Questions questions re: kit lens upgrade and rebel trade up

I'm trying to make some decisions and there are just too many options.

Right now I have a digital rebel 300d, kit lens, nifty fifty and tamron 28-300.
I've never really gotten good results with my tamron and the rebel, but I had it with my old slr, predigital.

I'm thinking of upgrading my body to a 350d or 400d (as I cannot yet afford my 5d at this time). Which is the better buy. Retail I can get the body of the xt for about 200 dollars cheaper than the xti. Is the xti so much more and a bag of chips for the money?

Now for glass. To replace my kit lens, what would be my options. Bare bones price, a decent lens and then in the 400 - 500 range what would you suggest. Since I'm planning on a 5d or newest full frame in the future, I would like my lens to be compatible with both.

I will be shooting every day stuff as well as (hopefully soon) doing some studio work out of the basement. Will probably use my 50 for most of that, but would like to have the flexibility of the adjustable lens there too.

There are just SO many dang options. Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated.

Sorry if these questions have been asked a million times before. I did a search and wasn't finding exactly what I wanted, so I just bit the bullet and asked.

First thing you need to consider is to ask yourself why your not getting the results you want...find the weakest link and start there...personally I'd recommend the xxD series rather than the Rebels for the larger and brighter VF

sma1mom wrote in post #4138151
I'm trying to make some decisions and there are just too many options.

Right now I have a digital rebel 300d, kit lens, nifty fifty and tamron 28-300.
I've never really gotten good results with my tamron and the rebel, but I had it with my old slr, predigital.

I'm thinking of upgrading my body to a 350d or 400d (as I cannot yet afford my 5d at this time). Which is the better buy. Retail I can get the body of the xt for about 200 dollars cheaper than the xti. Is the xti so much more and a bag of chips for the money?

Now for glass. To replace my kit lens, what would be my options. Bare bones price, a decent lens and then in the 400 - 500 range what would you suggest. Since I'm planning on a 5d or newest full frame in the future, I would like my lens to be compatible with both.

First, are you intent on getting rid of the 300D? If not, I'd consider the 40D and having the 300D on hand as a backup. The lenses are interchangeable, and though the 40D costs more than the 400D it will be a more substantial upgrade.

If you are intent on staying in the xxxD family, then I gather that the 400D is a substantially improved camera to the 300D in numerous ways.

To get good comparisons, check out dpreview.com. They will probably compare the 400 to the 350, but you can check out and compare the 350D and the 300.

As far as lenses go, the old adage that "you get what you pay for" tends to hold true: inexpensive lenses tend to have a noticeable softness and slower AF. But, some surprises are out there, such as the "nifty fifty" series, which are inexpensive, but sharp and reasonably fast because they are fixed focal length.

So, look at a category of lens you want, and get the best you can afford. Buy one or two good lenses that will meet a "main" need, then buy more when you know you need and can afford one. What seems to be a bargain-priced telephoto will also tend to be bargain-quality. That doesn't mean you have to get "L" lenses, but a good lens will give you good quality and will last as you move to higher quality cameras.

Hope this helps,

Tony
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Several Canon cameras, too many lenses and stuff to list
Tony Long Photos on PBase

Get a great deal on a lightly used 30D - like $700 and dump that tamron please. The tamron 17-50 f/2.8 is wicked sharp and a great value (but kinda dinky). I would invest in one good walk around lens.

Dont get the 350D - it has the same crappy AF as the 300D.