STOP the madness!

[ddt0725]

would you keep your 7D? <span style="color: #ff0000;"]Yes, I'd keep the 7D. I want to be able to take both on nature hikes for landscape shots &amp; wildlife.


A few quick reactions, assuming you are keeping the 7D:

• 100-400L:I've seen a lot of great pictures from you with the 7D and the 100-400L taken at 400mm. Are you sureyou to give up that combination. Plus, the 100-400L IS II is rumored to be coming out in 2011 ([img]/emoticons/emotion-4.gif[/img]). Ok...don't count on that. Do you think you'd be happy with 300 mm and the 7D? <span style="color: #ff0000;"]Not so sure, when I had the 300mm f/4, I used the extender also most of the time. If you aren't going to keep the 7D, it seems like you would be giving up a lot of reach.
• 70-200 f/4 (IS??): I recall a few photos from you with this lens, soI am not sure you use it much.Do you? <span style="color: #ff0000;"]Hardly at all! Maybe a handful of times since I bought it.
• 17-55 f/2.8: Just a quick reaction here, but it seems that you'd be trading f2.8 on your 7D with this lens for better ISO performance with the 5D but f4 with the24-105.Of course, with your primes you'd get the extra light and better noise performance. <span style="color: #ff0000;"]I know but all in all, I really love everything about the 24-105mm, the zoom range for in the backyard and the IQ.
• 70-300L. I was tempted by this lens too. Smaller, lighter and better IS/IQ (likely) than the 100-400L. But in 6 months it may be cheaper and you'll have reviews to judge it by. <span style="color: #ff0000;"]I am thinking to wait til spring at least on this one.

Playing with the math, you may still be kicking in ~$1,000-$1,500. At that point, if you don't use it much, I might be tempted start your transition in steps andsell the 70-200 f/4 and buy the 5DII and leave everything else the same....for now [img]/emoticons/emotion-1.gif[/img]. But I am a boring engineer....[img]/emoticons/emotion-15.gif[/img] <span style="color: #ff0000;"]I work with "boring" engineers all day long and am intrigued by their logical way of thinking!

<span style="color: #000000;"]To prioritize things ...I really think the Sigma 85mm will be better (IQ &amp; AF)than what I have (am I correct with this?) and I love that lensand it's cheaper than the 85L I really want. So, the Sigma I think is at the top of my list so that makes selling the 85mm at the top of the sell list. Costing me an additional $600 approx.

I never use the 70-200mm so that is next to sell and since I then have no reason for the 1.4 II that goes out with it along &amp;sell the 17-55mmto get the 5d II with no extra $ needed (hmmm...unless I keep the 17-55mm &amp; buy a used 5D II).

I keep the 100-400mm until reviews come in &amp; price goes downfor the 70-300mm and rebates go bye-bye.

Denise

[ddt0725]

I do use (want) the reach the 100-400mm gives me and even wish I could afford more reach. I most always have it set at 400mm. The extra 100mm will be hard to part with. Even when I briefly owned the 300mm f/4 I usually used it with the 1.4ex II attached but sold that lens for for the 100-400mm. With the new 70-300mm, I am hoping I will get over losing that extra reach by enjoying better IQ. Actually, with the 70-300mm &amp; Sigma 85mm, I am hoping to gain better IQ and faster AF(??)


Having the two larger zoom lenses to choose from, I always seem to choose to take the 100-400mm with me and the 70-200mm sits at home when I go out to the state parks on nature hikes ...the 70-300mm = one happy medium in weight and reach.


As far as the 5d II goes, mainly when I am on nature hikes, I am constantly changing lenses for when I'm shooting birds and other wildlife and then want to use a wide angle for beautiful landscape shots. I've paid my dues for a dirty sensor doing this too often in the past. Plus with the 7D where I live, shooting outside past 4 pm is near impossible for a large part of the year starting now. I am really pushing the ISO when I shoot after work and the noise would not be as bad with the 5D II. Plus the photos you guys are getting with the 5D II are amazing!

