I need to run this by you...

[rpcrowe]

I presently shoot with a Canon 30D and a 40D with a 10D in reserve. I always like to shoot with two cameras and very occasionally will shoot with three...

I have been salivating for a new 7D because of the focus capability, wireless flash and many other bells and whistles.

Unfortunately, the 7D is no longer available through the Canon Loyalty program but, a refurbished 7D is available from the Canon site for $1349 (USD). A new 7D generally runs $1699 (USD) from reputable dealers like Adorama or B&H in New York City.

I am quite happy with refurbished gear since I have had better luck with the two refurbished cameras I have purchased than I have on the two new Canon DSLR cameras I previously purchased.

I don't plan to go to full frame. I am quite happy with my results from the 1.6x format.

My dilemma is this:

I want to sell some of my equipment to fund the purchase of the 7D. I have two lenses which are just sitting in my closet and are never used; the 70-200mm f/4L non-IS (I have an IS version) and a 17-40mm f/4L (I have a 17-55mm f/2.8 IS and a 12-24mm f/4 Tokina which more than cover that range).

I brought these lenses to my camera club's swap meet yesterday and offered them at a good price but, no one took my offer. One of the members began discussing his need for a 24-70mm f/2.8L lens since he shoots only full frame. I have one of these lenses and love it to death for studio work and landscapes but, that range is covered quite well by my 17-55mm f/2.8 IS and 70-200mm f/4L IS which I use in tandem on my 30D and 40D cameras. I don't miss the 55-70mm gap when shooting with these lenses. I really use the 24-70L very seldom.

I have been offered a very decent price for the lens which is $200 more than I originally paid for it and which would fund the a major portion of the 7D purchase. I am seriously considering this sale.

My only problem is selling something that retains its value for something that will depreciate readily. However, I don't really use the 27-70L often enough and I would like to shoot with a 7D and 40D along with the 30D in reserve.

I hate selling on eBay or craigslist and selling this lens to my fellow club member is a quick and painless way of getting my 7D. I can take my time about selling the 17-40L and 70-200mm f/4L (non-IS) and will probably donate the 10D to a local high school photography program and write it off as a donation on my income tax.

Just writing it out like this clears my head and I think I would be better off with a new camera which I will get a lot of use out of rather than a lens which mostly catches dust.

Thanks for your patience! What do you think?

Richard

[mythlady]

Sounds logical and reasonable to me, Richard -- go for it!

[Donald]

Sounds logical and reasonable to me, Richard -- go for it!

I agree.

What I salivate over is what you're planning to sell - the 24-70L. But if you're content you've got that range adequately covered with other lenses, then offload it.

[rpcrowe]

Donald,

I bought the 24-70L at a great price when the 24-105mm f/4L IS was introduced. A professional photographer was off loading two of his 24-70L lenses in order to buy the new kid on the block. Apparently many other photographers considered the same thing, because there was a definite supply and demand drop in 24-70L prices. I got mine for $850. The prices have stabilized and in fact gone up on the used market in the USA to between $1,100 and $1,200 (USD). The prices of new lenses are around $1,400 (USD).

I purchased my 17-55mm f/2.8 IS lens for a trip with my wife and her sister and brother in law. My wife asked me to bring only one camera and one lens since this was to be a vacation with her family rather than a photo expedition. This gave me an opportunity to justify the 17-55mm.

I absolutely LOVE my 17-55mm and can see no downsides to the lens except that it is not quite long enough to use as a single lens. However, I use it on a 40D and use a 70-200mm f/4L is on a 30D. I am quite happy with this combination.

I began to use the 24-70L less and less as I fell in love with the 17-55mm. The 24-70L is a bit heavy for a walk around lens (I am pushing my 71st birthday) and I really need to carry a wider lens when using the 24-70L on a 1.6x camera. The last time I used my 24-70L was in the Spring of 2010 at Yosemite National Park. I did most of my shooting just a few hundred feet from my car, so the weight of the 24-70L was not a problem. I also did all of my shooting on a tripod...

I have been thinking about liquidating this lens for a while. I guess that I haven't done it because it is such a great glass. It is like having a Rolex watch. But, if I had a Rolex and left it in my draw all the time; it probably wouldn't be worth a lot to me. Having a thousand plus dollar lens that is virtually unused seems like a waste.

[nickjohnson]

Hello Richard,
Recent events in Japan may well put the Canon lens replacement programme on hold. That said, the 24-70L has been a likely candidate for replacement with a MKII version for some time now. So FWIW I feel that your lens is at or near it's peak resale value – so turning it into something you can use sounds good to me. The 17-40L is an absolute peach on a full frame (I use one on a 5D), and is very popular - so should (hopefully) fine a buyer. I know exactly what you mean regarding shooting with two or more cameras – I HATE changing lenses under pressure.

Regards,

Nick.

[Shadowman]

I debated selling my 18-55mm kit lens for whatever I could get for it and decided against doing so for two reasons: 1) I found that I needed it for really tight shots, 2) I read a review and found it to be a very capable lens. So if you procrastinate or ask for an outside opinion you might find yourself not selling, so if you really want to do this, do it now and worry about the consequences later.

