wlgoode Loc: Globe, AZ

Check Kayak.com for rates to Nepal/Tibet. lol

PlushToy Loc: Nebraska

Hate to burst your bubble the Buddhist has already been infected with the disease.

wlgoode Loc: Globe, AZ

I second that. Look at some of the great photographs of the past and then consider the antiquated equipment that was used.

alann Loc: Virginia

It just gets worse. I am a true equipment junkie. If it's new I gotta have it! Have lost a small fortune buying and then selling lenses and bodies. The only equipment I have kept for any period of time are my wedding lenses and bodies. Shot my last wedding on the 12th (retiring) and already sold a almost new 1DIV just so I could try out the new 5DIII. It will be delivered on Monday and I am sitting here Saturday evening wondering just how long I will keep it before I can't resist another new "thingie"

Jolly Roger Loc: Dorset. UK

Amen.

melvin short Loc: Seattle, Wa

it only ends at the real end, between then its keeps the disease flowing

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

I hear they are working on an 8D. Who knows.

Fran, I started with the T2i and a year later upgraded to the 7D. I suggest you think hard about your future purchases so you don't regret them soon after you purchase them. My girlfriend and I both got T2i's at the same time. She got the 18-55mm kit lens and I got the 18-135mm kit lens. Her first purchase was the 55-250mm (kit) lens, then not long after she bought the 70-300mm lens. I talked to a lot of people and decided to save for a lens that I really want. For the price Evelyn paid for those two other lenses, I purchased a used 100-400mm f4.5/5.6L IS lens. Not a week went by and Evelyn practically gave those other two lenses away and I loaned her the money for a used 100-400mm. So choose lenses wisely. She has also purchased a 60D and now a 7D. I believe she gave away the T2i. I don't know, I'm not with her any more. LOL

As far as body choices go, I think you can confidently choose the 7D and it will be in your bag a long time. Even my T2i is still in my bag and I used it today. I posted 4 images in the DOF lesson. It takes fine pictures but the 7D is much better at action/wildlife images. The fast focusing feature alone is worth the upgrade and the fast 8fps speed is also a great feature. I have to admit, I can't wait until the 1DX comes out so I can talk to others that purchse it. I do see a 1DX or ?? in my bag in the next year or two.

avery48 Loc: Jefferson City

Fran...I've had the 7D for a couple of years. For that size sensor, I wouldn't go anywhere else. The only thing I'd want more is something with a full-size sensor. I love it.

rob s Loc: La Mesa, CA

Absolutely get the 7D. There is nothing else in the cropped sensor world to match it.
The next upgrades should be glass. I'm on a budget and I really like my efs 15-85 i. From here on however it has to be L glass all the way.

Jer Loc: Mesa, Arizona

You will love full frame. I'll never go back.
However, everyone is right the 7d is the best of the crop frames. I have a 5dmii and would love some of the features on the 7D. I'm looking at the 5dm3 but I'm not sure that I want to buy a camera that only has one main feature that I would actually use. I'll also look at the 1dx. The 5dm2 killed the 1d market. It produced a great image for a fraction of the cost. I'm happy with my 5dm2. Would I like more features sure. Are they worth the cost? It's up to individual taste.

AndyT Loc: Hampstead, New Hampshire

I was a professional wedding photographer, owning and running my own wedding business for 25 years. Having really good equipment, and also having backup equipment ( I always had three complete setup cameras with me at every wedding) was important. I cannot comment on the 7D, Ive always shot with Nikon. Canon makes a great product too, so based on other comments it sounds like a great purchase. Question is, how unhappy are you with your images now? When I left the business, I sold most of my stuff, bought a Nikon D90 body to go with the 18-200 lens and Nikons SB800 flash, off camera flash cord and swivel bracket. I love my photos, I think theyre great, friends think so too. So I personally am in no hurry to run out and spend a chunk more money simply because the latest model has more cupholders. I had a Canon SD550, that most people would refer to as a point and shoot , and it was great. I had taken a razor sharp picture, from a moving boat of a lighthouse. It was only 6 megapixels. The only reason I gave it away, was to my daughter for a trip she was taking. Her camera was very inexpensiive and the image quality poor. I had always wanted a "point and shoot" sized camera with DSLR features, especially manual. Knowing how to use manual, aperture priority, shutter priority, bracketing etc, I knew I would use those features, so for me it made sense to upgrade. I purchased a Nikon P-300. Im going to call it a pocket camera and not a point and shoot because of all the features it has, and that I use, and yes it does have a little green icon for point and shoot. The first shot I took with this 12 megapixel camera blew me away. I made an 11x14. Still blew me away. Sharp or sharper than many shots I had done with my DSLRs. I wanted a very large print to put up in my house on a large completely bare wall and decided to print it into a 24X30! Being very critical, I wasnt expecting much. But to my surprise, it is still as sharp and impressive as the 11x14. So Id say rent the 7D. If you think it warrants a purchase based on your needs, or desires, then you should buy it. If youre just buying into the latest and greatest and newest syndrome that is so easy to fall into, I think you should keep your current equipment, knowing that you are going to love your next image just as much as your last. Good luck. Andy

bull drink water Loc: pontiac mi.

you're hooked.

rob s Loc: La Mesa, CA

Obviously there's good money to be made in the monking business! ;-)

Bushido Loc: No Where and Every Where

Fran, to quote a traditional photographer: "Never ask a camera collector to see his images". The impulse is always there to buy the latest and greatest, yet the focus should be on creating the best images. And I have see some spectacular shot taken with a pocket camera. The camera doesn't make the picture you do.

rob s Loc: La Mesa, CA

You're absolutely and indisputably correct but ..................