5D mkII - 7D

[RonQ]

Hey guys,
I know this question might have been asked before and while trying to search, I get hundred's of posts with anything and everything related to these two bodies.

I currently shoot with a 30d as my main camera and in January 2011 purchased a T2i as my back-up. I have realized that an upgrade is needed given that I've been hired to shoot a lot more than expected. Also, I've found myself using the T2i as my main a lot more than my 30d for the Weddings & Portraits I shoot.

My question is, I'm looking at the 7D (mainly price point) than the 5D mkII. While I understand the 5D is a full frame camera and primarily used by portrait and wedding photographers, will the 7D do the job for now? Especially in low light situation? Keep in mind that I currently use 2 APS-C sensor cameras and they've done OK for me.

Ultimately, when I book more and more shoots, I'll end up purchasing a 5D mkII I just can afford the $2500 price tag for now.


Thanks for any input guys!

 

[Loswr]

Also, I've found myself using the T2i as my main a lot more than my 30d for the Weddings & Portraits I shoot. ...will the 7D do the job for now? Especially in low light situation? Keep in mind that I currently use 2 APC sensor cameras and they've done OK for me.

If you're happy with the performance of the T2i from an IQ standpoint, the 7D will be fine - it uses the same sensor.

Once you've shot with a 5DII, you'll have a different understanding of ISO noise...personally, I don't like to use the 7D over ISO 800, but I am fine with ISO 3200 on the 5DII. Two stops can make a big difference...

 

[K-amps]

Curious if you use the camera processed jpegs or RAW's from both Cameras? The jpeg rendition of the T2i is better than the older rebels/ xxD's.

 

[phixional ninja]

It seems to me that if you're currently using a T2i with a 30D as backup, upgrading to using a 7D with the T2i as backup will absolutely be an improvement. When you can afford the 5DmkII (or mkIII, if the 7D can hold you over until that unknown time), the 7D will make for an awesome backup camera.

 

[RonQ]

Curious if you use the camera processed jpegs or RAW's from both Cameras? The jpeg rendition of the T2i is better than the older rebels/ xxD's.

I mostly shoot in RAW format with both camera bodies.....

 

[RonQ]

It seems to me that if you're currently using a T2i with a 30D as backup, upgrading to using a 7D with the T2i as backup will absolutely be an improvement. When you can afford the 5DmkII (or mkIII, if the 7D can hold you over until that unknown time), the 7D will make for an awesome backup camera.

Exactly what I was thinking too......

 

[PaperTiger]

I use a 5DII and a 7D, more in tandem than one as a backup. The 5D does have a half to full stop better level for acceptable noise, but the 7D has vastly better autofocus and layout, and in a lot of the time I much prefer the 7D.

That being said, one of the nicest things about this setup is that you have 2 cameras with different qualities and most importantly, different sensors. It's nice to have my lenses do different things between the two bodies.

I'm a big proponent of having one APS-C body and one full frame body.

T

 

[michael6liu]

I use a 5DII and a 7D, more in tandem than one as a backup. The 5D does have a half to full stop better level for acceptable noise, but the 7D has vastly better autofocus and layout, and in a lot of the time I much prefer the 7D.

That being said, one of the nicest things about this setup is that you have 2 cameras with different qualities and most importantly, different sensors. It's nice to have my lenses do different things between the two bodies.

I'm a big proponent of having one APS-C body and one full frame body.

T

That's an interesting idea. One can be used for close-up and the other mounted with tele for candids. I have seen a wedding photographer (from the Nikon camp) using two bodies. I just don't know what they were at the time.

I upgraded to 7D from T1i back in September. The choice was clear for me because I mostly shoot wildlife and 7D's focusing system is noticeably better. I don't have a 5D so I don't have a comparison about ISO but judging from the photos I've taken, I would probably refrain from using ISO above 800 for your clients if they want enlarged prints, as Neuro suggested.

 

[awinphoto]

If you are pleased with your 30D and t2i quality files, then the benefits of the 7D will be a huge improvement, if not in image quality but handling, AF, etc... The 5d2 is a great camera, but in low light, without using 2.8 or faster lenses, will hunt as much if not more than the 7D and the responsiveness of the 7D cannot be overstated. ISO quality as neuro suggested is better on the 5D2 but probably not as much as one could expect, but better nonetheless. 7D would suit you well for the time being and whenever the 5d3 comes out, by all means you aim for that camera then.

 

[RonQ]

If you are pleased with your 30D and t2i quality files, then the benefits of the 7D will be a huge improvement, if not in image quality but handling, AF, etc... The 5d2 is a great camera, but in low light, without using 2.8 or faster lenses, will hunt as much if not more than the 7D and the responsiveness of the 7D cannot be overstated. ISO quality as neuro suggested is better on the 5D2 but probably not as much as one could expect, but better nonetheless. 7D would suit you well for the time being and whenever the 5d3 comes out, by all means you aim for that camera then.

