Upgrade my xsi to a new body or invest in lenses?

[itsmeshaners]

I'm sure this Q has been covered, trust me I looked a while before posting....
SO here is my conundrum. Seem like quite a few friends and family think I should get out of hobby shooting and start doing "pro" shooting.
More and more I'm getting requests to do shoots, pregnancy shots, portraits, kid sports and the likes.....
Currently I use a canon XSI and have three lenses.
The kits lens 18-55mm IS.
A 75-300 USM (crappy zoom) too soft out past 200 mm and no IS and a 50 mm 1.8.

Being that I have a small budget 1700 ish I was considering one of two directions but still very uncertain. This is where the advice is needed.

Should I upgrade the body to (7d?) or go the lens route. I am looking at the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM and or the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM.
Thanks in advance
Shane

[sk66]

Most will recommend better lenses, and you can't really go wrong there. But I have to say when I jumped from a D200 to a D300 capability/ease went WAY up....My D3 has settings/features just not available on lower end bodies which makes some types of shooting possible; at least MUCH easier... Looking back, the move up in body (d200- D300) was huge for me, more important than lenses...Not so much the move from D300 to D3 (actually that move was quite a bit of a "tradeoff").

I would NOT necessarily recommend going Full Frame....but if you think you will eventually keep that in mind as you purchase lenses.

[oldwolf]

Lens > body.

What do your "friends and family" consider "pro" shooting? It's the photographer and what they output that should be considered professional; not what gear they are carrying.

Do you feel that you've hit limits with the camera that you have now?

If you're dead set on buying something then I'd buy the 24-70. That can always be used on other Canon camera bodies when you do upgrade your camera. I've used one on an XTi, 40D and 7D. Now it's being used on my wife's 5D MkII so the lens is/was used on crop sensors and full frames. It's a great lens but it takes a photographer to use it otherwise it's a very expensive paper weight.

[dcclark]

In general, lenses.

BUT... there are some big jumps in body technology. If you can specifically identify what a new body would get you (which the old one doesn't have), it may be worthwhile.

I'm not a Canon guy, but here's my Nikon parallel: I have a D40. If I were to upgrade to the new D7000, I'd get a ton of useful features -- ADR (basically automatically improving shadows and hilights), more autofocus points, bracketing, the ability to use more lenses, etc. That would be a big upgrade. But, if I didn't need those abilities, it would be a waste of money.

[LewisCanon]

lenses.

with canon i think the body jumps mean so much less... unless you feel you need better noise handling.... i wouldnt bother getting a new body until you upgrade lenses, If you intend to go 7d in the end, then consider the sigma 17-70 2.8-4, its designed for crop sensor cameras, i got mine recently and im VERY impressed, such a HUGE jump from the kit lens and decent apertures

also sets you up nicely for the purchase of a 70-200 f4 is (unless you wanna spend ALOT more on the 2.8)

Just my 2pennies.

[snowfalldesigns]

Ah! I'm in the same situation. I have started a business on the side and have booked several more weddings next year. I also do a lot of babies and families. I had been lusting after the 24-70mm until recently when I started thinking more about the weddings and that I really should have a second body. So in wedding work, which would be better - a 24-70mm on a Rebel XSi or a 7D with my current kit (speedlite, 35mm f/2, 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS, 50mm f/1.4, and 18-55mm IS (which I rarely use))

[jayaruwan]

well the XSi is still a very capable body IMO. I'm using the T1i. there are only minor differences between those two. Sure you do get some nice features if you update to a 7D. you may need to do a side by side comparison (which I'm sure you have done by now). getting a good glass would be more advantageous though. if you need more convincing, you can always refer to flickr. coz whenever I spend time on flickr I end up with the thought "WOW! my camera is capable of doing THAT!" so it's not the camera. It's ME! (and my kit lens) lol

[sk66]

Originally Posted by snowfalldesigns

Ah! I'm in the same situation. I have started a business on the side and have booked several more weddings next year. I also do a lot of babies and families. I had been lusting after the 24-70mm until recently when I started thinking more about the weddings and that I really should have a second body. So in wedding work, which would be better - a 24-70mm on a Rebel XSi or a 7D with my current kit (speedlite, 35mm f/2, 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS, 50mm f/1.4, and 18-55mm IS (which I rarely use))

If you are doing weddings you NEED a second body...I don't care what it is, but something to CYA in case your main body craps out on you.
BTW, you should ALSO be getting better lenses, and for what you do I would be considering going FF.... Every penny you make on the side business should be going back into the business for the first 3-5 yrs if you are serious about it.

[snowfalldesigns]

Originally Posted by sk66

If you are doing weddings you NEED a second body...I don't care what it is, but something to CYA in case your main body craps out on you.
BTW, you should ALSO be getting better lenses, and for what you do I would be considering going FF.... Every penny you make on the side business should be going back into the business for the first 3-5 yrs if you are serious about it.

I know that I need another body for backup at least but it would also be nice to be able to switch between my 50mm and a telephoto without having to switch lenses.
Trust me, every bit of the money coming in from the business is going right back into equipment! I just don't have the money yet to get both the lens and the body right now. I will get both eventually, but I have the money for one right now and I'm trying to figure out what to get first. I have my first wedding of the season in April and I don't know whether or not I can save up for the other of the two by then.

And, I would love to go FF...but then it would be even longer before I could get the lens I need.
Thanks for your thoughts and I would appreciate more thoughts on this as well (sorry for the hijack but I didn't want to start another thread with such a similar topic.)

[autofocus]

The 7D is a great camera (from what I've read, and will probably want to buy one when my long in the tooth 20D goes to pasture) Offers better tracking, 19 focus points, believe it's a magnesium body, and better sealed which you will want if you're going to get serious about the business. And yes, you will want two full setups if you're shooting weddings and events. I would normally say get the good glass now, but you will need that second body for what you want to do. All that said, maybe get the 7D, and rent some fast glass for the events coming up until you can go out and purchase the glass.