Hi All,


I'm a new member and newbie to photography, and have been reading a lot of posts here on the forum. I've had my Rebel XS and kit lens EFS 18-55mm 3.5-5.6 IS for over a year, and primarily take photos of my pets, a little bit of landscape, and a little macro too. I just took a beginner class, and am shooting in manual mode more. I have a nifty fifty (50mm 1.8) on the way, as it has wider aperture, it was reasonably priced, and I'm usually on the 55mm end of my lens alot of the time.


I have to say this is a really thoughtful and helpful group, but with all the info and beautiful photos, I've developed a severe case of "want it". Unfortunately, budget doesn't really match my list of wants, so I'm trying to sort out which items I should go with next. For my next lens, I want a longer zoom, and was thinking the 70-200 L f4 IS would be awesome, while still not being as heavy or expensive as the 2.8 IS version.I like the IS feature of my current lens, since I don't like lugging a tripod around. I also considered the 70-300 L, but it costs quite a bit more, plus not sure if the extra 100mm of zoom with variable aperture is a better trade off than the constant f4 of the other lens. Does the 1.4 extender work with the f4 lens well, and is that a decent alternative to the 70-300?


If I decide to go crazy and order a second lens, should I replace my kit with another general zoom? I've seen several posts recommending the EFS 17-55 f2.8 IS. Originally, since I already have a lens with this range I was thinking an upgrade to body would be better as the next purchase. But I also have read enough "glass first" posts, that I may have changed my mind.


I'd also love to upgrade my camera body, and since I have no need or desire to go FF, I am torn between the 60D and 7D. From my reading, I know that the 60D doesn't have the micro-adjust, but its other features are appealing to me (including the video which is actually a nice addition for me). The 7D seems to have many fans here, but the price difference of $600 plus the need for a new CF memory card is a bit steep. Either body would be an upgrade in fps, auto-focus, sensor, etc. Is the micro-adjust really that important? I don't have it now, but I also don't have any quality glass that the need would be obvious yet.


So, my dilemma is deciding on how high I want to run up my debt, and if I do want to order 1 or 2 lenses, and possibly a camera body too. I'm not opposed to refurbished/used gear, but the rebates right now also make this choice just a tad bit harder.


Any and all suggestions and opinions are welcome. Thanks for reading!


-Carrie