60D, and in the ensuing 2-3 months, replaced kit glass with Ls. Some new, some used. Solved the problems. My low light shooting skills also improved dramatically as well.

Then along came the 5D3. The specs and drop dead focus shots posted here and elsewhere proved without a doubt I needed/wanted/would die for the 5D3. I then planned to use my tax refund this coming March or so as most of the funding. But I couldn't wait...I pulled the trigger this past Black Friday. Unfortunately, no discounts other than the $200 Canon instant rebate at B&H at that time. Was it worth it? Absolutely! Fortunately, I had enough room on my credit cards to handle that and Christmas before they'll start being declined...

So as a now 'stuffed' amateur photographer with G.A.S., I fully understand the OP's situation. There's something better that will improve my photography results. That's what I want to get.

Although I question some of the upgrades the OP made, I made a couple unnecessary purchases myself and have a couple of rarely used lenses as a result. So I can't throw any stones.

As he indicated above, the OP has his goals on mostly family pictures. So the 24-70 and the 50 are good lenses for the job. The 70-200, while probably too 'long' for in-home use, would be great for larger gatherings, concerts, sports, and while travelling. Moving from a crop body to full frame will also 'broaden' his photographs as well. So, as long as there's available money, my next step would be to sell the 7D and get the 5D3. I did basically the same thing. After that? Maybe a 16-35 f2.8L ii would be a good fit. The 16-35 f2.8L is my second most used lens, second only to the 24-105 f4L. I had the 24-70, but found the 'brick' was too heavy, lacked IS, and obviously didn't have the reach the 24-105 does. So the brick went bye-bye 2 months after I bought it.

Bottom line...buy what you need when you find the need, not buy for a perceived need that never materializes.

PS - Get the 5D3 before Jan 5 when all the rebates and discounts will surely expire. I thoroughly expect a price raise on Jan 6! That one got me when I was slow to buy the 16-35 and the price went up $50 this past January.

inspectoring wrote in post #15395529
Trust me guys- you do not want my day job....really - if you had my job you will not be able to take pictures - as now I don't have any time to post.

My main focus are two kids. In addition -- if I can -- I would like to get into just taking pictures of nature. The problem is that all this is hypothetical....i.e. I see the threads of pictures and then I want to go out and get that gear.
Obviously I can't afford to get everything otherwise I would end up getting 1DX and build from there.

To those who think I am spending too much money - I buy when I find the best deal then I sell it without trying to make money - so that it is fair and easy and fast to move gear.

Coming back to the original question - the reason for thinking of 5D iii is that lately I have been look at the sample pictures of that camera - especially pictures taken in dark - and I just love it. I remember seeing a picture of a child someone posted here couple of months back - holding a candle/light in the hand and it was simply awesome and that is something I want to capture. The right thing to do would be to develope the technique but looking at the posts I think it would be easier if I just had a full frame camera......

Just owning the gear is meaningless if you lack the knowledge and experience to use it. My gear is beyond my current skill/experience level, replacing my 5D MkII with a MkIII will not magically change that. I try to get out and shoot as much as possible, I also have been reading books and the internet to improve.

The threads here contain many outstanding images, they can be found in any of the sections from the "lowly" Rebels upto the "mighty" 1DX, the large majority of those images are outstanding because of the photographer, not the gear used.

inspectoring wrote in post #15395529
Coming back to the original question - the reason for thinking of 5D iii is that lately I have been look at the sample pictures of that camera - especially pictures taken in dark - and I just love it. I remember seeing a picture of a child someone posted here couple of months back - holding a candle/light in the hand and it was simply awesome and that is something I want to capture. The right thing to do would be to develope the technique but looking at the posts I think it would be easier if I just had a full frame camera......

If you want it, then buy it. The prices are good now. It is probably not going to result in a miraculous change in your pictures. The biggest thing you are going notice is that you can shoot at higher ISO (can also do that with a 6D, 5D2, 1D4, etc.) and that your lenses seem to have gotten a lot shorter. So plan on spending a lot more money to buy a longer lens to get back to the reach you lost.

One compromise that you might make is to get a 6D or 5D2 and keep your 7D.