Travel Photography - Canon 7D advice

I have had a Canon Rebel XTI (which I think is aka the Rebel 400D) for about 5 years now. I've been wanting to upgrade for a while. My last big upgrade was new lenses: I went from the 17-85mm EF-S lens to the 24-105 f/4L and also got the 50mm f/1.4, 10-22mm, and one of the less-good telephoto zooms.

I want a new camera body, and I've pretty much settled on the 7D so I can keep using my beloved wide angle 10-22 (which is EF-S). Plus, while I like the idea of full frame sensor, I'm not convinced it would make much of a difference for me. I mainly shoot vacation photos, and sometimes walking-about-town photos.

My mom the other day asked what the 7D could do that my current camera can't. I think the answer for me lies in better high-ISO performance and a faster AF system for action shots. But I realized I have no great answer that can justify the price, aside from wanting a new gadget. I would probably shoot some video, but limited, and certainly not enough for it to be a factor. When I want video, I'll probably just use my phone.

Those of you with the 7D (or its equivalents): what were deciding factors in the purchase?

Honestly, I'd upgrade your glass before getting the 7D.

BUT, the extra autofocus points, can shoot at a faster fps, and can shoot at a higher ISO are all good reasons to move up.

That being said, it's still not full-frame. If it were me, I'd get better glass then go for the 5D after I was happy with my glass.

XTi/400D was my first dSLR. I upgraded to the 40D and then the 7D when that came out.

The 7D is all about speed. Of course, compared to the XTi, it has much better AF - more points, faster and higher accuracy. And much higher frame rate. But it's also about ergonomics and control. With the extra joystick, you can manually control the auto-focus point extremely quickly. And the quick dial on back to do exposure compensation (or whatever fits you).

But also the 3 customs exposure mode, which is very very useful. For example, I set up one for outdoor, low ISO for scenery. Second one for interior with high ISO. Third for action shot with high ISO, continuous shooting, AI Servo AF.

I take most pictures when traveling, and the 7D allowed me to get much more useable shots than my previous dSLRs, without slowing me down at all. Outside bright sunshine, walk into a dark church, or something happening around me. Immediately, I can shoot at the best or near best shooting modes.

Now, ask yourself if you need those. Besides the cost, it's also a much heavier camera than the Rebel/x00 series. And with its extensive customized settings, it takes some time to set it up for your preferences. If you want something similar in size and control to what you have, the T3i/600D is really an awesome camera. The picture quality and low light performance is basically the same as the 7D, which is a significant improvement over the XTi/400D.

Thanks for the perspectives.

I'm puzzled at the suggestion of upgrading lenses. The only one I'd want to upgrade is the telephoto, and frankly I don't use it enough to really care. I'm quite happy with the 24-105 f/4L as a walkaround lens, and the 50mm f/1.4 is a great prime.

The idea of the T3i is intriguing...though part of the reason for the 7D is the bigger size, which feels better in my hand. I'm not worried about weight.

I'm glad you mention speed: this is one of the issues I have with the xTi. I've missed many photos because I couldn't adjust settings and focus in time.

So I had (still have, Mrs GHF uses it) one of the original Digital Rebels (300D). I went to the 7D a couple of years ago and never looked back.

The 7D is faster, the sensor is better, it is controllable through Windows 7 (the Rebel uses an older communications format that won't work with Win 7 and the workaround - PTP - won't handle raw files or really control the camera), better programmability, better focus points, and the ability to store both JPG and Raw files when shot. The 7D will do video but it's not all that practical - I use it when I don't want to bring a HD video camera. I also use flash slaving (don't recall that the Rebel will do that). There's more....

I don't know how much of that the XTi will do.

The communications format is a big deal for me. We just moved my wife to a Win 7/64 machine & it is more complex to download photos (on XP, the Canon software recognized the camera and downloaded automatically.... on 7, you can use PTP by resetting the camera & download through Microsoft's interface or you can use a card reader and copy).

The 24-105L seems long to me as a walkaround lens, but if that's been working for you (along with the 10-22), then I guess it's not an issue. [I bought the 17-55/2.8 soon after I got my XTi/400D. Two bodies and 5+ years later, it's still the lens that attach to my main body most of the time.]

