Has anyone switched from or added the 7D2 to their 7D

[Donald]

Given that B&H says they anticipate shipping orders on Nov. 10, I'd say yes, this is probably the case.

I understand Adorama in the US has been shipping and Castle Cameras here in the UK, from whom I'm getting mine, have already shipped a batch of pre-orders. So it seems that they are out there and moving.

[William W]

. . . . at the end of the day, what has happened to me, for I think the first time, is that I got an urge to want what is new. As I said in a thread that I started up about this new body. I don't need it. My life is not going to put at risk and I am not going to suffer by not having it. But I want it. And I am in the very fortunate position of being able to buy it. So I have.

I appreciate and understand those feelings.

I got into using cameras and lenses as 'tools of trade' quite early in my life: in concert with that life choice, I also (fortunately) learned that business decisions should be predicated upon business logic and not based upon personal desires or emotion.

As a result, I did not buy a camera or a lens 'for myself' or becaue 'I wanted it' during the 30+ years I was shooting professionally. About two years ago I bought a lens "just for me" and the experience was quite liberating and most enjoyable, when I did.

Enjoy your 7DMkII.

WW

[FootLoose]

I'm looking forward to you posting results from the 7DII, Donald. Being familiar with your style of photography and your skill, your photos will be a better guide to the camera's capabilities than all the charts and stats from other sources.

[wilgk]

Most of the time my images from the indoor action sports are viewed online n the school website or end of year DVD, but we do have 2 gymnasiums of our own and along the walls are very large canvas prints of images of the students in action that I have taken.
I am very happy with most, but when going to over 1metre sz and on canvas which softens things a bit, these are the times I think of gear improvements. The school has the 7D (for some reason I suggested the camera I use for them) same as mine heh heh..... The budget didn't stretch or warrant full frame at the time of purchase.
I just like to have the best display possible on the walls, when everyone knows who took the pictures, if that makes sense.
So in my case new gear would of course not change my skill level 1 iota, but perhaps would enhance the end result in the specific situations.
Although post processing will help a lot, Lightroom noise reduction, than photoshop selective sharpening has worked ok so far.
Perhaps I'm the only one who notices anyway, the parents & kids are just happy to see who is on the wall, we replace them over time.
Thanks everyone for input in this thread.

[Sturman]

As a year has passed since this post, I wondered if you have gone to the mk2 or stuck with the original 7D?

I have the 7D which I use for sports photography (rugby) with a 300 f/4L IS on a monopod. I am not happy with the low light performance that you get towards the late afternoon or dark overcast days, so was wondering whether to go to the mk2 as well as the 70-200 f/2.8 IS ii. Apart from getting the f/2.8 lens, other photographers at the ground say to go with the 5Dmkiii, not the 7Dmkii as it has better low light capabilities.

[DanK]

As a year has passed since this post, I wondered if you have gone to the mk2 or stuck with the original 7D?

I have the 7D which I use for sports photography (rugby) with a 300 f/4L IS on a monopod. I am not happy with the low light performance that you get towards the late afternoon or dark overcast days, so was wondering whether to go to the mk2 as well as the 70-200 f/2.8 IS ii. Apart from getting the f/2.8 lens, other photographers at the ground say to go with the 5Dmkiii, not the 7Dmkii as it has better low light capabilities.

I don't have a 7DII, but I do have a 5DIII. It is a wonderful camera and does well in low light, but you will lose a lot of reach relative to a higher-pixel-density APS-C sensor.

[William W]

I have the 7D which I use for sports photography (rugby) with a 300 f/4L IS on a monopod. I am not happy with the low light performance that you get towards the late afternoon or dark overcast days, so was wondering whether to go to the [7D] mk2 as well as the 70-200 f/2.8 IS ii. Apart from getting the f/2.8 lens, other photographers at the ground say to go with the 5Dmkiii, not the 7Dmkii as it has better low light capabilities.

Welcome to CiC.

My first thought was exactly what Dan wrote: if you’re simply exchanging a 7D + 300/4L IS for a 5DMkIII and 70 to 200/2.8L IS MkII, then there’s a lot of cropping of the 5DMkIII image’s real-estate, to maintain the effective Field of View of the 7D + 300/4.

To provide more detailed advice, it’s necessary to consider answer to key questions, some of which would be:

> will you keep the 7D?
> will you keep the 300/4L IS?
> if yes to both of the above, then will you use two cameras/two lenses at the Rugby?
> are you static, or can you run the field?

Other considerations would be:
> can you afford a x1.4 or x2.0 MkIII Teleconverter EF for the 70 to 200/2.8L MkII IS, especially if that zoom is to be used on the 5D MkIII?
> are you absolutely sure that the low light images (the ones which you are unhappy with) are not underexposed?
> what Post Production Programs do you use (any specific de-noise program)?
> what experience do the “other photographers at the ground” have using the 5DMkIII and the 70 to 200/2.8 L IS MkII for shooting Rugby?

Thanks,

WW

[Sturman]

Hi Bill,

Thanks for the prompt response. Answers to your questions are;

I will sell the 7D to fund the 5Dmkiii
I will keep the 300/4L IS
I currently use two camera bodies - the 7D with 300/f4 on a monopod, a 50D with 70-200/f4 on a BlackRapid Sports strap
I have a media pass and so run the sideline for the game.
I have a 1.4 mkii extender
I use LR5 and NIK for post production.
The other photogs have higher level gear, including 5Dmkiii's with 70-200 f/2.8's as well as other f/2.8 lens.

My thoughts were to go back to using the 50D with the 300/f4 and the 5Dmkiii with the new 70-200/f2.8 on the BR strap.