[Wirefox]

Richard

It all seems very logical to me. It does go against the grain selling good glass for a better body but in this case unless there is another lens that you would get more use out of it then it makes perfect sense. Plus the fact the 30D is getting on a bit - although for a second body its more than adequate. The 40D is one of the classics in my opinion but again it is not the most up to date box of tricks on the market. Personally if I needed a second body (I can borrow Becki's camera if I do) I would go for another 40D or maybe a 50D. But that is based on me needing (wanting) other gear rather than bodies.

[rpcrowe]

I finally after a lot of contemplation and hand wringing, decided to pull the trigger on a Canon 7D. What convinced me was that I was able to trade in my broken Canon 10D through the Canon Loyalty Program which reduced the price of the refurbished 7D to $1087 (USD). That was essentially a $162 (USD) trade in allowance for my broken 10D. That is more than many used working 10D cameras have gone for on eBay USA.

I got enough for my 24-70L to cover the complete price of the Loyalty Program 7D except for less than one hundred U.S. dollars for tax and shipping costs. This is Monday afternoon at 4:30 PM, California time and the Canon representative says I will have my new camera by Thursday as well as a postage paid label with which to send the old 10D back to Canon. I get to keep all accessories and only have to send back the camera... So I can use the BP-511 battery and extra charger for my 40D...

My son-in-law is doing an Iron Man event on Saturday which will be a great place to wring out the new 7D's supposedly great focusing capability. I will of course, back myself up with my trusty 40D.

Everyone is happy...

I am happy - I got the camera which I was craving
My wife is happy - Very little out-of-pocket money for my new camera
The guy who bought the lens is happy - he has been craving a 24-70L
and
Obviously Canon is happy

BTW: The 7D was not listed as part of the loyalty program but I called the Canon Loyalty Program Hot Line at 1-866-443-8002 and found out that they have approximately 300 refurbished Canon 7D cameras available...

Now I will purchase a couple of Sterlingtek batteries for the 7D.

[jiro]

Sounds like you got yourself a pretty good deal on everything. Congrats, Richard. Hope to see some images from your 7D soon. Awesome!

[Donald]

Well done, Richard. A good deal all round.

[rpcrowe]

QUITE DISAPPOINTED... I won't be shooting my son-in-law's "Iron-Man" competition with my new Canon 7D. It arrived from the Canon loyalty program today but, doesn't work.

It will not accept the battery which will not seat in the compartment. I tried the Canon OEM battery and also tried the batteries I purchased from Sterlingtek and neither work.

Additionally when I installed several lenses, they did not open up to the full aperture and resulted in a dim, stopped down viewfinder image. I fitted the lenses to my 40D without a battery installed and the viewfinder was bright. Both of the lenses had an f/2.8 aperture and the 7D viewfinder looks like I am viewing through f/8 or there about.

I will get on the phone to Canon in the morning. I would prefer to send the camera back for a new one but, would send it to Canon service Center in Anaheim if that is the only way around the mess.

This is the 3rd refurbished Canon I have purchased and the first two worked perfectly. I cannot believe this camera got past the quality control at the Canon Service Center.

No big problem about the Iron-Man competition though, because I have my 30D and 40D cameras to use...

[jeeperman]

Bummer, sorry to hear Richard. Thank goodness for backups huh...

[rpcrowe]

Canon is sending me a prepaid return label and is shipping me a replacement 7D. They are crediting my Visa card with the camera I am returning and are sending me a replacement 7D with free shipping.

I will have the replacement 7D by Monday and I will be saving $25.00 on the transaction since I will get a full refund for the camera (including shipping) that I am sending back and will get the replacement with free shipping.

I AM TOTALLY SATISFIED... They couldn't have handled this any better!

[Donald]

I AM TOTALLY SATISFIED... They couldn't have handled this any better!

That is nice to hear. And I hope they somehow become aware of the fact that your telling us about it on here has, most likely, upped their goodwill standing within a section of the photographic world by a considerable degree.

Let's hope the replacement does what it says on the tin.

[ktuli]

And we'll all tell ourselves that the problem occurred because of rough handling in shipping and that it was in perfect working order after it passed over the last QA tech's desk.

Mild bummer, but glad it worked out relatively painlessly.

- Bill

[rpcrowe]

I received the replacement 7D and shipped the defective one back to canon using their provided shipping label. I am happy to say that the new camera seems to be working well. Although there will be a learning curve between my 30D and 40D cameras and the new 7D; the curve doesn't seem as steep as I thought it might be (video excepting, of course).

There are a few more bells and whistles on the 7D and some of the controls are located in different positions but, the general feel of the camera is much like my 10D which I always liked.

[Colin Southern]

I AM TOTALLY SATISFIED... They couldn't have handled this any better!

Jetstar could learn a thing or two from Canon ...

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/asia/ja...es-and-Jetstar

[Shadowman]

That is nice to hear. And I hope they somehow become aware of the fact that your telling us about it on here has, most likely, upped their goodwill standing within a section of the photographic world by a considerable degree.

Let's hope the replacement does what it says on the tin.

Actually, this is probably the best time for Canon to practice some goodwill. While they are still leading in DSLR sales their lead has been slipping lately with Nikon moving slowly up the ladder and about eight other contenders scrapping for what's left.