I am buying all new Canon equipment to replace my Nikon D70. I have settled on the Canon EOS 7d camera (need built-in flash and to shoot movies), the challenge is what lenses to buy. Price is not necessarily an over-riding concern. I have spent hours reading everything I can find - thank goodness for Digital Picture.com, what a great help!


My problem is I cannot find anything anywhere which gives a clear and concise explanation of the difference between EF, EF-S and L levels. L apparently stands for Canon's professional line, but what about the other two - are they compatible with the 7d? Are they appropriate or or are some features useless on a 7d?


I am going to purchase two lenses. The first is the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM (I wish the reviews and F/stop were better for 70-300mm or the 100-400mm). I could certainly use the longer focal length for race car shooting - Sebring and LeMans both of which involve night time work.


I cannot begin to settle on a shorter focal length zoom (24 to 70mm or around that) for studio table top, and close people candid portraits (political events).My specifications are I want my short focal length zoom lense to have F/2.8, have Image Stabilization (IS) and have weather resistant construction for inclement weather. I shoot the PanAmericana Challenge in Mexico and the IS is a terrific feature for holding out the window and wildly shooting the huge crowds.


Please help - thanks for any input you may have...