What if you started from scratch again? Total Loss...

[RLPhoto]

If you started from scratch again, lets say theft or storm, all your equipment was lost.

What lenses and cameras would you re-purchase first and others later? Would you take this opportunity to switch to nikon?

Im positive when we started in photography, we were ignorant on some topics, but now with experience how would you react to a total loss and re-build you system from scratch?

I'd probably start again with this basic setup.

Canon 5D Classic

100mm f/2

50mm F/1.4

28mm F/1.8

Under 2000$ and I could do 90% of all my work with that system.

 

[bdunbar79]

That's a GREAT hypothetical question! Man oh man what would I do. I still think I'd go with a 5D Mark II for the body. Then, I'd only buy 3 lenses, like you. I'd get the camera with the 24-105L kit. Lens 1. Then I'd buy a 50 f/1.4, and a 135 f/2L. I'd shoot with that for a few years until I recovered financially.

2999+369+1099 = OUCH

It'd cost over $4k just to start over.

No 4k, then I'd get the 7D with 28-135mm kit lens, 50 f/1.4, 100 f/2. That's still over 2k.

 

[PhilDrinkwater]

Pretty much what I have now except 2 x 5d3 instead of 1x 5d2 and 1x5d3...

(15mm fisheye, 16-35, 24-70, 70-200 2.8 is, 35l, 50l, 135l, 3x580ex2)

 

[hectorjr]

We should make it a bit more interesting. No insurance + you only have 2 grand to spend.

 

[FunPhotons]

Exact same as I've done except the 5DMKIII to update the 5DMKII. I've gone very slowly and cautiously, only buying a lens after its been recently updated. Or flashes for example, I held off buying a handful of 580exII's and PW's or whatever for a Canon solution. Now the 600's came out and I LOVE them, so I bought three and a EX3. Couldn't be happier.

 

[michi]

I think I could survive with a 5DII, a 24-105 and a 50 1.4.

 

[Quasimodo]

That's a GREAT hypothetical question! Man oh man what would I do. I still think I'd go with a 5D Mark II for the body. Then, I'd only buy 3 lenses, like you. I'd get the camera with the 24-105L kit. Lens 1. Then I'd buy a 50 f/1.4, and a 135 f/2L. I'd shoot with that for a few years until I recovered financially.

+1

That would be my combo too

On the other hand, I have been dreaming (as we all do), that if I won in the lottery... I would walk in to the photostore and buy the Canon 800mm, Canon 400mm F2.8, and a Leica S2. All would be paid with a debet card, and not the mastercard

 

[unfocused]

We should make it a bit more interesting. No insurance + you only have 2 grand to spend.

7D and 15-85, both refurbished, should come close to meeting that budget and would cover most of my shooting. Then I'd set about replacing the rest of my lenses. There are none that I regret owning, so I'd just start rebuilding the kit I already have.

 

[Dylan777]

Rumor 7DII + 17-55mm f2.8 IS

WISH LIST:
1. 10-22mm
2. 70-200 f2.8 IS II

 

[CowGummy]

I think I could survive with a 5DII, a 24-105 and a 50 1.4.

+1

 

[wickidwombat]

since hassleblad just dropped their prices i would probably get one of them
maybe another 5Dmk3 and sigma 85mm f1.4 and canon 16-35 f2.8L II aswell
I dont think i would go back to noink

 

[DB]

Honestly, I would have to say the Canon Digital Ixus 115 HS 12.1 MP camera cos' I've no insurance whatsoever.

 

[Ricku]

D800 of course.

 

[RC]

Fun question

With insurance I would replace all of my lens I have now (listed beolow), but I would not replace my 7D yet because of the 7D II rumors. Instead I would get a 5D3. Once the 7D2 is anlnounced, I would make a decision on APS-C body.
- 16-35 II
- 24-105
- 70-200 f4 IS
- 100L

We should make it a bit more interesting. No insurance + you only have 2 grand to spend.

Tuff one :. Maybe a used 7D and a 17-55 or maybe nothing until I could save up.

 

[bfmawhinney]

We should make it a bit more interesting. No insurance + you only have 2 grand to spend.

