1) What will I get next?

2) What do I eventually want to get?  In the end there should be some limit to what I buy?

In terms of what to buy next, I have had several thoughts given my budget.  I have already decided to pickup the Canon TS-E 17mm once our kitchen remodel is finished.  The question is what else to purchase.

Option 1

Canon 200mm F4 Hybrid IS Macro – This is only a rumor of course.  However given Canon’s press release about a hybrid IS coming out in a lens before the end of the year this is a very possible reality.

I am very torn about this one.  Recently I sold my Canon 180mm macro because I just could not get dependable results out of it.  I do not know what it truly was, but while I can get consistent results from the MP-E 65, I found that the sharpness on the 180L was lacking.  I suspect this new macro would not have this issue.

Canon 85mm 1.2L

This is one incredible lens, but my main worry is how much I will use it.  I would mainly use it for shots of my kids.  It would certainly allow me to sell my Canon 50mm 1.4 that I hardly ever use.

Canon TS-E 24 II

At first it seemed silly to buy this together with the TS-E 17mm.  However, they make an incredible combo.  While the TS-E 17mm has the width, the TS-E 24mm has the advantage that it accepts filters and has more shift.  For real estate, the TS-E 17mm is the best for interiors, while the TS-E 24mm is better suited to exteriors.

Buy nothing and save for the 600mm

This is my dream lens, but it doesn’t seem very logical to put everything into this lens right now.  Besides, at the end of next year they’ll probably announce a replacement.

And the answer is…

Tentatively I have decided to go with buying the TS-E 24mm II along with the TS-E 17mm.  The combination will not only be a killer combination for real estate, they also will be great landscape and travel lenses.

I may change my mind if Canon releases the 200mm F4 Hybrid IS macro – depending on the specs.  However I’m more likely to still buy the TS-E 24mm and put my real estate sales towards buying the 200mm macro next year.

All of the other lenses for which there are rumors seems less interesting.

New Canon fisheye(s)

There are several rumors that new fisheyes will be released.  I have long debated purchasing a fisheye.  Certainly the shots are interesting and you can do some great things in it, but the main worry is whether it would regularly make the final cut for the bag?  I can only fit so much into the bag and I’m more likely to take the tilt shifts than a fisheye.

Canon 24-70 2.8 IS

I have not and do not intend to buy a 24-70 lens.  It has nothing to do with the image stabilization.  That focal length just doesn’t work for me.

Canon 24-105 2.8 IS

This is far more intriguing and I would certainly be tempted.  If such a lens existed, I would probably purchase it eventually despite its size.  That focal length would work well for me and it would be a great vacation lens.  If they could pull this off, it may even push my 16-35 II out of my bag sometimes – given that I would have the TS-E 17 already.  However, I would be unlikely to buy this immediately.  I would want to know that they truly pulled it off and right now the TS-E 24 is more important to me.

Canon 70-200 2.8 IS II

This lens definitely makes sense for Canon.  It is a flagship lens and though the current one is great it could use an update.  As for me, I’m perfectly happy with my 70-200 F4 IS due to its small size and see no reason to purchase a 2.8 version.

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However, while I do think I am gradually improving, I have recently been debating on which direction I will take in my equipment purchases.  The reason is, my next purchase will have a significant impact on which types of photographs I take in the future.  The question has become less, “what lens should I buy” and more “what types of pictures do I want to take in the nearer future”.

I would appreciate any opinions on the possible choices before me.

Option 1 – My original plan was to buy the Canon 180mm 3.5L to increase my range in macro photography.  I have often longed to photograph bees and dragonflies, but the truth is they are just too difficult to get with the MP-E 65.  A longer lens such as the 180L would make this much easier.  I currently have more than the savings necessary to do this, so it’s the easiest choice to act on now.  After the 180L though, I have several choices and I am currently undecided.

a) Go the strobists route and purchase some flashes and remote triggers.  Most likely I would go the pocket wizards route as I have seen the ST-E2 in use and was not very impressed by its reliability.  To be honest I am not very big into the type of portrait photography that this approach helps most with.  Still, as Nelya gets more real estate listings this will probably help out greatly.  Currently I use a tripod and hold the shutter for my real estate photos – but I am not very impressed of the results when there are lights I cannot dim or windows.  However, I do have a feeling I would use the approach with Eitan and Nathan.

b) Strengthen my lens “collection” more.  The main lens, other than the 180L, that I have my eyes on now is the TS-E 90.  I would use this chiefly for macro shots and it would fully complete my macro arsenal.  Other lenses I have an interest in are the 85mm 1.2 and the 14mm 2.8 (for real estate).

c) Improve my filters and accessories.  The chief filters I would look at are the Singh-Ray neutral density and blue/gold polarizers.  I may also look at a RRS panorama bracket kit.

Option 2 – Take the plunge into bird photography and buy the 600mm F4L.  I have long been interested in birds, just like I am interested in insects, but I was quite disappointed in the performance of my Sigma 80-400 OS here.  There were multiple issues with this lens – I found the sharpness lacking, autofocus was extremely slow, and 400mm was often not enough.  The Canon 600mm F4L, combined with a 1.4x extender would surely answer these questions.  I have already spent a great deal of time comparing this lens with the Canon 500mm F4L and the Sigma 300-800 and have chosen the 600mm F4L as the best choice.

The obvious disadvantage with this route is the fact that this lens is extremely expensive.  I will need to save my microstock funds for the entire year to be able to afford it.  Another disadvantage is the fact that I cannot really use this lens from the house.  I need to drive somewhere where I can find birds for it to be effective.  Actually, this isn’t exactly the truth.  I’m sure that I can put some bird feeders up and bird friendly bushes and then photograph from an opening in a window.

The main advantage of this lens is the new types of photographs and knowledge that it would open up.  The main difficulty with insect photography is it is extremely difficult to find someone with intimate knowledge of insects who is willing to walk around with me in the forest and teach me things.  This is not the case with bird photography – where there are numerous Audobon groups who would be more than happy to help me learn the basics.  It also helps that I have a cousin who pretty much knows everything there is to know about them.

Currently this is a gut wrenching decision for me.  Do I save for the entire year and enter the world of bird photography, or do I strengthen my equipment in macro and landscape photography?  One choice that I have already eliminated is upgrading my Canon 5D.  Almost assuredly Canon will release an update for it this year, but given the frequency with which Canon replaces cameras and new technologies come out, it is a far better choice right now to invest in lenses, which have much longer life times.

Each path enables new types of photography for me.  My immediate path lies in improving my skills with the equipment I already have, but I can’t resist looking towards the future and what types of photography I would like to add.

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