7d or t2i + money for glass or something else?

[thekingb]

I am a serious amateur with a few good lenses (70-200 f/4 IS, 17-40 f/4 and 50 f/1.4) and a sad little XS body. It's time for an upgrade. In particular I would like better burst shooting, better AF and metering, better high ISO performance, and the ability to print larger format canvas and metal prints. Video is a great bonus.


I am not looking at full frame bodies because (1) they are too costly and (2) I want the extra reach of an APS-C sensor.


I'm willing to pay the $1600 for the 7d, but not without hesitation. I am a little spooked by the vocal minority out there who HATE this camera for its supposed AF and poor sharpness issues. I know Bryan C's review on this site says to just crank up the sharpness setting and forget about it, but at $1600, the vocal minority just has me worried.


Alternatively, I could go for the t2i, which best I can tell is like a junior 7d, and have serious money left over for more glass (I might then sell the 17-40 and get a 24-70 or 24-105, or add ).





Or maybe something else?



I thought about the 50d, but its reviews seem more mixed, it doesn't do video, and apparently it's about to be replaced.


Thanks in advance for your help.


Brian

[neuroanatomist]

The 7D, no question. I went there from a T1i. The AF is far better, 8 fps is wonderful. AF Microadjustment means crisper focus on your shots if you take the time to calibrate your lenses. Weather sealing is a great benefit (70-200 f/4L IS and 17-40mm f/4L are weather sealed lenses, but only with a sealed body to match, but don't forget you'll need a clear/UV filter on those lenses to complete the sealing).


The T2i is a junior 7D only in the sense that it uses the same basic CMOS image sensor, and this has approximately similar noise performance. The 7D is a massive step up in pretty much every other way.


The 60D is supposedly coming out soon, so definitely not the 50D. If you have some patience, you might be willing to see what the 60D has to offer (if/when it's announced), and what pricing looks like. Even the 50D would be a big upgrade from your old Rebel.

[mikehillman89]

I agree. I haven't heard of any issues regarding the AF system. My 7D hits the mark pretty well without even microadjusting my current lenses. (I did have to adjust one that I rented)


As neuro mentioned, the Weather Sealing is a huge bonus and overall I love the buildquality and handling of it. I was hesitant when it was $2000, but as soon as it dropped in price I nabbed it. Got the body and grip for $1699.

[Brendan7]

Hi Brian, welcome to the forums!

I am a little spooked by the vocal minority out there who HATE this camera for its supposed AF and poor sharpness issues.

I don't know anybody who has those problems. I have the 7D and love it. BTW, there is a vocal hating minority for EVERY camera, except maybe the Nikon D3. But the 7D is quite near flawless.

Alternatively, I could go for the t2i, which best I can tell is like a junior 7d, and have serious money left over for more glass (I might then sell the 17-40 and get a 24-70 or 24-105, or add ).

That's a definite option. But the 7D is a faster, bigger, more powerful camera than the T2i and will bring more out of the lenses you currently. have. The 7D's 18 megapixels are great. The sharpness is excellent, the features are excellent, the ISO performance is better-than-average, and not one legitimate complaint has been echoed by a good portion of its owners.


Good Luck


brendan

[thekingb]

Thanks so much for your responses. I have decided to take the plunge - 7d here I come!

[mikehillman89]

Welcome to the 7D club! Awesome choice![]

[Brendan7]

Thanks so much for your responses. I have decided to take the plunge - 7d here I come!

Congrats and Enjoy

[bouwy]

Good choice mate. U will LUV IT. Wally

[cfnz]

Thanks so much for your responses. I have decided to take the plunge - 7d here I come!
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Cool. Please feedback on your experiences, particularly in relation to the initial reservations you had.

[thekingb]

So after a few days with the new 7d, I am very pleased. It is wicked fast; I had no idea what 8fps shooting was like. It's almost surreal. The camera handles very nicely and the build seems professional quality to me. The other day I compared it to a friend's 5d II, and they are actually quite similar in build. layout and feel (except of course the 5d II is larger). The fit and finish are excellent. In any case, now my old XS feels like a cheap toy.


I am still experimenting with the different AF choices to see if any of the options are better than the tried and true single point AF. Thus far, the zone AF seems to work pretty well. Some people say the menus are complicated and the camera is hard to navigate. I disagree wholeheartedly. Maybe they're just not gadget people. []


The evaluative metering seems to be smarter than the XS.


The sensor resolves tons of detail and I have produced some very sharp images. I do see, however, what some people call "noise" at ISO 100. It tends to be in the background/bokeh, but it is easily handled with some post processing noise reduction, and it doesn't happen consistently either. My take: Canon probably crammed a a few too many megapixels into this camera. Maybe 15mp would have been better, but I am not complaining.


High ISO performance is in another league from the XS. You can get really good shots at ISO 1600, and quite useable shots at 1/3 stops above that. I haven't had much luck with ISO 3200 though.


The video feature is nice, but certainly a sideshow for me. Keeping moving subjects in focus is a chore. However, it is amazing how well the video comes out in low light with my EF 50 f/1.4. My HD camcorder doesn't compare at all in low light.


All in all, I am really happy with the purchase, and now I am just waiting to take the camera somewhere that I can actually capture something interesting.


Below is a shot that would have been IMPOSSIBLE with the XS, which is why I am including it. I snapped it at f/1.8, which almost never produced anything useable on the XS. Thankfully, I am playing in another league now.


EF 50 f/1.4 lens, ISO 1600, f/1.8, 1/160s, handheld, in terrible indoor light. White balance corrected in post processing using a WhiBal. Some noise reduction added.


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