Help! Logic needed!

Hi Folks,
The story so far:- I left photography for another career about 15 years ago. Just as digital was starting to get affordable. I am once agin getting fired up and pasionate about photography. I am going to start a small wedding business. I have a "dream list" of Canon camera FF kit that I want to end up with but feel it is too great an outlay to go for it all straight away.

So, I am looking to get started with some cheaper kit (reluctantly) this kit will serve me until I can economically upgrade in the future. My head is spinning with all the options, it is this I need help with please.

My dream list -all Canon:-
x2 5 D11 Bodies
x2 580 EX11 flashes
x1 50mm f/1.2 L lens for low light stuff
x1 24-70 f/2.8 L
x1 70-200 f/2.8L is

If I started out with a pair of 30D or 40D bodies what do you think would be the best way to go lens wise and are those bodies the way to go. There does not seem to be much quality glass around second hand?

I really look forward to your opinions and any help will cetainly be appreciated.

Money-saver option:

x1 5 D Body
x1 40D Body
x2 580 EX11 flashes
x1 50mm f/1.4 lens for low light stuff
x1 24-70 f/2.8 L
x1 70-200 f/2.8L is
A good tripod/head combo

a better lens line up? IMHO of course?

28mm 1.8
50mm 1.4
85mm 1.8
135L

40D
5D

430II x 2

and however many CF cards you can buy with what's left.

Get lens that you listed, so you'll have a start on that 'dream list.' And second hand lens are fine, you'll see that Canon lens don't depreciate that much. But most people do care their lens so buying second hand in most instances won't be a problem.

Thanks all for the helpful responces. I am going to REALLY think about all this.

Maybe I should just go down the 40D route anyway as they are perfectly good cameras and my business plan does not call for me displaying mahoosive enlargments. Of course, things may change!

It's just that as an old Medium Format wedding photographer and 35mm user of old, I think the quality of the lens is SO important and the 24-70 and the
70-200 are just ideal lengths on FF and fit seamlessly. Not sure about the uality of glass for the EF S range of lenses?

Methinks I may have to hop over to the lenses threads if this goes further off topic.

I think that the lens you have chosen are right for the job. however - if you do go with all-crop bodies, re-think your wide end.

Deckham wrote in post #6223319
Money-saver option:

x1 5 D Body
x1 40D Body
x2 580 EX11 flashes
x1 50mm f/1.4 lens for low light stuff
x1 24-70 f/2.8 L
x1 70-200 f/2.8L is
A good tripod/head combo

Affordable halfway dream list. I would second this option.

I use...
1 5D body
1 40D body
1 24-70L
1 50 1.4
1 85 1.8
1 135 L (luxury and optional)
1 580 EX
1 430 EX
1 ST-E2

I upgraded the second body from 20D to 40D last year and recommend the 40D before the 20/30D due to ISO noise and AF performance. The new 50D is probably even better for weddings with even lower noise.

During the ceremony I often use the 24-70 on the 5D for normal to WA and the 85 on the 40D for closeups, no switching lenses that way. I find it useful to have one FF body and one cropped, for the extra reach and versatility.

I'm going to upgrade the 5D as soon as the new version is available, hope for better AF more than anything else as it's the weak point of the 5D.

Think about older L glass for now like the 28-70L and 80-200L or even Sigma lenses.

OK, thank you all for your input I am reallygratefull. Some very sensible thoughts there.

Unfortunately, I need to get moving now so depite what "I really want -I really really want" I am buying now. And yes I know other things are round the corner but a camera is only a camera within certain limits, it's what you do with it that counts.

Decided to get:-
x2 40D
x2580EX2
x1EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM
x1 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

VMT again for your help.
G..

If you insist on a fast 1.2L prime, substitute the 85mm over the 50mm for an FF body like the 5D.

On your 40D, then the 50mm, either 1.4 or 1.2 make sense.

G.. wrote in post #6233170
OK, thank you all for your input I am reallygratefull. Some very sensible thoughts there.

Unfortunately, I need to get moving now so depite what "I really want -I really really want" I am buying now. And yes I know other things are round the corner but a camera is only a camera within certain limits, it's what you do with it that counts.

Decided to get:-
x2 40D
x2580EX2
x1EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM
x1 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

VMT again for your help.
G..

You should be well enough equipped with that.

However I think it's a waste to invest in an expensive EF-S lens for a wedding photographer as you will probably go FF over time, would rather rekommend the 24-70L.

Also one 580 EX and one 430 EX would have served you equally well.

BugEyes wrote in post #6238031
However I think it's a waste to invest in an expensive EF-S lens for a wedding photographer as you will probably go FF over time, would rather rekommend the 24-70L.

I'd call getting a lens that isn't wide enough untill you get a new camera "over time" more of a waste

BugEyes wrote in post #6238031
You should be well enough equipped with that.

However I think it's a waste to invest in an expensive EF-S lens for a wedding photographer as you will probably go FF over time, would rather rekommend the 24-70L.

Also one 580 EX and one 430 EX would have served you equally well.

A wedding photographer with nothing wider than 24mm on a 1.6X body just to avoid EF-S? Not a good idea.

Budget:
5D
24-70L
70-200L
85/1.8

Backup:
40D

Bugeyes - I agree that buying a new lens to sell is not the best idea in the world and I will take a loss, but as Rene' D says, with the set up you recommend 24mm on a crop body is not wide enough. Jeffrey G: good suggestion but the 5D & 40D intead of two 40D's adds near $1,000
to the bill

Re Flashes, sure the 430 is a good bit cheaper than the 580 but is changing from one to another "in an emergency" a good idea? Could it lead to a mistake? In fact, I suppose the same goes for two different bodies.

Lastly, I have to consider dust "protection" and accuracy of auotfocus in low light. Both of which are, I believe, weak spots for the 5D?

Decisions - Decisions?