Help me sort out what is in my bag! (what should go/what should stay)

[LPC-6]

I'm about a year into DSLRs and have been acquiring stuff here and here (mostly cheap-ish lenses) to get a feel for what works for me. The problem is that I can find justification to keep every piece of equipment (bit of a hoarder). So would love people's input as to what they think I could get rid of and what I should keep.

I know I'm at a point where I need to work on my composition than equipment, so trying to narrow it down.

Here is what I shoot / like to shoot:
- mostly use my DSLR while on holidays
- use it sometimes when I'm out with friends for dinners (never goes out for a boozy night out)
- landscapes when I'm on holiday
- sports, sometimes
- love low light photography (without flash) -- both indoor and outdoor
- with the above, I love shooting wide open and getting a narrow DoF
- often crop / reframe pictures, so good 100% crop quality is important to me
- pictures of people, but not portraits (usually with things in the background)


Here is the equipment I have and the justification I have for them happy to take criticism.

Bodies:
1. Canon 5D (+ good ISO performance, full frame equivalent suits my primes better. - heavy!, no automatic sensor cleaning, smaller screen)
2. Canon 500D (+ lightweight, works with my EF-S lenses, higher MP slightly better for crops, -primes are not wide enough)

Lenses:
1. Canon 35mm f2.0 (+ like it for landscapes on the 5D, but sometimes not wide enough, considering replacing it with the 28mm f1.8, - loud autofocus noise)
2. Canon 50mm f1.8 (+ nice for portraits, but rarely take portraits, it's only £60, so probably not worth selling)
3. Canon 85mm f1.8 (+good for sports, especially at night, good to carry around with the 35mm)
4. Canon 18-55mm kit lens (never use it, but not worth much and came as part of the 500D kit)
5. Canon 18-135mm lens (+extremely versatile on holiday, never had a moment where I wished for more range). I gave this lens to my brother which he kept and I have just recently re-bought this, I haven't used it yet, usually taking the 17-50mm in favour of it.
6. Canon 55-250mm lens (+great for sports, bought this during the olympics -not sure when I'd use it outside of sports)
7. Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 (+great walk around lens, capable of some low light -can't use on my 5D, heavy)


I know everyone has different usage for their kits, but I'd love to hear what you think I should get rid of and why (in the context of what I shoot)

 

[Soda Farl]

In your boat I would probably sell it all on and upgrade to a 1 camera system, there is no need for your use to have 2 bodies.

Sell everything off and put towards a newer body maybe a 7d as you don't like the weight of the 5 series and maybe keep the Tamron and upgrade the others. You said the Tamron is heavy, it's a fairly light weight lens?????

 

[ianmarsh]

I'd stick the tamron 17-50 on the crop body to give a good light walk around kit, then keep the 35/50/85 prime combo for the 5D. You might swap the 35 for something a little wider (I've a 24mm but think a 28mm might be better).

I don't know your other lenses so cannot comment on them much, but for serious sports I doubt either body is up to the job (too slow AF mainly). A 7D would be a good upgrade at some point.

If you really need a longer lens then a 135 prime or a 70-200 zoom would give you a well rounded kit.

 

[LPC-6]

In your boat I would probably sell it all on and upgrade to a 1 camera system, there is no need for your use to have 2 bodies.

Sell everything off and put towards a newer body maybe a 7d as you don't like the weight of the 5 series and maybe keep the Tamron and upgrade the others. You said the Tamron is heavy, it's a fairly light weight lens?????

I've been tempted to sell up and get a 5D2, but still can't get over the weight.

I think the 7D is the same weight as the 5D.

I say that the Tamron lens is quite heavy for the focal range. But I guess necessarily needs to be since it is a fast lens.

The comparison I make is the 500D+17-50mm lens is about as heavy as the 5D+35mm prime. I am considering the 24/28mm primes to replace the 35mm so I can get the equivalent wide angle.

I'm not a big sports shooter, just like to bring my camera with me sometimes when I have decent seats to shoot from.