7d vs 60d mostly sports

[neuroanatomist]

Hi, and welcome to the TDP forums!

Will the 7D be significantly better for this purpose then the 60D?

Yes.

Can someone explain the AF feature for moving objectsof the 7D, I know there is an aperture limit. Will it work with my 70-200 lens set to 2.8?

There's not really 'aperture limit'. The 7D and 60D both have a high-precision center AF point that works with lenses that are f/2.8 or faster. It doesn't matter what aperture the lens is set to, since autofocus is done with the aperture wide open (it closes down just as you take the picture).


However, while both have an AI Servo mode for tracking moving subjects, the AI Servo mode on the 7D is better (more AF points, better processor, better algorithms). Short of a 1D-series body, the 7D has Canon's best AF system, and that's what matters for tracking moving subjects.


One more key point on the AF system - sports, especially indoors with no flash, means fast aperture lenses shot wide open. That's where you get the most benefit from autofocus microadjustment, a feature that allows you to calibratethe AF system to match specific lenses (accounts for variations due to manufacturing tolerances). Pros used to send their cameras and lenses into Canon for this service, but with the 7D you can do it yourself. The 50D had the feature, but for some reason Canon left it out of the 60D.

I considered the 5dm2, which I see at a refurbished price of $2,000. From looking at the tests on this site I see that its high ISO noise level is much better than the 7D or 60D. But I don't really think it is a sports camera. Thoughts?

Yes, the 5DII is better at high ISOs. The 'crop factor' applies to ISO noise as well (which is dependent on total light hitting the sensor), by factor of 1.6 (which is 1.33 stops). But no, the 5DII is not a sports camera. The shutter lag is too long, and AF is not adequate, in my opinion, for tracking moving subjects - especially coming toward or moving away from you. My 5DII has trouble keeping up with my 3-year-old running toward me - my 7D can handle that even with the thin depth of field (where focus is most critical) and relatively slow AF system of the EF 85mm f/1.2<span style="color: #ff0000;"]L II shooting at f/1.2.


Bottom line, for your purposes the 7D is the camera best suited.


Hope that helps...


--John

[ffron]

Thank you for the response.


That was pretty much what I had decided.


Frank

[erno james]

FPS or frames per second is key in getting sports action frozen in time. The 7D outweighs both the 60D and the 5dm2. More FPS means you

[Colin500]

My 5DII has trouble keeping up with my 3-year-old running toward me - my 7D can handle that even with the thin depth of field (where focus is most critical) and relatively slow AF system of the EF 85mm f/1.2<span style="color:#ff0000;"]L II shooting at f/1.2.

Hm, that's quite a common use case for my 5D2 when I'm at home ... must ... resist ... adding a 7D as second body!


Really impressive, if it manages that at f/1.2, the difference in AF is larger than I thought!


Colin