Purchasing 7D - please help with lenses!!!!

[weewillo]

Thanks again everyone for all your time!

I wasn't even aware that flickr or pixel peeper existed - excellent research tools and thanks kayaker for posting those pics.

Taking into account everyone's tips I have narrowed it down to a few options:

1. 7D with 15-85mm IS USM ($1800) with either 70-200 F4 L ($2450) or 70-200 F4 iS USM ($2850) or 70-300 ($3075)

2. 7D with 10-22mm ($1855) with 24-105L ($2720) plus cheaper zoom lens eg 55-250 ($2870) as suggested by the Dr

OR

3. 5D Mark II with 24-105L ($2850)

I would also buy a 50mm prime as suggested and filters / hoods for each as suggested - oh plus the bag / tripod / memory card (which one is best - I dont plan to shoot heaps of video)!!

Thanks again.

Just for info / I don't really plan on shooting sports in the near future so the 8 fps doesn't concern me too much. I don't mind spending around 3500 (bit more even - not counting all accessories) to initially get started.

Thanks again

[weewillo]

Ps.
Do in really need the IS in the 70-200 F4???

[andnowimbroke]

The IS looks sharper compared to the non-IS version, and 70-200 is a range where IS would be more handy, but you don't have to get it...I would though

[qwRad]

Ps.
Do in really need the IS in the 70-200 F4???

I would say that the IS is very nice to have and also there is the benefit of being weather sealed vs the non-IS version. The IQ is also a little better in the IS version I understand. I have the IS version of the lens and can recommend it, great image quality and light and sturdy lens.

[NFLD Stephen]

I have the IS version of the lens and can recommend it, great image quality and light and sturdy lens.

+1

I also have this lens and highly recommend it. Excellent IQ and the IS is the icing on the cake.

Stephen

[neuroanatomist]

...to photograph landscapes , buildings etc, and I would really love to get into nighttime photography of buildings and lights (eg like the hotels in Vegas)!

3. 5D Mark II with 24-105L ($2850)...Just for info / I don't really plan on shooting sports in the near future so the 8 fps doesn't concern me too much. I don't mind spending around 3500 (bit more even - not counting all accessories) to initially get started.

Ok, so now you've gone and thrown the 5DII hat into the ring. Honestly, for the uses you initially described, I think that's a much better choice than the 7D, especially if you won't need good tracking autofocus and a fast frame rate. The 24-105mm f/4L IS is an excellent lens on a FF camera, and will do very well for the shots you're trying to take. I have a 7D, but since getting a 5DII, my 7D is relegated to bird/wildlife photography, with the 5DII used for about 90% of my shots. I purchased the 5DII just over a year ago, when I had a trip to China planned. Although I took several lenses with me, many of the shots were with the 24-105mm - it's the ideal walkaround lens for the 5DII. Shots from that trip are in a Flickr collection - you can see the lens used in the comments for each shot. Here are a few with the 24-105mm in case you don't want to look through the whole collection:


EOS 5D Mark II, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM @ 24mm, 1.3 s, f/9, ISO 400


EOS 5D Mark II, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM @ 105mm, 1/250 s, f/4, ISO 100


EOS 5D Mark II, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM @ 75mm, 1/640 s, f/4, ISO 100

A good tripod will be essential for night shots - for travel, consider a carbon fiber model (I use a Manfrotto 190CXPRO4 with a 468MG head, 498RC2 would be fine).

As for CF cards, I'd get a pair of SanDisk cards; I use 16 GB cards in my 5DII, each holds about 700 images. If you're taking a laptop on your trip, two cards will likely be sufficient; if not, you'll need more storage. Personally, I prefer several smaller cards to one huge card, the don't put all your eggs in one basket philosophy.

Hope that helps...

--John

[Kayaker72]

I have narrowed it down to a few options:

1. 7D with 15-85mm IS USM ($1800) with either 70-200 F4 L ($2450) or 70-200 F4 iS USM ($2850) or 70-300 ($3075)

2. 7D with 10-22mm ($1855) with 24-105L ($2720) plus cheaper zoom lens eg 55-250 ($2870) as suggested by the Dr

OR

3. 5D Mark II with 24-105L ($2850)

I would also buy a 50mm prime

Weewillo, would you then be done with spending? Or can you see adding another lens in a year or two? Also, you've never said exactly what you intend to photograph (other than night time shots in Vegas and not shooting sports). Will you be shooting wildlife? Do you need a zoom lens, which are sometimes nice even for landscapes?

I look at the options you've provided and I see two that could be considered complete kits with a very good to excellent camera body and lenses that cover a significant enough focal range to cover most situations. Then the third option I see a camera body with an excellent FF sensor (better than the 7D), has great DR/ISO performance but only a single lens.

