Canon EOS 5D Mk II  /   Photo courtesy Amazon.com

Many photographers will tell you that the hardest part of establishing their career was affording the initial investment in high-quality professional gear. Camera equipment is notoriously expensive and jumps substantially in price above the prosumer level—L-Series Canon glass with Image Stabilization (IS) technology, for example, can run upwards of $1,500-$2,000 not including UV or polarizing filters, and a new professional level DSLR can take nearly $3,000 out of your pocket.

Whether you choose Canon or Nikon (or another brand of SLR) is entirely up to you. If you choose your camera and lenses based on what works for you, and what you feel comfortable with, then you will become a happy and satisfied owner of whatever brand you are loyal to. The purported differences between high-end DSLRs is grossly exaggerated—end of story. There, don't you feel better now?

Photography equipment companies such as Canon do realize their products are expensive. They also realize the power of incentives. Twice per calendar year, Canon cuts prices on several of its more expensive lenses during an event called Instant Rebates. The best part? All of the price cuts are honored at any authorized Canon reseller—yes, that includes Amazon. This winter's Instant Rebate days are November 29th, 2009—January 10th, 2010.
 

Recommending what camera gear and accessories to buy is only slightly less daunting, not to mention subjective, than forcing yourself to figure it out alone five minutes before you need to bve done with the order (December 20th shoppers, we're talking to you!). The products we recommend here are based on personal experience, trial and error and of course, some items off of your Examiner's personal wishlist.

Check out the holiday gift guide below, and please comment with any other suggestions you have!

DSLR Camera Bodies:

    Nikon D700 SLR / Nikon.com

• Canon EOS 5D Mk II — Features a new 21.1-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor, DIGIC 4 Image Processor and maximum ISO of 6400. Available at Amazon.com, $2,633.87
• Nikon D700 — Featuring Nikon'?s Original 12.1-megapixel FX-format CMOS Image Sensor.  Available at Amazon.com, $2,399.00.

Lenses:

Note: All Canon lenses have a Nikon equivalent, a Sigma equivalent, and frequently, a Tamrom equivalent. Do your research to decide what is best for you and your budget!

• Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II — The all-purpose lens, and the lens with which every photo on the San Francisco Concert Examiner's page has been taken. This is a staple in every photographer's collection, at least until they can afford to upgrade; and most exciting of all, this lens is Canon's
  
  
  Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 / Amazon.com

  most affordable, coming in at less than $100.

• Canon 50mm f/1.4 USM — This is the lens yo will want to upgrade to after your 50mm f/1.8 either breaks or leaves you longing for a lens that isn't made of cheap plastic. One use of the 50mmm f/14 and you'll marvel at how superior this lens is. At $375, it's fairly inexpensive and well worth it.
• Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM — This lens is superb, particularly for its price (you can buy a new one for less than $400) and the quality of the construction. Known as a cheaper version of "The" Portrait Lens (The Almighty 85mm f/1.4, or, if you as some, the 85mm f/1.2), it more than holds it own and the aperture is certainly wide enough for even the darkest of stages.
• Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM — There are always times when those who stick with a 50mm lens wish they carried a wider angle lens around with them, but its tough to find wide angle lenses with
  
  
  70-200mm f/2.8 IS  / Amazon.com

  the proper aperture for the darkness of a concert venue. This lens is the answer, and like the 50mm f/1.8 and particularly the 85mm f/1.8, it will not break the bank, costing less than $500.

• Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM — The introduction of second-generation Image Stabilization technology to this lens has caused it to become extremely popular, and it is widely considered to be among the best of Canon's lenses. L-series glass is built better than non-L glass, from better materials, and this lensdoes not disappoint, even in handheld, low light conditions like concerts. The bad news? The retail price is $1,699.95. Start saving your pennies!

   

 Other Accessories and Do-dads

• Monopod — If nothing else, you can leave it in your car or photo bag and never use it. But if you ever need to use your monopod, you will see why it was such an important invention. Concert
  
  
  Delsey Camera Bag / Amazon.com

  photographers can benefit enormously from being able to lift the camera above eye-level while maintaining the camera's stability from below. Plus, it could help you if you happen to trip!

• Delsey Camera Bag —There are so many brands of camera bags out there, but Delsey's construction is second to none. This gorgeous and spacious shoulder bag will hold all you need at a concert, including ID, cell phone, extra lenses, even a small hoodie. This is a fantastic bag that will serve you for years to come, whether shooting concerts or traveling through Europe.
• Kingston Elite Pro 8 GB 133x CompactFlash Memory Card — CompactFlash cards are so inexpensive these days, you don't need a sale time like the holidays to stock up. But while we're here, why not grab a few more? Today you can buy cards with as much as 32 GB of space, but isn't it tempting fate to put all your photos on one card? Sticking with 8 GB cards seems a safe bet.

Again, please leave comments if you have additional suggestions (or warnings!). Let us know of great deals you see around San Francisco and the Internet. Or just say hello!