Decisions Decisions...

So my birthday is tomorrow...Turning 20!
My parents are probably thinking about getting me something and I'm having a hard time thinking about something to get!

I'll feel guilty if I get something pretty expensive...So I'm thinking about the practicality of things.

I have a crappy Case Logic bag, I can fit my 5D, 24-105mm and 50mm f/1.4 very snugly inside it but I feel it's too tight and could cause the parts to rub. The straps are just plain rough and uncomfortable.
I was thinking about the Canon Deluxe backpack 200EG because it's running pretty low on Amazon. Any other recommendations on better quality bags would be nice too.

Then there's memory...I own 2 Sandisk Ultra ll 4gigs, 2 Dane-Elec X's 1 gig and a standard Dane-Elec 2 gig card. I feel as if one of my X's are creating more noise in my pictures when I view them on my LCD screen and I think on my computer. This doesn't happen with the other cards.
I shoot RAW most of the time and having better quality cards would be nice but not a necessity in my position.

BUT... For archival purposes, I have plenty DVD cds that I could burn but it's too time consuming and I only have 21gigs of memory left on my computer (Sony Vaio laptop)... I would love to have an external hard drive.
The problem is I haven't kept up to date on any system and if I act now, I'm sure I'll miss out on good deals and lose money.

And there's more glass...I could ask for some money to put towards a EF 85mm f/1.8...This would benefit me when I start making a lot more money shooting for people and what not. So this in turn will pay for itself.

I'm going to have to buy all of these eventually but it would be nice to have one now for a gift. I would love some recommendations and some needed info. Thanks.


P.S. I could get a bicycle! Save money and have a nice ride here and there to take pictures! Well...then again things are very spread apart in my area of town.

So, let me see. How much are you expecting for them to spend on a present for you? If my parents had $100 for my gift and I'm turning 20 and have some great gear already, I'd get a nice bag to put it all into safely. The Canon bag is fine, then you can buy a few 4 gb Ultra II cards. For the big gift, if they can afford it, get the 85 1.8. It's the best lens for the money.

I'm leaning towards a new bag myself. Asking for the 85mm would be a little too much.
I suppose I can get the Canon bag and some accessories like the rocket blower and stuff.

Take my advice, the Canon bag seems awesome, but after you use it for a while it becomes impractical.

Check out some of the domke, or crumpler bags. They're more expensive, but you'll be more comfortable with them in the long run! The F-3X might be the perfect bag for your gear...