canon upgrade/advice needed!q

[echo213]

hi!

i currently have a canon xti body, 17-40mm 4.0L and 70-300mm lenses.

i'm a beginner but but i have a pretty solid technical knowledge. i like to shoot music and concert photography mostly indoors in dark rooms, with lighting that isn't so great. i'm quickly realizing that my current set up just isn't going to cut it...

most of the time i find i cant get enough light, the images aren't clear, or the noise and grain are just out of control. it seems everyone else can effortlessly get great shots, and i'm struggling just to have options.

which brings me to.... considering an upgrade to a better camera body, or maybe buying another lens? (thinking about 1.4 50mm)

i'm looking for advice from anyone willing!

i've talked to the guys at b&h and calumet in nyc but it always seems like they are trying to push things on me. (which is how i ended up with the two lenses i have). of course price is a consideration, but i'd like to make smarter choices in purchasing/trading in equipment so i can really start to get creative when shooting shows.

if anyone has recommendations i'd love to hear them.

thanks so much!

 

[Mrsace13]

I'm also looking for advise, I am new and just bought the T1i, it will be in today however I am worried about the Tamron lens I chose, price was better but then I read they feel cheap and so on. I just love photography and have so much to learn but I am thinking a need a canon lens but I can't spend $$$ after just spending so much for the camera.

So I need your advise too please. Will a lower cost Canon lens be fine for a beginer? Are the Tamrons that bad? I guess when I get it in today I will be able to play with it.

 

[Hobbes]

It really depends on how much you are willing to pay. I believe a 5Dmk2 or 7D would be suited for your needs and you would definitely need some faster lenses like EF 24-70 f2.8L and as you mentioned 50 f1.4 I would definitely avoid the f1.8 version because of it's crappy low light af performance. If money isn't really an issue for you you should also get another fast prime like 24L, 35L or 85L

I'm also looking for advise, I am new and just bought the T1i, it will be in today however I am worried about the Tamron lens I chose, price was better but then I read they feel cheap and so on. I just love photography and have so much to learn but I am thinking a need a canon lens but I can't spend $$$ after just spending so much for the camera.

So I need your advise too please. Will a lower cost Canon lens be fine for a beginer? Are the Tamrons that bad? I guess when I get it in today I will be able to play with it.

which Tamron did you order? I have seen a lot of ppl saying how sharp their Tamron 28-75 f2.8 are

 

[Big Mike]

F1.4 is three stops larger than F4...that's eight times as much light.

So getting a 'faster' lens like the 50mm F1.4, would go a long way toward getting the shots you want.

If course, getting a camera like the 5DII, with it's fantastic high ISO performance, would also help, but that's an expensive option.

And as always, most problems can be tracked to user skill or error....it's not always the fault of the gear. So you might be able to do more with the equipment you have, just by using better technique. But without more info, it's impossible for us to know that.

 

[Big Mike]

F1.4 is three stops larger than F4...that's eight times as much light.

So getting a 'faster' lens like the 50mm F1.4, would go a long way toward getting the shots you want.

If course, getting a camera like the 5DII, with it's fantastic high ISO performance, would also help, but that's an expensive option.

And as always, most problems can be tracked to user skill or error....it's not always the fault of the gear. So you might be able to do more with the equipment you have, just by using better technique. But without more info, it's impossible for us to know that.

 

[CxThree]

+1 for what Mike said. If you cannot spend that much for the 1.4 lens right now, consider the 50mm 1.8. It's easily found for $100 or less and can save you in low light. It's not as good as the 1.4 for build quality, but it's still something that would help you in low light.