Help talk me off the ledge...

My wife lost her G9. That caused her to start borrowing my 5D/35L when I wasn't using it. This caused me this pang of anxiety that if she broke either, I'd have to hide the heart attack and say "No really...it's okay" with a straight face.

So I just snagged her a like-new 40D. She's been bitten by the photography bug and will love the 40D.

Here is my problem. In this down economy, most of my paid gigs have turned into a few portraits of a customer's kids, or a few of their soccer game or what have you.

I bought a 1D3 to be the great partner to the 5D. What the 5D doesn't do well, the 1D3 excels at. What the 5D does better, the 1D3 can hold its own anyhow. But it also was for being a backup body as I tend to use the 5D more than the 1D3.

Am I insane in thinking about selling the 1D3 and having the 40D as a backup / faster action camera? I'm figuring that I could take the 2 grand from the 1D3 and invest it in glass, though I don't really "need" another lens.

Bah, what the hell should I do?

well, if you can't stomach the 40D as a backup/sports body, get a 7D? Refurbed they're not bad now and if you can do the loyalty program they're $1100 + tax... Hell of a camera and it does most of what your 1Diii does. Much more so than the 40D (which is a good camera on it's own).

It's not about not being able to stomach the 40D as a backup/action. I had a 40D for a long time when it first got released, and loved the camera. Going from a 1D3 to anything else will be a step down, but it's also $2k not being used as much as a lens might be. I've been tempted by the 24mm II and was figuring that it would give the wife and I two wide primes to walk around with (no fighting over the 35L)

And here I thought we were going to have to talk you out of committing suicide (by jumping off the ledge) after your wife broke your 5D...

"No, really, everything will work out, trust me. I know it's depressing, but... your 5D is in a better place now..."

If she broke my 5D, I'd be huddled on the floor crying, not typing on here