Although I've only been to India once, for an extended trip, I found it an absolutely fascinating country. Extremely diverse and had absolutely no problems with theft. Pay close attention to the advise another member gave you regarding the shots and immunizations. They are excellent advice and must be heeded to.
Regarding photography, in the cities expect to pay small change for taking shots of people. I would take the 70-200 & the 18-70 mm. The long lens will be very useful in street shots and if traveling by train, possibly of the countryside. Be aware that their trains are nothing like ours or anyone else's. first class passage is an absolute joke. doesn't exist. Bring your own food & drink on the train. If you can - go to the Rahjastan (sp?) National Forest and take some guided tours to see the Bengal Tigers and the other teeming wildlife. Amazing. Try and get to a rural village. We did and it was the highlight of the trip. No crime and people just wanted to see the photos in the view finder. Bring as many pencils/pens as you can with you into the rural areas. The children need them badly and would rather have that than your currency. Goes a long way to good relations and group pictures or action shots. Good luck and good shooting.

Hi,
Never owned or used a Canon 7D, so can't comment on the difference between it and a 5D mark II, but continuously use a 5D and a 5D mark II, mostly the latter and can't say enough about how good this camera is. Accurate, versatile, a bit heavy but a great piece of equipment. I shoot with a 24-105mm and a 28-300 Canon lenses and agree with the previous response, i.e. good glass is paramount, but with a good camera you can't lose. The full frame aspect to me is an essential improvement in capturing the most data you can in a shot. Hope this helps.

Hi Deanna,

I always keep the boxes for either cameras or lenses. I think the reason comes perhaps from watch collectors, who religiously keep the boxes that the watch comes in - I'm not talking Casio's and Seiko's, I'm talking about Rolex's, Audemars, Chopards, Patek Philipes, and Cartier's. Model car collectors do the same thing - it diminishes the value of the item if it doesn't have the original box.

Granted lenses and cameras may not increase in value over time, with some exceptions, of course, as do watches and old model cars, but it's all in the perception of the potential buyers. So keep the boxes - all in the same large box and put it away so that you can find them easily. Good luck

Hi Fran,

I've been shooting with two L lenses for quite a while, a 28-300mm and a 24-105mm and they are spectacular and rugged lenses. the former is a bit heavy but the results are worth it. I'm a firm believer in you get what you pay for and in the long run the difference is worth every cent.
Good luck with your choice.

I would also like to suggest Elliot Erwitt. His black and white photos always portray not only a wry sense of humor but often have subtleties that are not readily apparent when first looking at his photographs.

That would be "Adorama". They and B&H are reliable, knowledgeable, stable and first class vendors to deal with

I've had extensive experience with both and highly recommend both.

Bruce

Hi, Flyguy:

I am a pure Canon shooter and would recommend that you look at the Canon 28-300mm L 3.5 L IS USM lens. Although heavy, it is a truly versatile lens offering near wide angle (28mm) and true long telephoto aspects (300mm). It is extremely rugged and dependable. I love mine and have used in on many, many photo adventures.
Good luck,,


Bruce M.

Hi, Newbie to Ugly Hedgehog here, but wanted to respond re: Canon 5D even though you're contemplating the 7D. I have both the 5D and the 5D Mark II and enjoy both immensely. I have both because I was advised by many to carry two cameras when going to exotic locations where a back up might/would be necessary in case of breakage, loss, etc. Good advice and easy to work with both since they are very similar. The Mark II of course has a video feature which I'm just starting to use but the full frame sensor in both is remarkable and the 21 mp is incredible.
I would also highly recommend the 24-105mm L lens for use with these cameras.