You also get some awesome 7D feature merged into the 5Diii like:
-button customization
-viewfinder/ LCD screen level (I actually use this ALL the time)
-better movie integration

You can get a new one at Adorama now for $1199 -- less than refurb. I just ordered one.

Don't skimp on lenses. Here's something from the DPReview conclusion on the 7D:

"The EOS 7D delivers impressive image quality across the sensitivity range. At base ISO its output comes with excellent per-pixel sharpness which, in combination with the 18 MP nominal resolution, results in exceptional image detail in this class of camera. In most situations the lens, rather than the camera, is likely to be the limiting factor."

The past couple of years I've used a T2i with essentially the same sensor as the D7. I've used both the EF-S 17-55mm and EF-S 15-85mm for general purpose. They do a fine job. Personally, I prefer the 17-55. I use a EF 70-200mm f/4.0L and it's outstanding. I plan a move up to the IS version soon.

Get the best possible price on the body, then use the best lens you can afford. No surprise there!

I just got my 5D III a few weeks ago & I also have the 35L. This body & lens combo is stunning!! I don't have any experience with the 28 1.8, so I can't comment on that. Look to buy a used copy of this lens if the price point is too much for you. The following link is a good place to start looking.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=14&order=desc

I don't use mine for kids, but I can say that the autofocus on this lens is fast & accurate. It is one of my favorite lenses & I use it as often as I can. You won't be disappointed!!

I don't know why people don't like the original one. I think it is a super sleeper piece of glass- sharp right to the corners even on full frame! I like that it is small, light & cheap!

Recently picked one up refurbished (new) for 300USD.

Cropped on 5Dii:

Court Street by Philip DiResta, on Flickr

Uncropped on 5Dii:

Lonely park by Philip DiResta, on Flickr

Crop on 7D:

Office View by Philip DiResta, on Flickr

digiitch said:

I'm contemplating whether I'll keep or sell my 7D. At first I had planned to sell it and the 10-22, but now I think I'll hold on to it for a while and see. That will give me time to evaluate how I use the lenses with the 5DIII.

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When I added the 5DII to my kit, I kept my 7D. I found that preferred the better IQ of the 5DII in almost all situations, and I soon sold my 10-22mm and bought the 16-35mm f/2.8L II - I've been quite happy with the L-series UWA zoom, and the f/2.8 has come in handy for evening walkarounds (at night, I use the 35mm f/1.4L).

I do still have the 7D, and plan on keeping it after getting the 1D X, too. The APS-C sensor is essentially an aberration-free 1.6x extender - in situations where I'm focal length-limited (400mm and still need to crop), the 7D gives better results. I'll likely hang onto the 7D until I have a 500/4 II and 1.4x III to use with FF.

http://www.juzaphoto.com/article.php?l=en&article=69

here are some samples of most of the teles at differing stops.

NormanBates said:

a CineStyle image with the LUT applied looks pretty much like neutral with contrast=-2
http://www.similaar.com/foto/picturestyles/picturestyles.html

but of course I like Flaat a lot better than CineStyle
http://www.similaar.com/foto/flaat-picture-styles/index.html
http://www.similaar.com/foto/flaat-picture-styles/real-world-tests-3.html

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Actually, i'm also using the flat 10p right now...but as the name suggests, it's also a flat style that need some PP..
haven't really tested the flat style fully...whic flat style are you using? For stills that is..i don't do video so doesn't matter to me how it looks in video

Menu->External Speedlite Control->Flash Function Settings->select the 3 triangles and press Set, then select the middle option. User Manual pg. 194.

You won't find a refurb any cheaper than the £835 price of a new 7D at simplyelectronics, hdewcameras or bignorman.

To answer your earlier question, if I were you I'd get a 7D at this price while you can. I'm certainly thinking of getting one. If you're willing to pay at least double that price, by all means wait for its successor.

I had the same experience when trying out the Mk3 to shoot a night event associated with a Hindu Wedding (there are usually two or three religious nightly events) prior to the actual wedding where flash use was restricted. I had accidentally set ISO to Auto shot TV and M and was amazed at the results i was getting. I realized after about 25 shots that the ISO was all over the place. When i zoomed in the pics I was amazed at how clean it was (JPG + RAW). So i left it there and continued. Coming from a 7D i would have never trusted the camera to put the ISO all over the place. Later in LR i was amazed that i could further clean up those shot at 12,800 over even more to get that buttery finish.

