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What would you do?

I Currently own the EOS 300D Canon Digital Rebel 6.3 MP. That is what all of my BugGuide submissions have been with.

Buy a new Canon body



Canon Digital Rebel XSi 12.2 MP Digital SLR is what I am thinking for many reason including price, live view, Self Cleaning Sensor Unit, and 12.2 MP. Including + Canon EF-S 18-55mm IS Lens + Spare LP-E5 Battery + 4GB Card + Gadget Bag for $699

(I don't know the reasoning behind such a great price and it almost worries me, but what a deal!)

From http://www.fredmiranda.com/store/

And a Canon MR-14EX TTL Macro Ring light flash for my Sigma 105 Macro (might require an adapter?)

Or

Get my Canon body Cleaned, and purchase Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5X Macro Lens
and the MR-14EX ringlight, but possibly suffer because of pixel rate....

Any oppinions?


(THis is probably better suited for the Photography Forum, but I am looking for general opinions. If it needs to be moved I will)

Jason my friend, are we still
Jason my friend, are we still on the fence?

Get the MP-E!

I looked through your gallery and you have some great photos. That camera is serving you just fine. Those photos have plenty of detail and quality. The only thing you might benefit from with a higher pixel camera is being able to print larger, have the ability to shoot in RAW format (not that big of a deal for a hobbyist like me) and have some better quality as far the newer models having less noise at higher ISO's, and things like that.

But honestly, looking at your photos, why upgrade the camera? I went from taking photos with $3k worth of equipment to using a $200 Canon Powershot and was happy with the results: http://bugguide.net/node/view/173999

Get the MP-E and the TWINLITE MT-24EX flash (not the ringlite as the ringlite is more unnatural compared to the twinlite). Then you'll be able to capture all the wonderful details of the small bugs (4mm or so and smaller, like ants, leafhoppers, springtails) that are hard to get with other macro lenses.

I hope this helps!
Paul

....
I would say be cautious. It has been my experience that camera "kits" are often a scam of some sort. I'm not at all saying this one is. I'm just saying be cautious and skeptical. I would suggest calling them on the phone and asking lots of questions. If it's a scam that's a good way to try to find out.

As far as the pixels, Lynette is right that there are varying opinions about this. Some will say that an amateur, or "average", photographer is capable of taking fairly decent pics with a high megapixel camera while a professional photographer is capable of taking exceptional pics with a lower megapixel camera. The theory is that it all has to do with knowledge of the camera, its settings, and the skill of the photographer.
While all of this is absolutely true, my opinion is that if you can afford a higher end camera then do it. At some point I fully intend on buying a Canon EOS 5D Mark II (or Mark III or whatever is the latest when I get it), as discussed in this discussion here. Am I qualified to own this "King Kong of DSLR's"? Probably not but I figure I can "come up" to its level eventually as I continue to learn but the camera can't come down to my level so why not just by the very best that you can afford at the time and be done with it.

Pixels vs. better lens
This is a good question. I've read articles that explain that more pixels isn't the best thing, but I don't know what the prime number of MP might be for macro photography either. If it were me... and my body were still funtioning I would always spend money on a lens before buying a new body. However, having two bodies has its advantages as well, especially if you are doing more than macro photography. I'd like to hear what other people have to say about this.

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