To Upgrade or Not? Would ike to know what you think. :) Big thanks.

[Chie SipinBjarenas]

Hello.

I've actually been lurking in your discussion boards for a few days now because I've been researching on my current dilemma:

to upgrade or not to upgrade - my camera body.

I'm seriously considering being a full-time photographer and have been working towards this goal for about half a year now. My current gear includes:

Canon 500D
18-55 3.5-5.6
55-250 4-5.6
50 1.8
85 1.8
Nissin di866

I want to focus on family photography with my eyes on my ultimate goal: wedding photography.

Now. What I really want is a full frame but I don't really want to spend USD 2000+ on the 5DMKII because of all the talk about the next level full frame from canon coming into the market soon. So I think I should bide my time building on lenses: I want to get the 16-35 2.8L next.

There is a suggestion that I get the 7D and use it while I wait for the next full frame cam. And so I wonder:

(1) Is the upgrade to the 7D from the 500D worth it? Considering I will be switching to full frame as soon as the next ff comes out.

(2) Is it ok to keep on using my 500D and build on lenses as I wait? In other words, is the 500D with good lenses ok for professional (paid) work?

I'd love to hear from the people in this group. I know most have a sound grasp of photography, gear, and the professional world so I'd really like to know what y'all think.

Big thanks!




PS
I hope no one gets all confused. I do not plan to take on a wedding tomorrow. It is an ultimate goal which I plan to achieve in a year at most. I would like to focus on family photography first as a way to build my skills and clientele.

I will make sure to get my stuff together before jumping into wedding photography. Right now, I'm focusing on learning what I can about portraiture and event coverage by covering events at a school I'm connected with and having willing models join me in photoshoots I do for free.

Some of my event coverage work (not all photos are mine. only those watermarked)
Life at NationalHigh

Some of my portraiture work:
bluebelle photography

[Kit]

Personally I would invest in good lens over the camera body.

[BCampbell]

You already have $2000 invested in gear. You want to sink another $1500 into a camera body and $1700 into a lens, before spending another $2500+ on another camera body?

And you're trying to start a business?

The first thing you'll have to do on the road to success is recoup your costs. It's going to be hard enough to earn back that $2000 while you're also trying to price for recurring costs and trying to pay yourself, why make it twice as hard on yourself?

If you have a business plan in place that takes this financial outlay into account, then do it. If not, don't. What is your business plan?

[zona5101]

if you have the money then no issue, get the 7d and the lens.
Otherwise I would agree with Kit and get the glass.

[Jim Poor]

1. Why do you want full frame? Nothing wrong with it (I shoot full frame), but what do you think it will do for you?

2. Aside from full frame, what will a new camera do that your old one won't?

3. Have you reached the full potential of your old camera? If not, a new one isn't a magic bullet.

Back when photography was a hobby and I made about four times what I do now, I could afford to buy toys. Now that photography is my only income, each new piece of gear needs to have a purpose beyond "oooooohhhhh shiny!"

[Chie SipinBjarenas]

Thanks, Kit. A DigitalRev vid on "cheapo"s opened my eyes on what exactly I should do re this dilemma. Lenses it will be!

BCampbell. Thanks for computing the costs and the input on that. I do not want to change the body as of yet. Someone was just strongly suggesting it and I got caught up in the "oh shiny" wave.

Zona. Going with Kit on this one. Far better investment.

Jim. I will wait for a full frame as I've been reading on it and saw how good it was on noise. I believe I will need it for my ultimate goal as all the pros I like the work of, use them and swear by them. I will, however, exhaust all that my 500D can do whilst I wait for my ff moment.

Thanks all for the input.

For those interested on the video clip, here's the link: YouTube - Pro DSLR + Cheapo Lens vs "Cheapo" DSLR + Pro Lens