The 50/1.4 is fine as is, though I love the 35L/1.4 more. [Yes, I know it costs a lot more.]

Anyways, if you only need the bigger size, but not all the controls and speed of the 7D, then the 60D may be just right for you. Seriously, it offers little more than the T3i/600D, other than size.

The 24-105L seems long to me as a walkaround lens, but if that's been working for you (along with the 10-22), then I guess it's not an issue. [I bought the 17-55/2.8 soon after I got my XTi/400D. Two bodies and 5+ years later, it's still the lens that attach to my main body most of the time.]

The 50/1.4 is fine as is, though I love the 35L/1.4 more. [Yes, I know it costs a lot more.]

Anyways, if you only need the bigger size, but not all the controls and speed of the 7D, then the 60D may be just right for you. Seriously, it offers little more than the T3i/600D, other than size.

I guess I'm just used to the 24-105.

My only beef with the 50mm is that it's a bit too telephoto for what I like using it for, but I suppose that's more a reflection of the APS sensor than the lens.

I'll check out the 60D as well...but knowing me, I'll wind up with the 7D anyway. :)

I have had a Canon Rebel XTI (which I think is aka the Rebel 400D) for about 5 years now. I've been wanting to upgrade for a while. My last big upgrade was new lenses: I went from the 17-85mm EF-S lens to the 24-105 f/4L and also got the 50mm f/1.4, 10-22mm, and one of the less-good telephoto zooms.

I want a new camera body, and I've pretty much settled on the 7D so I can keep using my beloved wide angle 10-22 (which is EF-S). Plus, while I like the idea of full frame sensor, I'm not convinced it would make much of a difference for me. I mainly shoot vacation photos, and sometimes walking-about-town photos.

My mom the other day asked what the 7D could do that my current camera can't. I think the answer for me lies in better high-ISO performance and a faster AF system for action shots. But I realized I have no great answer that can justify the price, aside from wanting a new gadget. I would probably shoot some video, but limited, and certainly not enough for it to be a factor. When I want video, I'll probably just use my phone.

Those of you with the 7D (or its equivalents): what were deciding factors in the purchase?

I made a somewhat similar leap three years ago on the Nikon side: I went from a D70 to a D300 (the jump in technologies was probably even greater in my case). It was worth every penny. For me, the most significant improments were the vastly improved autofocus system, a far better LCD, a better viewfinder, much faster operation, a more solid and weatherproofed body, improved battery life, better color rendering, vastly superior ISO range. And, yes, the leap in resolution from 6MP to 12 MP did not hurt either.

If you like your cameras on the large side, also consider a vertical grip. I have one on my D300 and I never, ever take it off. It makes the camera more solid and stable and gives a whole new dimension to vertical shooting, plus it gives even more battery life.

Cheers,
T.

Those of you with the 7D (or its equivalents): what were deciding factors in the purchase?

It's new and cool!!! Isn't that all we need to buy new toys...

To be honest, unless you're cropping quite a bit and printing large format, it's hard to objectively justify most body upgrades unless you make a living with it. Normal vacation photos rarely need 7fps, ISO6400+, remote flash trigger, magnesium body, etc., etc. Frankly, I could probably still be shooting with my 10D, certainly my 40D, and get most of what I need for what I shoot/display (18x12 usually). Yes, the 10D would be frustratingly slow, and I use the AF options on the 7D periodically, but a logical justification for the additional cost would be a challenge.

But hobbies don't have to be logical. (Moms sometimes don't get that - they also drive around in nice practical cars, buy sensible clothes, cook at home, etc - where's the fun in that)

Regarding lenses - I'm no cheapskate when it comes to photo gear and probably have 8 or 9 lenses. And the 10-22 and 24-105 have a permanent place in my bag, along with the 70-200/2.8 or 100-400, depending on what I'm going to shoot. If I were starting over, the 17-55/2.8 may fit in there, but I wouldn't think at all about replacing what you already have.

