Trying to decide on how far to upgrade.

Hey all, I have been a member here for a while but not really posted much, if at all in fact.

I am considering upping my game and buying a good body and lens pairing, and to begin shooting more photos for money than just for fun.

My current setup I own is a Rebel XT with 50mm 1.8, but in my town we have a great camera rental place that I always rent a 5dii or 5diii and good L glass(s) to shoot.

I live kind of far from the town where the rental place is (long story, but I live in the middle of nowhere and where the camera place is happens to be in the closest town where I go to church and grocery shopping, etc.) I live and work at a church camp and have done engagement shoots and weddings here on-site, so it's pretty inconvenient having to go and rent equipment only to drive back out here to use it.

I shoot mostly portraits, and the business I am hoping to go into would be mostly portraits with some buildings and scenics mixed in. I also have a 4 year old and 2 year old, so they get a lot of attention as well, and will continue to do so as they grow up. I will also use the camera for taking photos during camp season of kids playing and swimming, as well as scenic shots of our property to use for marketing purposes.

I have been considering upgrading to a 7d, but having used the 5d2 I would really like to get one of those instead. I don't know how necessary it is to go full frame though since I'm not in a spot yet to dive into doing photography more full-time.
There is a used 7d with accessories (grip, batt, cards) for sale locally for $425, but it has 120k shutter accuations. I tend to think that would get me a good step in the right direction, though the snap count worries me. However, if things go well I could maybe afford to upgrade to a 5d3 in a year or so. I technically have the money to afford a 5d2, as I've seen some around $900-1k, but I don't know if it is worth it to hop right in that far.

Maybe the 7d and a good piece of glass? I still have the option to rent equipment here, but it would be nice to be able to do what I want, when I want without renting and all of that.

Anyway, thanks if you have read this far, and any advice that you could give would be excellent!

Jesse

It depends a lot on your budget, and what kind of upgrade you're looking for.

A 7D will only be a small upgrade over your Rebel in terms of image quality (it has the same sensor as the Rebels from that time period, think T2i or T3i). You are mostly getting better build quality, and faster/better auto-focus and faster FPS, but those seem like features you won't really use. It was mainly designed as an action/sports body; for portraits/landscapes you're not really taking advantage of its strengths.

When you rent the 5D2 or 5D3 is it mainly for the image quality? If so then I would skip the 7D and get a 5D2 (or maybe even a used 6D if you can afford it)

Have you tried renting a 7D to test it out and see if you'll be happy with it?

For the type of paying photography you are thinking of you are probably better off going for a full frame camera with some L glass....I wouldn't bother with a 5d2, a 6d would probably suit you better.... Have a look around and pick one up with a kit lens maybe...

A 5DII seems like a great place to start. an original 5D would also be great but you might be living on borrowed time, but they are cheap enough to risk it.

Here is a link to a reputable reseller.https://www.keh.com …ital-camera-body-21-1-m-p use them as a guide when looking for used gear elsewhere.

+1, I was in a similar scenario once, and the 6d is a good improvement over the 5d2 in IQ and usability.

Went xti, 30d, 7d, 5d2, 6d. Only regret was not jumping into the 5d2 sooner. The 6d is a good bit better than the 5d2 and so close in price, it's a no brainer between the two.

If you shoot mostly portraits, consider the lack of a PC cord connection to studio flash on some bodies, the integrated hotshoe alternative entails the use of a hotshoe-radio transmitter.

Thank you guys for all of the advice. I'm hoping to get in around $1,000 to start to get a proof of concept of my idea and at that price point I wouldn't be lost if all I had was an exceptional way to photograph my kids and family and friends. My idea is to be a photographer for smaller non-profit organizations that cannot afford proper imaging, to help in their marketing and fundraising. To do a complete coverage of the idea, I will still need to rent some gear (i.e. it'll be along time before I can buy a 70-200 2.8 for instance to do church programs, etc.), but for most situations I think a good body and 24-70 or 24-105 and 85 1.8 will get me a long way.

Unfortunately I never did get the chance to rent a 7d, and all that the local fellow has now is the 7d2, which isn't a fair comparison. I've been leaning 5d2 just because I'm familiar with it, though the 6d is intriguing, if not a touch more expensive.

I have rented the 5d2 and 5d3 for the higher IQ for weddings I have done, and much improved low-light ISO capabilities. At the time of renting, the only Canon bodies he has had are the 5d2, 5d3 and the 7d, so FF was a no-brainer.

Also, my apologies for not reading a bit more before I posted a topic that is very similar to many other threads on this list, but it is nice to have specific advice to my particular situation.

I will keep looking around to see what I can find for sale. I don't have any "waiting clients" so I can spend some time waiting for a good deal to emerge. Thanks for all of the help thus far!

I figured I would update this thread in case anyone in the future wanted to see what happened or what have you. I decided to pick up a used 5d classic and an 85mm 1.8 to start out with. I have been very pleased with the results so far, it's going to do what I need for the time being and will be a solid backup once I upgrade again. Thank you guys for the input, it was this thread that got me to even consider the original 5d and I am very glad that I went with that!

Here is one of the first shots I made with that camera and lens combo, and I am very pleased with the results.

Photo from turnmybassup's gallery.
Image hosted by forum (750779)

Good choice and nice shot.

Another vote for the 6D. If you can wait, there may be a 6Dii coming and the 6Ds will be even cheaper used.

6D and 135L for outdoor

lehmannmusic wrote in post #17732818
Another vote for the 6D. If you can wait, there may be a 6Dii coming and the 6Ds will be even cheaper used.

It will probably be close to a year before we see the 6Dii. Its going to be the 1Dx in Q1 2016, then the next 5D will follow probably Q2 and then the 6Dii after that. Next summer at earliest.

He already made his choice and purchased his camera.

Yep, thanks for the continued advice but the above photo of my grandpa was taken with my choice

I hope your grandpa liked his photo.