Age Old Question.. Glass or Body.

[Dinardy]

Kara, buying used is a great option if you can find the right seller. I've had A LOT of luck.

eBay keeps things accountable and for the most part, you are protected.
Craigslist can be great as well, as long as you can meet during the day in a public place.

I have bought a lot of glass (some stuff over 40 years old) over the last couple years without a problem.
To my surprise most SLR/DSLR owners are pretty good about keeping their equipment in good shape.

I say go for the full frame body as well. I don't think you will ever regret it, I too am into portrait/wedding/low light stuff.
I would love to jump over to full frame and have always bought my glass accordingly so.

 

[Gavjenks]

^
Craigslist is a lot better than ebay if you can find what you're looking for (more likely in New York for instance, than in Iowa). Because when you meet the person, you can inspect the glass yourself and they can't trick you with photos or ambiguous descriptions.

Ebay does protect you, but only if the description was faulty, etc. If they sold it "as is" and were vague on the details and don't have a return policy, then you might be stuck with it as long as they didn't lie about anything. Avoidable if you pay attention, but it's easy to miss something.

As safe as craigslist + as much stock as ebay would be buying used from somewhere like Amazon marketplace, or Adorama's used stuff, or whatnot. They have much more buyer protection. But you pay for these conveniences with less discounted rates than ebay or craigslist, usually.

Another option is of course brick and mortar stores. Some are stupidly over priced even for used stuff. Others are pretty reasonable. Worth taking a look near you. Similar to craigslist in that you can inspect in person and are unlikely to be taken advantage of, but stock is limited.

Consider facebook too, if you have many photography friends.

 

[KaraElizabeth]

Thanks everyone! I went with a 5D Mark III. I hadn't mentioned a budget because I was speaking hypothetically. I'm really excited for FF and the other possibilities awaiting me.
Thanks again!

 

[EDL]

Given that you've got two decent FF lenses already, it wouldn't make sense to buy a APS-C wide-angle lens which leads you toward another FF lens; my suggestion would be a body, say a nice, used 5DII?

Glad to hear that, honestly I've really been wanting a FF. Couldn't I get a FF wide angle lens though, that would also work on my Rebel? Hesitant about buying used... have you had positive experiences doing so? Just nervous about how it was taken care of... shutter count... etc.

I've only purchased one used item so far, just got a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM, off Ebay no less, and it was like brand new, works perfectly. I was very nervous to drop that much money on a lens on Ebay, but it worked out and I'm very happy with it.

 

[KaraElizabeth]

Given that you've got two decent FF lenses already, it wouldn't make sense to buy a APS-C wide-angle lens which leads you toward another FF lens; my suggestion would be a body, say a nice, used 5DII?

Glad to hear that, honestly I've really been wanting a FF. Couldn't I get a FF wide angle lens though, that would also work on my Rebel? Hesitant about buying used... have you had positive experiences doing so? Just nervous about how it was taken care of... shutter count... etc.

I've only purchased one used item so far, just got a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM, off Ebay no less, and it was like brand new, works perfectly. I was very nervous to drop that much money on a lens on Ebay, but it worked out and I'm very happy with it.

My MkIII is also off eBay, brand new. The seller is very kind, great reviews, and keeping me informed via email every step of the way. Can't wait!

 

[chris21908]

Definitely buy a full frame, especially since u already made up your mind about getting a full frame