Time for an upgrade

[Visitante]

Hi guys,

I´m from Brazil and i´m going to spend my "winter" vacation on New York and Orlando.

As the prices of cameras here in Brazil are prohibitive i'll buy a new camera for the trip on USA.

I´ve sold my canon T3i kit and a canon 50 1.4 this month for some cash and I was looking at bhphoto site and find these kits:

Canon EOS 60D
Canon 430EX II
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens
Canon 50mm f/1.4 USM Autofocus Lens
Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 DI VC

$ 3,068.00

Canon 5D Mark II + 24-105
Canon 430EX II
Canon 50mm f/1.4 USM Autofocus Lens

$ 3,297.00

Canon 7D
Canon 430EX II
Canon 50mm f/1.4 USM Autofocus Lens
Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 DI VC

$ 3,446.00

I´ve liked the Nikon D7000 too, but Nikon lenses are too expensive...

My max budget for the camera is 3,500.00. And I´m currently thinking that the 60D is the best choice, because of the lenses.

I´m not a prime guy and I really like zooms. My daugther started on doing ballet, so i´d like to take photos of her dancing.

All comments and thoughts most welcome.

For the ones that will ask why i´ve sold my 50mm, if i´m going to buy it again: An used 50mm 1.4 here in Brazil costs around $ 550.00.

Sorry for the bad english.

 

[TheBiles]

That 5D2 kit blows the 60D kit away.

Sent from my Galaxy S III

 

[Gravel]

Are you wanting a full frame or cropped sensor?

 

[Visitante]

I´ve never used a full frame camera, only cropped. The 5D Mk II will give me better iso performance, but i´ve read that the af sucks...

I´ve sold all my gear, so as i´m starting a new kit i could go to full frame.

 

[Big Mike]

What type of shooting do you do most often?

The 'best' option is #2. The 5DmkII can give you outstanding image quality and the Canon 24-105mm lens is (most likely) much better than the Tamron 24-70mm.

If you shoot action/sports, then the improved Auto Focus on the 7D might be worth considering. If you mostly shoot portraits, landscapes etc., then the 5DmkII would be ideal. I do agree that the AF on the 5DII is disappointing (for a camera of that price), but it's not terrible.

The 60D is a capable camera. Depending on how you shoot, the articulating screen may be a big factor.
If you need a telephoto lens like the 70-300mm, then choosing the 60D might be a good option.

 

[TCampbell]

Did you hate the AF system on your T3i? The 5D II pretty much the same system (although the 5D II does have a few hidden focus-assist points and I'm not sure if those are present on the T3i.)

The "gripe" about the 5D II's focus system was that the camera used to cost $2500 and for that money you got the same focus system that the Rebels had. Meanwhile the 7D got a vastly better (19 point AF with all cross-type points) system and even the 60D got the 9 point AF arrangement you're familiar with on the T3i except that all 9 points are cross-type. On the 5D II, it's pretty much the same as the Rebel bodies... 9 points, but only the center point is cross-type.

It's not that there's a problem with the system not working... it's that, considering it's price tag, it should have had a better system.

The overall quality of the images on the 5D II is fabulous. You get a nice large bright viewfinder. You get the full-frame quality to the images. ISO performance is better (noticeably less noise) and full frame cameras provide a nicer overall look to the images -- background blur (bokeh) quality is improved, diffraction limits don't kick in until higher f-stops, etc.

If your daughter is doing ballet then you might want an f/2.8 zoom lens, or a faster prime lens (I'm a big fan of the EF 135mm f/2L USM.)

 

[Visitante]

Thank you all for the help.

I´ll try to put more money on the bag and get a canon 5d mark II + 24-105L + sigma 70-200 2.8 OS. I´ll miss the flash and 50 1.4, but with the sigma i´ll get more reach.

The canon 70-200 2.8 IS L is to much for me now...maybe next year.

 

[sovietdoc]

If you're going with 24-105 f/4L (which is a great lens btw) then I wouldn't recommend 70-200. The focal range overlaps too much, so how about canon 100-400L ? Yes it is more expensive than used sigma 70-200 but in the end, if you get the sigma, you won't be using it that much with your 24-105L. Most of the time there just won't be enough reason to not use 24-105 which is all around a lot better. By getting 100-400L you're almost not overlapping your focal range at all, but by getting a 70-200, you are overlapping mostly all of it. Save up and get 100-400L

The "problem" with a camera like 5D2 is the fact that it's too good. The IQ it can deliver is so outstanding that any lens that is less than "great" will be noticeably degrading your IQ. This doesn't mean you need to use only the best L glass on it, but it pretty much means you can't settle for non "L" zooms. Primes like 50mm f/1.4 are fine.

You're trying to get more reach, now first of all:

1) Why are you're going to NY in the winter for a vacation?
2) If you're going to NY, why do you need a tele Lens?

 

[Visitante]

Winter here im Brazil . Summer in New York and Orlando (Disney)...

The tele lens is for my daughter ballet class. Not for the trip per se.

I prefer to use a black lens, not to attrack much attention.

It´s to expensive to buy theses lenses here in Brazil, so i´d like to buy everything in New York.

The Sigma 70-200 2.8 OS costs $ 1,299 on USA, here it costs almost as $ 2,500 due to taxes, the canon 70-200 f 2.8 IS costs $ 3,500. This price is not on a official retailer. On canon store the price of the 70-200 IS is $ 5.000.

All prices in US$.

 

[sovietdoc]

Oh I see. Although considering the size of 70-200 Sigma, I am not completely sure that it won't attract attention, even if it's completely black.

 

[Visitante]

Thank you all again for the help.

TCampbell i was not aware that the EF 135mm L was that good, and that it works well with the 1.4 extender.

I´ve read a lot of reviews yesterday and maybe we have a winner!