Any Canon users out there with an opinion on the 7d?

the_jaffa

My aged 20d has now reached the end of its life so looking at something to replace it with.  Ideally I'd go full frame but that would mean changing my 10-22mm for a 16-35mm L making it all a far too expensive swap so thinking about a 7d.  Likely to be a first gen one second hand as I don't think I could stretch to a new mark 2 as well as a grip.

Does anyone out there have any thoughts on the 7d that they could share?

Cheers

rlw

I've had mine for about five years and its been great - does everything you want and works really well.  Heavy though.

Could be up for sale as it is never used these days.

the_jaffa

Ooh, keep me in the loop on that one.  I've got a shoot coming up in January that I am borrowing a 5d for but I want to update my 20d with the pay from that shoot so could be a goer

rossyamaha

I didn't like the one I had. I know they have made improvements with the new one but had various issues like missing focus. The image quality wasn't great either. Went over to a 5D 2 and love it. Why would you need to swap lenses just out of interest? If the 10 is too wide you could get a simple extender quite cheap to convert. Seriously wouldn't rule out full frame. 

That said, I'm thinking of changing my whole kit and moving over to a Fuji XT-1. For the photography I'm doing now, a full 5d 2 kit is a little overkill to say the least. 

strumjoughlamps

Not sure about the mark 2 but I was very disappointed the mark 1's handling of noise... buffer and burst rate are amazing though. My mate had the camera off me and loves it, he does a lot of wildlife/birding pics.

the_jaffa

Hmm, that doesn't sound so good.

The 10-22 I have is the EF-S mount that only works with the crop factor cameras and physically won't fit on to a FF body like the 5d. The equivalent 16-35mm is a fantastic lense but not exactly cheap even 2nd hand

randomhandclaps

My cousin is a film maker and uses the 7D extensively and loves it.  I preferred the 60D over it for photography so brought 2 bodies.  When I tested both I also found (like @strumjoughlamps) that noise handling was worse on the 7D.  The only advantage it presented was slightly higher FPS (which might explain why @strumjoughlamps friends likes it for wildlife pics) however although I photograph a lot of animals they are usually pets and fairly stationery for portraits so decided the features of the 60D worked better for my needs. 

May be worth having a look at the 70D, but I have never tried one.

the_jaffa

The noise thing doesn't sound good.  One of the reason for upgrading would be for better noise handling in low light.  The frames per second sound good on paper but I tend to find the best results come when not carpet bombing.

Have to have a think.

Lodious

I had one for a while. I thought it was pretty good with the 17-55 f2.8, which is a really nice lens. I found the focus calibration a total pain in the ass with the 7D. I gave up in the end and bought a 5D3. I liked the larger physical size of the body as it feels really good with larger lenses, but if you are just using lighter lenses, I can understand why people see it as a negative.

I'm thinking of flogging all my Canon gear (5D3 + lenses + flashes) as I'm so sick of Canon, if anybody is interested.

boogieman

You could pick up a used 5d mk 2 for around the same money as a newish 7d. It's a much better camera and they're built like tanks. My mate is still using his with about 300k clicks on it and it's been faultless.

boogieman

Lodious;912599" said:

I had one for a while. I thought it was pretty good with the 17-55 f2.8, which is a really nice lens. I found the focus calibration a total pain in the ass with the 7D. I gave up in the end and bought a 5D3. I liked the larger physical size of the body as it feels really good with larger lenses, but if you are just using lighter lenses, I can understand why people see it as a negative.

I'm thinking of flogging all my Canon gear (5D3 + lenses + flashes) as I'm so sick of Canon, if anybody is interested.

Bung up a list or drop me a PM, I might be interested in some of the gear.

boogieman

You could pick up a used 5d mk 2 for around the same money as a newish 7d. It's a much better camera and they're built like tanks. My mate is still using his with about 300k clicks on it and it's been faultless.
Edit. Just realised what you said about the lens issue. Do you do a lot of WA shots? I've got a 16-35 but tbh it doesn't get a lot of use, the 24-105L is a briilant lens and covers a whole range of uses. That's the one that stays on my camera most of the time.

stickyfiddle

X-T1...

hywelg

I've had a 7D for6 years. I use it primarily for my business and it was a huge improvement over my previous camera, but, had I had the funds I would have bought a 5DMk1.

The 7D is a great middle of the road camera but the technological progress is rapid (and Canon are being left behind somewhat). I often need to get good photographs in low light and 6 years ago the 7D was acceptable in this regard but now it is regarded as poor in comparison with current technology. I often find I get shots with the 15-85 stock lens that are just unuseable because of shadow noise and softness. If I forget to take my tripod and hope for the best I am often disappointed with the results. Noise in shadow areas is often a problem and the lens is really quite soft when used at the extremes (i.e. wide/full tele, and fully open)

We did a job in Burton on Trent (and hour away from me) a month ago and I now find that I need to spend half a day revisitng that job to get decent photos, as on the day the light was crap. Such was the job I really do need to get some good photos, so my plan, as I cant afford a 5D MkIII , is to get a Sigma 20mm f1.4 (very highly regarded and sensible money) for those shots where I need maximum light capture, then in a year or so u/g to a 5DIII body and suitable 24-105 lens. Teh Sigma will still be a usefull lens with a 5D, covering wider angles and much faster than any EF zoom.

Used 5D mk 11's go for £750 ish s/h. Personally I'd recommend going that route if you can afford it. Ergonomics are important. I got the 7D because the body is largish and suits the size of my hands (I have 46mm nuts on most of my guitars), the 5D is a little bigger the 6D a little smaller. You need to try them out to find what you're comfortable with, it is important. I couldn't happily use the smaller entry level EOS cameras they are too small.

the_jaffa

Definitely a lot to think about there.

I'm pretty well tied into Canon due to the money I have in lenses, flashes etc so will be sticking with them and not changing brand.

I do a lot of wide angle stuff as one of my main subjects for shooting is mountain biking and a good WA is a definite must.  Looking at prices of the 10-22 vs the 16-35 though it might not be quite as scary as first thought so might be a goer.  I'd still need to find about an extra £400 but that might be worth it.  I do have a friend with one though so could possibly borrow that if needed.

Could be that a 5d mkII is a possibility then.  Lots to look into

boogieman

Do yourself a favour and join the Talkphotography forum (if you haven't already). You have to jump through a few hoops first to get access to the classifieds but it's worth it: there are some real bargains to be had. For instance at the moment there's a 5dmk2 with a grip, extra batteries and under 25k clicks offered for £700 (and it'll probably go for less. I'm tempted myself tbh!). You'll also get all the advice you could ever want from keen amateurs up to pro photographers.

Slimbert

The 7D is one of my favourites.

Don't worry too much about the noise. It's not as bad as some make it out to be. I've never had noise that couldn't be fixed well during post processing.

On the plus side, they are well built, the AF is great, and the fps should be all you'll ever need.

I shot two wedding seasons with a pair of them and we're it not for the lack of dual card slots (I now use 5Dmk3's) I might still be using them.

Cheap as chips too!