Thanks Mike!
After i got my 50D i told myself that my next camera would be FF to get the most out of my L lenses... but i completely see your point - the 7D would definitely be the better option if i could only take 1 body with me on the trip. However i just thought that by already owning the 50D it would make the 5D the better companion.
I guess i could i get both the 7D & 5D [] but then i might as well go for the 1D and the divorce!
Maybe you shouldn't take my advice, as I'm the guy with the wife who had to talk him into taking the 5dII plunge. I love my 5dII, takes amazing portraits and fits my needs perfectly.
That said, there are advantages to both the 7D and the 5dII. If you put your new 70-200 on a 5D, it instantly will be shorter than what you're used to. That, paired with the fact that you're replacing your 70-300, it will feel even shorter on a 5D. The 7D is like having lenses 1.6x as long as usual.
Plus, the 7D's auto focus isapparentlybetter (never used it), and it has a higher frame rate, which is my one real complaint against the 5dII (that and the 1/200 max sync speed, but I doubt you'll be setting up studio lights to shot the wildlife).
That all said, you already have the 50D, which is a nice camera, so your EF-S lenses won't be wasted, and if you need that extra bit of reach, you can but the 70-200 on the 50D instead. That way, when you get back home, you'll have more options for shooting whatever you like, with one FF and one crop body.
Tough choice. If/when I get a second body, it'll probably be a 7D (or its replacement), but that is because I already have my FF covered.
Originally Posted by SafariMonkey
My best bet would be:
- the 50D/7D combination with 300mm f2.8/with 1.4x extender for safari's. 7D would be better in this regard for the weather-sealing it offers(dusty safari??) and the improved focussing system.
- the 5D with your 70-200 for amazing portraits and street/city shots. I guess Zambia isn't that densely build that you'd need an extreme wide-angle. You probably have plenty of room to foot-zoom. Else bring your 10-24 if you're worried about the wide angle.
The 5D just offers(besides more expensive wide-angle) better image quality period (not only at high iso), better use of depth of field, which is very attractive in portraits (that's why these cameras are often used with weddings etc []) and it's just something you must see to believe. Although it's focus sisn't up to the 7D etc, I wouldn't trade my 5D2 for a 7D, not even for sports. (But I might be biased because the one time/day only I used the 7D for action-photography, it didn't serve me the way I was hoping it would do)
But that's just what I would do!
Jan
Edit: almost forget to mention: WELCOME!!! [] I'd love to see some footage of Zambia when you return [:P]
Then you haven't used a 7D enough [
They are different cameras that complement each other, not compete with each other. The 5D2's IQ is much better, but the 7D gives you much better AF and more than twice the frame rate. A 3fps burst doesn't compare to an 8fps burst. But ISO 6400 on a 7D doesn't compare to ISO 6400 on a 5D2.
Perhaps, read the bit behind the sentence you quoted [:P]
Not entirely true. The 8fps is 7D max and 3,9 is 5D max so it's just twice the speed.
However the output of the 7D is softer and the image quality is less great and I personally rather have 1 super sharp and great photo than 8 less appealing ones.
But of course this is pixel peeping and I think the 7D/50D and a 5D2 would complement each other very well!
Thats works great IF you can get that one sharp photo, if you can then FF is great. But if your keeper rate is so slow that you are cursing your camera switch to Nikon![:P] He, he. Ok, more realistically a 7D.
John.
Point is that I didn't miss any action-shots with my 5D yet! Apart from a few cycle-racers going downhill straight towards me, but that's asking for problems. However at an airshow the 5D gave me much sharper and so better images than the 7D. That's where I base my decision on, so it could be somewhat biased. Perhaps I wasn't using the 7D properly. Although it focussed very fast and the focus confirmation was showing red squares constantly, I didn't get real sharp images...
You're lucky, the 40D especially, but also the 50D(perhaps because the 40D still runs great) seem to hold their value pretty well.
[:P]
Good luck on your decision. If you have the chance to try both cameras out, go for it!
Jan
my bad.
JUST twice the speed? That's a huge difference. And remember that the camera often can't shoot at max fps so you're often looking at 2fps vs 5fps. And there is no debating it: The 5D2 offers better high-ISO performance and overall IQ and there are many good wildlife photographers who use a 5D2 -- for static portraits. For action the 7D's capabilities are absent in the 5D2. I'd pay money* to someone who found a pro sports photographer who used a 5D2 (*maybe[:P])
I agree with peety about 2 7D bodies, but the OP said they wanted to take portraits and landscapes too, at which the 5D2 is undisputedly better.
Well just my 2¢
brendan [
How much are we talking about here??? [
I guess I'm indeed biased by personal experience, but I'm not the only one here [A] really you should see the image quality of the 5D for yourself...
I hope to try the 7D once again, but I'm sure I won't be paying for renting it again[:P]
All the money held by the U.S. Federal Reserve! Oh wait...they're bankrupt, it's all borrowed from the Chinese [8o|] well i guess i can't pay you [:#]
I have. IQ on the 5D is better and increases exponentially compared to the 7D at higher ISOs, but let's face it, The 5D II is not a good camera for action. It has the same AF and frame rate as the Rebel T2i which costs $1500 less. Just read what Arthur Morris and Juza have to say about the 7D. (BTW, the 5D is the *only* Canon camera that Ken Rockwell actually likes!!!).
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