Camera Set Up

EMX · Aug 14, 2007

I am thinking of upgrading my camera set up.

I am currently using a 6.3MP canon digital rebel with a 580EX speedlight flash.

I plan on still using the flash and the 18-55mm lens with my new set up.

Please give me your opnion on this set up, I will be mainly doing portraits.

Canon EOS 30D 8.2 Megapixel Digital SLR Camera Body USA
$959.95 : Sigma4less.com

Canon BG-E2 Battery Vertical Grip/Battery Holder for Canon EOS 20D & 30D Digital SLR Cameras
$149.95 : Sigma4less.com

(2) SanDisk 2GB Extreme III CompactFlash (CF) Memory Card
$47.95 ea : Sigma4less.com

Canon Zoom Telephoto EF 70-200mm f/4L USM Autofocus Lens USA (walk around, telephoto)
$579.95 : Sigma4less.com

Canon Normal EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Autofocus Lens - USA (Portrait)
$309.95 : Sigma4less.com

thoughts?

Don Simon · Aug 14, 2007

Personally... there is no way I would replace or upgrade a camera body and yet plan to keep using the kit lens. It just doesn't make sense to me. Your Rebel has a good sensor and is capable of creating excellent images. After that, it's all about the lens. The 50mm f/1.4 and the 70-200mm f/4 are great lenses, some of the best you can get... while the 18-55mm is the cheapest lens you can get and it shows. I know you can get decent results with a kit lens, but you could do so much better with a lens of similar quality to the 50 and the 70-200. For that reason, I would hold off on the new body, get the 50 and the 70-200 and also get a better wide-to-normal zoom to replace the kit lens. Of course some would say, why get a normal zoom if you mainly plan on shooting portraits? My answer would be, if you only plan on shooting portraits then why get a 30D either?

Just my deux centines.

EMX · Aug 14, 2007

I see your point on the 18-55mm lens

but i dont see your point on the body

I was using the 30d at a friends house and I love it, more control and more functionality.

What would be a good walk around lens in the 18-100mm range?

Steph · Aug 14, 2007

EMX said:
What would be a good walk around lens in the 18-100mm range?

The Canon EF-S 17-85MM f4-5.6 IS USM might be what you are looking for. It gets really good reviews and is much better than the 18-55mm kit lens.

Big Mike · Aug 14, 2007

What would be a good walk around lens in the 18-100mm range?

The 17-85 F4-5.6 IS USM. It's a pretty good lens; it's built well, it feels good and it has IS. It does have a smallish maximum aperture though, so it's not ideal for low light shots of moving subjects. Some alternatives would be the Tamron 17-50 F2.8 or the Sigma 18-50 F2.8. Also, the Canon 17-40 F4 L, which has very good image quality but only a max aperture of F4. Maybe the best lens in this range is the Canon 17-55 F2.8 IS...but it's expensive.

EMX · Aug 14, 2007

Thanks

any other thoughts on my choice of lenses?

Big Mike · Aug 14, 2007

Your choices sound good to me. The 70-200 F4 L, is a great lens...one of the best. Although, you can get it with Image Stabilizer, which would be better. You could also get a 70-200 F2.8 L, which is bigger and heavier but better for action shots...and you could also consider the best one, the 70-200 F2.8 L IS....of course, each one is more expensive than the last.

The 50mm F1.4 is a great lens. It's a bit long for my liking, I prefer a shorter focal length (having used a 50mm on a film SLR for so long). I have the Sigma 30mm F1.4 and it's an amazing lens.

I do agree with ZaphodB somewhat. Better lenses will make a much bigger improvement than upgrading the body from a D Rebel to a 30D. You could certainly hold off on the body and save the money or invest that into lenses. On the other hand, the 30D is certainly a better camera than the Rebel. I have a feeling that the 30D may be replaced this fall, or maybe before the end of the year...so you could either wait for the new model or try to get a better deal on the 30D when it is discontinued.

Don Simon · Aug 14, 2007

BTW my point about the body was not that you shouldn't be "upgrading" the camera body if you can afford to, but rather that I would definitely prioritise the lenses over the body. I tend to agree about having more control, with higher-end bodies assuming you know what you're doing and therefore not forcing you to go into menus all the time for various settings. As for more functions it seems to me that some of the 30D's major abilities (like shooting at 5fps) are more of an advantage for sports or wildlife than portraiture... but if you can comfortably afford to upgrade your lenses and the body too then sure it's a good idea, if only for the 30D's better build.