I am pleased with the T2i, I really have no complaints on quality given the fact that I use a 24-70L lens in it and a 70-200L on the 30d. However, I find the issue with the T2i is the focus and meatering which I know that the 7D is good for. Also, the T2i is a low end DSLR that is not made to shoot events such as wedding.... I'll tell ya though, I've cranked out some great photos with that body.... I just think an upgrade is a must at this point. I'll never knock those low end DSLR like the T2i / T3i, they produce great photos with a quality L lens.

I think as long as the 7D can hold it's own in low light using a fast lens 2.8 or faster, then I should be golden for now. I would just hate for it to turn out to be another T2i that offers the same quality with a higher price tag. I understand that the focus and meatering system is vastly imporved on the 7D but who's running or should I sprinting at a wedding.....

The 5D mkII is also a must have, the price tag is about $900 more than I can afford at this time... I just want to make sure I'm getting into a camera I'll be happy with.....

 

[RonQ]

I use a 5DII and a 7D, more in tandem than one as a backup. The 5D does have a half to full stop better level for acceptable noise, but the 7D has vastly better autofocus and layout, and in a lot of the time I much prefer the 7D.

That being said, one of the nicest things about this setup is that you have 2 cameras with different qualities and most importantly, different sensors. It's nice to have my lenses do different things between the two bodies.

I'm a big proponent of having one APS-C body and one full frame body.

T

Do you shoot weddings or portraits? I agree with having both, just wondering if the 7D has any issues when it comes to shooting weddings.

 

[Loswr]

I think as long as the 7D can hold it's own in low light using a fast lens 2.8 or faster, then I should be golden for now. I would just hate for it to turn out to be another T2i that offers the same quality with a higher price tag. I understand that the focus and meatering system is vastly imporved on the 7D but who's running or should I sprinting at a wedding.....

The 7D will 'hold its own' just as well as the T2i, but not really better in terms of ISO noise or AF sensitivity (both are rated to the same -0.5 EV). The AF is better - much better. But as you say, wedding participants and guests don't generally sprint. The 5DII is used by a lot of pro wedding shooters, and the AF in that camera isn't significantly better than the T2i. The 7D has better metering, but the T2i isn't bad, and shooting RAW gives you the flexibility to correct those minor errors in exposure. The 7D has a much higher frame rate, that can help (but also might mean a lot more of your time spent on post processing. Besides the cost of the camera, you need to factor in CF cards - fast ones are needed for the 7D, and several if you're shooting weddings.

So, may I ask, what are you expecting from the 7D?

 

[RonQ]

I think as long as the 7D can hold it's own in low light using a fast lens 2.8 or faster, then I should be golden for now. I would just hate for it to turn out to be another T2i that offers the same quality with a higher price tag. I understand that the focus and meatering system is vastly imporved on the 7D but who's running or should I sprinting at a wedding.....

The 7D will 'hold its own' just as well as the T2i, but not really better in terms of ISO noise or AF sensitivity (both are rated to the same -0.5 EV). The AF is better - much better. But as you say, wedding participants and guests don't generally sprint. The 5DII is used by a lot of pro wedding shooters, and the AF in that camera isn't significantly better than the T2i. The 7D has better metering, but the T2i isn't bad, and shooting RAW gives you the flexibility to correct those minor errors in exposure. The 7D has a much higher frame rate, that can help (but also might mean a lot more of your time spent on post processing. Besides the cost of the camera, you need to factor in CF cards - fast ones are needed for the 7D, and several if you're shooting weddings.

So, may I ask, what are you expecting from the 7D?

Better noise reduction than both the 30d and T2i, better AF sensitivity in low light and normal day light... Those are my two top concerns/ expectations.

 

[jstn]

My camera growth over the years has been this. Canon rebel xt > Canon 40d > Canon 7D
. In terms of image quality, the jump from the rebel to the 40d was pretty noticeable, however the 40d to the 7d was not. Sure there's a crap ton more pixels, but I find that I don't really need them and unless your clients are ordering giant prints instead of wedding albums, neither will you. The video is nice, but not amazingly useful due to terrible audio, bad compression, and an awkward size that makes shooting smooth/stable video almost impossible without 3rd party devices.

40D > 7D
pros - Better build, mp count, much better LCD, better AF, Video, great performance at 400 - 1600iso
cons - Weird vertical banding and noise in shadows at lowest ISO's (common issue), This will be really noticeable if you start pulling up exposures from dark ceremony/reception halls. While the 40D was generally noisier at high iso, at low iso there was none, and if there was it was a more pleasing random noise and not jarring lines running through the image. The 5D mark ii had a similar problem, but firmware supposedly fixed it.

Overall this is just me saying that I wish I would have just saved for a few more months and went full frame. Personally I'm holding off for a 5d MKIII in hopes that we will finally see a decent AF system. I'll take a 10 mp picture that's in focus over a 21mp image of back focused blur any day.

