What would you buy. (its a long one)

[brdy]

What would you buy. (its a long one)
Okay Iam sure you seasoned photographers get asked this question all the time. If you can point me in the direction of some decisive documentation on the subject then that would be great. But what I would really like is some of you experienced photographers giving me some decisive advise. On choosing a few lenses.
I expect most to say …..“ well it depends what you want to do “ ….this is the sort of no committal advise you get from reading articles about lenses etc.. Is there anyone out there that has come from a background such as me and can understand where I am at now. I just like taking photos and trying to get best picture I can …it’s a hobbie…. I travel a fair bit and have 6 grand kids and used to work in wildlife research , live in the Northern Territory of Australia. So guess what Iam saying is, :- I take portrait pictures of my grand kids, I work in an Aboriginal art gallery I take pictures of paintings, I enjoy the outside and visit remote bush communities so I take landscapes. I travel to China and Europe so travel photography is high on my list. I currently have a Canon G11. As you probably know it’s a point and shoot , but its also a great little camera that has taught me a lot. However , the pictures that I first thought were out of this world are no longer cutting it.
I now want more from image quality my little 6.1 to 30.5 mm lens with 4.6 crop factor is just not good enough, especially in low light, or medium light if things are moving, I want sharper focus and I want to be able to take photos quicker. I don’t want photo quality to drop when I put it into burst mode, I want much less noise at higher ISO. Currently anything higher than 400 ISO starts to produce noise that’s not acceptable anymore. The next step for me is an DSLR
Of course now the big BUT : but I don’t have the money to go and buy top of the range camera and lenses. So like most things in life it comes down to a compromise.
From what I have read it comes down to the quality of the “glass” MORE than the camera its attached to… is this correct…? New Camera bodies seem to come out on a fairly regular basis, but a good lens is a good lens and can be stuck on any camera that share the same connection right.. I have a limited budget of $3,000 ish
So I was thinking of buying a Canon 60 D for $840 Australian and then the rest on some “glass” so to speak.
I know $3,000.00 is not much especially when the pro cameras themselves are more than this. But I am not a pro and Iam at this stage just wanting to move to a DSLR. Why do I like the 60D I don’t know I have no experience with any DSLR, but I do have experience with that flip out fold away swivel LCD screen and I love it .. I think we are going to see more of these on cameras in the future, to be honest I don’t know how you got on without them in the past (((( smile ))) .. You can take photos over peoples heads under there feet close to the ground, you can take photos of people without them even knowing your holding a camera etc etc etc .. SO Iam partial to that feature, the 60D also fits my budget. I’d like a 7D but then it doesn’t leave me much for “glass”. So now my main question .
I have a 60D camera body no lenses and and just over $2000.00 to spend on lenses. WHAT LENSES WOULD YOU BUY ??
I know the 60D comes with some cheap kit lenses but I have been told that I wouldn’t achieve much if I relied on those, bit like putting a lawn mower engine in your Lamborghini.
However , I think , regardless of what else I buy, I will probably buy the Canon 50mm f1.8 II prime lens .. its only $96 and I have read many experts saying it’s a great simple lens that would demonstrate what prime lenses are about and is good on an ASP-C sensor as a portrait lens. I have heard this from a number of sources and-.hey its less than $100. BUT that leaves me with $2100.00

Now like I say I have no experience with DSLR or lenses. How important are fast lenses like f2.8 across the range of lens. ? Remember I said I wanted to be able to shoot at higher ISO and in low light ? How important is it to have lenses that cover the wide angles from 8mm to 16 or 20mm.
What focal length lens do you find you most use everyday?
I’d love your input here ...especially from you people that have been through this and have the benefit of experience and hindsight…now with hindsight what would you buy?
Blow the whole $2100 bucks on one good lens.? Maybe I should just buy the standard normal 50mm lens and start my learning experience there.? And work it out for myself as I go. Only trouble with that is I’d probably spend the rest of the money on beer and fishing tackle.
With no knowledge and just the internet as research tool, I came up with a three options what do you think.?

Option 1
Canon EF 50mm f1.8 II $ 96.00
Going to be my cheap but adequate portrait lens.

