30D or 70-200 f/2.8L IS

Hello,

Exit wrote in post #2186261
Always buy lenses before bodies

Could not agree more.

If I had the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM, a Rebel XT, and ~$1k burning a hole in my pocket, I'd consider adding one of the following to my kit before upgrading the camera body:

EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
EF 17-40mm f/4L USm + EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

and if I already had those lenses in my kit, I'd consider adding one of these:

EF 135mm f/2L USM
EF 35mm f/1.4L USM
TS-E 24mm f/2.8L USM

and if I had those, I'd finally be shopping for a camera body upgrade. Hope this helps.

cdi-ink.com wrote in post #2186905
IQ is pretty similiar. There's a bit less noise but not significant. Nailing the exposure is key regardless of the camera. You'll notice better, more consistent AF, especially in AI Servo. Tracking will be easier. Not a 1 series easier, but definitely an improvement. One shot will be more precise. Again, not drastic but noticable. You can also keep your noise down a bit better with the 30D since you don't have to select full stop increments. If you're maxed out and need 1600 you can't do much about that, but if you only need ISO1000, you can use it. You don't have to automatically go all the way up to 1600 as with the XT.

Whenever I'm looking to buy a new piece of technology and I can't decide between two things, I look for noticeable difference. I know the 30D supposedly has quicker/more accurate AF, but would you say it's certainly a noticeable difference?

I totally forgot about the 1/3 stop ISO. That's probably going to take some time to get used to. To be honest, the single stop ISO that I get with my XT has been enough.

dmp-potn wrote in post #2187019
Hello,
Could not agree more.

If I had the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM, a Rebel XT, and ~$1k burning a hole in my pocket, I'd consider adding one of the following to my kit before upgrading the camera body:

EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
EF 17-40mm f/4L USm + EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

and if I already had those lenses in my kit, I'd consider adding one of these:

EF 135mm f/2L USM
EF 35mm f/1.4L USM
TS-E 24mm f/2.8L USM

and if I had those, I'd finally be shopping for a camera body upgrade. Hope this helps.

David, thanks for the suggestions. However, most of my shooting is done at the telephoto end which is why I'm considering the lens upgrade rather than a new lens. I listed my gear below. I've been more than satisfied with the results that my other lenses have given me. I don't think I could justify spending $1000 on a lens that wouldn't see much use.

I've considered the 17-40L to replace my kit lens, but I don't even use my kit lens enough to justify the purchase. I don't need the upgrade for the 50 f/1.8 since I don't even use my 50 all that much. I've considered the 24-70L as it seems like an awesome pair to my 70-200L, but again, I don't think it would see that much use. I use my Sigma 24-70 every now and then, and when I do use it, I'm quite happy with it.

This is what I currently have:
350D + battery grip
70-200 f/2.8L
18-55 f/3.5-5.6 kit lens
Sigma 24-70 f/2.8 EX
50 f/1.8 II
580EX

cdi-ink.com wrote in post #2186303
Get the 30D. It handles a lot better.

I agree get the 30D! You already basically have this lens, why repeat?

Either that or buy the lens, sell your old lens for $1000 and then buy a 30D and have both worlds.

Dante King wrote in post #2186813
glass. always glass.

In this case he has the glass, for the most part. It's just not the IS version. He has an A lens. An upgrade would give him an A+ lens.

In this case, the body would yeild more upgrades over the lens itself. That's not to say I wouldn't recommend upgrading lens later on down the road. The OP is still relatively young and nearing college(if i recall correctly). So I think the body would yeild a more overall upgrade, at this point in time.

Calzinger wrote in post #2186884
So far I'm currently sided with the camera body because I feel like the 30D may open new shot opportunities. While I may not find an increase in image quality with the camera upgrade, a new camera may change and hopefully improve how I shoot action.

What can I expect in terms of image quality/high iso noise performance from the 30D compared to the XT? Like I've been saying, I'm more than satisfied with the IQ that the XT gives me. The lens upgade would actually increase the keepers and the consistency of my shots whereas the camera upgrade would make me more comfortable/confident.

Am I better off waiting for the next iteration of the 30D?

With all due respect, it seems like the "glass always before camera" suggestions are coming from those who aren't even reading my post. I guess I've already answered my own question.