 

[Loswr]

The ISO noise from the 7D will not be better than the T2i. The low-light AF sensitivity will not be significantly better, either (i.e. as light gets dimmer, the 7D will hunt then fail at the same light levels as the T2i). The overall AF performance will be better on the 7D, but the majority of the improvement will be with (rapidly) moving subjects and in achieving focus lock with off-center points. If you primarily use the center point for autofocus, you'll still see some improvement with f/2.8 lenses because the center point on the 7D is cross-type with fast lenses, whereas the T2i is still single orientation. With static and slow subjects, the AF system of the T2i is equivalent to the 5DII. Granted, many people (me included) complain about the 5DII's AF. But you listed 3 things you want from the upgrade, and I'd say you'd be getting about 1.5 of them...

 

[superotaku78]

I had a 7D for about 10 months and was never overly impressed with its performance. I found the ISO performance to be somewhat subpar...usually pictures of my baby daughter around the house...and the colour was never quite right even after post processing. Of course I did get some amazing pictures out of it (always shooting in RAW), but there were a whole pile of duds and I was never completely satisfied. I recently sold the 7D and upgraded to the 5D Mark II and it's a night and day difference IMO. Pictures have that "real" 35mm look and don't look like standard APS-C shots. Don't know if it's psychosomatic but it makes me happier. I'm completely sold on full-frame.

 

[PaperTiger]

I use a 5DII and a 7D, more in tandem than one as a backup. The 5D does have a half to full stop better level for acceptable noise, but the 7D has vastly better autofocus and layout, and in a lot of the time I much prefer the 7D.

That being said, one of the nicest things about this setup is that you have 2 cameras with different qualities and most importantly, different sensors. It's nice to have my lenses do different things between the two bodies.

I'm a big proponent of having one APS-C body and one full frame body.

T

Do you shoot weddings or portraits? I agree with having both, just wondering if the 7D has any issues when it comes to shooting weddings.

9 times out of 10 I'm shooting weddings. The rest would be sports/portraits. I was just looking at our web portfolio (http://www.papertigermedia.ca) and I'd say the photos are 50/50 5D and 7D, so one isn't getting used more than the other.

The 7D is better suited for weddings than the 5D in my opinion. It's true that it hunts less in low light focusing than the 5D (which is pretty bad for it). But I've usually got a flash with IR assist in those situations anyway.

The thing that drives me absolutely bananas with the 5D is how central the AF points are compared to the 7D. It's really tough to frame when you can't get your focal point near the edges of the frame if you need it. It's especially bad in vertical which I shoot a lot of.

 

[aldvan]

This year I added a 7D to my 5D MkII in order to expand the range of my L-lenses. After few months I sold the 7D and bought a second hand 1Ds MkIII, since the image quality of the 7D was very similar to a cropped image on the FFs. To say the truth, I was quite disappointed by the global quality of the 7d. I use to focus just by the center point, so the better 7D's AF is not an important feature for me...

 

[RonQ]

I use a 5DII and a 7D, more in tandem than one as a backup. The 5D does have a half to full stop better level for acceptable noise, but the 7D has vastly better autofocus and layout, and in a lot of the time I much prefer the 7D.

That being said, one of the nicest things about this setup is that you have 2 cameras with different qualities and most importantly, different sensors. It's nice to have my lenses do different things between the two bodies.

I'm a big proponent of having one APS-C body and one full frame body.

T

Do you shoot weddings or portraits? I agree with having both, just wondering if the 7D has any issues when it comes to shooting weddings.

9 times out of 10 I'm shooting weddings. The rest would be sports/portraits. I was just looking at our web portfolio (http://www.papertigermedia.ca) and I'd say the photos are 50/50 5D and 7D, so one isn't getting used more than the other.

The 7D is better suited for weddings than the 5D in my opinion. It's true that it hunts less in low light focusing than the 5D (which is pretty bad for it). But I've usually got a flash with IR assist in those situations anyway.

The thing that drives me absolutely bananas with the 5D is how central the AF points are compared to the 7D. It's really tough to frame when you can't get your focal point near the edges of the frame if you need it. It's especially bad in vertical which I shoot a lot of.

Nice Web-site..... I think after reading everyone's reply I'll be upgrading to the 7D at first and then the 5D. You're right, I also have a 580EX II that can assist with really low light situations. However, I'm not 100% comfortable using it due to the soft/hard look I'll get. Maybe I'm not using the correct settings on the speedlite, I guess practise makes perfect.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

5D MK II's are dropping in price, its a good time to buy one. Most sell them for a bit over $2200 in the USA. Check around and at Canadian stores as well. The kit is a very good deal, it gives you a 24-105mm L for about $700 more.

Here is a 5D MK II Stock tracker that gives stock and prices at major sellers. Better yet, use the links provided by CR and they get a few dollars back if you buy using the link.

http://www.zoolert.com/canon-eos-5d-mark-II-tracker/