To shoot street and sport pictures, which one is better, Canon 70D or Nikon D7100?

[compiler]

Has anyone ever used the Canon 70D (or 60D) and Nikon D7100 (or D7000)? Do you think which one is better and why? Thank you.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi ???? (don't be shy, share a first name, at least),

I have a D7100 and I think that's better because my lenses wouldn't really fit on a Canon camera

Joking aside, it really isn't going to make much difference - the pictures will be as good as you are (as a photographer).

That said, there is one feature that might 'hold sway' for telephoto shooting; the crop factor of the Canon models is 1.6, while the Nikon is 1.5 but the Nikon D7100 (only) offers a crop mode which gives it an overall crop factor of 2, so if you're shooting distant sport with a "300mm" lens, the field of view you get with the Canon will be equivalent to 480mm, but with Nikon you have a choice of 450mm at 24MP or 600mm at 15MP.

That's the short answer - if the terminology is unfamiliar to you, ask me (us) for a longer answer.

Cheers,

[Didace]

so if you're shooting distant sport with a "300mm" lens, the field of view you get with the Canon will be equivalent to 480mm, but with Nikon you have a choice of 450mm at 24MP or 600mm at 15MP.

Isn't this always true if you crop in post?

[compiler]

Hi ???? (don't be shy, share a first name, at least),

I have a D7100 and I think that's better because my lenses wouldn't really fit on a Canon camera

Joking aside, it really isn't going to make much difference - the pictures will be as good as you are (as a photographer).

That said, there is one feature that might 'hold sway' for telephoto shooting; the crop factor of the Canon models is 1.6, while the Nikon is 1.5 but the Nikon D7100 (only) offers a crop mode which gives it an overall crop factor of 2, so if you're shooting distant sport with a "300mm" lens, the field of view you get with the Canon will be equivalent to 480mm, but with Nikon you have a choice of 450mm at 24MP or 600mm at 15MP.

That's the short answer - if the terminology is unfamiliar to you, ask me (us) for a longer answer.

Cheers,

I am interested in the crop fact and have three short questions related to shooting the sport pictures.

1) How does one know and compare the crop fact such as the Canon 70D and Nikon D7100?
2) Does the better crop fact mean sharper when comparing the same size of the picture?
3) To select the better camera for shooting the sport, should we be concentrated in the camera fast focus or something else?

[chauncey]

As a FYI kinda thing...it is not possible to discern camera brands from either an internet image or a final print. Having said that...if you choose to shoot jpeg only, thereby allowing the camera to handle PP, their individual software allows a different "look" to the images. Most folks here do their own PP for a more personal look.
Also, generally Canon lenses are somewhat less costly than are Nikons. Beyond that, it's a coin flip.
And...if you become enthusiastic about this "hobby", changing brands in the future is somewhat costly as the glass is not interchangeable. Welcome aboard.

[Brev00]

Think about your whole budget and your entire kit. You will be getting a lens or two with your body. If you get third party lenses that work on both Canon and Nikon platforms, it doesn't matter. But, if you like the Canon L lenses, you will have to get a Canon body. I don't think the crop factor is such an issue. If you crop a lot, the extra mp of the D7100 may help you out. I don't know how you shoot or what kind of buffer the Canon has, but many complain about how small the D7100 buffer is. If you shoot raw and in bursts, that may be an issue. I do not know what qualities set good street cameras apart but I would think a small size and good high iso performance would help. I don't think either is that small but high iso performance seems to be getting better and better. Good luck with your decision. Sorry I couldn't give you more specific advice.

[inkista]

1) How does one know and compare the crop fact such as the Canon 70D and Nikon D7100?

Like this :

2) Does the better crop fact mean sharper when comparing the same size of the picture?

No. Sharpness depends on a number of factors, not just the size of the sensor. The lens you use and how good your technique is will probably have more of an effect on sharpness than sensor size.

3) To select the better camera for shooting the sport, should we be concentrated in the camera fast focus or something else?

Honestly? You should be worrying more about your skillz. Some cameras have better feature sets and handling for sports, for sure, but camera features don't matter crap if you haven't got a good sense of timing. You can burst shoot all day long at a gazillion frames a second, but if you can't draw a bead or master an autofocus system, it matters squat. Knowing your sport, being able to position yourself in anticipation, and having the right glass are going to matter more than how many AF points you've got in the grid, imo. ymmv.

