$2500 for canon slr and lens(es)

[Steven23]

I didnt see what you

[neuroanatomist]

So I think the best choice would be the EF 24-70mmf/2.8 L USM.

Good choice, Rebecca! Really, you can't go wrong with either the 17-55mm or the 24-70mm - it's mainly a question of focal length, IS, and FF compatibility.

I understand that a 50mm is prefered over a 85mm on a crop body.

Preferred is a relative term. Really, it comes down to the focal length you want/need for the types of shots you want to take. Are you set on buying all of these at once? If not, get the 24-70mm first, then you can see how 50mm works for your shooting style, or if you'd like to get just a little closer than the 70mm long end of your zoom.

If the AF microadjustment is truly that crucial, than I think my best choice, if I were to buy right now, would be the 50D

Mostly, it's a matter of luck. With manufacturing tolerances being what they are, and having only one or two lenses, you might get a set that matches up well. Or not, since each camera body and each lens will be a little different. If you are buying a 60D at a brick and mortar store, you can probably try out the specific body with the specific lens you are going to buy, and see if it's sharp. Then when you get your second lens, test it with your body, and buy a different copy if there's an issue. That's probably easier than sending body + lens(es) into Canon for adjustment (which is what AFMA avoids). It's possible that Canon will add that feature to the 60D via a firmware upgrade (but that doesn't seem likely based on their past history - personally, I'd love them to add a user-settable max ISO for Auto ISO to the 7D, but they haven't yet - it's available on the 60D, and even the Rebel T2i - heck, even my PowerShot S95 has it!).


To give you an idea of AFMA utility from my own perspective,I've calibrated 12 lenses on my 7D, and 11 of them have had some amount of adjustment applied. Obviously, the amount of AF microadjustment needed will be different for each unique camera and lens combo, so these numbers are useless to anyone else, but to give you an idea here they are:

• –5EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
• +1EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM
• +2EF 24-105mm f/4<span style="color: #ff0000;"]L IS USM
• +2EF 70-200mm f/2.8<span style="color: #ff0000;"]L IS II USM
• +6EF 70-200mm f/2.8<span style="color: #ff0000;"]L IS II USM + 1.4x
• &ndash;7EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 <span style="color: #00ff00;"]DO IS USM
• &ndash;3EF 85mm f/1.2<span style="color: #ff0000;"]L II USM
• &ndash;1EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6<span style="color: #ff0000;"]L IS USM
• &ndash;1EF 100mm f/2.8<span style="color: #ff0000;"]L Macro IS USM
• &plusmn;0EF 85mm f/1.8 USM
• &ndash;2EF 200mm f/2.8<span style="color: #ff0000;"]L II USM
• +2EF 300mm f/4<span style="color: #ff0000;"]L IS USM

Given the depths of field common in portraiture (where you're usually in close and want a thin DoF), I'd say probably anything less than&plusmn;2 might not be that big a deal (you might notice it if you're being really critical and looking at a whole series of shots). The AF system is accurate within a certain tolerance (within the depth of focus for lenses slower than f/2.8, 1/3 of the depth of focus for f/2.8 and faster lenses), so there will be some element of 'randomness' from shot to shot. But even a small AFMA will 'center' that randomness and increase the overall keeper rate. On the other hand, without the&ndash;7 needed for my 70-300mm <span style="color: #00ff00;"]DO, backfocusing was easily noticeable (i.e. focused on the eyes of a small, close subject like a frog on a lily pad, the eyes were blurred while the back legs were crisply in focus). Same thing with the +6 for the 70-200 II + 1.4x extender - I'd be really unhappy if $2800 in lenses consistently front-focused!


From my perspective, AFMA is a necessary feature if you'll be using wide-aperture lenses. Having said that, lots of people have lived without it for lots of years (the 50D was the first xxD body to have that feature). But then, a lot of the pros who lived without AFMA would send their bodies+lenses in for manual calibration by Canon.

[Kayaker72]

Hi Rebeccaw,


You are getting some very good advice, but Ijust wanted to make a few suggestions and add some comments:

• I know the conventional wisdom is to spend more on lenses than on bodies. I'd just be sure that "wisdom" applies to you. I believe part of the source of the wisdom is professional or serious prosumer photographers who have and will continue to make serious investments in their gear."They" favor lensesbecause they hold more value longer than camera bodies. Of course, IQ and build quality are better with the good lenses (those parts apply to everyone). But if you aren't going to be continuously updating andreselling your gear, my suggestion would be to not worry about the "conventional wisdom" and think about what you are going to shoot, and buy what fits your needs.
• I think that is why people continue to recommend the 7D. For a person that will likely have 1 body for a long time, it does many things very well. Granted, the 40, 50 or 60D may fit your needs really well too (I don't know your needs []). I'd recommend that you make a quick spreadsheet of the differences (men do that too [:P]) and see if any of the upgrades are important to you. For example, perhaps you have kids in sporting events, maybe the 8 fps burst rate would let you take pictures of them running around (I love Bryan's sequence in his review of the 7D and Neuro recently posted a great sequence of his daughter). Or maybe weather sealing is important. Or the autofocus points.....if not, maybe one of the other bodies fits your needs. But if this is your only camera body for the foreseeable future, know your needs and buy accordingly.
• I'd also suggest going to acamera storeand actually holding these cameras. I bought my 7D in June, but before doing so held each of the cameras I was considering. Turns out I didn't like the way the 50D felt in my hands. Each camera has slightly different ergonomics.
• Another thought would be to split your purchases buying your camera body now and the more expensive lens after you've used the kit lens for a little while. Kit lenses tend to be cheap and the knowledge you gain may help in your selection of your next lens.
• I am not sure if you will have more money down the road for upgrades, but if you are looking at aone lens kit for awhile, I'd encourage the 24-105 f4 L IS or the EFS 15-85 IS. These are two of the Canon's most "flexible" general purpose lenses in terms of the range that they cover and for stationary subjects, IS is amazing.

I think you'll be happy with any of the camera lenses/bodies you decide because they are all good. Good luck, and sorry if any of this was rushed. []


Brant

[btaylor]

Hi Rebecca, I think you've made some smart decisions there.


I currently use the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L on my 5D2 and it's really nice. I found 50mm and bit too long on a crop body for indoor portraits but it's a good focal length for outdoor shoots so it should work well. I personally like the xxD bodies and shot with the 40D for quite a while before upgrading to the 5D2.


Here's a fewof my older portraitshots with the 40D to give you an idea of what you can get out of one of those bodies. The wedding shots were taken with the Canon 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS so it's a far inferior lens to the 24-70mm f/2.8L so you could expect even better results.


Cheers, Ben.


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