So, if your intent is to buy your kit right now, and you don't see adding more lenses in the future, I'd go with option 1, the 7D, 15-85, 50 mm f/1.4, and the 700-300 L. If you can see spending another $1,000-$1,500 within a year or so (and can get by with a more limited AF), I would agree with Neuro, the 5D II + 24-105.

And just to point it out.....it is unlikely you'll be disappointed with either.

BTW...on the 50 mm prime...remember to apply the crop factor to focal lengths. The 50 mm on the 7D is equivalent to 80 mm on the 5D II. Or, 50 mm on the 5D II is equivalent to 31 mm on the 7D (all due to the crop factor). Something to keep in mind if you are going for a specific angle of view.

EDIT: What is with the links to B&H? I didn't do that and I am definitely not a fan.
EDIT MK II: When I am logged in, there are not links to B&H in my own post. But there are links to B&H for every word that is camera related (7D, 5D, lens, etc) when I am logged out or in other's posts.

[Dr Croubie]

EDIT: What is with the links to B&H? I didn't do that and I am definitely not a fan.
EDIT MK II: When I am logged in, there are not links to B&H in my own post. But there are links to B&H for every word that is camera related (7D, 5D, lens, etc) when I am logged out or in other's posts.

that's a function of the new forums, I've noticed it on other posts too. It's an auto-link to searching for keywords in B+H, problem is that it's not very well tuned atm, i wrote "EF 70-300L" and the link was created only for "EF 70". Whatever gets Bryan more ad revenue is fine with me, I can't order from them anyway so just ignore it (although it may lead to links we put in being ignored?).

[HDNitehawk]

Thanks again everyone for all your time!

I wasn't even aware that flickr or pixel peeper existed - excellent research tools and thanks kayaker for posting those pics.

Taking into account everyone's tips I have narrowed it down to a few options:

1. 7D with 15-85mm IS USM ($1800) with either 70-200 F4 L ($2450) or 70-200 F4 iS USM ($2850) or 70-300 ($3075)

2. 7D with 10-22mm ($1855) with 24-105L ($2720) plus cheaper zoom lens eg 55-250 ($2870) as suggested by the Dr

OR

3. 5D Mark II with 24-105L ($2850)

I would also buy a 50mm prime as suggested and filters / hoods for each as suggested - oh plus the bag / tripod / memory card (which one is best - I dont plan to shoot heaps of video)!!

Thanks again.

Just for info / I don't really plan on shooting sports in the near future so the 8 fps doesn't concern me too much. I don't mind spending around 3500 (bit more even - not counting all accessories) to initially get started.

Thanks again

I like option 1 over option 2. And if you can afford it go with IS it does work.

Option 3 is good as well.

For a long time Canon seemed to have two separate lines with there high end camera, one was built for speed and one for image quality. The 7D and 1D IV are speed, the 5D II and the 1Ds III are IQ.

To give a very short description of each body:

The 7D would be the better camera for action, sports, wildlife and things that move. It has an AF system that is geared toward that kind of work. It also has the high frame rate. The 7D files IMO take a little more post processing than the 5D II files, but they process well.

The 5D II has a slower frame rate, it is better for still subjects like landscapes, architecture, portraits and such. For what you have described you want it for, the 5D II is the better fit. The 5D II is going to be better at night. No inboard flash so allocate some money for that as well.

We have kind of overloaded you with information, but one thing keeps coming in to my mind. We do not know your skill level. In case you do not know this I will say it, you should be aware that the 5D II and 7D are the middle step from going from a consumer body to a pro body. Why this matters is that if you were to buy any cheaper model including the 60D you are given multiple adjustments to let the camera be fully automatic. All you have to do is decide if you want to shoot landscape, portraits, sports or whatever and turn the knob on top to your selected shooting situation. If need be they can be treated like glorified point and shoots. The 7D and 5D II have one option that covers all, which leaves you having to decide how to handle the individual situation. I think Canon does this with the 7D and 5D II because they think if you have moved in to those bodies you possess some of the necessary basic skills. If you were to go to the 1D bodies you do not have an automatic mode (at least I haven't found one yet).


Good Luck with your Choices

Rick

[HDNitehawk]

@ Kayaker,"EDIT: What is with the links to B&H? I didn't do that and I am definitely not a fan.
EDIT MK II: When I am logged in, there are not links to B&H in my own post. But there are links to B&H for every word that is camera related (7D, 5D, lens, etc) when I am logged out or in other's posts."

I see no links and have not experienced this. Is it something new it is doing?