Canon 7D or new lense

[equiscape]

I go to a lot of horse competitions and want to be able to take fast action shots. I'm also setting up a business to sell these photos on line. I currently have the Canon EOS 400D with standard lenses 17-55 and EF75-300mm. Whilst the shots aren't too bad I'm currently toying with the idea of either purchasing the Canon 7D and the EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS USM lense. I have been told though that this lense on my current camera would do the job. So my query is should I buy both the camera and the lense or just the lense or is there some other equipment that could take sale quality photos?

[knixpix]

Hi, while I am not an expert by any means, I do shoot horses, with a 350D canon, some of it free reining, and find my Canon does a pretty good job, probably similar to your 400D, concidering there is not much between them.

I myself have been looking into this a bit, because I have had some work of the back of some free rening shots I took for my sister. Anyhow just to put a spanner into it, I have heard great things about the Nikons auto focus capabilities and speed therein. I have also done quite a bit of reading from equestrian photographers and from what I can gather the 70-200mm keeps coming up as a 'most used' size of lense for the type of photography your talking about.

So I totally understand your quandry. I also have a little bit of loyalty towards the Canon as I have been using them since the 1000F I had moons ago, but I cant help but think I may be cutting off my nose to spite my face.

So have you concidered looking at different makes?

Also its well worth looking at deals for twin lenses, as recently I have noticed new bodies with twin lenses that include a 70-200mm, for only a fraction more, than buying the lense on its own, so well worth checking that out. As I understand the 500D is out.

[inkista]

Lens. Get the lens. Your 400D will do you pretty well (although a 7D would be nicer), but if you have the $1700 to spare, get a good L zoom. It will make a ton of difference of your 75-300. If all the events you cover are outside in the daytime, then the 100-400L IS USM, or 70-300 IS USM might be what you want. If you want indoors and night-time capability, then the EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM (or a cheaper Tamron/Sigma variant) is probably the ticket.

I once shot some stuff at night with my 135L--the f/2 was great, but not having zoom meant I was going to be missing shots. But having the f/2 and USM for the focus speed still nabbed me a few keepers with my creaky old XT/350D:





Don't know if a zoom--even an L zoom--would autofocus that quickly, but I say it's worth at least a rental to find out. When I went to shoting BiF shots with the 400L instead of the 75-300 III (non-USM, non-IS), it was like night and day, and my keeper rate quadrupled.