What should I sell, keep, and/or buy?

[Carny]

I've amassed quite a hodgepodge of gear. Naturally I always want to upgrade something, I just need help figuring out what I should keep, what I should sell, and what I should buy. Here's what I've got:

Canon T2i gripped
Canon 50d
18-55 is
28-135 is
55-250 is
18-200
Tamron 28-70
430ex ii
$850 debt

The debt is from my last purchase, and I have to sell something to pay that off. If I sell everything I'd be left with about $1850 to work with after paying back the $850. I have lots of overlap on my lenses and no particular attachment to anything.

What would you do?

 

[Carny]

Oh, whatever I get will probably be from CL or ebay. With $1850 I could get a 7d and 24-70L. Or pretty close anyways.

 

[sm4him]

Not enough information for anyone to give you any real advice. What do you DO with this equipment? Portrait shoots? Other paid shoots? Just for fun? Landscapes, sports, macro, night photography?

What would be absolutely essential to keep, for ME, out of that list, may be completely different for YOU.

Granted, if it was me, I'd sell it ALL...and buy Nikon.

 

[Carny]

Sorry, I was in a hurry earlier. We'll be having a baby any day now, so I'm sure he'll be my main subject for a while. I don't do any paid stuff, all just a hobby at this point.

I'm actually open to switching to Nikon. I tried to work a deal out on a D700 just the other day. I've had a D90 for about 2 weeks. I've mainly gone with Canon because it is more common and I'm always buying and selling.

 

[The_Traveler]

Oh, sell the baby, for sure.

 

[usayit]

I agree... (not the selling baby thing but the not enough info comment.. hahha)

First... I am not too confident that you can net $1850 from everything minus the $850 debt if you sell everything.

anyways...

What I would do is probably not going to jive with many... but its what "I" would do.

Keep: T2i, flash, 18-200mm sell everything else. Buy 50mm f/1.4. Anyone with some experience can do a lot with that combination.

Save save save..... (babies are freakin expensive... hidden fees and what not..)

After you survive the initial sticker shock of the baby, save more and buy what you "really" want... rather than just settling on whatever you can get now in a limited budget. Even switching to Nikon.

My EOS lens collection grew and grew until I started track my usage. I figured out what parts really mattered and ended up with
5d, 1dMarkII, 24-105L, 100-400L (both chosen over the 24-70L and 70-200L IS), 24L, 50 1.4 , 85 1.8, 135L, 300L. If I were start up from scratch again, I'd probably end up with something very similar.

 

[MLeeK]

I'd get rid of the 18-55 and the 18-200 at least. I might think about the 28-135 too depending on how sharp it is. The T2i would go too. It's the same sensor as the 50D and the 50D is weather sealed, etc.

 

[usayit]

It's the same sensor as the 50D and the 50D is weather sealed, etc.

I may be wrong but isn't the T2i 18mp sensor and the 50d a 15mp sensor?

 

[KmH]

What if they are? MP isn't the be all to end all.

I did just fine with just 12 MP with my D300 and D3.

 

[usayit]

What if they are? MP isn't the be all to end all.

I did just fine with just 12 MP with my D300 and D3.

Well you know that I wasnt starting a fight over MP!!! Hell, you should remember I am usually one of the first to say that...... been around here a long time and you should know better. Calm down..... get a beer and relax.

My logic was this

1) neither T2i nor the 50d is the camera I would eventually want to end up with in the long term. So the intention is to sell both... eventually
2) The T2i will sell used for less than the 50d now.
3) The T2i lacks in many places but it still has the newest sensor.....
4) Sell the 50d now before it further depreciates... Being the more expensive of the two brand new, its depreciating at a faster rate. You will get more for it now than later.


When the time is right with the right amount of money saved, sell the t2i, the 18-200 and buy whatever the OP really wants...... 7d, 5d markII, 1d mark something, or even move on to the Nikon system. Either way, its a stop gap that leaves him with a good fast 50mm, a flash, limits loss due to depreciation, and gets him enough to create great photos as a stop gap.

Ps.. if not the 18-200mm then my second choice would be the 28-135 is. Its a good lens but quite dated. My only problem is that 28 on the wide end on a 1.5x crop sensor doesnt make for a good walk around lens.

 

[Carny]

Do you think the 50d will lose value faster? I do need to keep one of the bodies until I get the next. I figure there will be a flood of 7ds and 5d ii's when (if) the new ones come out. Keeping the t2 for now and getting a 50 sounds like a decent plan for now. Any other ideas?

 

[2WheelPhoto]

I'd get rid of the 18-55 and the 18-200 at least. I might think about the 28-135 too depending on how sharp it is. The T2i would go too. It's the same sensor as the 50D and the 50D is weather sealed, etc.

+1 and the 18-200 wouldn't be sold to anyone I like either

 

[Carny]

Oh, and as far as the baby goes, he'll eat just fine regardless, lol. I pay for all my hobbies by buying and selling and keep it separate. That's why I have the $850 debt. It's actually to myself because I used some of our 'real' money

 

[usayit]

Do you think the 50d will lose value faster? I do need to keep one of the bodies until I get the next. I figure there will be a flood of 7ds and 5d ii's when (if) the new ones come out. Keeping the t2 for now and getting a 50 sounds like a decent plan for now. Any other ideas?

My feeling is yes.... I see the market depreciating relative to age and how much originally cost. Neither of th cameras has anything that sets it apart. Its not like the original 5d which was one of the first affordable FF cameras which results in its value holding a bit better. Or another camera that has reach a niche or collectability status. You only have to look at higher more expensive camera bodies on the used market and examine the depreciation in terms of dollar cost rather than percentiles... then make your assessment. Remember, either camera can create great photos with the right person behind them.... I would be confident in myself... its just a matter of squeezing as much out of your initial investment.

Then ... pair a fast prime with a good walk around lens. In my case, I would pair a 50mm 1.4 with the 24-105L on trips. Gives me the flexibility during the day and a nice fast optic when low light indoors with a flash that can be called on when necessary.


Of course you could just jump in and sell everything and hope for the best. But the question is whether you will have enough for what you want or will be forced to settle on something else.

 

[Jeremy Z]

What would you do?

I'm not up to date on Canon, but assuming they're both crop sensor bodies, I'd sell the 28-135, 18-200, and 28-70. I thought about selling the T2i also, but sometimes, it would just be very nice to go out with two bodies, each with it's own lens. It'd be much faster to switch lenses by just grabbing the other body, with lens attached.

If you're not likely to need to do this, sell the T2i also.

If you have funds left, buy a Nikkor 35mm f/1.8. That will be nice for taking natural light pix of the baby without having to use a tripod or blast it with the flash.

Speaking of which (again, showing my Canon ignorance) if it is a bounce flash, don't even THINK of selling it. If not, sell it and get a bounce model.