Looking for a second body

[HughHowey]

So many choices! I don't know where to begin. I have a T2i that I'm loving, but I want a better AF system and more control. I don't do a lot of video, so I'm just looking for the best camera to go with my lenses:

28mm 1.8
50mm 1.4
100mm Macro L IS
135 2 L

I also have two EF-S lenses:

15-85mm (love this lens)
55-250mm

I'm torn between getting a 7D soon or waiting for a 5DIII.

Pros that I can think of with the 7D:

I can use all my lenses. Sounds like the best crop camera on the market, Canon or otherwise. Does pretty much everything I want (remote flash triggering, focus adjustment for my primes)

Pros for the 5DIII:

Full frame! Get the most out of my 100mm and 135mm.
All the new features and goodies it is bound to have.
Better low light.

Cons for each:

I'm worried the 5DIII will be a lot more than the 5DII is right now. ~$3,500? Maybe?

I'm also worried I'll buy a 7D, which is two years old, and the 7DII will come out next year. I don't mind my equipment getting long in the tooth, but it's nice to have it a year without kicking your own pants. (I know this sounds whiny and pathetic, but I have to take my psychology into account, here).


Please, convince me either way, I beg you!

[Macadameane]

Unless you are looking for the 8 fps speed of the 7D, I would go for the 5DmkIII.  In a two camera system, the T2i and 7D are too close.  The Full Frame camera will give you much more options and tag team better with your T2i

[fotoray]

Depends on how long you're willing to wait for your second body.  With the difficulties in Japan, the 5D3 may not be available for quite a while.  The 7D is available now, but there won't be much of a price break, again because of the problems in Japan. Also, the 7D supply may dry up and/or the price will increase - possibly above original list price.

I agree that the 5D3 offers more diversity paired with your T2i, while the 7D is more similar.  I have a 7D and enjoy the 8 fps tracking my dog that loves to run. 

[K3nt]

Got me a 7D about a month back! Haven't regretted it for a second.
I had the same concern like you, that a new model was just around the corner. Thank goodness I was reminded of the old law of electronics, no matter how new the gear, the second you walk out the shop with it a new model comes along to replace it.
I don't think we're going to see 7DmkII in the next 6-9 months. This is what I have deduced from surfing the intarwebz, certainly a mkII _will_ be released, no doubt, but it doesn't seem likely to happen tomorrow, or next week, or the week after.
In this case, there's no time like the present.

As the previous poster, I also use my camera to take pictures of my dogs playing / running and the 8fps is brilliant, just waiting to receive my 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM II in a week! YAY!

[neuroanatomist]

Are you looking for a second body (i.e. you'd continue to use the T2i alongside whatever you buy), or are you looking to upgrade?  It matters, because the ergonomics and controls of the Rebel line are quite different from the higher end stuff - you'll soon find yourself reaching for the missing joystick or trying to spin the 4-button controller on the T2i, then realize it's not a quick control dial, and miss the shot.  Ultimately, you will end up not using the Rebel much, if at all.

If you're looking for an upgrade, the 7D is the cream of the crop (cameras).  AF is the best you'll find short of a 1-series.  The 5DII does have better AF than a Rebel, but not a lot better. 

The big con of the 5DIII is that it's not available now, and not for the near (and maybe far) future.  Also, with a FF body, you would then lack a general purpose zoom for that body. 

Either way, budget for new memory cards, too, since the 7D uses CF cards, not SD. 

Ultimately, I think it comes down to what you shoot the most.  If you shot a lot of action, sports, birds, wildlife, etc., the 7D is the way to go.  If you shoot a lot of landscapes, portraits, macro, etc., the 5DII is better in general, although in your case you'd have to alter your lens collection to suit FF.

[HughHowey]

It would definitely be a second body. My wife would use the Rebel some, but there would be times that I'd like to carry both. I know what you mean about getting used to controls, but I don't think it would be a problem for me. I can usually compartmentalize with things like that. Heck, if I can pick up one of the several remotes in my house and navigate in the dark, I'll be able to get used to a new camera scheme. With the T2i, I mostly just control the shutter dial. I shoot manual, and once the ISO and aperture are where I want, I click away and watch my exposure. I pick up other people's cameras a lot and snap away after a few moments. In fact, I think half (sickly) of my reason for wanting a new body is the thrill of learning something unfamiliar. I lay in bed and read my electronics manuals. Yeah, there's something wrong with me.

I appreciate the advice from both sides. I think the recent news on the front page has me dangerously considering a 7D right now. What I should probably be doing, though, is setting money aside for the eventual 5DIII, even if it's this time next year before it's out. I'm having enough fun with what I've got to be patient. Or I could invest in more glass, maybe get that MP-E 65 I've been dreaming about, or get some lighting stuff.

One way I'm looking at whatever I do is that the more money I spend on Japanese goods right now, the better. Charity is nice, but the more immediate and longterm economic good is to support their exports, even as the yen strengthens. I know that's what they are terrified of (beyond the mourning, of course, for the loss of life and those brave men and women working on that plant): they are terrified that their flagging economy will stall if we balk at price increases. Here's hoping things get better for that poor, stricken, and proud island.