(I'll second the recommendation on a grip, and I think everyone should have a card reader for transferring files. Just sooooo much easier.)

Thanks...I'm coping with the fact that 65% of the purchase desire is due to "oooh! new toy!".

I have a card reader, and don't think I've ever plugged my camera into my computer. I wish Canon would switch to SD cards in their prosumer cameras...my laptop has a built in SD card reader that I never use. :(

I am nothing to state else that i am going to buy it simply i am crazy of it:)
:rolleyes:

I'm puzzled at the suggestion of upgrading lenses. The only one I'd want to upgrade is the telephoto, and frankly I don't use it enough to really care. I'm quite happy with the 24-105 f/4L as a walkaround lens, and the 50mm f/1.4 is a great prime.

In that case, if you have no plans to upgrade your glass or get other glass, then only drawback I have for you is that it is still a crop sensor.

Thanks...I'm coping with the fact that 65% of the purchase desire is due to "oooh! new toy!".

I have a card reader, and don't think I've ever plugged my camera into my computer. I wish Canon would switch to SD cards in their prosumer cameras...my laptop has a built in SD card reader that I never use. :(

I think some of the new Canon bodies have switched to SD cards (5D2 had both CF and SD slots, IIRC). I look every so often as I would like to update the Rebel XT (350D) to a newer version. ;)

Like everyone else, upgrade your glass first, then when money permits go with a new body. You are only as good as your best glass.

Yes, but the OP already has good glass and an ancient body.

Yes, but the OP already has good glass and an ancient body.

Indeed. While the "invest in glass, not bodies" philosophy is valid as such, a vastly underpowered and underspecced body becomes a limitation sooner or later. I'd posit that a 450D is such a limitation and a body upgrade makes perfect sense.

Cheers,
T.

Indeed. While the "invest in glass, not bodies" philosophy is valid as such, a vastly underpowered and underspecced body becomes a limitation sooner or later. I'd posit that a 450D is such a limitation and a body upgrade makes perfect sense.

Cheers,
T.

Agree.

Indeed. While the "invest in glass, not bodies" philosophy is valid as such, a vastly underpowered and underspecced body becomes a limitation sooner or later. I'd posit that a 450D is such a limitation and a body upgrade makes perfect sense.

Cheers,
T.

With you on that ... The glass that rkkwan has is perfectly viable all the way up to a 5D-MkIII. He's already done the "upgrade glass, ignore body" thing for too long. :)

I bought a 7D and never looked back. Things like 7fps et al. are all unimportant.... until they are. I find the high FPS to be useful for things like kid's sports, etc. I'd rate it as "invaluable" to get THE shot.

I also use the 24-105L as a walk around lens - it's a beautiful thing. Wish it were a bit faster, but the lens itself is sharp as a tack.

I'm glad you mention speed: this is one of the issues I have with the xTi. I've missed many photos because I couldn't adjust settings and focus in time.

Unless you do a LOT of wildlife/sports photography, you'd do just as well going for a 60D (or a used/refurb 50D). The xxD cameras have a huge number of features over and above the XTi which will help you with being able to "get the shot" and get set up that much quicker - rear control dial, top LCD screen, etc and they also have much better autofocus. The 60D has exactly the same sensor as the 7D so you won't lose anything there - plus it has an articulating screen which the 7D doesn't.

Personally I have the 7D but the reason I got it over a 50D was that it can shoot at 8fps and has significantly better autofocus than the xxD cameras and the 5D2. I shoot a lot of wildlife and probably in an ideal world would have opted for a 1D4 but I really couldn't justify the expense - I would rather spend the extra money on travelling somewhere interesting to go and take photos!

Some people LOVE the C1/C2/C3 dial positions which could help you with your issue above but personally I don't really find them that useful (as often if I suddenly want to switch shooting style I'll more often than not also want a different lens).

