which camera and lens combo do you like?

[Brendan7]

I am a minority here, but I love the 7D/300 f/4 IS combination.


EDIT:


For portraits and landscapes, the 7D with 10-22 and 17-55 is nice, the 5D2 with 16-35 and 24-70 is better.

[Jon Ruyle]

The 7D, if I understand correctly, is better for video than the 5DII. It also has a dedicated video switch, so no menus are required to start shooting video.

The controls are more convenient. That is an advantage, but I would not say it makes the 7D categorically "better for video". The usual full frame advantages (more control over DOF, better low light performance) still apply to video, do they not?

[EdN]

I am a minority here, but I love the 7D/300 f/4 IS combination.

I use the 7D with a 300 F4 L IS and 1.4x for wildlife and it's a great combo. I like the 5D for the better IQ when I don't need the reach.

[Dallasphotog]

You are going to love the 5D MKII. For weddings and portraits, it is the best tool available.

[scalesusa]

The 85 1.8 is a great lens on the 5D MK II. It is not comparable to a 135mm L lens which is a big step up.





I bought a 7D to have as a 2nd camera to my 5D. Before my 2 weeks of ownership expired, I returned it.I only used it a few times and then always reached for the 5D. I eventually replaced the 7D with a 1d MKIII. I've been using it 80% of the time.


I've done very little video, each camera has strong points. The 7D has a dedicated button, and the HDMI output is 720P. The 5D has better low light performance, shallow depth of field, and, with the latest upgrade, more options. Neither will autofocus while shooting, and is not useful for action like a soccer or basketball game, just static scenes where you can prefocus. The video is really for those willing to dedicate themselves to serious video and spend more $$$ for accessories.

[wickerprints]

Wildlife: 7D (greater pixel density enabling narrower angle of view)

At the expsense of magnifying lens defects.A full-frame with a exentender is superior to a 1.6 crop body. You do crop out the corners but it magnifies the rest of the frame more and overall looks softer.


Here is bryan's link to show what I am talking about, [url="http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx?CameraComp=0&FLIComp=0&APIComp= 0&Lens=116&Camera=474&Sample=0&FLI =0&API=0&LensComp=116]http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx?CameraComp=0&FLIComp=0&APIComp= 0&Lens=116&Camera=474&Sample=0&FLI =0&API=0&LensComp=116[/url].


John.
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Of course it will. I never said it wouldn't.


But you are misconstruing the reason why I put the 7D above the 5D2 for wildlife, and that is purely because in many shooting situations, you simply cannot get close enough to your subject. It's not justifiable to compare 5D2+TC against 7D alone, because you can put the same TC on the 7D. You will squeeze more information out of a high-density sensor than you will with a low-density sensor. It may not be as good on a per-pixel basis, but it gets you more reach when you are limited in how close you can approach and you don't have the focal length to fill a full frame.

[Fast Glass]

in many shooting situations, you simply cannot get close enough to your subject.

I'm not sure what you are getting at. If a full-frame with extenders is better than a 1.6 or a 1.6 with extenders than why would you want the 1.6 for reach sake? If you are already using a 2X extender and need more reach and put a 1.6 crop body, you would be better of using a 1.4Xon top or as many as it takes to get the shot because the full-frame will be sharper.

It may not be as good on a per-pixel basis, but it gets you more reach when you are limited in how close you can approach and you don't have the focal length to fill a full frame.

All you are doing is buying a maximum focal length that you are will to except because of IQ or because you can't afford it. Whether I get to my maximum focal length of 1,600mm with a full-frame or a 1.6 crop camera I will be just as limited in the field with either one. But the full-frame will be sharper.


John.

[wickerprints]

You're still not getting my point.


Say you have a 500/4L + 1.4x II. Lens-wise, that's all you have. You are in the field. You see a bird in a tree and you are unable to get any closer due to physical blockades. On a 5D2, the bird occupies 30% of the linear width of the frame. On a 7D, the bird occupies 48% of the linear width of the frame. The 7D has a higher pixel density such that at 100% crop, the bird appears 47.7% times larger in linear dimensions on the 7D than on the 5D2.


Which do you choose? If you say "get an 800/5.6 or 2x extender," you're missing the point.


Furthermore, it should be pointed out that the per pixel image quality is lower on the 7D than on the 5D2, but not so much lower that it fails to outresolve detail compared to the 5D2. You are partially lens-limited but the sensor density is a stronger limiting factor except in very high noise situations. Ask Daniel Browning if you don't agree.


The bottom line is that if you were to downsize the 7D image so that the bird reproduces at the same per-pixel dimensions as the 5D2's image of the bird, or you upsize the 5D2 image to match, the 7D will win. You need to use the proper basis for comparison.


I am not arguing in favor of the 7D over the 5D2. I own the 5D2. I wouldn't trade it for a 7D, even though I like to shoot wildlife, because wildlife is not the end-all and be-all of what I want to accomplish photographically.

[Julius]

1D Mark IV with the 70-200 f2.8 II L IS USM....it's so sharp and the AF is fantastic.

[Daniel Browning]

Which performs better in low light and IQ considering 5dm2+135L vs 7d+ 85 1.8? How much of a difference is it?

At the same angle of view and f-number, the 5D2 is 1.3 stops better in low light. So if the 135L is 1/3 stop slower than the 85mm, that means the 5D2 gives you a one-stop difference in noise. In other words, you would have to cut the ISO in half on the 7D in order to match the same noise level you get from the 5D2.

Which body is easier to use for video? (layout etc)

I think the 5D2 is much better for video because it allows use of the Magic Lantern firmware. Other than that, they are the same ease-of-use, which is to say that both are hard to use.