I think prices have come down enough for me to afford finally getting a 'real' camera.

I'm looking for a body in as close to mint condition as possible. It will be used heavily, shooting 4000-5000 shots a month for years at a time once put into operation. A battery grip, if you have one, is a plus. I don't mind paying for quality, so tell me what it's worth to you and we'll go from there.

I want a 24-70 or 28-70 2.8L, but this will depend on the deal. It's not currently in the budget, but the right deal will make it in budget as these lenses don't get cheaper with age. I'll consider other EF lenses if they're a good deal. I've just used the 24-70 before so that's my first inclination. A 50mm 1.4 is the lens currently in budget to mate with the body. A new one of these can be had for under $350, so the price on a used one of these will have to warrant the used label.

I check pricing and condition against what can be found on keh, b&h, adorama, as well as fm and potn. I'm not looking for the cheapest, but I do want a fair deal full of value. The money for this purchase comes out of my dwindling savings account, so that will be weighing on my mind.

Feel free to reply here, via PM, via email at my dgrin username at huntsvillecarscene.com or even by phone/text at 615-512-5520. By phone/text is best since I get a lot of communication.

If I can't find what I'm looking for cost-wise now, I'll be looking again in the spring for this exact same setup. Thank you for your time.

FYI: the 20D/30D/ are rated at 50k shutter actuation's. 5k x 12mons = 60k in one year alone. The 40D/50D are rated at 100K. Maybe you need to consider a 1D?

Originally Posted by cmason FYI: the 20D/30D/ are rated at 50k shutter actuation's. 5k x 12mons = 60k in one year alone. The 40D/50D are rated at 100K. Maybe you need to consider a 1D?

Good to know. I shot around 65k on my original e20n before the shutter died. My Sony dsc-f828s each have over 100k on them. My Panasonic dmc-fz20 just turned 65k. I guess I'll have to just use my Canon more sparingly.

Originally Posted by SamirD Good to know. I shot around 65k on my original e20n before the shutter died. My Sony dsc-f828s each have over 100k on them. My Panasonic dmc-fz20 just turned 65k. I guess I'll have to just use my Canon more sparingly.

Well, if the shutter is the only thing wrong with it replacing it is quite a bit less than the camera itself...

Originally Posted by Overfocused Well, if the shutter is the only thing wrong with it replacing it is quite a bit less than the camera itself...

Good to know as well!

I looked at the prices on the 1d series and even the 4mp is still too much. With the cost of the lens it pushes the total cost outside of where I want to be.

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