Upgrade T1i or keep?

[Sunshine-State]

I own a Canon T1i and really like it. About a month ago, I went to buy a wide angle lens.  The salesman told me the lens would work but because the camera was old, I would not get full functionality.  So I'm wondering if I should just buy a newer camera instead of investing further in the older technology.  If recommendation is to buy, any suggestions as to which model?  I am not a professional, but enjoy photography a lot.  A friend recommended the Canon 6D but the price is pretty steep.

[ScottyP]

What wide angle lens was it?  Was it non-Canon, I assume?  I am not sure what he was getting at.

What kind of photography do you do? Landscape? Portrait?  Sports?

You mentioned upgrading your T1i crop body to a 6D full frame body.  There are 2 upgrade paths, staying within crop sensors is one, or moving to full frame sensors is the other.  The full frames are more money, although the new 6D is priced lower than previous crop bodies have been.

Staying with crop sensor:

You could get a T4i, which has considerably better AF and a more advanced sensor for about $650 (body only).  If you shoot a whole lot of very fast action (sports, etc.), and your current camera's autofocus has trouble keeping up, the older but still good 7D isdiscounted lately at about $1100 to $1250 if you shop around. 

Going full frame:

Currently there is no crop body that can shoot as well as a full frame camera in dim light.  The full frames can use higher ISO's while maintaining decent IQ.  If your trouble is that you can't get reasonable shutter speeds and good shots in dim light, then you might go for a full frame camera like 6D.  One hitch is some of your current lenses won't work with it if they are crop-body only (EF-s or the 3rd party equivalents thereof).  You can get a 6D body only for $1900, or with a good L lens (24-105) for $2400.

Even if  you stay with the T1i, or you go with an upgraded crop-body, think hard whether you might someday upgrade to full frame sensors.  By that, I mean if you think  you will, you might not want to buy any more lenses that are crop-body only. Selling them can be something of a hassle, and you will probably lose some money in the deal unless you are buying them used (which is another good idea to consider).  The general wisdom is to have most of  your money in lenses which last decades, rather than bodies which are replaced constantly by new models.

[Sunshine-State]

Hi, Scotty.  Thanks for the quick response.  Actually, the lens was a Canon - 17-40mm f/4L USM Ultrawide Zoom Lens.  I think you guys might be right and perhaps he just wanted a bigger commission. 

I do all kinds of photography, since it's just a hobby at this point.  I've had the camera for a few years but have pretty much stuck to using the preset settings which have served me well.  For the last few months, I've been playing around with manual settings.  Although I'm still learning, I thought it would be fun to add another lens. 

I have two lenses that came with the camera - an EFS 18-55mm and 55-250mm.  I was thinking of getting either the ultrawide or a macro lens next.  I'm on a tight budget (who isn't), so I'm trying to invest wisely.

Thanks for the help!

Edith

[Sunshine-State]

Appreciate the info!

Edith

[cicopo]

Firstly I think I'd find another place to shop because I suspect that salesman wanted into your wallet more than he wanted to be helpful. Jumping to a FF camera may be a bigger expense than you think because the lens(es) you have now may not work on full frame plus in general you'll need better lenses. What were you shopping for & what do you already own?

[Sunshine-State]

Cicopo, I think you might be right about the salesman.  As I mentioned in the previous post, I already have an 18-55 and 55-250 (both Canon as they came with the camera).  I prefer to keep the camera if it makes sense financially.  I'm on a budget and would rather spend less money (hopefully) on a lens versus a new camera and lens.

I was shopping for a wide angle lens, but am also interested in a macro lens.

Thanks for the help!

Edith

[cicopo]

The 17-40 would work perfectly on your camera but as a long time owner of one I really doubt you'd see much of an improvement over the kit lens. If you'd like check my samples from years ago starting with message 18 here.

http://www.photo-forums.com/WebX?14@56.DQtHcZeItSu.3@.ee9ea20/13

[ScottyP · Accepted solution]

Hi Edith,

The 17-40 would not be noticably wider than the 18-55 kit lens (17 vs. 18 is not much different)  The IQ would be better, as would the build quality, but it would not widen your view significantly. 

If you do want a wide angle lens for your crop sensor camera, you should look to something like the Canon EF-s 10-22 lens for about $700, or the Sigma 10-20mm for about $480. 

You can watch Craigslist and find these used for about 25% off if you are willing to wait for one to come available in your area. 

Somehow used lenses on Ebay always seem to sell for nearly new prices. 

Also a good place to look is the Canon refurbished store (direct from Canon).  Their refurb lenses are as good or better than new, and if you catch them during a rebate, they are a good discount.  See below.

http://shop.usa.canon.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/subCategorySort_10051_10051_-1_22751_highPrice_l...

(They don't have the 10-22 refubished in stock right now).

Good luck!

[Sunshine-State]

Thanks!  Appreciate all the help.

E