If you received this error like me, "This update provides support for Aperture 3 and iPhoto 9 only"

here is how to install Digital Camera Raw Compatibility Update 3.12 WITHOUT purchasing Aperture 3 or iPhoto 9:

Step 1: Download the trial of Aperture 3. It's no longer publicly offered, but it still automatically downloads from the Apple site when directly visiting their "Thank you for trying" page. http://www.apple.com/aperture/trial/thankyou.html

Step 2: Use this serial number: E-340-IGT-243-TLB-365-TBB-435-SXE-FFH-5S8X from this random youtube video: How to get Aperture 3 for free! to install Aperture.

Step 3: Run the installer for Digital Camera Raw Compatibility Update 3.12

DONE.

optional Step 4: Uninstall Aperture because you only use Photoshop, Bridge, Lightroom, PhotoMechanic, CaptureOne etc.

Sorry if this offends anyone. I found it irritating and silly that I couldn't view my 5D mkIII files in the Finder window unless I upgraded iPhoto or bought Aperture, two pieces of software that I have never and WILL NEVER use.

(and yes, the 5D mkIII files open in Preview too once this is installed)

etto72 said:

well the 79 signatures and comments
over here
http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/canon1dsmkiv
shows quiet the opposite....

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I will not say 79 out of 44000+ members of this forum but even 79 out of about 7200 members that have more than zero posts (240 pages * 30 members/page) is not a great analogy either.

LetTheRightLensIn said:

marvinhello said:

LetTheRightLensIn said:

babarasghar said:

I'm confused here
Alex n his team failed to port MAGIC LANTERN on 7D for last 1yr how all of sudden within few weeks of 5d3 release they have succeeded

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i believe dual digic made it trickier but more importantly the 7D had some sort of limit on how many times a new firmware could be loaded before it locked out, maybe that was just a rumor (if not, hopefully the 5D3 won't have the same thing, or they can crack that part of it)

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It's because 7D has dual DIGIC 4, the way 7D runs tasks are is quite different from single DIGIC cameras (such as 5D3), everything is handled by two processors, we don't know how they split tasks etc, hence it's far more difficult to port ML to 7D. But the work is being done. we haven't gave up.

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So the whole thing about the 7D locking out firmware upgrades after a while was just a wild rumor then I take it?

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Yes, it's just technical reason, nothing to do with Canon

Based on all of this, I'm definitely leaning toward a T3i. With the Canon Loyalty Program, I can get a T3i body for ~$480 or so. Our original budget was going to be around $1000, so that leaves me $500-$600 for a decent lens (maybe something in the 24-70 range...not sure)

Thanks, everyone

What's the difference between the red and the green colourings? Presumably red=good, because I noticed that the Mark 3 has red around the joystick. On my 40D, that's the first thing to stop working when it gets wet.

neuroanatomist said:

dcreisman said:

It says the rebates are doubled if you buy a new body as well. Do you have to buy the lens and body at the same time? I bought the 5D3 a month ago...if I buy a qualifying lens now, do I get the double rebate???

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No, you have to buy them together.

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That bites!

windscmoon said:

Invertalon said:

You are mistaken. That dot was applied after Canon fixed the issue of recalled units. Was not a change during production.

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You mean those leaked 5d3 which were not sold were recalled and ajusted,and then sticked white dot?If so,it is contradict with what Canon offical claim that the leaking doesn't matter.Why to recall if doesn't matter?

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Its a strange world where people still believe every word written in a company's official statement. It amazes me how some people cling to Canon faulty statement and ignore all the facts like, where are the 5DM3s? no body is selling them for like three weeks, why? No body is even receiving any (assuming retailers are fulfilling orders). Didn't you see any videos on the subject? Didn't you read about people calling Canon service to know that the fix involves opening the camera to replace the LCD light shield?

AKCalixto said:

In stock at Beach Camera

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290704028733+

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Strangely they are the first to spread the news about 5DM3 recall/hold and they were the first to stop selling them. Their official website still does not even list the 5DM3!! but they are offering them on eBay?? This rings a lot of warning signs. Is this the remaining of the old stock and they are dumping it on eBay?

thanks ramon123 for the info! i just ordered one through amazon! crossing my fingers for it soon! I just have a couple shoots mid may, hoping it would come in time!

JR said:

Invertalon said:

Looking through all your examples I am confused on how you conclude that the MRAW files look better.

