I really like the Zeiss Classic line. They are not weather sealed like what you get Zeiss Milvus glass, but great lenses and the build quality is second to none...

Lots of good advice, and yes, it takes a lot of practice and experimenting to get the results you want from your camera, but that's what makes photography so much fun and interesting...

A Nikon D4/D4S/D5 with a 24-70 would be the way to go, even if you rented. They are built for those types of shooting situations you mention. I have a D4S and sure they are somewhat expensive that' what you pay for...