CAS rears its ugly head...

I've been reading a lot of used equipment listings looking for used equipment in good condition that I could use to bolster my gear and be better prepared for my next job. I've been looking at all sorts of things and I've gotten some ideas on what I want to buy.

Highest priority: Flash Bracket.
This bit of gear allows me to rotate either my lens or flash to keep it directly over the lens with a bit extra height to improve lighting and to keep shadows behind people and out of sight. Shadows to the right or left of people look nasty, and I need to eliminate them, so I'll have to spend about $100-$250 in this department for the bracket and cord.

Just below that: Second digital body, 24-70mm 2.8L and backup flash.
No one should ever professionally shoot a wedding with a single camera. You simply must have a backup. I've been Ok because my 20D is extremely reliable and I have my old film kit which I keep at the wedding with many rolls of film, ready to go.

But the fact remains I need a second digital body, and for that I'm looking to get a Canon Digital Rebel XT, which is slightly smaller physically than my 20D and gets a little bit less frames per second and doesn't go to as high of a "film" speed, but would work perfectly as my backup plan. I will, however, still keep my film kit because the only thing better than a backup plan is two backup plans. I could get a good used one, with additional vertical grip and batteries, for <$600.

The 24-70 (linked in earlier post) would fill the focal length gap that exists between my 70-200 and my 17-35. I've missed a few important shots and done less as good as I could have in the past because I was either too wide or too tight, and this sucker would fill that gap. Even more, with two digital bodies I could walk around with two working cameras at parties, switching as needed. It would be badass. I could get a good used one for about $900.

For the backup flash, I'll probably get a Canon 420EX, a recently-discontinued flash that works well with digital and can also work as a wireless slave controlled by the 580EX flash I already own. It should cost me less than $150.

And then there are some of the things I've been dreaming about: On-site printing, a supertelephoto, and STROBES!
To do on-site printing, I'd need to buy this $425 Canon monstrosity that uses eight ink tanks which cost $11 each to replace, or $85 as a set. On the upside, i could sell 13x19 posters at tournaments and such for about $35 a pop (the average going rate.) Considering the paper and extra ink I'd need, it'd be a $700 initial investment.

I also still want a really long lens, either a 300mm or 400mm 2.8L. These cost thousands of dollars. As in $7,000 for the 400 brand new.

Finally, I've been looking at Alien Bees strobes for a new portable lighting source for portraits or even lighting indoor sporting events. This would require anywhere between $400 and $2,000 depending on just how much stuff I'd buy. Probably this one to start with, and they do give a 10 percent student discount.

I've been learning a lot about gear resale value, and one thing is clear: invest in glass, expense on bodies and flashes. Lenses keep most of their value after even years of use, usually keeping 80 t0 90 percent of it. Bodies, flashes and other more disposable things can lose 40 percent of their value in a year, easily. I bought my Canon 20d for $1,500 brand new just under a year ago now (anniversary coming up the 16th). Today it would likely only fetch $800 or so.