Better cameras simply make some shots possible. They never guarantee getting the shot. That said, to a sports shooter, the most important features are probably going to be what lenses you can mount on the front of the camera, the number/type/configurability of the autofocus (AF) points (back-button AF, trap focus, and pre-focusing features may also be worth learning about), and the burst rate of the camera.

And I'd go with mirrorless or a P&S for street, not a dSLR.

[davidedric]

Hello,

You have some rather complicated answers here! Both are excellent cameras and can give excellent results.

If at all possible try and at least hold and make a few shots with each body. One will probably feel better in your hands and that's probably the one to go for.

The term pp has been used a lot. It stands for Post Processing and means the use of programs such as Photoshop or Lightroom to improve your picture. It is correct that the "crop mode" of the D7100 has the same effect of cropping in pp, but you get it straight out of the camera.

One big difference is video. The 70D is a much more capable video camera than the D7100, if that is interesting to you.

Dave

[Degsy]

I have no experience with Nikon so cannot comment. However I have a 70D which I use to shoot non league football with.
It is coupled with a 70-200 L lens (Mk1 non IS) and I am very happy with the results. The noise is acceptable to 6400 ISO.
You would not be disappointment with this camera however you will probably not be disappointed with the Nikon either.

[GrahamS]

Neither is good for street work. A Fuji X-1 Pro would be better. For sport, neither has a big enough buffer. Canon 7D or Nikon D4 would be better.

[RustBeltRaw]

Neither is good for street work. A Fuji X-1 Pro would be better. For sport, neither has a big enough buffer. Canon 7D or Nikon D4 would be better.

Disagree. Both will produce excellent photos when shooting in the street. But the X-Pro 1 is more compact, lighter, and less obtrusive (and considerably more expensive). Can you tell the final photos apart? Probably not.

I would start with a used 60D. I've used one for several years in very demanding environments, and it's a superb value. The 70D does have a better focus system, which is one of the 60D's relatively weak points (the other is extremely high ISOs, a problem inherently worse with smaller, high-pixel sensors). But if you're just starting out, don't break the bank on a brand-new camera. The used market, if it's decent in your area, is an excellent way to save some coin.

[rpcrowe]

IMO, both street photography and sports photography require a fast and accurately focusing camera. The 7D has a more sophisticated focusing system than the 70D. Whether you need that sophistication for your use or not, is totally up to you. I shot sports for a long while with a 40D and did quite well. However, the 7D is a totally different animal regarding focus. It is simply amazing how I can adjust the focusing for my needs.

OTOH, the 70D is the camera that I would select if I desired to shoot a lot of video using my DSLR. The video focusing features as well as the articulating LCD would make this camera my choice if I shot a lot of video. Since I don't shoot video with my DSLR (for a lot of reasons) these "advantages" would not interest me.

The in-camera HDR compositing would certainly be a useless feature for me since I do whatever HDR work I want in post processing. I have perused the capabilities of the 70D HDR mode just slightly and it appears to work only in JPEG. I may be wrong but, if I am right this would be TOTALLY useless for me since I NEVER shoot in JPEG. One way or another, although I have never used the in-camera HDR of the 70D, I strongly believe that I have have a lot more control over my HDR imagery in post processing. This is especially true since the NIK Software package by Google has an HDR module which is quite good.

I am very happy with the features of the 7D which is the reason that I purchased a second 7D body. I strongly suspect that the next evolution of the 7D (if it ever comes to fruition) will be watered down with things like in-camera HDR and various video enhancements.

As far as pixel count goes, I don't think that jamming another two thousand or so pixels into a 1.6x format image would be any great advantage. I do like the 18K or so pixel count of my 7D better than using the 10K or so of the 40D. Of course the difference between about 10K and 18K is quite large; almost double. This allows me to shoot many of my dog images in landscape format (for possible calendar use) while still being able to crop a decent vertical portrait....

As far as price goes; I purchased both my 7D cameras as Canon Factory Refurbished units. The price I paid for either camera was right at or below the selling price of a new 70D.