I suppose the simplest way to go is to get the f/2.8 lens and try it with the bodies I have and see if I am happier with the results.

[Sturman]

Hi Bill,

Thanks for the prompt response. Answers to your questions are;

I will sell the 7D to fund the 5Dmkiii
I will keep the 300/4L IS
I currently use two camera bodies - the 7D with 300/f4 on a monopod, a 50D with 70-200/f4 on a BlackRapid Sports strap
I have a media pass and so run the sideline for the game.
I have a 1.4 mkii extender
I use LR5 and NIK for post production.
The other photogs have higher level gear, including 5Dmkiii's with 70-200 f/2.8's as well as other f/2.8 lens.

My thoughts were to go back to using the 50D with the 300/f4 and the 5Dmkiii with the new 70-200/f2.8 on the BR strap.

I suppose the simplest way to go is to get the f/2.8 lens and try it with the bodies I have and see if I am happier with the results.

[William W]

Hi Bill, Thanks for the prompt response.

. . . Thanks for answering. I am out at SOPAC from tonight until Saturday night, most likely I will respond in detail after Saturday. . .

[Geoff F]

My 7D Mk1 had done a lot of work and was getting around to being sent off for a recondition so I had a serious look at my alternatives.

Basically I considered the 7D mk2 and 5D. Eventually I went for the 7D Mk2 because most of my work is using zooms, and often quite a bit of zoom, so a crop sensor suited me. The 5D does have a few more pixels but not that much difference for the increase in price.

So I did get the 7D Mk2. Then sent off my old Mk1 for a full service to have as a spare camera. I had intended to get rid of my 40D, plus a 70-300 lens, but was asking for a small amount of money which would have covered the cost of a recent service. Nobody seemed willing to pay; in fact there was little enthusiasm for it even if it was free. So I still have that one as well. Several friends would have been interested in paying the same amount for a 'phone camera' but nothing as big and 'difficult' as a 40D.

My chief reason for the upgrade was the improved weather sealing because I do a lot of work in wet woodland and marshy ground etc. The extra pixels help a little in severe crops, which I often do on wildlife shots.

There are a few improvements to the controls etc but nothing staggering. I have both cameras set to rather basic operation so they are easy to use, and similar to my old trusty 40D. The 'improved' autofocusing proved far too complicated for me; and totally unnecessary for most of my shooting methods.

I keep meaning to try the video option but so far I have never got around to it.

To sum up. For me, there was only a little improvement in the Mk2 but I didn't see any point in purchasing a new Mk1 when for a few more pounds . . .

[William W]

Thanks.

My first advice is to consider your whole camera kit and its range of uses and not just think about Rugby. To clarify that vision I think it is always good to list: “my ideal kit at this moment in time” and then prioritize the purchases to get to that kit. referring to “my ideal kit at this moment in time” – this really depends on what other Photographic interests YOU have and the prioritizing of the purchases then depends on what gear that YOU have at the moment.

I am an advocate of a DUAL FORMAT DSLR KIT (APS-C and 135 Formats specifically): there are many reasons, the main being assuming some near equivalence in pixel density, there is great leverage attaining a very wide range of FoV with minimal capital outlay on lenses.

If you choose to buy a 5MkIII, I don’t understand keeping a 50D to be used as the second camera when a 7D is available: I think that the 7D is a superior camera for Rugby and a superior camera, generally.

I think there is good logic in buying the 70 to 200/2.8L IS MkII and I also think that if the 70 to 200/4 is not an IS lens then I would sell it: on the other hand, although having two 70 to 200 lenses is a luxury, I think it is a useful luxury to have the additional 70 to 200/4L IS, because the 70 to 200/2.8L IS MkII is heavy and for all other shoots which can be accommodated by F/4 - that’s where there is the positive rub.

I agree (with the ‘other photographers’) that 5D Series Cameras are very useful tools for many Sports, including Rugby: it occurs to me that there is too much hype concerning Frame-rate in a burst, certainly applicable for some sports and certainly nice to have a 1 Series, but for Rugby and many other Field sports, having a good understanding of the game play and accurate timing of the shot provides much better leverage to attain good results.

I’ll assume that you are convinced that none of your images are underexposed and take that as a fact: the reason I mentioned this point is because it is very easy (for any of us, no matter how experienced) to sustain the necessary Shutter Speed at the same time slightly underexposing to save bumping up the ISO. The reality is that it’s more likely that one stop under exposure at (X) ISO is WORSE than having correct exposure at (X + 1Stop) ISO. I just have seen this happen so many times.

Pending further specific questions and/or the details of your full lens cache, my general comments are:

1. > buying a 70 to 200/2.8L IS MkII will be an advance to any Camera Kit that visits any Football Field. Don’t be afraid to use the x1.4MkII with this lens

2. > a 5D MkIII and a 7D is a very powerful DUAL FORMAT KIT

3. > a 5D MkIII and a 7D MkII is a more powerful kit than 2 (above).

WW

[dje]

Hi Malcolm, as Bill has suggested, I would go for the 5DIII and keep the 7D. I know you wont get much for the 50D towards a new camera but really it's getting a bit long in the tooth whereas the 7D is still a reasonably modern camera.

Dave

[Donald]

Hi Malcolm, as Bill has suggested, I would go for the 5DIII and keep the 7D. I know you wont get much for the 50D towards a new camera but really it's getting a bit long in the tooth whereas the 7D is still a reasonably modern camera.

I haven't been following this thread since it sprung up into action again and have not read all that's been written above, but, in case it hasn't been mentioned before, the rumour mill is rife with expectation of a 5DIV being launched soon.

[whited3]

My 7D has been a great camera but I'll skip the MkII for the 5D MkIV or 6D MkII, pending specs and price.