Need pro advice on upgrade

[mstu33]

The time is now. I have the approval to make a camera/lens purchase for my department at work. I work as Director of Marketing & Communications at an independent school. I have $4,800 for both a camera and lenses. What combination would you recommend? I am excited to upgrade from the T3i I have been using. I have rented both the 80D and the 5D Mark IV. 

[jrhoffman75]

Since you rented both, which suits your needs more? You will get tons of advice here; recommendations to buy one or the other. Only you can truly know what your needs are and which camera suits them better.

One caveat - depending on how many and what version lens you have with the T3i - the 5D will not be able to use any EF-S lenses. But since you rented the 5D I am guessing you know that.

[RobertTheFat]

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@mstu33 wrote:

The time is now. I have the approval to make a camera/lens purchase for my department at work. I work as Director of Marketing & Communications at an independent school. I have $4,800 for both a camera and lenses. What combination would you recommend? I am excited to upgrade from the T3i I have been using. I have rented both the 80D and the 5D Mark IV. 

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$4800 is not enough to buy an entire full-frame rig. So unless you're lucky enough to already have an almost full complement of EF (not EF-S) lenses, I'd have to recommend against the 5D4. Either the 80D or the 7D Mark II should suit you well. I'd go with the 7D2, but it's really just a personal preference. We have some in the forum (Waddizzle, for instance) who would argue forcefully for the 80D, and I can't really say that he's wrong; the 80D is a very capable camera. (And it hasn't proven to be a lemon, as the 70D arguably has.)

Another benefit to staying with the APS-C format is that you'd have no compelling reason to jettison your T3i. If you have to do a lot of event photography (and in your job I suspect that you do), the advantage of carrying two cameras (and therefore not having to change lenses) can hardly be overstated.

[mstu33]

Thanks for your advice! I currently own 2 EF lenses (a 70-300 Sigma and a 50mm prime) and plan on upgrading to the 70-200 f/2.8 and the 24-70. I am considering the 6dmarkii.

[ebiggs1]

EOS 6D Mk II,

EF 70–200mm f/2.8L IS III USM,

EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM

Gonna be tough to beat that outfit.  I am all in for it. 

[TCampbell]

It’s a bit of a tight squeeze...

The 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM III is $2100. (The version II is $1800... that would save $300).

The 24-70mm f/2.8 USM II is $1600

The 6D II body-only is $1600.

You could get a 6D II with the 24-105mm kit (instead of the 24-70 ... so you lose the f/2.8).  That becomes $2500 for the camera + lens (vs. the camera and 24-70 lens separately which would total $3200) so that saves another $700.

That would mean it’s $2500 for the camera + 24-105 and another $1800 for the 70-200 II or $2100 for the III.  ($4300 or $4600 respectively)

Do you have a flash?  The 6D II doesn’t have a built-in flash and you may really want a flash for indoor events.

[jrhoffman75]

How important is f/2.8 for your uses?

The 70-200 f/4L II and 24-70 f/4L are both extremely high quality lenses.

[mstu33]

I do a lot of low-light shooting in the theater so I felt the faster lens would be helpful for that. 

[Waddizzle]

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@mstu33 wrote:

I do a lot of low-light shooting in the theater so I felt the faster lens would be helpful for that. 

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Then I would strongly advise a constant aperture f/2.8 zoom.  Generally speaking, the higher performance camera bodies can focus better with an f/2.8 lens, compared to an f/4.

Lots of low light shooting is good reason to want a full frame.  The 6D and 6D2 are entry level full frame bodies with very good low light performance.  The 6D is a great camera, but the 6D2 has a better AF system.  Big difference in price at the Canon Online Refurbished Store, too.  Go for a full frame.

If you have a full frame 50mm prime, then I recommend the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM, not the version III, only because of price.  The version II is an impressive lens.  A 50 prime and 70-200 zoom are a good start.  My next lens choice would be a wide angle zoom, like the EF 16-35mm f/2.8 II USM, or the version III, zoom lens.  This later lens would work very well on a T3i, too.

[mstu33]

Thanks for your help! I may be able to squeeze by with the faster lenses. I do have a flash, although it's not high-quality. I am not trained on flash photography so I don't use it too often (that's definitely something I need to learn though!)