Camera choice mark ii? 7d? wait?

[Basti187]

Hey guys,

I am currently looking to upgrade from my 550D, now the thing is we just started out own production company next to university and are getting quite a few paid jobs, but I m really at the limit of the 550D.

I am going to Tanzania in January filming for my final uni project for a month (wildlife doc) and want to have a nice camera with me to film, but also I m really into wildlife photography so getting a 5d mark II wouldn't really do the job FPS/AF wise. I will have about £1500 (2300$) saved up by next month so I am really struggling to make a decision, I mean a 7D would be nice FPS wise, but then again for filming it's not really any upgrade to my 550D and the 5D mark ii is just a bit old now i suppose just like the 7d

I guess waiting for Photokina would be probably the best choice? (7d mark ii, fingers crossed)

Any suggestions?

thanks!

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I have had 1D MK II, 1D MK III, 1D MK IV, 7D, 5D MK II, 5D MK III, and a host of other bodies.  I personally think the FPS thing is overblown,  I usually use single shot, but have also used 10fps and filled up my memory card with thousands of images, which I have to wade thru to find the one I would have likely taken using single shot.
AF accuracy goes to 5D MK II and center point over the 7D, but for focal length limited situations, I'd take my 7D, its good enough, at least as long as their is good light.  It struggles as it gets to be twilight.
Maybe you should consider a rental.  Rent a 1D Mark IV and you will have a excellent body that won't fail you when it counts.  You can fill up that memory card in a few seconds, so take lots and lots of them aling... And make them biguns.

[Basti187]

I would certainly rent out the mark iv, but for one a one month trip to tanzania the rental costs are so high that i could buy a new one, at least here in manchester.

[RLPhoto]

I'd wait, The 7D is long in the tooth already, and the prices can only go down.

but, if you really need this camera, your not asking this question.

[BrandonKing96]

If your priority is filming, I'd go with the 5D mark II. It's also good for photography.  I never bother about FPS

[tomscott]

What glass have you got? No point going mad and buying a great camera without good glass.

£1500 wont stretch too far in the UK especially for a 5DMKIII you'll need another £1000. Unless you go to digitalrev.

[Basti187]

I've got a 100-400L and a Tamron 17-50VC, so I m not too heavily invested in anything....but due to a little financial boost I m now looking at either the 5d mark iii or a used 1d mark iv

[mdrewpix]

Hi Basti,
Living here on the dusty plains of western Canada I've found that my biggest problem shooting outdoors is crap getting on the sensor when I'm changing lenses. No matter how careful you are, it will happen. As I'm sure you know, sensor dust is a big enough problem with stills. On video it's a nightmare and can make shots unusable.
The lenses you have are just fine and you don't really need any more frames per second so what I'd suggest is keeping your present camera and getting a 60D as a second body. I use mine daily as a news photographer and it's still my favorite camera even after getting a 5D III. In my opinion, the 60D is the best value for the money you can find right now. Add the Magic Lantern hack and it's an absolute beast. Here in Canada you can get one for around $850, a real steal.
With two camera bodies you can keep your long lens on one and your wide on the other. That might seem like an awkward way of working but I've done it for years all over the globe and it's really no problem. Having two bodies will keep your lens changes to a minimum and reduce the risk of sensor crap. In a dusty place like the African back country it could save you a lot of heartache and, as a bonus, leave you with some money to put toward the newest 7D version that will inevitably come out.
Have fun on your trip.

[mdrewpix]

The other things is, too, your 17-50 won't cover a full-frame sensor and will even vignette on a Mark IV. It's made to cover the sensor in a 60D or 7D. Just something to keep in mind when you're camera shopping. Anything beyond APS-C and you'll also need to buy a new wide-angle lens.

[Basti187]

I would probs buy the 5dm3 with the kit lens and sell my 550D+the tamron lens to my mate, the thing with the 60D is that i don't really like it's ISO performance, and as I live in England and it's virtually always raining something weather sealed would be nice, even though i know my 100-400L isn't weather sealed.

I'd just consider the 1d mark iv because of the aps-h which would give me a bit more range, plus it's a beast when it comes to photography, but then again i earn my money making videos. So my head is breaking! I have about £2700 pounds to invest all together for a new camera+wide-mid range zoom.

From the looks of it is either 5dm3+kit lens or a used 1dm4+17-40mm possibly...

[robbymack]

i earn my money making videos.

There is your answer, look no further than the best camera for your business.

[mdrewpix]

ISO performance is identical on all the Canon APS-C cameras. The 60D is no different from the 7D. As a news photographer I shoot them side by side on a daily basis. Same sensor in all of them. But the 5D III is spectacular if you can afford it.

[leolol]

Do you want to film and take photos or only do one of those things? If you do only one of those things either get a 1d mark 3 (only photo) or rent an only video camera with ef mount.

If you want to do both buy a 7d and look for magic lantern and how far its development is in january. or rent the 1d4

[Gert Arijs]

Why don't you buy the camera you probably need (1D4) used, and sell it again afterwards? It'll cost you a lot less then renting, maybe it wouldn't cost you anything at all if you find a good deal to start with...

[Basti187]

I was thinking of the 7d, but it's just too old now and the ISO performance isn't good enough for me as i sometimes need to do low light filming, (concerts/clubs) so I'll get the 5dm3 at the end and pay the price as it just has better video options than the 1dm4...

Renting out isn't an option for me as it's way too expensive, and I have panasonic hpx500's available for short time renting from my university at no cost.