It seems like with your proposition you'd be loosing a lot of flexibility just for the 5DII. It also doesn't help that there are rebates on some of those lenses now, so you'll lose even more money on them.


What other lenses do you have right now? It's too bad the 17-55mm f/2.8 won't work on the 5DII, it'll make you want the 24-70mm f/2.8L.

I've thought about these exact problems &amp; it has made me very hesitant of doing this right now! I already took a huge hit when I sold my 300mm. And yes, I have thought about my wanting the 24-70mm when all is said and doneand I am convinced there is no end to the madness!!! The only other lensI own that is not mentioned in my original post is the 100mm f/2.8 IS Macro lens and I'll be hanging on to that baby.

My head has spinned around this for awhile now &amp; I'm hoping to get my mind made up before the new lenses hit the store shelves. Maybe I should at least wait until the rebates expire.

Denise

[neuroanatomist]

It's too bad the 17-55mm f/2.8 won't work on the 5DII, it'll make you want the 24-70mm f/2.8L.

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As Daniel Browning has pointed out, the 24-105mm f/4L IS on FF is better spec'd than the 17-55mm f/2.8 on 1.6x - the FF equivalent of the latter is 27-88mm f/4.5, so by comparison the 24-105mm is wider, longer, faster, and still has IS. True, faster shutter speeds are possible with f/2.8 (since the crop factor applies to DoF but not to exposure), however, the better ISO noise performance of FF compensates for that as well - higher ISO gives you a faster shutter.

Easy. Just buy the new stuff, but don't sell your old stuff.

That's what I did... [] Well, mostly. I did sell the 10-22mm because the 5DII will be the camera for landscapes (I'll be ordering the 16-35mm next week, I think). I also sold the 70-300mm DO, partly because the novelty wore off, and partly because if I decide that focal range in a portable package is something I want in the future, I'd prefer the slight additional bulk but better IQ and weather sealing of the new 70-300mm L.
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Does this make any sense at all to do or am I totally insane?

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Well, Denise, I should be the last person to question anyone's gear choices! [:P]But I would suggest thinking carefully about what you like to shoot. The 5DII is not an action camera. AI Servo doesn't do a great job of keeping up with my daughter running towards me, much less trying to track a bird. That's why I didn't get the 5DII until I could do so without giving up the 7D. If you're going to do it, don't keep the 17-55mm unless you plan on getting another crop camera at some point soon (and if you're going to do that, why sell the 7D, which is the king of the crop cameras?!?)


I know it's hard, because with winter coming fast, birds and outdoor shooting outings will probably be fewer. But next spring, would you miss your 7D when the birds come back? Maybe you'd miss it at your feeders over winter?


Also, keep in mind that your plan assumes you can sell all of those items, and as Trowski points out there are rebates on the 100-400mm and the 17-55mm right now, which cuts the price for used copies.


If you plan to shoot mostly portraits, landscapes, macro, and the like from now on, your idea makes a fair bit of sense. But if you plan to keep shooting birds/wildlife, I think the strengths of the 7D for that use outweigh the downsides of 1.6x for the other uses, if birds/wildlife constitute a reasonable proportion of your shooting.


Either way, good luck with your decisions!


--John
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[ddt0725]

But next spring, would you miss your 7D when the birds come back?

I am still planning to hang onto the 7d and only sell the lenses listed above (100-400mm, 70-200mm, 85mm, 1.4ex II &amp; maybe the 17-55mm). Hanging onto the 7d, 24-105mm, 50mm, 35mm&amp; 100mm macro.

I love shooting outdoors ...landscapes, birds/wildlife, kids, dogs, flowers, butterflies and insects. Portraits ...hmmm, Ilove it but I need ALOT of work in that area!

Denise

[HDNitehawk]

Denise


Why the 85 mm?


The 100mm will do some really nice portraits and nice bokeh.


For the low light?

