what to buy?

so i have a canon rebel xti right now, and i am currently in a bind of what i should get. i've been trying to decide between these-
-get a 5d body to use with my 50 f/1.8 and tamron 28-200
-get an alien bee b800 with a softbox, 13ft light stand, and portable power
-get a 17-40 f/4L to use with my xti
-last but not least, get a 24-70 f/2.8L to use with my xti

at one time or another i've convinced myself to do all of these options... but i can't seem to make a final decision. thoughts?

They seem a bit all over the place. What will you mainly be shooting?

That_Fox wrote in post #9383286
They seem a bit all over the place. What will you mainly be shooting?

this isn't gonna help much because what i shoot is a bit all over the place as well...

http://www.flickr.com/​photos/markloper

Hmm, I'd suggest renting the lenses that you're interested in for a few days then and see which one you gravitate towards the most. www.borrowlenses.com offers some good deals on rentals and I've used them before. Renting both the 17-40mm and 24-70mm from them for a week would cost you $100, although it'd tell you which one you preferred more and make you happier down the line. You could also rent the 5D from them, although that will be more expensive. I haven't used much lighting setups like the Alienbees, so I can't speak much on that.

Based on your first two shots on the site, I think 17mm would be more useful than 24mm.

A cheap strobe with an umbrella would work almost as well to kick in a little light, & be more portable if you have budget problems.
Using a single strobe - creative examples - post yours

** IMPORTANT LINKS: Studio Lighting **"