Canon 7D recommendations

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Archive 2011 · Canon 7D recommendations

WAYCOOL
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p.2 #1 · Canon 7D recommendations

"Z"Band is from So. Cal.
http://thezband.net/Zvid2.htm

Dec 24, 2011 at 07:15 PM

Jimna
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p.2 #2 · Canon 7D recommendations

....here is a few of mine that I have sold the most

Dec 24, 2011 at 07:15 PM

Samantha
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p.2 #3 · Canon 7D recommendations

I use a 7d for concerts pretty frequently. Though I do think the 5dII is better for noise, I also think the focus of the 7d is superior. Like anything, there are tradeoffs, and you have to decide what features are most critical for your use. Also, if you're ever stuck shooting a concert from the soundboard, the 7d's 1.6 crop factor is a major benefit. I have a site with concert photos (www.concertnashville.com) and almost all shots were with the 7d. Some shots and shows are better than others, but it might give you an idea of what to expect from the 7d.

Dec 25, 2011 at 02:58 AM

Jimna
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p.2 #4 · Canon 7D recommendations

Great photos, what a great music town to work! Thanks for the link!

What glass do you use for most of these?

Dec 25, 2011 at 03:29 AM

Samantha
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p.2 #5 · Canon 7D recommendations

no problem. hope it's helpful. Thank you! I really love it here! It's a great town for music.

Also, I would highly recommend getting a 70-200 as soon as you can afford to. I bought an older model used Sigma 70-200, and though it's not quite as good as the Canon, if you're on a budget, it's much more affordable. I've taken some great shots that I couldn't have gotten otherwise.

Dec 25, 2011 at 03:47 AM

Jimna
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p.2 #6 · Canon 7D recommendations

Wow, all these helpful ideas have me more unsure of what to do than when I started! I have now decided to expand my possibilities to include the 5DMII (used), and also have been looking at the Nikon line too. I think if the 5DMII had a better AF system I would be done looking, but its inadequacies lead me back to the 7D, which seems like I would be settling with that choice too.... The biggest hurdle for me with the Nikon line is the price tag, and lack of used gear to meet the equal Canon acquisition for the $$.....yet it seems like te Nikon does have the low light ability in AF and ISO that I want, but moving to Nikon would force me to have a big whole in my focal length coverage that maybe more than I can deal with in the immediate future. The D300s does seem to have a lot of the advantages the 7D offers without some of the complaints mentioned here about noise in the 7D seems to have....it too a crop sensor....UUUUUUUGGGGGGGGG!!!!!! How after all this research and investigating am I less sure of what to do than when I started?

I am so hopelessly confused on what to do. Too be more open about my sitiation, I am looking at a budget of $3500-$4K to make this move BTW, but need to include glass too in that money. (I have no issue buying used.)

Dec 30, 2011 at 10:05 PM

kewlcanon
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p.2 #7 · Canon 7D recommendations

From your experience shooting concerts how do you rate 7D outer AF points ?. I know they're cross type, maybe compare it with 5D II outer AF points.

Samantha wrote:
I use a 7d for concerts pretty frequently. Though I do think the 5dII is better for noise, I also think the focus of the 7d is superior. Like anything, there are tradeoffs, and you have to decide what features are most critical for your use. Also, if you're ever stuck shooting a concert from the soundboard, the 7d's 1.6 crop factor is a major benefit. I have a site with concert photos (www.concertnashville.com) and almost all shots were with the 7d. Some shots and shows are better than others, but it might give you an idea of what to expect from the 7d.

Dec 30, 2011 at 10:50 PM

Jimna
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p.2 #8 · Canon 7D recommendations

Im not sure I understand your question exactly?

Dec 31, 2011 at 05:16 AM

Pixel Perfect
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p.2 #9 · Canon 7D recommendations

InternetJunky wrote:
Given your main choice of subject matter I would say high ISO performance is your #1 factor, so it's either a 5DII or D7000. I love my 7D, but I do not love the noise at higher ISOs.

The only trouble with this advice is the D7000 is not superior for noise to the 7D, let alone 5D II. I've processed ISO 3200/6400 files from D7000 and 7D and they are very close even at the pixel level, with the D7000 a tiny bit better. Resized to D7000 size, 7D files is basically the same, which given the 7D's higher pixel density and older sensor is quite an achievement.

