Brett Colvin
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I’ve shot Canon in the past and would echo everything said here.
A teleconverter isn’t a magic accessory that will transform a consumer-grade lens into poor man’s L glass.
IMO, TCs simply don’t produce satisfactory results unless they’re on a pro lens of f/4 or faster already.
If you are going to trust some decent gear to a tripod, I’d increase your budget just a bit.
One of my rigs is a set of Slik Pro 700DX legs ($99 MSRP) and a Manfrotto 486RC2 ball head (on sale for $59.95 at B&H right now).
http://www.adoramapix.com does a nice job with real photo paper calendars.
Personally, I would rather have a $300 small/handy video camera and a $700 SLR than a $1000 SLR that provides video functions with various compromises.
The Nikon D5000 would probably be my choice if you really wanted both in one platform.
It really depends on the type of shots you want to get. The lenses you mention are good ones, but like all glass they have to be used within their respective limitations. I have a Nikon 70-300 and it has produced some exceptional results for me — but neither the 18-55 nor the 70-300 are considered “fast” glass for use in lower light conditions.
I own the Tokina 12-24, and it’s a top notch wide angle. Wides produce a certain exaggerated perspective that can be a lot of fun to play with. Just keep in mind that the 12-24mm focal length is meant for broad landscapes and exaggerated foregrounds.
I have actually done a lot of my fish photography this year on the 35mm f/1.8 ($199). It’s got a very large aperture, which allows it to produce sharp images in the early morning and late evening hours when fish are often caught. It’s small, light, and very sharp.
Shot from the Tokina 12-24:
Shot from the 35mm:
