I sold my 60D last year at this time to fund a 135L and I've had zero regrets. While I really enjoyed my 2+ years with the 60D, I found myself shooting portraits and my kids a lot more than anything else. Since I didn't need the crop reach and AF for sports at that time, the move really worked. Of note, I waited until after Spring Training baseball to make the move.
Well, Spring Training rolled around this year and I found myself looking at used 7D, 1D2 and 1D3 bodies to use and then flip again. I ended up compromising and borrowing a T4i for a few games and it worked out OK. But then I started picking up work shooting kids soccer and baseball, along with a random event and other gigs that would require me to have a second body. Knowing the T4i wasn't always going to be available for me, it was time to snag a second body.
But which one? I went back and poured over reviews, sample images and statistical data. My heart wanted to grab a sub $700 1D3, just to get a taste of that 1D goodness (AF, battery life, dual card slots, tank-like build, 10FPS!). My head told me that for $200 less I could have 90% of the camera in a 7D. My wallet and photography library told me that my old 60D with the glass I have will get the job done, even if it would be with a lower keeper rate. A 5Dc would give me that great FF IQ, but I would miss the crop reach. A used T4i and T5i would cost about the same as a used 60D, but the loss in handling is noticeable. Also, it is nice to be able to share batteries. I also considered grabbing a Sony a5100 I found on sale for $479 that included a standard and long zoom lens kit and buying a used Metabones III, but for that money I could get a 1D3 and still use my current glass. Doesn't it seem like life is one big compromise sometimes? If not, photography gear is definitely all about trade-offs.
Let's face it, I'm not shooting the Orange Bowl here. Nor am I shooting a red carpet event (although one of the events is a big deal locally). Not to say that I value the dollar of local folks and organizations who are paying me, but these same people were more than happy with what I did with a 60D with slightly lesser glass. Getting the 1.6 crop rate back for my 200 2.8 is a big deal for shooting baseball and soccer, while I'll have the 135L strapped to the 6D for closer in shots. For events, strap the 17-40L on one body and the 50A on the other.
The $399 shipped I spent at a top-two photography superstore's site for a 9/10 rated used 60D is a nice discount over even the $479 deal B&H has going on for a new one and is a major deal over even a used 70D right now--which is hard to find under $725. Perhaps after the string of gigs is over I can find a clean 1D3 and see how I like it, or maybe even catch a good sale on a 70D. The good thing is the 60D should hold its value over that time period, but until then I'm looking forward to having a full-time second body to use. It is a cheap solution to my reach and second-body deficiencies and I know it will meet my handling expectations.
It will be interesting to see how it all goes and how ready I will be to part with the 60D again after these gigs. The wife was shocked I didn't suck it up and just get a new 70D, especially considering its video AF capabilities. I told her that I really wanted to see more IQ improvement for twice the money I would spend on the used 60D. Just couldn't do it, not even with the AF, FPS and MFA upgrades. Am I that much of a nit? That willing to compromise over a few hundred bucks?
