Need help. Canon 60D for sports--is it better to pony up for the 7D?

[Act444]

Honestly, in my experience I find that it's technique first, lens second, camera third.

If you want good pics of any sport, the right technique is the key...also, understanding the sport you are shooting so you can get the timing down I've found to be key.

Second, the lens is a much more limiting factor than the body. A 70-200 (f4 if shooting day games, f2.8 if shooting evening or night) should be sufficient IF you are close to the action (on sidelines/first 5 rows).

Third, if the camera body has a decent AF system you may get more keepers. But without the right technique and/or lens, even the fanciest body won't give you the shots you want.

[RMC33]

In all honesty, I shot sports for the last two years with a 7D and 5DII (upgraded to the III when the price dropped). The 7D is amazing. It slammed out perfect shots every time and was very durable. I was shooting a pair of 30d's prior and I can't tell you how much of an upgrade the xD series is over the xxD.

If you want to get serious get the 7D, a 70-200 f/2.8 II (save to get it.. the lens is far more important then the body), a good monopod, Grip, 2 extra batteries and a MkIII 1.4 TC. That will give you a wide gamut of reach with one lens and give you very very good IQ. I did 99% of my shooting prior to making a few big sales of photos with a 70-200 MkI on my 7d and a 24-70 on my 5dII. Also what sort of sports are you planning on shooting?

High School football.  Baseball and wrestling are going to be also but those will be for my family because I have nephews that play those two sports also.

Ya.. 7D and 70-200 II would cover all of that NP. You could go with a MKI as well. As the previous poster stated technique is king. Took me 2 months of shooting Kayaking to learn how to do it right.

[STEMI_RN]

Honestly, in my experience I find that it's technique first, lens second, camera third.

Bump....

[bdunbar79]

If you are going to shoot night high school football, you don't want either a 60D or 7D.  The noise will be unmanageable unfortunately.  So in this case it goes camera first, lens second, technique third. 

There is a trick though, and I'd use it.  You'll need a prime lens that opens up really wide, like 1.8 or 2 and use the 1.6x crop factor to its fullest advantage.  With said prime, get as close as possible.  Sideline pass is a must if you can get it.  You won't be able to shoot at 1/500 or even 1/400 at f/2.8 with a 60D or 7D under night lights at high school football.  The only other option there is to expect noise going into the game.

All other cases, daylight sports, the 7D will be a great camera to use.

[Kristofgss]

I would like to post them on a site eventually.  It will be a high school football site kept up by me and it is not for pay but I do want other people to freely look through the photos and enjoy shots of the games I see across the state of Texas.  I also hope to take video clips (nothing too long) of scoring plays.  I really appreciate how the 60D and 7D can handle video and a good lens can even make recording that even better.

Note that the 7D does not have a video crop mode, which the 60D has and might be very convenient to have if you want to shoot short clips of sports.

[RocklandDragon]

First off, I want to thank everyone for their tips, advice and choice on what camera to choose.  I also appreciate the lens suggestions and this will be my new goal--to get a magnificent lens.

I went ahead and got the 7D.  Now, from my first day from trying it out, it looks like will have to learn my settings, learn what each button does, learn the AI servo, etc.  It'll be a great camera for me to really learn the functions of this camera and get my technique down. 

I'll get a 70-200 USM f/2.8 lens (I or II) and maybe get a bigger one if I could get a sideline pass.  Highly unlikely for this year so I'll likely be sitting in the first three rows for the majority of the game.

I believe this camera will be one that I wont regret and maybe, just maybe...I can get a 1DX or another high end Canon camera in a few years.  For now, the 7D will be my camera and it's main purposes--shooting sports and capturing video clips--it should serve that well. 


Thanks, again, everyone.

[Saurus]

As most of the other responders have pointed out, the 7D is a much better body for sports than a 60D for 3 man reasons:
better AF, especially tracking
hardier
more FPS

BUT, and it is a big "but". A 7D mkII is expected soon (as you will have seen from this website) and it is expected to be a major upgrade (with correspondng step up in price though). So, if you are prepared to spend a bit more, I'd wait for the mkII. Otherwise, you might get some great deals on the 7D mkI - on the other hand, your 60D will be worth less and less.

But, if I were in your shoes, I'd stick it out with the 60D and spend the extra cash on some faster glass. I think that is where you'll really see better value for money.

[brianboru]

...

I went ahead and got the 7D.  Now, from my first day from trying it out, it looks like will have to learn my settings, learn what each button does, learn the AI servo, etc.  It'll be a great camera for me to really learn the functions of this camera and get my technique down. 
...

Congratulations on your choice!

Here is a very good configuration for setting the 7D up for sports:

http://www.sportsshooter.com/message_display.html?tid=34832

[RMC33]

...

I went ahead and got the 7D.  Now, from my first day from trying it out, it looks like will have to learn my settings, learn what each button does, learn the AI servo, etc.  It'll be a great camera for me to really learn the functions of this camera and get my technique down. 
...

Congratulations on your choice!

Here is a very good configuration for setting the 7D up for sports:

http://www.sportsshooter.com/message_display.html?tid=34832

Huge +1

[RocklandDragon]

Thanks for the link!
 

...

I went ahead and got the 7D.  Now, from my first day from trying it out, it looks like will have to learn my settings, learn what each button does, learn the AI servo, etc.  It'll be a great camera for me to really learn the functions of this camera and get my technique down. 
...

Congratulations on your choice!

Here is a very good configuration for setting the 7D up for sports:

http://www.sportsshooter.com/message_display.html?tid=34832

[papa-razzi]

If you can trade in the 60D and not lose $$ I would do it.

For sports, the extra FPS and AF will definitely make a difference.  Most of the best action occurs in a sub second window.  Getting 4 or 5 shots vs 2 or 3 will give you more keepers.  My experience is that noise on higher ISO can often be fixed in post, but out of focus shots can't be salvaged - so AF matters.

If the 70D is announced in a couple of weeks  (if you can believe the rumor here on this site), the 60D is likely to lose value quickly.  The 7D will not drop in value much as it is already at the lower end of it's price curve, and I suspect it will still have advantages over the 70D in AF and FPS, & build, but not in IQ or high ISO noise.  It is hard to determine the pricing of the 70D, but Canon's trend has been to price all their new products significantly higher.