There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
However in the last few months I've been taking peeks over the fence into the neighbors yards. Fuji for one is very impressive in what they can wring from an APSC sensor, and how compact and well built their camera bodies and excellent APSC lenses are. Likewise Sony stuff is very well regarded for it's dynamic range and video features. Though I find the Sony A7 series not as user friendly as Canon, Nikon or Fuji. Adding to this current multitude of choices, Canon and Nikon both just dropped the curtain on their next generation mirrorless full frame cameras. This is essentially the death knell for their old DSLR cameras and the associated lens mounts. I'd say it is not a good time to invest in a new camera or body. If you get new lenses they will only work with Canon's next gen mount with an expensive adapter. Me personally I am bailing on Canon until things settle down. I'm going to pick up a Fuji Xpro2 or XT3 and a compact wide prime lens for my walk around shooting. Save my Canon full frame for concerts and events. I figure by this time next year there will be a clearer picture of where digital interchangeable lens cameras are headed.
If you are intent on spending on camera gear, get another prime lens, used. The 35mm F1.8 is really good. Also the 100mm F2.8 L is an amazing sharp lens on macro, or tele shots. On the other end the 40mm f2.8 is not the worlds greatest lens. But it's a very compact prime that will make your camera easier to have with you more often. I've captured a lot of great shots with the 40 that I'd have missed if I had the much bulkier 85mm on instead.