camera/lens upgrade help!

would you get a 50d and 28-200mm
or

a 7d and 28-135mm?

the first option will cost me less.

it's for portraits....often on fast moving lil people outdoors.

TIA!

I would prefer the 7D and 28-135 but that's me. In reality, the 50D and 7D are really close in performance though the 7D has a better AF. But then the 28-200 has a bit more reach than the 28-135. Bottom line, either kit will work well.

7d with a zoom

7d but an 18 -135

i like the farther reach of the 28-200 and i've been playing with that combo tonight...(borrowed from work) and i'm liking it and have borrowed a 7d for a bit but not with that lens.

should i just buy the 7d and the 28-200? or is the image quality on the other lens better?

i'd like the tamron 70-200mm but can't do that and the body at this time.

and the price on the 50d is pretty great...

this is not easy...i need to make a decision by tomorrow!

The longer reach is a win with little ones. My 50-135 was great for my fast moving now over 3yr old, but I also found having reach up to 200 or 250 is incredibly useful for those times you are just further away (whether purposeful or not) or getting some subject isolation.

I wrestled between 60d / 7d, and eventually bought the 60. Wish I would've bought the 7d for the better focusing system, and faster fps. Knowing what I know now, I can't imagine buying anything less than the 7d for a crop body.
You mentioned portraits, the 28-135 should help you achieve background seperation when zoomed in at a closer distance than the 200.

So, 7d with faster focusing and 28-135 for portraits of "fast moving little people", sound right?

I'm not a big fan of superzooms, so I personally wouldn't do the 28-200. If you like, I can respect that. If it were me, I'd spend more on the lens and go with the 50d. IMHO you'll get better performance out of a 50d with a fast focusing lens

What other lenses do you own?

do you own anything else? if it's exclusively for portrait...

i'd go for a 5D classic, 100mm f2, 50mm f1.4, and maybe a cheap flash...it'd probably be right around the same price as a 7D and 28-135mm...

Update? What did you wind up with?

I recommend a lens that will zoom to at least 200mm for anyone that is photographing children outdoors, 200mm helps with "shoot tight, crop tighter." A longer focal length lens allows enough space for good photos while the children pay little or any attention to the camera. I love photos of children just being themselves. Natural facial expressions are precious. Don't forget to get down, sit on the ground or at least on a low stool or chair.

50D vs 7D - I would love to upgrade from a 50D to a 7D but my 50D is too good a camera to sell at the current used market price and I can't justify owning two bodies. There is risk in getting a great looking used 50D with heavy use and maybe a rough life. I have seen some used 50Ds on eBay indicating extremely low shutter count for a 3+ year old camera. Some of these are probably great deals.

Basically a tough call.