Don't wait. You'll miss more stuff waiting. cdi pretty much covered everything. You'll get a better camera. A camera that should last you a while giving just about everythign you need(which is a lot. The rest is only in a 1D series camera).

Calzinger wrote in post #2187054
I totally forgot about the 1/3 stop ISO. That's probably going to take some time to get used to. To be honest, the single stop ISO that I get with my XT has been enough.

You'll see the difference. Trust me.

I would suggest the OP get the new body.

Its like,
[-------------] much better between the non IS version of his lens,

While its,
[---------------] much difference between the 350 and 30D...IMHO.

get the body. i shoot a lot of candids of the kids. sometimes i wish a had the 5fps. i'm thinking about the upgrade myself.

I'd say get the 30D as you will see an improvement in focusing over the XT. I know I did when making the switch. Not to mention all the other feature upgrades between the two as already mentioned.

Definitely get the 30D if you're shooting sports. The faster frame rate and autofocus will make a world of difference in your action shots. And if you shoot mostly moving targets, IS is moot anyway.

liza wrote in post #2188256
And if you shoot mostly moving targets, IS is moot anyway.

That's not completely true. You can still get a softer focus from some handshake, even at speeds of like 1/500. The IS will help correct that if you are hand holding in low light situations where you are forced to do the near bare minimums. Might not be as noticable, but those are factors that do effect how spot on a photo is. I know i'd see that with my 120-300 if i didn't use it on a monopod at speeds around there.

It's much more fun to go broke buying glass. (as I have done...just forked $1650 over to B&H for the 70-200 f2.8 IS.)

My only food choice now is Ramen noodles and McDonald's dollar menu.


-------


While critcal focus will look ok without IS, when you want to print said photo...fuhgettaboutit​.

Of the 2, go for the body, easy choice. the 70-200 you have isnt going to loose much value, and the 70-200 IS isnt going anywhere, you can make the tradeoff later if you really feel the need, but you seem to be ready for a step up in your body, i say go for it.

Bluedog_XT wrote in post #2188231
I'd say get the 30D as you will see an improvement in focusing over the XT. I know I did when making the switch. Not to mention all the other feature upgrades between the two as already mentioned.

Ah, someone who has moved from the XT to the 30D. Like I said, a noticeable difference is all I'm looking for.

Believe it or not, I constantly hit the drive mode button with my nose since I shoot with my left eye. Countless times have I lost a shot op because the camera went into timer mode when I didn't even realize it. It's even more embarassing when you're shooting posed portraits, group or single.

Okay, so I know I'll be getting a more solid, reliable, and efficient performance from the upgrade to the 30D. But I'm still curious, what can I expect in terms of high iso noise performance and overall image quality?

And let's assume that I do upgrade to the 30D, which seems more and more likely with every post. Should I sell my XT? It's a silver one and has a bit over 31,000 actuations put on it in less than a year. Yes, I'm quite shutter-happy. I'd probably be better off using it as a backup/secondary camera with another lens on it since I need to cover plenty of events at my high school, not just sports. I don't think the sell value would be worth it. If I could even get $300, I think the sell might be worth it, but with that kind of shutter'age, can I even expect that much?

Calzinger wrote in post #2189398
Ah, someone who has moved from the XT to the 30D. Like I said, a noticeable difference is all I'm looking for.

Believe it or not, I constantly hit the drive mode button with my nose since I shoot with my left eye. Countless times have I lost a shot op because the camera went into timer mode when I didn't even realize it. It's even more embarassing when you're shooting posed portraits, group or single.

Okay, so I know I'll be getting a more solid, reliable, and efficient performance from the upgrade to the 30D. But I'm still curious, what can I expect in terms of high iso noise performance and overall image quality?

And let's assume that I do upgrade to the 30D, which seems more and more likely with every post. Should I sell my XT? It's a silver one and has a bit over 31,000 actuations put on it in less than a year. Yes, I'm quite shutter-happy. I'd probably be better off using it as a backup/secondary camera with another lens on it since I need to cover plenty of events at my high school, not just sports. I don't think the sell value would be worth it. If I could even get $300, I think the sell might be worth it, but with that kind of shutter'age, can I even expect that much?

WTF dude I told you the same thing!

And I already addressed noise/IQ...