[Trowski]

As Daniel Browning has pointed out, the 24-105mm f/4L IS on FF is better spec'd than the 17-55mm f/2.8 on 1.6x - the FF equivalent of the latter is 27-88mm f/4.5, so by comparison the 24-105mm is wider, longer, faster, and still has IS. True, faster shutter speeds are possible with f/2.8 (since the crop factor applies to DoF but not to exposure), however, the better ISO noise performance of FF compensates for that as well - higher ISO gives you a faster shutter.

Very good points, I didn't really think about the improved ISO performance and apparent reduced DoF on the 5DII vs. 7D making up for the smaller aperture of the 24-105mm f/4L. I own both lenses, but actually often find the 24-70mm f/2.8L on my 7D when I'm using it for indoor sports. The 24-105mm f/4L now is usually on the 5DII for landscapes.


Denise, is your 70-200mm the IS version? If not, then I could definitely agree that the 70-300mm is an upgrade from the non-IS version.


From your comments earlier, it sounds like you might like this plan:

• Sell the 70-200mm since it seems you don't really use it
• Sell the 1.4x extender
• Sell the 17-55mm f/2.8 IS
• Buy the 5DII
• Keep the 100-400mm
• At some point buy a 17-40mm f/4L or 16-35mm f/2.8L [] for 5DII wide-angle goodness
• Do what you want with the 85mm situation, but the Canon 85mm f/1.8 is a very nice lens anyway

On your nature hikes, put the 24-105mm on the 5DII, and the 100-400mm (effective 160-640mm) on the 7D. There's some gap there, but you really don't need every focal length covered at all times anyway. This is similar to what I do, though instead of a 100-400mm I have a 70-200mm on the 7D, though I've given some serious thought to making it a 100-400mm or the new 70-300mm.


EDIT:

Thanks, everyone! Yep, I needed to have some sense knocked into me! I will hang onto the 100-400mm. It has been my daily traveling companion for too long for us to part ways now ...I would definitely miss it!


Out with the old 85mm and $600 ...in with the new Sigma 85mm.


Out with the 70-200mm f/4, 1.4ex II and 17-55mm ...in with a<span>used5d II???? Hmmm, I'll have to think about that one awhile!

Looks like I was typing while you posted this, and we were on a similar wavelength.


I'm one that has always preferred buying my equipment new. I like to know the history of what I'm using. If it interests you, keep in mind Canon has rebates for their Pixma Pro printers right now, making them free with the 5DII. I have the Pixma Pro 9000 II, and I love it. The prints it makes are incredible, I doubt I could do better going to a printer in town. They look awesome hanging on my walls. Should have you pick up a 85mm f/1.2L or TS-E 24mm f/3.5L with it too for the double rebate and have you send it to me, lol. []


- Aaron

[ddt0725]

Denise, is your 70-200mm the IS version? If not, then I could definitely agree that the 70-300mm is an upgrade from the non-IS version.

Yes, my 70-200mm f/4 is the IS version.

It does look like we were on the same page so to speak at the same time! I think I'm going to stay away from the 70-300mm no matter how good it may turn out to be and keep the length I have with the 100-400mm.

I'm one that has always preferred buying my equipment new. I like to know the history of what I'm using. If it interests you, keep in mind Canon has rebates for their Pixma Pro printers right now, making them free with the 5DII. I have the Pixma Pro 9000 II, and I love it. The prints it makes are incredible, I doubt I could do better going to a printer in town. They look awesome hanging on my walls.

So do I usually but I was thinking maybe refurbished rather than just used off ebay. Now that I look around online, a refurbished one is almost as expensive as new from some places! You are making that printer sound pretty good!


Wow, putting all this out in black and white sure does help a person think it thru especially when I'm bouncing the ideas off you guys!

Now I just need to wait for the Sigma 85mm to become available to possibly take my first step!

Thanks so much for the help!

Denise

[bob williams]

Denise, Your not crazy at All----What are you asking for the 1.4 extender, I'll give you a hundred bucks for it right now: []---KIdding aside. You have a very nice collection of lenses and you seem to like the wildlife and outdoor shots----why would you think about giving up your 100-400 unless it was for a 400 or 500 prime?


I guess, the best question is, what direction are you planning to go with your photography?


Bob