i may be alone on this....

[mattsartin]

so i'm having difficulty making up my mind. i know everyone says better glass is the way to go, but i'm thinking of upgrading the body first. i love to shoot sports and am slowly working my way into paid gigs for shooting weddings and take care of the photography needs of my local church. i'm considering the 5D mkII or the yet to be released 60D depending on price and how patient i am saving money for this. here's my logic (opinions very much welcome) i can't afford to go buy a whole set of L lenses but i figure if i want to for the paid stuff i can rent top of the line equipment as its needed depending on the situation i.e. for a wedding or for my own wants such as significant sporting events. i'm thinking the HD video would be a nice asset for a wedding photographer to offer. so that you don't think i'm completely insane i do plan on upgrading my lens line-up when possible. i currently shoot a Rebel XTi with an 18-55 IS, a 50 1.8 and a 75-300mm. nothing special by any means but it covers the focal range and is satisfactory for my own stuff at the moment. let's hear what you think!

[mpphoto12]

I was in the same situation as yoi but i had an XT and the 75-300 18-55 but No nifty fifty. I got the 70-200 2.8 instead of getting the 50D. I reccomend getting the 70-200 2.8 for Weddings and sports. You would be crazy not to buy the most renowned wedding lens and sport lens for a new body. I sugest the 70-200 for your purposes. It has great bokeh and FAST focusing and a low apeture for good backround blurr and low light situations. By the looks of it you best go with the lens for what you say you are going to use it for. Then i suggest upgrading a body with better Iso for sure. I noticed a huge difference as soon as i mounted the new lens. It made clearer pictures as well. Hope this helps.

[Colin]

So far, yes, you are alone.


I'd go glass first ... I don't really see what the new bodies really get you over glass. full frame would be nice, but the 50 1.8 would be your most capable lens, and consider that a 5D mkII would cost over 20 times what your best lens costs...


The most significant benefit would be shallower possible depth of field with the 5dmkII, and maybe frame rate....


For what a 5dMkII costs, you could get some really nice glass that would allow you to do significantly more than you can now, using the body you've already got.

[mattsartin]

thanks, jus wanted to see how crazy i was, [:P] i'll take both your comments into consideration

[Madison]

Sports?


As much as I like my 5D MkII, for Sports I would consider a 1D MkIII to be honest, because of the sheer speed over the 5D model(s).


Go glass first though. Fast glass of good quality can set you off in the right direction. Bodies change every few years and are enormously expensive. Glass is a long term investment because it will still be great, when you decide to get a new body a few years from now.

[quattrophinia]

I also would suggest to go with glass instead of a new body...

[JJphoto]

If you want to buy camera body, buy lenses instead, if you have to rent some lenses, rent body instead

[tank]

The camera can only record what it see's. It see's thru the lens. Go for the "L" glass. A good lens on a less camera is much better than poor glass on a good camera.

[Colin]

If you want to buy camera body, buy lenses instead, if you have to rent some lenses, rent body instead
<div style="CLEAR: both"]</div>

Nice and concise. []


The camera body just records the image. The lens creates it.

[Dallasphotog]

I'll throw in several comments to add to the confusion. The lens is clearly the key to image quality and the body gives you the tools and durability for whatever typeof work you undertake. The 1D bodies are rugged, weather sealed and generally perfectfor professional use. I have a 1DMKII for sports and Ilove it (except maybe its weight). I also use an XT and XTi as 2nd and 3rd bodies for sports shoots and they deliver great results wearing nice glass. In the rain, the 1D is the only one I trust to get wet.


For weddings, I carry the 5DMKII and backup with the XTi. My second shooter carries the 1DMKII and theXT. Again, we sell a lot of pictures shot with the Rebels using good glass...and the Rebels are so much lighter when you are wearing them through a 5 hour reception!


If you happen to shoot indoor sports, I would advise at least taking a look at the 5DMKII. I've been using it a lot with the EF70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM for volleyball and basketball. The key is the high ISO performance. It just stomps my1DMKII in the dark gyms.


...and for me, the local camera storerents a HUGE variety of lenses that I can usually grab with 30 minutes notice. For all the oddball use lenses, I've continued to rent instead ofown.