feel anxious about buying new lens & 7D.

I feel anxious about buying the sigma 180mm macro lens and the 7D. I feel ambivalent whether to pay such large amount of money. I unable to sleep soundly for a week.

How do you guys rationalize about purchasing new camera & lens ?

I don't know what to do. I need advice.

Life is too short...just enjoy it....buy what you can.

Look at it like a long-term rental; lenses generally hold their value quite well. Many of the lenses I have sold have been sold for the price I paid for them (used) or max a couple of hundred bucks less (new).

Hiring a lens for a year or two for a few hundred bucks is a pretty good prospect

what do you currently shoot with?

I'd love to get a 5dmkII, but can't reason buying one at the moment. I'm hoping to get more into wedding photography/portraits and maybe make some money that I can put towards one. Maybe in a year or so I can buy a refurb for under $2000 which would ease my mind as well.

I WILL be purchasing either a Sigma 17-50 f/2.8 OS (if it is good) or a Canon 17-55IS... it will be my most expensive purchase to date (I buy most things used). A year ago I thought a $900 lens was crazy for me, but after using one for a weekend (17-55IS) I realize it is worth the money.

if you have the money... go for it and get it over with!

If you don't, try to put your mind on something else, let it rest, try distracting on something else, stay off the forums and if after a week or 2 you feel the same.... ask for loan or it will never go away, the urge will kill you slowly and consume you into a dried-up raisin.

I used to run the rivers around here in a small underpowered jet boat that was always a disappointment when the power was needed or when ability to safely jam a rock was a necessity. I took excellent care of it, ran it for ten years, and lost about 5-6 thousand overall when I sold it.
Now I have a heavy duty boat with more than enough power to get me in trouble, it is bigger, safer, and capable of moving rocks out of the way when needed without fear of it becoming a large chunk of scrap aluminum. I will run it ten years (half way there now) and lose probably 5-6 thousand when I sell it based on current prices even in this economy.
Get the good stuff. everything depreciates, would you rather lose the money on a peice of top of the line equipment or on a third rate bargain?

DStanic wrote in post #10115889
what do you currently shoot with?

I'd love to get a 5dmkII, but can't reason buying one at the moment. I'm hoping to get more into wedding photography/portraits and maybe make some money that I can put towards one. Maybe in a year or so I can buy a refurb for under $2000 which would ease my mind as well.

I WILL be purchasing either a Sigma 17-50 f/2.8 OS (if it is good) or a Canon 17-55IS... it will be my most expensive purchase to date (I buy most things used). A year ago I thought a $900 lens was crazy for me, but after using one for a weekend (17-55IS) I realize it is worth the money.

I currently own the Rebel XT. I am drooling from just looking at the 7D in the store. My mind can't seem to think about anything else except for the 7D.

This feels like some fetish obession.

picard wrote in post #10120535
I currently own the Rebel XT. I am drooling from just looking at the 7D in the store. My mind can't seem to think about anything else except for the 7D.

This feels like some fetish obession.

Have you thought about a 40D or 50D perhaps? It's not quite a 7D but it's a leap from the Rebel XT.

Regardless of the camera- don't feel bad for spending the max on lenses. I'm on my third telephoto zoom which I feel is "very good" but ultimately I'd like to have a 70-200 f/2.8 IS. However if I get a 5DmkII I can crank the ISO and be fine with a 2.8L non-IS or f/4 IS.

picard wrote in post #10120535
I currently own the Rebel XT. I am drooling from just looking at the 7D in the store. My mind can't seem to think about anything else except for the 7D.

This feels like some fetish obession.

I know just how you feel!
I'm only able to keep my sanity by spending cash on lenses (mostly). To me the first thing one really needs to get good is the glass - once you have good glass (or the camera starts to die) then its time to think about getting a new camera body. I only have the exception of if one wants to get into fullframe work as when they should consider the body earlier in the purchasing proces.

As for justification - I'll get stuff as good as I can afford its my hobby and what I put my time into. For some its cars, others planes, some its model ships and others its down the pub. For me its cameras and photography so I have no qualms spending the cash on stuff I will use.

both the 7D camera body and the 180mm sigma macro are fantastic bits of gear to have and use and if you get them (once you learn to use them) chances are you won't regret it. Just get out and shoot

You just gotta bite the bullet sometimes.
The 7D is a good camera, and you'll see that once you get it.

Do you plan on using it often? or do you have enough money to buy them? If you're going to be poor from the purchase, then rethink it and go for a different camera I'd say. I'd rather have a really good lens than an ok lens and really nice camera.