Need Help with Gear

[DL400]

I currently shoot with Canon Xsi. Primarily use the 50 f1.4 and still have 18-55 kit lens.
I enjoy portraits, people, live events, kids...

I have the opportunity to get additional gear.

Here are my options:

70-200 f2.8

or

Canon 24-70 f2.8

or

Elinchrom D-lite 4 IT 400Ws 2 light to go set + Canon 580ex2

or

Canon 580ex2 + ??

Basically looking at $1500 max right now. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!!

[OsmosisStudios]

70-200 f/4L IS

f/2.8 non-IS if you can find one

[PhotoRebel4]

I'd definitely go with some lenses or other gear over a second camera body.

I'm also shooting with an XSi. As much as I'd love a 7D, I decided to increase and expand my lens arsenal. Unless you really feel your camera body is limiting your shooting, there really isn't a reason to upgrade it right now.

As nice a lens as it is, I'd also rule out the 24-70. With the 18-55 kit lens, and a 50mm, you're lenses would overlap quite a bit.

A speedlite would be very helpful, in fact, I have a 430EX II on its way.

You could pick up a 70-200 F/4L IS USM for around $1200, and a 430EX II. That would expand your lens range out to 200mm and still give you a good flash to help with indoor shooting.

[Rentham]

In my opinion, dollar for dollar, lights will improve your work more than any body or lens. Maybe improve is the wrong word. But it will certainly give you a far wider array of options. I think two speedlites, some stands, modifiers, and maybe triggers would be a great start.

[inkista]

So, you just want to spend money on toys? Or is there some actual goal you have in mind in acquiring this new gear? What's your biggest frustration? And what do you shoot the most? What's your top priority?

The point here is not to get what's "best". But to get what's "best for you." You'll notice everybody who posted here picked and chose a top priority piece of gear based on what/how they shoot and find to be important.

Think of this like clothes shopping. What works for someone else may not work for you and your personal style. What's the goal, here?

[DL400]

Thanks for the putting it in perspective comments. One part of me is saying go with something like the 24-70 and get a 10-22 down the road... and another is saying 70-200 f2.8 non is since I have nothing right now to even get me the 70-200 reach.

[inkista]

This is still not what I'm asking.

Again, with gear acquisition, you should not be playing Pokemon and trying to collect them all. (Unless you're a gearhead, a collector, and have lots of money to blow, in which case, go ahead. I do collect lenses sometimes, to my shame, but this is distinct and separate from equipping myself.)

What do you envision the 70-200 to be good for? Live events? What kind of events? A lot of venues (sports or performance) won't let you in with a honking big white lens on your camera, but will with a smaller lens. For portraits/kids, it can be good, but you're going to need some working distance, and indoors may be problematic, unless you're only going for headshots. For wildlife, 200mm may be too short.

The 24-70/2.8L is a good lens, but it's not particularly wide on a crop body. How were you planning on using it? For portraits? Or as a walkaround general-purpose when you go on vacation? An EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM might be a better fit, particularly if you have no plans at all to move to full-frame.

With the lighting gear, are you going to be setting up a formal portrait studio? Or did you just want to play Strobist? And if so, why do you specifically want to mix an Elinchrome with a 580EX II?

If you're not interested in on-camera lighting at all, you could probably get a three-speedlight setup, complete with stands, swivels, umbrellas, triggers, AND lights, for the price of a single 580EX II, if you were willing to go with all-manual speedlights.

[bigben6]

as inkista alluded too, you have a ton of options listed, but no direction as to WHAT you wanna shoot....

It's like asking :what should i buy, a corvette, F350 superduty, or minivan.... it depends WHAT you wanna do with them, all are good at some things and terrible at others....

[DL400]

I want to shoot everything.

I want to focus on portraits, head shots, people, kids, kids football and cheer, family portraits, couples portraits, would like to get my feet wet into weddings and event type of environments.

24-70 was going to be my walk around lens/portrait/traveling/all purpose.
70-200 was going to be my portrait/indoor+outdoor sports/candid kids/people/head shots.

Staying away from 17-55 because I am planning on going full frame so looking for lenses that will be transferable. (5dMkII)

Would eventually like to do a home studio strobe setup but little hard living in apt right now. But to at least get some off camera lighting, was thinking I could start with the 580ex2.