When is it time to upgrade bodies?

[M_Six]

I've read a ton of threads advocating glass over body when it comes to laying out cash. But sooner or later you need to upgrade the body. What criteria do you use? My T1i is obviously not outdated, but I feel like I'm banging up against some of its limitations after a year of ownership. I shoot low light stuff quite often and find it hard to get a decent focus, so I've been considering an upgrade to a 5D MkII. But I also have an EF-S 10-22mm and a Roki 8mm FE, both of which I use extensively. Neither will work with a FF. So I was also considering a 7D for the better AF and the ability to keep using my current lenses. I don't mind shooting with a crop body. But will upgrading now just be paying big bucks for a relatively minor gain in performance? Anyone else here recently jump from a Rebel body to the prosumer level?

[HDNitehawk]

( "My T1i is obviously not outdated, but I feel like I'm banging up against some of its limitations after a year of ownership.") I think that feeling is a good indication it is time for the upgrade.

You might have to define "recently". Many here have made the move up from the rebel to a 7D or 5D II. I bought my first 5D II almost three years ago moving up from a 50D (at that time there was no 7D). I noticed a big jump in IQ and camera ability.

If it is low light performance you want, go with the 5D II. It will give you the best IQ and AF and yes you will notice a difference.

I had the 7D for a while, the diffrence in AF between the two is mainly between static and moving objects. In my experience shooting static objects the 5D II performed as well, and sometimes better than the 7D did. The 7D did better with moving objects.

Both bodies will help you if you are having AF problems, you can do an AF adjustment with both the 5D II and 7D.

To me it would be a money issue that would decide which way to go. My first choice would be the 5D II and buy it knowing I would be selling my EF-S 10-22 to fund buying a new 16-35L II. If funds wouldn't permit that upgrade the 7D would be the choice.

[Rocco]

( "My T1i is obviously not outdated, but I feel like I'm banging up against some of its limitations after a year of ownership.") I think that feeling is a good indication it is time for the upgrade.

You might have to define "recently". Many here have made the move up from the rebel to a 7D or 5D II. I bought my first 5D II almost three years ago moving up from a 50D (at that time there was no 7D). I noticed a big jump in IQ and camera ability.

If it is low light performance you want, go with the 5D II. It will give you the best IQ and AF and yes you will notice a difference.

I had the 7D for a while, the diffrence in AF between the two is mainly between static and moving objects. In my experience shooting static objects the 5D II performed as well, and sometimes better than the 7D did. The 7D did better with moving objects.

Both bodies will help you if you are having AF problems, you can do an AF adjustment with both the 5D II and 7D.

To me it would be a money issue that would decide which way to go. My first choice would be the 5D II and buy it knowing I would be selling my EF-S 10-22 to fund buying a new 16-35L II. If funds wouldn't permit that upgrade the 7D would be the choice.

HAHA. You would beat everyone to a reply. M_six.. what he said. heh.

[HDNitehawk]

HAHA. You would beat everyone to a reply. M_six.. what he said. heh.

You know you have to have no life and nothing to do but sit in front of the keyboard all day to beat me in posting. (apparently that describes my life)

Aslo:

M_Six, one other lesson you need to learn about moving up from the rebel series. It is called the rule of thirds of photography equipment.
Most people think the rule of thirds has to do with composing pictures, in reality it actually is the pricing structure Canon uses. When you move up from the consumer version of a lens to the L version it is almost always 3 times as much. The same is true with bodies. It seems this rule even applies to L series lenses, for instance making the jump from a 300mm F4 to the old 300mm F2.8. But it seems now that Canon is trying to change the rules to 1/4's and 1/5's lately as lenses keep getting more expensive.

Go FF and get out the pocket book.

Good Luck

[M_Six]

Thanks, folks. Upgrading to a 5D MkII would be a long wait. I'd need to save up and maybe sell some lenses. The 7D I could get now if I forego buying a 70-200mm F4L IS, which would complete my range from 8mm to 200mm. I've been waffling back and forth on this since well before the holidays. But shooting low light shots at Gloucester Harbor north of Boston earlier this week showed once again the difficulty my T1i has with AF in low light. And that was with the excellent 24-105mm F4 mounted.

But you've given me more food for thought. Thanks for that. I'll keep grinding on it. The current break in lens prices ends Jan 7th, so I suppose I need to decide by then.

I did finally get some low light shots of the Fisherman. Love that 24-105.

[Rocco]

Look at what you're doing, what you need, then look at lenses/body and decide which will suit your purpose better. 7D does a lot better with ISO performance than your T1i. Or is faster glass the answer? 10-22mm is a great lens. One serious hangup I'm having about the switch to a FF is the idea of getting rid of my 17-55mm.

So for me it's glass first, again. I'm looking at getting the 16-36mm f/2.8L II and probably the 50 f/1.2L before I'm getting a new body. I will have the ultra wide, the normal, and with the 85mm 1.2 I just bought I don't think I'll miss the range absent from the APS-C zoom.

I say get the glass you'd want to support a FF before making that jump.. if that's the route you wanted to go. (which obviously you'd have to do with your setup, making it a very expensive upgrade.)

If you go the 7D route, you will get the ISO performance, and AF boost in low light as well. I saw that another member on here just posted his for sale for around 1k with less than 8k exposures taken. I suppose it comes down to your budget?

[neuroanatomist]

I started with a T1i, moved to a 7D about 6 months later, primarily for better AF with moving subjects, and also for AF microadjust. I added a 5DII about 6 months after that, for better high ISO and DoF.

The 7D isn't going to be substantially better than the T1i's for low light AF, nor will the ISO performance be much better - a little, but not much. The 5DII will have a definite improvement in ISO, and a bit better low-light AF with the center point (that's my anecdotal experience, although the AF systems of all three cameras has the same low-light sensitivity spec, -0.5 EV, and that gets better only with the 1-series).

You might get better results with an f/2.8 lens. Here's one with the 16-35mm at the MFA near where I work:


EOS 5D Mark II, EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM @ 27mm, 1/25 s, f/2.8, ISO 3200

Nice shot of the Old Fisherman! Do you live in the Boston area? I work near Fenway Park, if you want to come down close to twilight one day, you're welcome to try out the 7D and 5DII. Send me a message if you're interested.

Best,

John

[andnowimbroke]

Nice shot M_six! I checked your bio page and you already had forty hits. If you wait a while longer, neuro might sell his 5d when the 1Dx comes out.

[M_Six]

Thanks, Folks. Nice shot yourself, John. I love the composition. I'm a big fan of big DOF with a close subject. And although I'm from the Boston area (grew up in Weymouth), I now live out in east central Illinois. I was just back home for a bit for Christmas with the family.

Someone on or near our campus in Champaign is selling a 7D. He's asking a fair enough price, but for a couple hundred more I can get a new one with a full warranty. Used lenses are one thing. You can take a few shots and pretty much determine if they're ok and then if you take care of them, they stay ok. But cameras are different, I think. Minor issues may not be so apparent at first.

[andnowimbroke]

In the flatlands? Of course anything past Mt.Vernon is considered Northern IL. You just missed some good 7d deals for the holidays.