Upgrading body - lens help please.

[Kayaker72]

Hey Bruce....

Congratulations on the 2nd. I am about to go spend the weekend with my brother/sister in law who have two little ones (2+ and just 0+). I am looking forward to it. Those ages are a lot of fun.

Regarding how to upgrade, it does really depend on what you want. As others are saying, the 60D is a good camera. Several members are posting great pictures with it or other similar cameras. But that doesn't mean that you can't "improve" upon it. Just bare in mind, "improve" may be marginal.

The 7DII. I loved my 7D. It was the ergonomics as much as anything, but just a great all around camera as it combined good AF, fps, etc. And the 7DII is better in just about every respect. Over the 60D the first thing I will point out is that you will be able to AFMA you lenses. Often, for me, AFMA results in minor improvements, but, once in awhile, I AFMA a lens and it is suddenly so much better than before.

Some comparisons of the 7DII to the 60D: Spec List, Sensor, and resolution. The 7DII clearly has better specs. Those that jump out to me are the fps, AF system, and metering system. You should expect better overall performance from the 7DII. You mention 100% viewfinder, the 7DII has that. The sensor specs start to show the difference. Not only do you have 20 MP (slightly more), but you get better dynamic range, tonal and color performance from those pixels. Not up to a FF sensor, but better, typically by ~0.5 stops, maybe 0.7 stops over the 60D. Will that help, sure, if you are limiting yourself to ISO 400 in some situations, you can likely now use ISO 640. Then the resolution, the 7DII is slightly nicer, IMO. This could be due to the MP, or, a better AA filter. So, the big difference to me is the specs, but you could expect a small bump in IQ as well.

Comparing to the 6D to the 60D: Spec List, Sensor, and resolution. I've heard the 6D called the FF version of the 60D, and looking at the specs, I can see why. Very similar. Thus, I would expect a similar experience. Once exception is people talk about the low light AF of the 6D, and you can see it AFs down to -3 EV. You do gain Wi-Fi and GPS. But your viewfinder is the same. But, you see a distinct jump in sensor performance. Approximately 2 stops across the board. In other words, if you limited yourself to ISO 400, now, you could shoot ISO 1600. Big difference in the sensor. Also, ISO 100 would have better color rendition, tone, etc. But do note, you will only see those differences in certain situations. Also, I seen a nice difference in the resolution.

All of that said, I think the 7DII is one of the best "all around" cameras. One camera and you can use it for most things. Its weakness would be low light situations, but, honestly, that is a limited weakness as eventually with all cameras you will need to create your own light.

But this brings me to where others have already suggested, the camera body is only one area where you could upgrade. Others include:

• Lenses. Based on what you've said, the EFS 17-55 is a good lens. But adding a fast prime like a Sigma 35A/50A would give you increased sharpness, bokeh, and allow you to photograph in lower light. Something like a 70-200 will give you more reach and a EFS 10-18 or 10-22 could be UWA.
• Lighting. Do you have a flash? I used my 7D, EFS 15-85 and 580EX for years for indoor shots. Actually, I just found out that a friend, who had a professional photographer, just finished her wedding album and, I was told but I have seen it yet, contains "mostly" my shots taken with that combination (the wedding was before I upgraded to the 5DIII).
• Support. Tripods slow you down, make you a deliberate photographer. They also allow for slow shutter speeds for waterfalls or to blur people and will allow you to run back into the shot so you can start taking some family portraits.
• Filters. I love 'em. I probably have too many. CPLs and ND filters simply allow you to do or enhance different things.
• Transportation. By this I mean bags. Back packs, pouches, etc. But good ones really help get you to where you want to be.
• Storage. Where to you store your gear? I have heard safes, gun safes, and pelican cases go by.
• Accessories. Memory cards, remotes, cable releases.

So, there is a lot there. Hopefully not overwhelming. But as you can see, you can pick what you want and go with it. As others have said, I've always found it best to shoot until you have found a need and solve it. But, you can also anticipate your eventual needs, as you might want to do with a growing family, and have an upgrade plan to meet those needs.

Good luck...let us know what you decide.

[Magijr]

Hi all,

Thank you all very much for taking the time to respond. Your comments have certainly given me a lot to chew on. I'll answer the questions to several comments.

1) What do you do with your images?
-I shoot family photos mainly. I publish them into books (Shutterfly), large prints for walls / gifts 8X10 or bigger, and share on social media. My family has a couple young web designers and they like to shoot with my camera for the resolution.

2) Do you have a flash?
-I do shoot with a flash when needed - Speedlite 430 XII

I don't have something specific I dislike about the 60D, overall its a great camera and I've had a lot of fun with it. The view finder takes a little getting used to and I still chop off some of the image once in a while.

I'm thinking that my best decision is to upgrade the lens. The 17-55 is great, but is the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM a better choice for me? I understand I'm losing some wide angle, but I like the additional focal length.

What lens would be a great all around lens and have the best focal length? Should I pair a zoom and a prime?

Thank you again for your assistance!!

Bruce

[Magijr]

I decided to go with the 6D and the Tamron SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD. I will be taking the 6D, Tamron SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD, Canon 50 1.4 and the Canon 70-200 F4 to New Hampshire this weekend. Since I bought the 6D and the Tamron SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD from BH I have a few weeks to decide if I want to keep it or not. I am looking forward to shooting with the 6D. Thanks again for all your constructive help!! As always, any advice or comments are welcomed.