Canon 7D Mk ii- worth the upgrade?
Canon 7D Mk ii- worth the upgrade?
Hi everybody,
Just a question that I want your advice on really!
Currently own a 600D with the Bigma 150-500 Lens, however I am thinking about purchasing an upgrade ! The 7D mk ii is out, is it worth the extra spend over the original? The new upgrade would mainly be used for air shows or wildlife, with the 600D being used for static shots!
Thank you in advance,
Sam
Just a question that I want your advice on really!
Currently own a 600D with the Bigma 150-500 Lens, however I am thinking about purchasing an upgrade ! The 7D mk ii is out, is it worth the extra spend over the original? The new upgrade would mainly be used for air shows or wildlife, with the 600D being used for static shots!
Thank you in advance,
Sam
Re: Canon 7D Mk ii- worth the upgrade?
I have a friend with a 7D2 and yes, it is worth an update. However, your lens will be well and truly lag behind the new camera technology, so maybe you want to think about spending your money there instead.
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Re: Canon 7D Mk ii- worth the upgrade?
The Original Poster (OP) should ask himself a couple of questions.
My current camera body, do I push the limits of the camera? For instance do I have issues with white balance modes, do I find I need to manually set-up every shot and I find the camera is limiting my choices, metering modes, ISO ranges, etc.
If you push those kind of limits then a body upgrade maybe the way forward.
Another question to ask is do I need a particuliar feature on the new body I could not live without. If the answer is yes then a new body should be considered.
As touched upon in the other post above, getting a new body may show up issues with the lenses you use. A slippery slope to upgrading both body and lens!
What to do? Camera equipment rental might help. Hire a camera body and have a good long play, the price of a rental against getting a body that you find you did not want maybe. If you find the camera body upgrade is not for you you can use the money to get a new lens or rent a lens to once again try before you buy. If you do buy the adage is, good glass keeps it's value, and is easily sold on.
The OP also wants a second body so the first is a backup/static lens body. A good reason to upgrade. I have had personal experience of a body going wrong on a foreign trip and was thankful that I had a second body.
My current camera body, do I push the limits of the camera? For instance do I have issues with white balance modes, do I find I need to manually set-up every shot and I find the camera is limiting my choices, metering modes, ISO ranges, etc.
If you push those kind of limits then a body upgrade maybe the way forward.
Another question to ask is do I need a particuliar feature on the new body I could not live without. If the answer is yes then a new body should be considered.
As touched upon in the other post above, getting a new body may show up issues with the lenses you use. A slippery slope to upgrading both body and lens!
What to do? Camera equipment rental might help. Hire a camera body and have a good long play, the price of a rental against getting a body that you find you did not want maybe. If you find the camera body upgrade is not for you you can use the money to get a new lens or rent a lens to once again try before you buy. If you do buy the adage is, good glass keeps it's value, and is easily sold on.
The OP also wants a second body so the first is a backup/static lens body. A good reason to upgrade. I have had personal experience of a body going wrong on a foreign trip and was thankful that I had a second body.
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Re: Canon 7D Mk ii- worth the upgrade?
Thank you both for the replies.
I shall look at renting a camera body first before purchasing anything!
Thanks again, your help is much appreciated!
Sam
I shall look at renting a camera body first before purchasing anything!
Thanks again, your help is much appreciated!
Sam
Re: Canon 7D Mk ii- worth the upgrade?
Sorry for nudging in, but personally, I would look at a used 1D II or 1D IIn, fraction of the price, and if you get one used by an amateur photographer with a low shutter count (1D II's are easy to check shutter count - unlike 1D III and newer marks) then you will have a gem of a camera, with lots of money left over for upgrading lens. I've used a 1D IIn (it is old - but still amazing) for a very long time, and considered getting a 7D I, but after doing extensive research, I found that generally, IQ and AF and Al Servo AF tracking are better using the 1D IIn. I don't know how a 7D II performs, but I will expect if to be quite equal in terms of IQ and speed of AF and AF tracking to 1D II. Unless you images will be huge sized prints, I would strongly do some research about a 1D II, or even 1D III.
Just my opinion, after deciding to carry on using a 1D IIn instead of upgrading to a 7D.
If you decide to upgrade to the 7D II, then I agree with the previous poster, lens quality is more important, and so I would consider also doing some research on any lenses that would suit you, but it's up to you to enjoy your equipment and upgrade whatever you fancy and will enjoy
Just my opinion, after deciding to carry on using a 1D IIn instead of upgrading to a 7D.
If you decide to upgrade to the 7D II, then I agree with the previous poster, lens quality is more important, and so I would consider also doing some research on any lenses that would suit you, but it's up to you to enjoy your equipment and upgrade whatever you fancy and will enjoy
Re: Canon 7D Mk ii- worth the upgrade?
Sorry cannot agree at all with the above. The 7dmk 2 is way ahead of the mk 1 and the 1d mk 2. I have just sold a 1D mk3 and will replace it with a 7d mk2. Simple thing is to read the reviews on DP review ; Northlight etc unlike most of us here they have used it.
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Re: Canon 7D Mk ii- worth the upgrade?
iGol66 wrote:Sorry for nudging in, but personally, I would look at a used 1D II or 1D IIn, fraction of the price, and if you get one used by an amateur photographer with a low shutter count (1D II's are easy to check shutter count - unlike 1D III and newer marks) then you will have a gem of a camera, with lots of money left over for upgrading lens. I've used a 1D IIn (it is old - but still amazing) for a very long time, and considered getting a 7D I, but after doing extensive research, I found that generally, IQ and AF and Al Servo AF tracking are better using the 1D IIn. I don't know how a 7D II performs, but I will expect if to be quite equal in terms of IQ and speed of AF and AF tracking to 1D II. Unless you images will be huge sized prints, I would strongly do some research about a 1D II, or even 1D III.
