to buy 7D or wait....

[canonnovice]

I currently have a 20D and was thinking of upgrading to the 7D primarily for the additional resolution and HD video. I'm a relative novice, its a hobby and not a source of income for me. I am wondering if anyone would recommend waiting for the next generation of camera before purchasing (are we late in a "model year" for example)? Its not that there is a missing feature or anything like that (well, except maybe for an easier method of geotagging images vs having to use a second device). Any thoughts?

 

[Grendel]

Current intel is that Canon places the 7D in the low end of the pro-line which would put it on a 3 year update cycle. I would say it's fairly safe to go ahead an get it, you may want to wait a week or so -- there's always the chance of a surprise announcement during the Photokina (I doubt it tho).

It's a great camera, you won't regret it (well, maybe the price )

 

[neuroanatomist]

I currently have a 20D and was thinking of upgrading to the 7D primarily for the additional resolution and HD video. I'm a relative novice, its a hobby and not a source of income for me. I am wondering if anyone would recommend waiting for the next generation of camera before purchasing (are we late in a "model year" for example)? Its not that there is a missing feature or anything like that (well, except maybe for an easier method of geotagging images vs having to use a second device). Any thoughts?

I'd wait until Photokina, since it's next week, just in case - but I don't expect anything similar to come along from Canon. The 7D is an excellent camera, and as Grendel pointed out it's only one year old, which is young for an xD series body. Before we see a 7DII, we'll see a 1DsIV, a 5DIII, and a T3i, at least.

Like any upgrade, the general rule is if you need it now, get it now. Something better is always on the horizon. Still, the 20D is a fine body - do consider if that $1500 would be better spent on a new lens instead. But if you're looking to upgrade from your 20D, especially if you have EF-S lenses, the 7D is the best choice there is for a 1.6x crop body.

 

[canonnovice]

Thanks for the advice guys. Seems solid and thank you for the suggestion of waiting a week, just in case! Much appreciated.

 

[Edwin Herdman]

I expect the 7D to update no more slowly than the 5D, but we haven't seen a Mark III yet (or something in that price range). I don't expect an update for somewhere around a year, maybe more or less. You can read the tea leaves for the 18 MP sensor multiple ways: It's still an essentially current design, but Canon will want a newer sensor sooner rather than later to help differentiate the line from the Rebels and the x0D line. But this may just mean updating the 7D before the Rebels and especially the x0D, both have gotten very recent updates. The 60D won't be up for a refresh for a year at least, though maybe not two years (since it's been repositioned downward from the x0D line, supposedly).

It's often said that you won't take any pictures without a camera, so buy what you need. To answer the question, if you already have a camera and it does what you need and you don't want "more camera," I'd stick with it. I don't see Geotagging being much simpler with new cameras than doing it more or less manually.

There is a rebate going on right now with Canon bodies + the Mark II Pixma 9000 / 9500 printers if you know where to look.

 

[L-Fletcher]

Considering that the 7D is less than a year old, and that a replacement probably won't be anywhere near the horizon for another 2-3+ years (I'd say Nov-Dec 2012 at very, very earliest) - you may as well go ahead.

Here's the thing: there's always 'waiting' involved with anything you buy. Essentially, one can put off buying anything simply by convincing themselves that a newer, better model will come out soon that should be bought instead. Of course, once that's bought, a newer model comes out and most probably buyers's regret sinks in. And it's off to a new lens/camera body.

The 7D is a great camera. Now that you can't really compare the 60D to it, I'd suggest upgrading to it. The FPS may be a bit of an overkill for some, but it's always handy, and the body is sturdy and metal.

Think about it, anyway. What are your priorities at the moment? Discard obvious factors - like if you're planning to soon upgrade to FF.

Anyway, I wouldn't worry about it too much. You're not buying a 1D MK IV - though, wouldn't that be nice? - but a $1200~ (in Australia, about $1350+, so probably even less for the US) body that's proven popular. And there's a reason behind it.

 

[duccao]

Agreed, the 7D still has a WHOLE bunch of life left in it's cycle. I doubt it'll see an upgrade anytime soon; we still got the 1Ds4 and 5D3 to wait on!!

 

[varonicadavis]

I've had good experience with the canon 7d as You should look into the new revised Product name so i would suggest you that you can definitely upgrade your camera from to Canon 7d camera. The 7D is a great camera and is a clear improvement over the 40D. In some respects.This camera has superb Build Quality.The viewfinder is huge and bright and has 100% coverage.There are various Picture Styles you can choose to alter the contrast, sharpness, color tone, and saturation of the photos.