Canon EF-S 15-85 mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM $ 700.00
Fairly good reviews and drops to 15mm and reportedly better than most offered kit lenses
Tamron AF 70-300mm f4-5.6 SP VC USD $ 558.00
Good review Tamron AF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 SP Di VC USD (EOS) - APS-C Format Review / Lab Test

Total for Option 1 = $1354.00
Thoughts: Worried that I don’t have any fast lens in there for low light apart from 50mm f1.8.
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Option 2 (If I didnt worry about wider than 24mm for now ?)
Canon 50mm f1.8 II $ 96.00
Canon 24-70mm f2.8 L IS USM $1329.00 “L” lens suspect will use most
Tamron AF 70-300mm f4-5.6 SP VC USD $ 558.00 Good review Tamron AF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 SP Di VC USD (EOS) - APS-C Format Review / Lab Test

Total for option 2 = $1983.00
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Option 3

Canon 17-50mm f2.8 IS USM $ 980.00 Good revs and fast enough
Canon 50mm f1.8 II $ 96.00 cheap but adequate portrait lens
Canon EF 85mm f1.8 USM $ 383.00 Very good review Fast mid range
Tamron AF 70-300mm f4-5.6 SP VC USD $ 558.00 Good reviews

Total of Option 3 = $2017.00
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OR IF I WAS ABLE TO SELL ONE OF THE GRAND KIDS AND HANDLE THE DIVORCE PERHAPS I COULD RAISE ANOTHER $1000.00 If so ...Would it be worth going

Option : Live ostracized from rest of family
Canon 50mm f1.8 II $ 96.00 cheap adequate portrait lens
Canon 24-70mm f2.8 L IS USM $1329.00 “L” lens suspect use this most
Canon 70 -300 mm f4-5.6 L IS USM $1540.00 “L” lens

Total live in dog kennel option = $ 2965.00
BUT With this live on my own for rest of my life option --all three lenses could be used on a Canon EF full frame camera I could by in future with money I save not having a missus

What would you buy?

 

[Big Mike]

I'll give you plenty of credit for thinking this through...most people just ask 'what should I buy?'.

One thing that I think should be a deciding factor, is how you plan to carry/travel with your gear. You said that traveling is a big priority, so how do you plan to carry your gear? The G11 is a great little P&S camera...and actually many photographers who already have all the gear they could want, use a Canon G series camera for travel because it's so small.
My concern is that you may find it a big change, maybe a big inconvenience to carry around a DSLR body and several lenses & accessories etc. Of course, you have to weigh your priorities...is image quality more important than convenience?...and how much so? If you really want top quality, are you willing to carry a tripod around with you?

Those questions will also lead to which lenses to choose. You can get 'super zoom' lenses, something like 18-300mm that will probably cover every focal length you might need and the lenses aren't even that big. Very convenient, but the quality is lower than I'd like...and I'd guess you'd say the same. It does sound like you are leaning toward at least one prime lens (50mm) and a couple zooms...so that's likely where you'll end up.

I think that you will want a 'normal range' zoom lens, which on that camera, is 17-50mm. The Canon EF-S 17-55mm IS, is probably the 'best' option in that range (besides the 16-35mm F2.8 L) but it's expensive. You can get the same specs and almost as good quality with the Tamron 17-50mm F2.8, for much less. They have a 'VC' version which is more.

You'll also want a telephoto zoom. You seem settled on the Tamron 70-300mm VC...and I don't know much about it, so I can't say if it will give you the quality you're looking for. Most 70-300mm lenses are near the bottom of the scale when it comes to image quality. Near the top of the scale, are the 70-200mm L lenses...the F4 version is probably the only one that would fit your budget...but their are F2.8 versions from both Sigma & Tamron. As is typical, they Sigma/Tamron offering are not quite as good as the Canon option (but still good)...but they are half the price.

So, if I were to suggest lenses for you...one option would be the Tamron 17-50mm F2.8, the 50mm F1.8 (because it's cheap) & the Tamron 70-300 VC (or the Canon 70-300mm IS).
If your budget allows, I would add an ultra wide angle to that. Something like the Sigma 10-20mm. I love shooting landscapes and I'd be lost without my Canon 10-22mm.

 

[Offhand]

I had the Tamron 17-50 non vc version and thought it was excellent. Good image quality, fast focusing and very light and compact. My non vc version was sharper than the vc version my friend has. The only thing I didn't care for was the noisy motor. Wasn't bad but wasn't USM either. It would draw attention during quiet moments. I traveled with it a lot.

 

[ghache]

with a 3000 $ budjet, this is what i would buy if i were in your pants.

tokina 12-24
canon 24-70
sigma 70-200. or the canon F4.

since you dont have the budjet for these 3 L 2.8 lens this is what i would do.

the tokina is a great lens for the money.
i wouldnt cheap out of the 24-70,
and the sigma 70-200 has proven to be a really good lens for the money.

i am mostly taking portrait and landscape myself and this is what i have. (nikon versions)
i am now saving for the nikon 80-200 or the sigma 70-200. the nikon 70-200 VRii is way out of my price range for now