I can't wait to start taking pics on my upcoming IAH-FRA-OSL-SVO-HKG-HKT-BKK-FRA-IAH F/J Extravaganza. Just ordered a Canon 40D with a 17-40 L Series Lens. Should be here in two days :D :D :D

I just saw a tv commercial for that camera last night .

Wow...not only do I have flight envy, but now I have to have camera envy, too. Really it is just lens envy, but still. :drooling:

I thought about springing for an advanced point & shoot, like the Fuji s100fs. However, I like to take a lot of low-light photos (need a fast lens, good high ISO performance), and landscapes/cityscapes (need/want ultra wide-angle). I've been scouring flickr doing searches for photos by various point & shoots, SLRs, and Lenses, and finally decided that if I was willing to shell out a fair amount for an advanced point & shoot, I might as well spend the extra to get a DSLR that has capabilities leaps & bounds beyond what any point & shoot can offer.

Let me know if you ever want to go back.

Amen to that, but it is most certainly on the menu. One of the assistant managers there used to be a server at this Palm. Reading that took me by such surprise that I had to call and ask him.

I'm making up for traveling to New Zealand with an 8-year-old Sony Mavica CD-1000 :o

I feel I did the South Island a great disservice.

+1. My wishlist on B&H is titled "The Reality List" and on it sits a 40D. My mother and my girl both told me I should rename it the "No Way in Hell" list.

6mo. No Payments on Orders over $750 with Bill-Me-Later. Split over 6 Months, that made the cost of the 40D manageable (Under $200/mo). My IRS Refund Check covered the Lens :D

I may have to break down and buy a DSLR. I have become obssed with motion blur shots. Thus, I need a really slow lens to get the job done.

My P+S, a cannon sd850, maxes out at 15 sec and F 6.8. It is just not getting the job done.

After this splurge, I think it will be some time before I get my mitts on the prime lens I really want (Canon 14mm f/2.8 L II USM). Given that it's going for a bit north of $1300, used, it will definitely be some time. Time to see if any camera shops in the area offer it for rental. :D

Congrats! You'll like the camera. But 17-40L? Did you consider the 17-55? I know it costs a little more, doesn't have the red ring, and it's EF-S; but it's more versatile as a walkaround lens. Just sell it when you upgrade to the 5D MkII or whatever it's called when it comes out... :)

The only lens I have right now is the big 100-400 Canon. I am seriously considering a Sigma 17-70 which I hear very good things about. ^

Are you buying or renting? Anyways, check this site out for the former to give you some ideas.

http://www.urbanliving.com/index.cfm

I certainly appreciate the virtues of an exciting and challenging job. Money isn't everything after all, but that is only true to a degree.

The 17-40 hits most of the sweet spots that I'm interested in (price & decent ultra-wide-angle performance, primarily). I had considered the pricier 16-35 L, but decided against. Over the past few months, I read several reviews, including a pretty good side-by-side comparison on Luminous Landscape. In the end, I went with the 17-40. If I'm unhappy with it, and if I end up renting other lenses that I prefer, I may resell it and try something else. Thankfully the Lenses retain much of their value, even used.