bgosselin said:
The 1D mark iv is a strange beast with it's APS-H sensor. That may be why it went up in price a few months after the 1Dx was introduce. People that wanted more reach had no real choice. The original 7D couldn't compete with the picture quality of the 1D mark iv and the 1Dx got them further to the suject. Buying longer lens is an expensive solution.
If the 7D mark ii can match the 1D mark iv at high iso there is no reason for the 1D mark iv to sell at higher price. imo.
I tend to concur bgosselin. Mt Spokane, you may be correct that 1D IV will rollercoaster a bit but I think it's unlikely. I think the excitement over the 7D Mark II is more than just hype and it brings a great deal to the table.
Breaking it down, I tend to see the advantages/disadvantages thusly:
Build Quality and Weather Sealing: Pretty much even money. The LensRentals teardown of the 7D2 certainly indicates Canon really stepped up their game with this camera--surprising considering the price! Caveat, the 1DIV is probably more sealed than the 7D2 with grip attached.
Shutter Durability: Win for the 1DIV at 400,000. 7D2 is no slouch either at 200,000, but this is a win for the 1DIV. Caveat: A brand new 7D2 has its full shutter life ahead of it, whereas a second-hand 1DIV will only have a portion and how many cycles it already has will be a major factor.
AF: 65 all cross type for the 7D2 vs 45 with 39 cross type for the 1DIV seems to lean rather heavily in the 7D2's favour and that's without taking into account its iTR (see below under metering). In addition, the 7D2's points cover a larger portion of the frame. Of more importance perhaps than the bare bones of the AF systems is the fact that the 7D2 AF system is brand new and that Canon has worked very hard to ensure it is a state of the art system that borrows heavily from the advanced systems developed for the 1DX (and 5D3). When LensRentals did their AF comparison test of Canon cameras AF systems, the new systems found in the 1DX and 5D3 showed very significant improvements in hit rate and it seems reasonable that these advantages have carried over to the 7D2 and most reports seem to support that the AF system is the camera's crown jewel. Note, the test in question may be found here: http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2012/08/autofocus-reality-part-3b-canon-cameras. Obviously it doesn't include the 7D2 since it is a couple of years old--it's included to show the progression of Canon AF technology.
Metering: Huge advantage to the 7D2 with its new 150,000 pixel metering system, which should give much more accurate exposure under difficult conditions. (On the missed opportunity side, I'm not sure why Canon didn't provide AF point triggered spot metering!!!) The new metering system, in conjunction with the iTR ought to give the new AF system a huge advantage.
IQ: Still the biggest unanswered question. We are seeing many great shots with the 7D2, but until we see a 'shootout' between the two cameras it's pretty much speculative. Some seem to think they see an advantage to the 7D2 and others to the 1DIV, which means the results may be rather close to one another. (The AF advantages or disadvantages will also remain speculative for that matter, until there is a direct comparison by a competent reviewer. That being said, I respect Arthur Morris immensely and he seems very impressed with the 7D2 from an AF and IQ standpoint!)
Frame Rate and Buffer: Essentially equal.
Battery Performance: Favours the 1DIV--unless you get the grip for the 7D2!
In Conclusion: I think these two cameras are going to be very well matched against each other in terms of overall IQ and performance. I think technology is going to give the 7D2 advantages (some slight, others possibly more substantial). In effect, just as the 70D brought the xxD series to the same level as the original 7D, I think the 7D2 has essentially brought the top of the line APS-C camera pretty well level with the top of the line old APS-H camera. Just as there were caveats with the 70D vs 7D1 being "level" (which I will not go into here!) there are caveats with the 7D2 and the 1DIV being "level." But I think it's the essential reality and I think that's why the 1DIV price drop will essentially level off to the same approximate price as the 7D2 (or possibly lower!). Only time (and some side by side comparisons!) will tell.
On a side note, sorry to hear about your carpal tunnel Mt Spokane.
I'm getting up there too, and I'm always afraid some ailment or another will prevent me from carrying the gear I want to use. I already have the "willingness" groan from time to time.