What most of the above posters said: You have excellent glass; definitely upgrade the body! The ISO performance on the XTi vs. the T2i, 60D, or 7D is atrocious. Furthermore, the low quality of the LCD makes so you can't even tell if you totally missed the focus or not! The XTi was my first DSLR and I recently pulled it out to give away to a friend who was getting into photography and I was horrified as I used it a few times--I had forgotten how big a change the 7D was! You will not regret upgrading. However, I think the T2i or 60D might serve your needs as well. I have a T2i as my second camera and I take it on short trips since it's so much smaller. The T2i has the exact same sensor as the 7D, so the quality is the same. The place that it lags is in fps, focus speed, quick-access controls, and video (you can't do manual video exposure). For most quick trips, this isn't an issue for me. However, I always like having the 7D for longer trips, especially if I need to take in any quick action (stuff like tribal dances or lions roaring or birds flying) or low-light focusing.

Side note. I have 2 f4L lenses now (17-40 and 24 -105). After shooting the Enterprise departure from IAD on Friday, I decided I need a longer lens. The pix with the 105 are great, but needed a little photoshop enlargement to get them to fill the frame the way I wanted. The 2x digital enlargement came with the expected loss of sharpness. While it's sharp enough for most, it if hard to read the word Enterprise on the shuttle. So it looks like a 70-200 4L is in my near future.... Great shots, but they could be a bit better.

Side note. I have 2 f4L lenses now (17-40 and 24 -105). After shooting the Enterprise departure from IAD on Friday, I decided I need a longer lens. The pix with the 105 are great, but needed a little photoshop enlargement to get them to fill the frame the way I wanted. The 2x digital enlargement came with the expected loss of sharpness. While it's sharp enough for most, it if hard to read the word Enterprise on the shuttle. So it looks like a 70-200 4L is in my near future.... Great shots, but they could be a bit better.

If you have the 24-105, you might consider picking up the 100-400 instead of the 70-200.

I was also debating which model to upgrade to. I had a T1i and after all was said and done, didn't see much point in going to the T3i, since to me, the differences were negligible. I went to the 7D and though it's probably a tad above my needs, I'm really happy with the magnesium body, AF system and the increase in fps since I've started to shoot some sports.

If you have the 24-105, you might consider picking up the 100-400 instead of the 70-200.

That's a possibility, too. I'm still in the early stages of looking. It does have to be priced right, sized appropriately for travel, and have IS. Thanks for the suggestion.... I'd glanced at that lens but paid less attention to it.

That's a possibility, too. I'm still in the early stages of looking. It does have to be priced right, sized appropriately for travel, and have IS. Thanks for the suggestion.... I'd glanced at that lens but paid less attention to it.

Do I understand correctly that the 70-200 is better "sealed" against air, moisture and dust intrusion than the 100-400? If so, that will push me to the 200 for now.

Do I understand correctly that the 70-200 is better "sealed" against air, moisture and dust intrusion than the 100-400? If so, that will push me to the 200 for now.


Yeah if you get the more recent 70-200L's (2.8 IS mk2 / f4 IS) they are very (weather) robust and offer the latest IS. That said I also have a fairly new 100-400L and it has the seals in the right places, no evidence of the (reported) dust pump syndrome, is tack sharp weighing in similar to the 2.8mk11 70-200L.

FWIW I think the f4 IS 70-200L is a great travel lens weighing 760g - approx half that of the 100-400 and 2.8mkii 70-200L. Like most I weigh up my needs, lens options and pack accordingly.

Obviously on the 7d crop these lenses offer extra reach which again is a factor for me as I also use FF cameras.

best of luck with whichever of these quality optics you choose

Yeah if you get the more recent 70-200L's (2.8 IS mk2 / f4 IS) they are very (weather) robust and offer the latest IS. That said I also have a fairly new 100-400L and it has the seals in the right places, no evidence of the (reported) dust pump syndrome, is tack sharp weighing in similar to the 2.8mk11 70-200L.

FWIW I think the f4 IS 70-200L is a great travel lens weighing 760g - approx half that of the 100-400 and 2.8mkii 70-200L. Like most I weigh up my needs, lens options and pack accordingly.

Obviously on the 7d crop these lenses offer extra reach which again is a factor for me as I also use FF cameras.

best of luck with whichever of these quality optics you choose

I'm pretty much onboard for the 70-200 f/4L. Went to the local camera shop today (we still have a local/independent that's good) & had a conversation about the lenses. He had all 3 in-stock. He hasn't seen any returns of any of the three & commented that he was not aware of any issue with the dust-pump reports.