Finally, selecting a camera with lenses and other system equipment is like marrying a person with a large close-knit family. You need to consider the in-laws, cousins etc. because you are stuck with them and if you cannot live with them, a divorce can be quite expensive...

[DanK]

1) How does one know and compare the crop fact such as the Canon 70D and Nikon D7100?

I'll offer a shorter version of Kathy's good answer: forget about it. the difference between a 1.5 and 1.6 crop is not worth your time to think about.

[Sega62]

Hello

Yes they are both GREAT, I know I tried both of them for days on.
To me its a real tough question to answer.
I've talk to a lot of sale man and even if the D7100 does great pictures, the Canon does a very nice job, but differently .

Funny thing, its like Canon will do this and Nikon will do that , (also Pentax,Olympus,Sony,Panasonic,Leica,FUJI are as great)
In the end, get to know what you really want.

This video might help you a bit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOM4r1gxsbs

D7100
Great viewfinder
Great pics quality
Great menu,
Great LCD
And lots of cool features.

Canon 70D
Cool LCD, touchscreen
Fast autofocus.
Pics are great, not as much as the D7100, but very very very near.Cleaner at high ISO
Wifi
As you can see, tons of new technology

Good luck

[William W]

Has anyone ever used the Canon 70D (or 60D) and Nikon D7100 (or D7000)? Do you think which one is better and why? Thank you.

What Sport(s), specifically?
What genre of Street Portraiture?

Probably neither camera will pull up any better than the other.
If you wish to discuss the technology: the lens(es) that you choose will be far more important than choosing either of those two cameras.

To have any meaningful discussion about lenses, you will need to answer those specific questions, above.

But above ALL the technology: your getting experience and honing your skills' set, are way more important than the camera, as Kathy has already outlined, in detail.


WW

[Sega62]

What Sport(s), specifically?
What genre of Street Portraiture?

Probably neither camera will pull up any better than the other.
If you wish to discuss the technology: the lens(es) that you choose will be far more important than choosing either of those two cameras.

To have any meaningful discussion about lenses, you will need to answer those specific questions, above.

But above ALL the technology: your getting experience and honing your skills' set, are way more important than the camera, as Kathy has already outlined, in detail.


WW

I understand from a starter like him, but the equation can be more subtle, compositon,learning the cameras good and weak points, experience, there is a lot, but I know what he goes trough, for myself I did get a Canon 2 years ago, but sensors change so fast, right now I would go for D7100, cause I know what I want, the viewfinder is crystal clear and my eyesight is not the best, I really noticed a difference, to me it was important.
Also i am more photo than video.

Nikon are makin nice products, and as you mentioned the lens are really important, but that will come in time, i'm sure he will be more than happy with the kit lens 18-105 or 18-140.
I don't even know if he has a camera, so imagine when you get either one, its a GREAT start!

Lets hope he reads our comments, and comes back to tell us in what situations he want to shoot.

[William W]

Lets hope he reads our comments, and comes back to tell us in what situations he want to shoot.

Indeed. I agree. Providing more useful information and answering direct questions, usually will result in better quality advice.

Maybe even "he" is a "she" - we don't even know that, do we?

That may also be significant in the final analysis - for example hand size is often important as to what camera fits the best.

For example I use Canon DSLRs and I have a (female) Photographer who sometimes works with me: she sometimes uses my gear, but whilst she is most capable of using my xxD and xD cameras, she prefers xxxD Series cameras simply because they are general smaller - the physical size of the camera, is an important criterion for her.


WW

[Sega62]

Usually people who are pros, that use the high end gear, have a tripod or monopod, cause the cameras that shoots 14 frames seconds are real heavy, with big lenses.
I would never carry a beast anywhere, unless its a pro shooting.
Got one this week end, and i'm using my tripod, flashes, umbrella, a job indoor.

What I noticed is that Nikon and Canon are making full frames a little lighter , 6D and D600, not has big for smaller hands, or maybe the orientals have smaller hands compare to american people, not sure why but they got the new full frames lot smaller!
Its a good thing.
But where is our thread starter......no news
Hope he or she or she-he will make a good choice