On every set of examples posted, the full size RAW files look better to me. Especially when resized down to the same size as the MRAW files.

*scratches head*

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+1

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+2

neuroanatomist said:

chrysek said:

I did preorder 1Dx, gps receiver for it and that new lens, for all paid in full, and I will seriously get my money and just spend it on something else. I am nit a pro, photography is not my main source of income so if that is what canon wants to play they will loose me as a customer until they get their crap together. I dont beleive this, spent fortune on lenses and bodies, and this is what I get for being loyal customer.

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Yes, I also preordered the 1D X, and yes, I'm frustrated by the delays. But oddly enough, for some unfathomable reason, the fact that I don't have a 1D X in my hands doesn't make the images captured with my 5DII, 7D, and 'fortune in lenses' suddenly suck. Go figure.

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I am not saying that my old gear all of a sudden sucks or is no good, I am just disapointed. If they preanounce something and they dont deliver and constantly keep delying it just says something about them. See canon acheived great deal of fame with their 5D mark ii, now they want to proffit on it, is it a right strategy? Well it certainly making our comunity upset and disapointed. This 5d mark iii noise did not make it any better for them, dont get me wrong, after all its their business and I am just one of the customers. Yes they holding me hostage because I have so many lenses but my patience is running out.

I am going to euro soccer cup in June, less than 40 days from now will be there, was so hoping to use this new 1Dx in my journey as I will be close to the players and the game and now all of this is in limbo. Canon, you suck if I knew I would plan it so differently ((

I spent today at NEAF in Suffern, NY. To expand, NEAF is the North Eastern Astronomy Forum. It runs today and tomorrow, and has all sorts of interesting things going on, from workshops to prize draws, lectures to observing parties. There's also amazing equipment to lust after, much of which leaves camera gear waaaaay behind price wise.

Canon typically has a stand at the show (this was my sixth and I can't recall them not being there) and this year was no different. Manning the stand was none other than Chuck Westfall! I chatted with him for a little while - he really is a terrifically pleasant man - and he let me affix some of the lovely high-end glass on display to my 7D.

I also was able to play around with the 1Dx they had. Now, I love my 7D, but it paled in comparison to the 1Dx. The build quality is simply superb, the viewfinder the biggest and brightest I have ever experienced, the user interface well-designed, and the feeling in the hand wonderful. It was how I imagine Bentleys feel when you're used to a family sedan. Of course, for $6800 I'd expect no less.

While I was there, a lot of people came up and tried various ways of getting Chuck and the other gentleman (whose name I don't recall) to spill the beans on future products. They were probing for info on full frame high MP offerings, on EVIL options and other things we discuss here. Well, Chuck and his coworker were polite but firm: "we can't say anything". I think they were getting a little tired of the questions to be honest...

So, no new info here. Just wanted to relate what I saw. Oh, one more thing: there was a 60Da there, but no one seemed interested (and this was an astronomy crowd, remember); everyone made for the 1Dx then the 5D3 then the L glass, in that order. Maybe it was different later. The guy next to me wanted to know if he could have a 5D3 specially made with no AA filter. That was a no....

JR said:

I will admit this camera does look very sexy indeed! Now if only we could do something about its price!

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Word on the street is that it's going to be released at $11,999, which definitely seems more reasonable than $15k. Either way the footage from it looks amazing, even the Vimeo version looks better than 5DIII's raw footage, and you lose quite a bit of quality when you upload to vimeo. Im sure the original on a good monitor looks absolutely stunning. This thing definitely has a place in the cinema world and the fact that you can record 4k onto cf cards is pretty impressive. I do wonder how much of he differences between it and the 1DX are from hardware or firmware. If magic lantern figures out a way o hack the 1Dx to shoot 4k Canom is going to be pissed.

Hell I'm excited to see what it does for the 5D3 considering digic 5 has 17x the processing power of digic 4

keithfullermusic said:

Chris Geiger said:

You can update you Mac, by buying a pc.

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How will buying s Piece of Crap update my Mac?

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Are you conscious of the inner components of your Apple branded computer? (yes it's a computer just like the others, no need to feel special about it).

Easy.

Buy an old 5Dc and keep the 50mm 1.4 on it. It will give you a great low light combo and FOV.

Use the 18-135mm on the t2i for good outdoor light.

Get a flash for bounceing some light if it gets pitch black at the wedding.

Lower the expedtations to the bride and groom and wow them when they see the great results. (assuming that your exposures are nailed and strong compositions are done)