Canon upgrade advice

[toastboy]

Toastgirl and I have had a 300D with standard kit lens for the past couple of years and have been very pleased with the results. We've got around a grand to spend on upgrades before our holiday in October. I've seen a Canon twin lens kit for the 400D that looks interesting with a EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM and EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM.

However, a friend recommended that we just spend the money on 1 decent L lens arguing that it's the quality of the lens that makes the photo rather than the camera itself. I do see his point but I'm not sure spending this sort of money on one lens is going to make much of a difference given our limited experience.

Bearing in mind that we are relative beginners in photography and could use the spare lens on the 300D to replace the basic kit lens, what would you guys recommend? 400D + 2 lenses or L lens?

[matthew_h]

Your friend has a point to some extent about it being down to the lens and that was certainly very true with film cameras but with digital, the camera plays a much larger role in the overall quality of the end result.

Do you feel limited by the 300D or is it more just a desire thing? What are you mainly shooting? The 300D hasn't suddenly become a crap bit of kit but it has been superceded by newer models.

If you feel you can still get decent shots from the 300D and that it is not holding you back then I would go with the better lens. You'll always have it and it will work with later camera upgrades.

If you feel the 300D is what is holding you back then I would go with the 400D kit.

[Byker28i]

I've got a 300D with the kit lens which actually I quite like as a walkabout lens. It's really not bad. Ok it's plasticy, but the image quality isn't bad. I've also got a 70-200 L USM lens and the EF 10-22mm, which with the 1.4 convertor just about covers everything I do.

I'm now waiting for the 40D

[Byker28i]

P.S. It depends what you shoot as well. I mostly take sport so the 4 shot buffer kills me at times.

[toastboy]

The main reason for upgrading is that we're going on holiday to Namibia and Botswana in October and we'd like to get some good pictures to frame and put up on the walls. A spare camera would be useful as it would save swapping between us all the time when the other wants to take a picture.

[matthew_h]

In that case, get the 400D with the twin lens kit and take the two with you.

[Byker28i]

Watch out that the 400d has different batteries to the 300D