Think I'm ready to upgrade

Yeah he jokes that's he's my pack mule. He normally carries the bag with a lens or two in it plus the tripod, while I carry the camera and other little things.

And i agree, I feel that the other crop cameras, while they're an obvious upgrade from the 30D I feel for the details and IQ I want the 5DII, is really the camera I need. So for now I'm going to go with the FF. If it's just too much, then I'll worry. But for now as I said earlier, I really want to enjoy my photography to it's fullest, then see what happens in the future. Even if it's just silly photos, I still really want the narrow DOF and lovely details and good low light.

gonzogolf wrote in post #10466099
If weight is the concern that it seems to be, get primes and forgo the zooms. You get better low light performance and less weight. Otherwise to the quality you want things weigh what they weigh, you have to either sacrifice quality or personal comfort.

yes I've been seriously thinking of this. I use a lot of primes now and only one zoom and for the most part am only missing a bit. The only other issue with primes is my back. If for some reason I can't climb down or up to get the shot I want, a zoom would be helpful. (sigh, this coming from the person who for 15 years only used a 50 prime, then only a few other primes for years.) If I get the camera without the kit lens, then I could afford two more primes and have a good prime set up and only use the zoom when I go to a festival or something like that. For my landscapes and nature/garden stuff I'm used to carrying 2-3 primes and no zoom, so it won't be much different.

i imagine a simple set up like a 5dmkii a 50mm and the 135 f2 L would be fairly versitile. Then maybe a 17-40 for landscapes.

Personally i have the 4 lenses in my sig and i most often only use 2 of them. The 10-20 for ultra wide and the 70-200 for most other things. The 50 comes out in low light and the kit lens gets used rarely at most. If i ever get round to getting a FF camera i imagine i would leave the 70-200 on that and the 10-20 on the 500D and just carry that around with me.

If you decide to go with the 5D mkII, its only a click away... look at my signature...
Good luck with whatever you decide!

I would suggest looking at the camdapter strap since it will more evenly distribute the camera/lens weight throughout your hand instead of you having to grasp it tightly.

The other thing I would suggest is a very light weight carbon fiber monopod and mount the camera/lens to it. It would do two things, it would rest your hands, and it will steady your shot.

I think both options are something you should consider. It will add around $150-200 to your total price tag, but the comfort level and increased enjoyment factor may very well be worth it.

TeamSpeed wrote in post #10468172
I would suggest looking at the camdapter strap since it will more evenly distribute the camera/lens weight throughout your hand instead of you having to grasp it tightly.

The other thing I would suggest is a very light weight carbon fiber monopod and mount the camera/lens to it. It would do two things, it would rest your hands, and it will steady your shot.

I think both options are something you should consider. It will add around $150-200 to your total price tag, but the comfort level and increased enjoyment factor may very well be worth it.

My husband also suggested a monopod. His reasoning is like yours, it'll take the weight of the camera out of my hands while shooting. But the problem is not when shooting, it's more carrying it. The wrist thing sounds good, I'll have to look into that.

get a donkey.... or a big working dog with a carrying coat. Hell get one of those bags on wheels to but it in. That would be nice.... until you hit rough terrain of course..... ok maybe just make your hubby carry it as said before.

ha ha! Well the walks we do a wheeled bag wouldn't work, hell if I had a wheeled anything I'd be on it too! A big dog would be nice! He could also carry a bit of whiskey in a barrel!

If you want to try out the handstrap option (and obviously you won't be using the Canon E1 strap because that requires either a plate on the bottom or a battery grip), you could order this and not be out very much money at all. Just be prepared to wait about 3-4 weeks to get it.

http://www.dealextreme​.com/details.dx/sku.27​853

Just check the strap from time to time, it looks like it could wear through with time. I have had mine for a couple of years and it still works well enough. Maybe continue to use the neck strap with this as a precaution.

Now that would be cool. I dont think my dog could carry anything as he is only diddy.

it seem like you would do landscape a lot more, may i suggest don't buy any L prime and buy the non-L primes, so it save weight and money towards more lens. May be only get 17-40L. Or even some off brand ones, I know some of them is really a weight and size saver!

Hey GardenGirl,

I checked out your pics and you have done some very nice work. Go for it - get the camera!

NeutronBoy wrote in post #10491516
Hey GardenGirl,

I checked out your pics and you have done some very nice work. Go for it - get the camera!

Really???????? Thanks!!

The money just got put into my acct so I'm buying it today!!! Man I'm so excited I can't hardly sit still! I'm also going to look into different straps. Mine is from 1980 that my parents bought with the A1, no padding, but looks cool! It's the only strap I've ever used.

How is the POTN strap? Are there any others that would work well? Are they like bags where you really need to go try them out before you buy? For now I'm just looking for one to go around my neck, as when I go out to shoot my camera is always in my hand and I think being able to put it on my neck will save my poor fingers!

POTN straps are great, and you are supporting this forum too!

aww congrats on your new baby today =)
enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!