Pricing matches Adorama & the other online shops but I'd have to pay sales tax. Hoya HD filters are nearly twice the online price. I'm not so concerned about the tax - buying local helps keep the local shop in business. Might order the Hoya filter as 2x is a bit above reasonable markup.

He sold the used one a couple of days ago (boo.... I would have bought on the spot), so I decided to do a little more thinking before dropping the cash. Almost went the eBay route since a couple of folks are selling with filters/tripod rings but the discount is not enough to make up for the risk.

The first travel outing for the camera will be at the beach... size and weight are important as I do use them a lot for travel. The crop sensor in the 7D effectively lengthens the lens... but I will also use it on an EOS-3 film body. I'm really happy with the other 2 pieces of L glass I have and I expect to be happy with this.

Unless you get a good deal on 7D, you should wait for the new 7D Mark II, which will be like the same price as the current 7D.

Four days ago Adorama had the 7D body on sale for 1,200 :(

When is this 7DII being released?

If the 7D is available for $1200, and you think a 7DII will be the same price, you expect to be able to get the mythical 7DII for $1200?



IMHO, a 7D for $1200 is a great deal, even if a 7DII was released tomorrow.

When is this 7DII being released?

If the 7D is available for $1200, and you think a 7DII will be the same price, you expect to be able to get the mythical 7DII for $1200?



IMHO, a 7D for $1200 is a great deal, even if a 7DII was released tomorrow.

The only 7D body I saw at Adorama that was in the $1200 range was a refurb. I have no philosophical issues with factory refurbs - especially lenses - but the new bodies are more money.

All I can find about a possible 7DII is rumors that it will be announced this fall. Granted that Canon did put out the 5DIII recently but that's a different animal.

When is this 7DII being released?

If the 7D is available for $1200, and you think a 7DII will be the same price, you expect to be able to get the mythical 7DII for $1200?



IMHO, a 7D for $1200 is a great deal, even if a 7DII was released tomorrow.

Canon will release the new 7DII not later than December (probably Aug/Sept). The 7D body is available for 1,550 and the kit for 1,750, the new 7DII will be available for 1,700 (body), that's why I said "Unless you get a good deal on 7D, you should wait for the new 7D Mark II".

I saw a good deal few days ago (4/29), but it did not last to long...

I went from a Canon 300 (the first digital Rebel) to a 7D when it came out, and for me the Frames per second, better autofocus, and better ISO range were key. Of course, I was on an even older/inferior body to yours, but it did make a huge difference in shots I was able to get.

Bob

I have had a Canon Rebel XTI (which I think is aka the Rebel 400D) for about 5 years now.
<...>
My mom the other day asked what the 7D could do that my current camera can't. I think the answer for me lies in better high-ISO performance and a faster AF system for action shots. But I realized I have no great answer that can justify the price, aside from wanting a new gadget. I would probably shoot some video, but limited, and certainly not enough for it to be a factor. When I want video, I'll probably just use my phone.

Looks like it has already been suggested, but have you considered the T3i? Offers a lot of what the 7D does (MUCH better high-ISO performance, higher-megapixels, video, better screen, faster AF, better metering, auto-ISO mode for casual user, live view for macro/portrait use, better burst capacity, newer generation image processor) although not the huge number of AF points or the better durability or the very fast frame rate... at a cost about 1/2 of the 7D ($619 on Amazon today. (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004M170YC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=cubiclehermit-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004M170YC))

I just upgraded from an XTi to a T3i; wish I'd done it sooner. I'd love a 7D, but honestly, between a T3i and $700 to spend on new lenses (if and when) or a sooner upgrade, vs. a 7D at the higher price, and it was a no-brainer.

That plus the 15-85mm is a sweet combination, even if the 15-85 is a little too heavy (compared to the older 17-85.)

I'd posit that a 450D is such a limitation and a body upgrade makes perfect sense.

XTi is 400D, so even older :D (450D is XSi in the US)