Time to upgrade?

I’ve been using my current camera and lens combination, a Canon 650D and a single all-in-one Canon EF-S 18-200mm zoom lens, for the past 3 years*. But is it time for a change?

I’ve been relatively happy with my single body & lens combination which, for an SLR, is compact, versatile and easy to transport around:

My Canon 650D plus EF-S 18-200mm lens plus filters, sunshade, lens-pen and IR remote

All my kit handily fits into an old camcorder bag 🙂

However, I have been getting increasingly frustrated as I see other people’s shots (particularly macro, wildlife and sports photographs) which are pin-sharp and I can’t seem to get the same quality.  Working on the assumption it’s my kit that’s not up to par, rather than my photography skills (a big assumption, I know!), I have borrowed my friend Dave’s kit to experiment with a full-frame sensor and L lenses to see what difference it makes to my photographs.

Here’s the bag of tricks Dave has very kindly lent me:

Dave’s Canon 5D (Mark I) plus EF 17-40mm, EF 70-200mm, 50mm f1.8, 1.4x extender and variable ND filter

A sturdy shoulder bag to carry this bundle of goodies around

Look out for my next posts which will compare photos taken with both cameras… and let me know what you think!

* Prior to this I had a Canon 300D (early predecessor to the 650D) together with a 28-80mm lens plus an 80-200mm lens.  Depending on the shot I was taking I had to keep switching between the wide angle and the zoom lens (invariably the wrong one was on the body at wrong time!).