Just my opinion, after deciding to carry on using a 1D IIn instead of upgrading to a 7D.
If you decide to upgrade to the 7D II, then I agree with the previous poster, lens quality is more important, and so I would consider also doing some research on any lenses that would suit you, but it's up to you to enjoy your equipment and upgrade whatever you fancy and will enjoy
Again I can see the positives of upgrading to an older "1" series. However, there might things that the older camera might lack that maybe useful to the poster, sensor cleaning or video function. The full frame against the 1.6x crop of a 7DMkII arguments also need to be thought about. The OP has a 600D and is jumping 2 Canon steps, by that I mean he is going from a 600D missing out the 70D step and going for the 7D step. That should be a noticeable leap up the Canon body ladder.
It should be noted that "1" series bodies are aimed at the professional photographer and can be a handful. I know some photographers that got 1Ds and 1Dx bodies and just couldn't "handle" them. Did not feel happy setting them up, could not get the results and went back to the xD type camera (could have been a 5 or 6 or 7D) and were happier.
Remember that the OP is moving from a 600D and was not sure about the benefits of the 7D type body, a leap to "1" could be a bridge too far!
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Re: Canon 7D Mk ii- worth the upgrade?
I recently upgraded from a 550D to the 7D mark II, and am very happy with that decision.
Briefly the positives;
- RAW file quality (had to upgrade to Lightroom 5 which also helps I suspect)
- menu & control customisation / ergonomics & handling
- auto focus speed, accuracy & focus points options
- FPS & buffer
- crop factor (I'm used to it & prefer tele to wide in my usage)
Negatives;
- Weight (particularly with telephoto lenses)
- viewfinder exposure scale vertical positioning (new position vs 550D)
- menu complexity (Canon USA has some great 7D mark II tutorials online though)
- CF cards
- Battery life (much less than my 550D)
I also looked at the 5D mark III but couldn't justify the extra cost over the 7DmkII. In fact, I chose not to upgrade 6 months ago because I felt my 550D was more than adequate for my needs, and frankly I love that camera, and what I've achieved with it.
But 5 years is a long time in DSLR development, and the sheer capabilities offered by the 7D mark II, made this upgrade an easy decision for me.
Briefly the positives;
- RAW file quality (had to upgrade to Lightroom 5 which also helps I suspect)
- menu & control customisation / ergonomics & handling
- auto focus speed, accuracy & focus points options
- FPS & buffer
- crop factor (I'm used to it & prefer tele to wide in my usage)
Negatives;
- Weight (particularly with telephoto lenses)
- viewfinder exposure scale vertical positioning (new position vs 550D)
- menu complexity (Canon USA has some great 7D mark II tutorials online though)
- CF cards
- Battery life (much less than my 550D)
I also looked at the 5D mark III but couldn't justify the extra cost over the 7DmkII. In fact, I chose not to upgrade 6 months ago because I felt my 550D was more than adequate for my needs, and frankly I love that camera, and what I've achieved with it.
But 5 years is a long time in DSLR development, and the sheer capabilities offered by the 7D mark II, made this upgrade an easy decision for me.
Re: Canon 7D Mk ii- worth the upgrade?
Have just been researching the Canon 70D, do you think this would perhaps be a safer option to go to this from my 600D? I would use the new body for the flying aircraft , with the Sigma 150-500, which I only purchased last year, and the 600d will be used for the static shots with a smaller lens.
Thanks for all your replies, really appreciate the help! Currently on tour with the RAF so will be using some of the money I have been saving for this as a treat!
Thanks for all your replies, really appreciate the help! Currently on tour with the RAF so will be using some of the money I have been saving for this as a treat!
Re: Canon 7D Mk ii- worth the upgrade?
The 7d mk 2 has better AF. If you can afford it buy the best available for your main need - it will be out of date soon enough so why buy something that has already been superseded . Ignore those that worry about set up and over complications. Many people expect things to work straight out the box perfectly - you need to practice - a lot. Magic Lantern usually do a guide which explains features in simpler terms than the manual - it helps. Anyway once set you really don't need to keep going back to settings if you are shooting the same thing. Don't be safe - push yourself if you want pics like those you see from two or three of the best on this site.
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Re: Canon 7D Mk ii- worth the upgrade?
Personally I found the following website helpful in researching this hobby, but it is a matrix moment; there is no turning back!
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Revi ... rk-II.aspx
Good luck looking down the rabbit hole!
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Revi ... rk-II.aspx
Good luck looking down the rabbit hole!
Re: Canon 7D Mk ii- worth the upgrade?
Just a quick update, thank you all for the advice, I eventually decided to go for the Canon 70D, after much thought, I decided this would be the most suitable next step up! Looking forward to using it this summer at RIAT
Currently one happy airman!
Cheers,
Sam
Currently one happy airman!
Cheers,
Sam
Re: Canon 7D Mk ii- worth the upgrade?
Hi Maverick,
I'm also at that crossroads, with the money in my pocket ready for an upgrade...and I currently have a 600d as well.
Would be interested to hear your thoughts on the 70d over the 600d, as that is the model I am seriously considering.
Also, where did you get it from, and what kind of deal did you get?
Cheers
Dan
I'm also at that crossroads, with the money in my pocket ready for an upgrade...and I currently have a 600d as well.
Would be interested to hear your thoughts on the 70d over the 600d, as that is the model I am seriously considering.
Also, where did you get it from, and what kind of deal did you get?
Cheers
Dan