[HughHowey]

I should also say that I use my primes 80-90% of the time, so I don't think I'll need a new zoom immediately. I much prefer composing with my feet, or allowing the lens to constrict me.

[87vr6]

If you're ultimately worried about things like either the 7d or 5d2 being upgraded in the near future (due to your pyschology as you stated), then do either of these two things:

Keep what you have and "upgrade" your skills more, the equipment you currently have probably isn't holding you back, then save and wait for something new in the prosumer range to come out.

Or, upgrade to a 40D, yes, going from a T2i to 40D is something I'd consider an upgrade. Sure it lacks video and the 18mp, but in reality the 40 is quite the camera. It has a nice fps rate, good performance all around, is built like the big body cameras that you're looking at, has some weather sealing, etc...

For what it's worth, I shoot with a 5D2 (used to have a T1i), and I'm looking at a 40D for a second/backup body, and mainly to leave a 70-200 on it because of the crop factor while using the 5D mainly for wider stuff...

Again, these are just my opinions, but you can get a 40D lightly used for like 400 bucks.. and today on my local craigslist I saw some people selling 40Ds with accessories like grips, etc.. for not much more.

[HughHowey]

Wow. That's unusual and very cool advice. That might be what I'll do. I'll go do some reading, but how pleased are you with the low-light performance of the 40D? I shoot raw and prefer existing light, so this is a huge seller for me.

[neuroanatomist]

I shoot raw and prefer existing light, so this is a huge seller for me.

I'll add another piece of possibly tangential advice - what do you use for RAW conversion?  I ask because I've found that DxO does a great job of handling ISO noise - much better than DPP, for example.  With DPP, I really tried to keep my 7D under ISO 800 else noise was too evident for my tastes.  With DxO, I can go to ISO 1600 or a little higher, and get good results.  (Of course, the 5DII is quite good at ISO 3200!).

Here's an example from this morning, at ISO 2000 on the 7D:


EOS 7D, EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM @ 400mm, 1/500 s, f/5.6, ISO 2000

[HughHowey]

Wow. That's crisp. Yeah, I don't shoot much above 800, except when I really, really need the shot and things are moving about. Maybe I'll try generating more noise and scrubbing it away. Thanks!

[micklevanon]

Re: info about the 40D. I would second that recommendation. I just made the same to someone looking for a first camera and convinced him to get a used 40D and use the money saved to by better glass. When a friend bought a 7D and wanted to put his 40D up for sale I immediately scarfed it up to replace my 30D. For the money I paid him it couldn't be beat. Waiting to save the money for a 5D MkII or III. Till then my pair work quite well.

m

[EYEONE]

I recently went through the same struggle. 7D or 5D Mark 2. I felt like I had outgrown my XSi and wanted to move on. However all my lenses were EF-S and I couldn't afford to buy the 5D2 with a lens. After much debate and thought I bought a 7D. I'm happy with the decision. I love the 19 AF points, I think the ISO performance is good enough and it's faster than the XSi (8fps and low shutter lag), and it's good and heavy (Rebels are too light and small for me).

However, if I had EF lenses at the time I would have gotten the 5D2. My goal is to go FF as soon as I can. And now I have a body that I can keep and use when the situation is right (the 7D)

Based on the glass you already own I'd recommend the 5D2 or wait for the 5D3. Either one. The T2i can serve as your crop body almost as well as a 7D could (IQ is the same).

[HughHowey]

I recently went through the same struggle. 7D or 5D Mark 2. I felt like I had outgrown my XSi and wanted to move on. However all my lenses were EF-S and I couldn't afford to buy the 5D2 with a lens. After much debate and thought I bought a 7D. I'm happy with the decision. I love the 19 AF points, I think the ISO performance is good enough and it's faster than the XSi (8fps and low shutter lag), and it's good and heavy (Rebels are too light and small for me).

However, if I had EF lenses at the time I would have gotten the 5D2. My goal is to go FF as soon as I can. And now I have a body that I can keep and use when the situation is right (the 7D)

Based on the glass you already own I'd recommend the 5D2 or wait for the 5D3. Either one. The T2i can serve as your crop body almost as well as a 7D could (IQ is the same).

Excellent advice! I think I'll snoop around for a used 40D, but otherwise save my money for a 5DIII. I'm not usually an early adopter, but I might just pre-order one when they get announced. I've never been more excited for a gadget release, especially one I know zilch about. Anything a bump up from the mkII is fine by me. In fact, the only reason I'm shying away from an mkII is I worry about the autofocus and burst rate. I'm thinking both with be better (the latter only a smidgen, perhaps), with the mkIII.

Thanks again!

[MK5GTI]

i saw the OP wants better AF, the 7D is the only body that you will see significant difference (other than the higher end 1D/s)

no gaurantee that the 5d3 will have better AF, you know the way Canon works. 

if you are looking at a 40D, why not look for a 5D classic as a option, used goes for 900-100 depends where you are. but AF is pretty much the same as Rebels.