T2i or 60D for Indoor Volleyball

[MikeA01730]

Neuroanatomist,


Actually I did think about the 50D. I know about the faster frame rate, but didn

[erno james]

Mike, you mentioned "because I

[neuroanatomist]

Erno has hit on my exact point. While I don't shoot sports (yet, I suppose, since my daughter is not quite 3 and doesn't play sports), I do shoot flying birds. I don't routinely shoot bursts of more than 4 frames (which is why I didn't even mention differences in the max buffer capacity of the bodies being compared). The difference is that on a 7D those 4 frames are half a second, while on a Rebel the same number of frames takes more than a second. Flying birds and sports are fast-action, and many times the moment you want to capture is faster than you can see. Yes, with practice you can anticipate. But a short, high-speed burst makes catching that fleeting moment a lot more likely than trying to squeeze off a frame at exactly the right moment.


Having done AF microadjustments on all my lenses, I will never get a camera without it. If you haven't read THIS and THIS, you might want to peruse. If you've heard of Canon Professional Services (a membership service offered by Canon for pro photographers), that service had it's genesis in the need for pros to send their cameras and lenses (especially the fast superteles used by the sports pros) to Canon to have the lenses calibrated to the bodies for best focus. If your only lens was going to be the 18-135mm, I'd say AFMA would be unnecessary - the DoF is deep with slow lenses, so that masks any issues. But fast lenses shot wide for maximum shutter speed have thin DoF. If an 85mm f/1.8 shot wide open is not well-matched to your camera body, most shots where you depend on AF will not be as sharp as they should. I look at it this way - without AFMA, your best bet is to buy at a brick-and-mortar store where you can test several copies of a lens, or buy online and be prepared to return one or more lenses. So you'd either be paying more (most likely, plus possibly sales tax) at a shop, or paying return shipping, etc. If it's one lens, ok. If you accumulate a few lenses, that extra cost might have gotten you a body with AFMA.


I do agree that newer is better with bodies, in most cases. But I'm also in the camp that the 60D is the upgrade path for Rebel owners, and the 7D is the upgrade path for 40/50D owners. For me, though, if I had it to do over, I'd have started with the 7D instead of getting a T1i, using it for 6 months and deciding it was limiting me in many ways (AF performance being a big one), then selling it (at a loss, which is almost always the case especially for bodies), and buying the 7D.


Still, a budget is a budget. Generally speaking, a better lens is a bigger improvement than a better body. The 60D is a fine camera, as is the T2i, and as long as you learn the limitations (the 7D has its own set of them!), and learn to work around them, you'll be in good shape.


Good luck!


--John

[MikeA01730]

John & erno,


Thanks again to both of you for taking the time to provide detailed responses. You