5DmII refurbished, 50 1.4 refurbished. Probably would help me improve as a photographer more than anything else I could put together, and force me to see as I learned with the AE-1 back in middle school.

 

[dr croubie]

If I got a total insurance payout for everything i've got, here's how I'd go:

7D - Probably add a bit of cash and get the 5D3. Definitely KatzEye.
EOS 3 - Why didn't I buy one of these sooner? Definitely replace.
EFs 15-85 - put the money towards 5D3, I rarely use the zoom anyway, primes are fine.
Samyang 35/1.4 - Definitely get again (new not 2nd-hand next time)
FL 55/1.2 - Maybe get again, or another variant like FD55 or SSC (whatever EdMika has a kit for at the time)
85/1.8 and 100/2.0 - Probably stick to one or the other, money saved towards 5D3
70-300L - Definitely get another
430EX mk1 - Try get a 430EXII, otherwise no complaints.
Lensbaby gear - replace the whole lot (except DG Muse, got a Control Freak so don't need it).
Kenko Tubes - Definitely get again
Kenko 1.4 t/c - try to get the Pro300 DGX next time.
Takumar 50/1.4 - Probably don't need to replace, FL55/1.2 does the job
Helios 28/2.8 and Ozeck 28/2.8 OM mount - only cost $10 each
OM bellows - probably try to get EF-mount bellows next time.
Paragon 300/5.6 - only $10, why did i buy this in the first place?

MF Gear:
30/3.5 Zodiak fisheye - get another
2x 50/4 Flektogon - get one MC version
MIR 65/3.5 - replace with Zeiss MC Flektogon 65/2.8 instead
Biometar 80/2.8 - get MC version next time
Volna 90/2.8 - too similar focal length to Biometar, ditch.
MC Biometar 120/2.8 - definitely replace
Sonnar 180/2.8 - THE 6x6 portrait lens, definitely replace, MC if possible
Jupiter 250/3.5 - probably don't need this, try replace with Ziess MC Sonnar 300/4 or get a Pentacon 500/5.6
2x Arsenal 2x T/C - Probably don't need 2 teleconverters, but they were damn useful shooting the moon, so maybe.

Filters and Tripod Stuff:
Probably get the whole lot again, except for the Tiffen 72mm and 58mm CPLs and UVs, they sit in a box and their resale value is approximately nothing so haven't even bothered selling 2nd hand.
Definitely B+W MRC UV 67mm for the 70-300L, other lenses are cheap enough so don't need protecting.
I like my Heliopan 72mm CPL and Kaesemann 67mm, the Hoya HRT 77mm is too colour-casty, won't get that next time.
Tripod and ballhead and arca-swiss plates and nodal-ninja, get the whole lot again, no complaints.

 

[Hillsilly]

If I only had around $2k to spend, I think I'd move to Olympus. Maybe an OM-D with a 12mm and a 45mm.

If I received an insurance payout, and was starting afresh, I'd go with a 5Diii with and a 24mm, 50mm (or 85mm), 135mm, and 400mm and a Mamiya 6 with a 50mm, 75mm and 150mm.

 

[Forceflow]

Well, since this is not a hypothetical question for me, here is what I got after everything was stolen from me:

I repurchased following equipment:
Canon 7D
Canon 50mm 1.8
SIGMA 150mm 2.8 OS Macro (well sort of, I had the non-OS version but this was no longer available when I had to replace it)
2x SIGMA Converter (only because I found a cheap used one)
SIGMA 610 DG Super
LowePro Pro Trekker 300 AW

This is what I changed:
SIGMA 17-70mm 2.8 - 4 --> Canon 24-70 2.8
SIGMA 70-200mm 2.8 --> Canon 100-400mm 4.5-5.6 L

And i also added the SIGMA 85mm 1.4

So all in all I was fairly happy with what I had. But the two exchanges really were worth their money. Now all that I am missing is a good wide angle, but I am really not sure what to do there.

 

[Sith Zombie]

I would have to wait until the 7dmkii came out......... no, the 70d............ no, the rumored entry level FF....... no, maybe I should wait for the 5dmk4?? ;D

 

[vbi]

@Forceflow - look at the EF-S 10-22. Lovely IQ, 10mm is really, really wide on your 7D, and it is just plain fun to use.