6D and 7D II Combo or 5D III?

[KVIII]

Hello CR,

I have browsed the forums for a few years now and am finally making my first post here. I hope I'm not causing another camera vs camera debate, just giving a general observation before an expensive purchase. I feel it makes good sense to ask the experts before doing so...

I’ve been saving for a 5D Mark III and am ready to pull the trigger. Before I do, I am curious what your opinions would be on a 7D II + 6D combo instead of the 5D III? After the announcement of the 7D II, I am beginning to wonder if the 5D III is worth its current price. The 7D II is priced very well looking at the spec list and if the IQ / low light improvements hold true I think Canon has a winner. I know APC-C will not compare to a Full Frame sensor for low light, but “if” it exceeds the 70D it’s going to be a big improvement from the original 7D.

I am currently a 7D user and it’s been a great camera for me, but I would like to upgrade as its beginning to show its age. What I like most about my 7D is its fast AF, ergonomics, and its durability. This is the main reason I decided against a 6D when it was announced in 2012, but as a tech geek I do like the Wi-Fi feature of the 6D and am willing to make some compromises. Also, from what I have seen on this forum I'm pretty impressed with the 6D’s sensor. Comparing image quality from a 6D to a 5D III I really can’t tell the difference.

I find it a little funny that APS-C users in the Nikon forums are expressing their frustration with Nikon over Canon’s release of the 7D II. As it’s what they were hoping for in a D300S replacement (D400). On the other hand I've seen some Canon users (including myself) are somewhat frustrated with Canon’s Full Frame line up and would like to see a comparable body to Nikons new D750. For the price point it’s exactly what I would like… Although, the D750 looks very tempting, I started with Nikon and will never go back based on my past experience. Maybe a 6D II?

My style of shooting is:

40% Urban / Street Photography
40% Landscape and Architecture
20% Portraiture and Action

I do use my DSLR for video.
All of my lenses are EF mount.

Thanks in advance.

-K

 

[Lee Jay]

I'm going for the combo. I've loved shooting with my 20D and 5D, and I don't expect that to change. I'll use the 7D2 in good light for action, and the 6D in poor light for slower subjects.

 

[neuroanatomist]

I had the 7D and the 5DII, it was a great combo. I replaced them both with the 1D X, and have no regrets. If the 1D X had been out of my budget, I'm sure I'd have been happy with the 5DIII. It's an excellent all-around camera.

The combo of 7DII and 6D can work well, if you're either prepared to always carry both or accept compromise if you take only the body best suited to what you plan to shoot, and a different opportunity arises.

 

[PureClassA]

I had the 7D and the 5DII, it was a great combo. I replaced them both with the 1D X, and have no regrets. If the 1D X had been out of my budget, I'm sure I'd have been happy with the 5DIII. It's an excellent all-around camera.

The combo of 7DII and 6D can work well, if you're either prepared to always carry both or accept compromise if you take only the body best suited to what you plan to shoot, and a different opportunity arises.

I have them both now.. Good combo. I kept thinking about waiting for the next DX but I'm more interested in a 5D4 plus a 7D2. For what I'd shot for action I'd rather have the reach on my 70-200 mk II. For the once per year that would need FF low light performance, I'd rent a 1DX like now for $320 for 5 days from lens rentals. That said.... if another rumor chain pans out to be even 75% accurate (a new 1DXs with 40+ MP and assuming we retain the FPS and AF now...) I may well buy that instead, even at $8k

 

[tcmatthews]

I deiced to go with the Combo and bought a 6D last year. I have not been disappointed.

I now use a 6D and a 60D. One of the key factors for me was the Cost and lack of a fast SD reader on the 5D III. I am not invested in Compact Flash so that would be an added expense for me. I am heavily invested in SD cards.

I came to the conclusion that most of the things I wanted the 5D III focus system for I would need a longer Lens than I can afford. What I wanted a full frame camera for High ISO for did not need the 5D III focus system.

Having a 60D I realized that the edge case of wildlife in low light shots can be done with the 6D focus system.


You have a 7D so do not need to factor in the cost of CF cards. The real question is the 5D III worth the price of a 6D + lens or 6D +7D to you. For me it was not.

After I buy the Tamron 150-600 and the Canon 16-35f4, I will likely rent a 7D II and a 70D. At that point I will have to make a discussion as to what my next camera will be.

 

[candc]

I like the 2 camera combo instead of changing lenses all the time. I am using the 70d+tamron 150-600 and 6d+16-35f/4 mostly. I use 2 think tank holsters, belt, and pixel racing harness. Its a great setup for bike rides, hiking, snowshoeing and such. I will probably!y change out the 70d for the 7dii because it looks to be better yet.

Camera Canada is offering a preorder deal on the 7dii and 24-70f/4 for $2139.00 USD. That sounds pretty good. I think I will order it with the intention of using the lens on the 6d.

 

[Sabaki]

Neuro, did you see Tony Northrup's video on the 7Dii?

He had some "math" up about the 5Diii vs 7Dii for wild life use. Says that cropping the 5Diii down to match the framing of the 7Dii, will result in a 14MP image.

Now aside from getting into a discussion about whether resolution is important for final IQ, do you call bullshit on his "math" or do you see it as relevant?

 

[neuroanatomist]

Neuro, did you see Tony Northrup's video on the 7Dii?

He had some "math" up about the 5Diii vs 7Dii for wild life use. Says that cropping the 5Diii down to match the framing of the 7Dii, will result in a 14MP image.

Now aside from getting into a discussion about whether resolution is important for final IQ, do you call bullshit on his "math" or do you see it as relevant?

Watching his D810 (vs. 5DIII) Nikon infomercial was enough Tony Northrup for me.

Cropping a 5DIII image to the Canon APS-C FoV yields an 8.6 MP image (22 / 1.62). If the 5DIII had a 36 MP sensor, that crop would give ~14 MP (Nikon's 1.5x crop factor yields a 16 MP image). Alternatively, he may have simply divided the FF MP by 1.6 to get ~14 MP, which is a level of technical competence I'd expect from a turnip.

 

[KVIII]

I must say I'm a little disappointed after looking at the recent image comparisons between the 70D and 7D II. I will still wait for actual reviews to surface before making my decision, but may end up saving myself some money and now go for the 70D / 6D combo. It would be nice if Canon announced a considerable price drop on the 5D III next month at the PhotoPlus Conference/Expo. Would be a great way to counter Nikons D750...