lens lineup revamp....

i can't beleive i am doing one of these threads that everybody seems to hate so much but i will do it anyway..

so, as many of you know by now, i am mostly a birder by heart but lately i have been doing tons more portraits and with a new baby on the way, i see my birding time going down to about zero and my portraits going up by about 100%. so with this information at hand, i am thinking about making a few changes in my line up and i could use some advice.

here is what i currently have:

17-40 F4 (i LOVE this lens and this one will stay for sure)
24-70 F2.8 (again, killer lens but this one might have to go)
85 1.8 (great lens that i like very much but again, it might have to go)
100-400 (super sharp copy but i don't use it very much because of the next lens on the list and because i can't use it indoors)
500 F4 (this one stays for sure since this is my #1 lens and quite frankly, i would rather give up photography than give this one up).

now, here are my 2 line up options:

17-40
50 1.2L
70-200 2.8L IS
500 F4

or:

17-40
24-70 2.8L
85 1.2L
100-400L
500 F4

the problem with the first one is that i am losing the 24-70 flexability and i am also losing the 100-400 for times when i need a lighter 400mm. the problem with the second lineup is that i have nothing longer than 85 for when i need to shoot indoors.

advice and thoughts are welcome. i forgot to add that i am using a 1.3x camera and i also have an IR camera but that will work just fine with the 17-40.

I guess I'm not sure why you think you need to redo your lineup.

The 24-70 and 85 both make great portrait lenses. Is the 50L that much better than the 85 1.8 to be worth giving up the 24-70? The 70-200 will be mighty long indoors chasing the little tyke around, the 24-70 would do that much better except for the IS that it doesn't have.

I don't think that you need to change anything unless you need something lighter than the Brick for chasing after the little one once he/she becomes mobile.

And congrats on the upcoming addition to your family!

pman67 wrote in post #5497490
I guess I'm not sure why you think you need to redo your lineup.

The 24-70 and 85 both make great portrait lenses. Is the 50L that much better than the 85 1.8 to be worth giving up the 24-70? The 70-200 will be mighty long indoors chasing the little tyke around, the 24-70 would do that much better except for the IS that it doesn't have.

I don't think that you need to change anything unless you need something lighter than the Brick for chasing after the little one once he/she becomes mobile.

And congrats on the upcoming addition to your family!

i do think that the 50L is a better lens (i love the colors and IQ of the L lens) but my main reason for the revamp is to be able to have a well rounded kit. for example, in the past month i found myself wishing for something longer than my 85 1.8 for indoors shooting for events like graduation ceremonies and even in the studio. also, as nice as the 24-70 is, i often wish for something a bit faster.

pman67 wrote in post #5497490
I guess I'm not sure why you think you need to redo your lineup.

The 24-70 and 85 both make great portrait lenses. Is the 50L that much better than the 85 1.8 to be worth giving up the 24-70? The 70-200 will be mighty long indoors chasing the little tyke around, the 24-70 would do that much better except for the IS that it doesn't have.

I don't think that you need to change anything unless you need something lighter than the Brick for chasing after the little one once he/she becomes mobile.

And congrats on the upcoming addition to your family!

totally agree here. The 24-70mm makes a great portrait lens as does the 85mm 1.8. Got some great pics of my son when I had it (I may get another one). I wouldn't do anything just yet.

How serious are you going to get into portraits? Will you be getting studio gear?

Ok, that makes sense.

Now the problem with door #1 is that the only fast lens is the 50 prime. I think that covering the under 70mm length with the 17-40 and the 50 would work ok as far as lengths go, but not as far as f-stops. That sounds like a job for the 16-35L or another prime like the 35L, which is probably too close to the 50.

Tyger wrote in post #5497515
totally agree here. The 24-70mm makes a great portrait lens as does the 85mm 1.8. Got some great pics of my son when I had it (I may get another one). I wouldn't do anything just yet.

How serious are you going to get into portraits? Will you be getting studio gear?

i already do studio portraits.

pman67 wrote in post #5497551
Ok, that makes sense.

Now the problem with door #1 is that the only fast lens is the 50 prime. I think that covering the under 70mm length with the 17-40 and the 50 would work ok as far as lengths go, but not as far as f-stops. That sounds like a job for the 16-35L or another prime like the 35L, which is probably too close to the 50.

makes sense but to be honest, i rarely shoot very wide indoors and even when i do, i can still get very good results with the 17-40 because i can use it even at 1/15 and still get good results.

the more i think about it the more i think that i should just add the 85 1.2L to my kit when money is available later on, either add the 135L or simply rent the 70-200 2.8IS when i have an event planned.

more advice is still welcome

Honestly, if you really want to be serious about it, why dont you sell the 500 and the 17-40 to get a 16-35, your 50/1.2 and a 135/2 or something to that effect? If you cant bird, why have it?

because i do plan on still birding at least once in a while and the 500 is simply the lens that i love the most. even if i will only use it once a month, it is still worth it. besides, the baby is not going to young forever and i will get back to doing serious wildlife again so why sell it now only to buy it again later?

Since you don't use the 100-400 (and I can't believe I'm recommending this since I went the other way), sell it and get a 70-200 and a 135. I bought a used 135 for $700. Either lens should work great in the studio. The 85 and 135 should take care of your indoor events like graduations and if they hold it outdoors, the 70-200 would be ideal. I'd consider adding a 35L or 50L later for low light situations where the 24-70 doesn't quite cut it.