Dec 31, 2011 at 11:42 AM

palmor
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p.2 #10 · Canon 7D recommendations

Before you decide and buy a camera why don't you rent a 7d or 5dII for a couple of shoots and see how they well they work.

I don't shoot concerts but I do shoot indoor events at ISO6400 on a 7d and 1DIII and noise is not an issue with either camera. Careful exposure (not matter what camera you choose) and learning how to use noise reduction in post processing will have huge benefits.

John

Dec 31, 2011 at 01:56 PM

Samantha
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p.2 #11 · Canon 7D recommendations

kewlcanon wrote:
From your experience shooting concerts how do you rate 7D outer AF points ?. I know they're cross type, maybe compare it with 5D II outer AF points.

I've never used the the 5d II, so can't really make a comparison with it. When I've used the outer points on previous models (30d, 40d, 50d), it just wasn't reliable, so I relied mostly on center point AF. But with the 7d I'm now able to use the outer points all of the time and still get reliable focusing. I seldomly use center point AF anymore.

Jan 03, 2012 at 05:53 PM

Jimna
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p.2 #12 · Canon 7D recommendations

Samantha, do you do much small club shooting? I do and am afraid the low light of the small venues will make the high ISO more important than having to deal with relying on center point AF(I am currently using all center point AF and am used to it unfortunately). I certainly see the value in the superior AF in the 7D, but am not sure its the single most important issue. I can compensate for shooting with center point AF, I cant compensate for poor performance at ISO 6400. In my research I have found a few 7D examples with high noise at 3200, so I am skeptical.

I do shot in the big venues here like Red Rocks and Pepsi Center, but I find them to sometimes be the easiest due to the superior lighting they provide.

I am seriously considering the 5DMII over the 7D, based first on the ISO performance and second the allure of a FF body. Anyone care to convince me one way or the other?

Jan 03, 2012 at 06:30 PM

Samantha
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p.2 #13 · Canon 7D recommendations

I do shoot in small clubs occasionally. In my opinion, for that type of situation, the 5DMII would do better. I have a friend that shoots concerts with both a 7d and a 5dmii, and she still uses the 5dmii a majority of the time. I've seen alot of shots from both cameras, and to me the high iso full frame shots just look better.

Jan 03, 2012 at 08:04 PM

Hrow
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p.2 #14 · Canon 7D recommendations

Having just compared my shooting partner's 7D images to my 1DsMkIII images of a horribly lit dance event (both my cameras), if I was in your situation and was shooting low light on a regular basis I would seriously consider a Nikon D700. In fact, if I get a lot more of these jobs I probably will as an add-on to my Canon gear. Here's why...

1. 12 MP is more than enough for virtually any conceivable use for these photos. (This is not a general statement - merely specific to this market as relates to me.)

2. The focus of the 5D MkII makes it non-starter for me as does the slow FPS, and most importantly, the buffering speed. This is an often overlooked consideration that is ignored at your own peril when shooting fast moving subjects.

3. The 7D is usable at 1600 but not what I would call great. Same for 3200 only less so. I have seen stuff out of the D700 at 6400 that blows me away - noisewise. That's not going happen with a 7D.

Jan 03, 2012 at 08:21 PM

saneproduction
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p.2 #15 · Canon 7D recommendations

This thread I started my be helpful comparing cameras at high ISO. Some nice comparison shots with 5DII and 7D.
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1066170/0

It sounds to me like we do very similar stuff, so I hope my advice will be helpful. I shoot the 5DII for this type of event (concerts, comedy shows) and I routinely use ISO 1600 and 3200. I have also used the 7D as a second body (also owned a 60D before I went to 5DII) and it 1-1.5 stops more noisy at ISO 3200 than the 5DII. I found that I needed to max out the 7D ISO around 1600 to get comparable files to the 5DII at ISO3200. In these types of venues the light is fairly low and the shutter speeds need to stay at around 1/125 or higher to get sharp shots. I use primes to shoot these events as I need the 1+ stop advantage over the 2.8 zooms. I have taken a 70-200 2.8 IS with me and used it some, but by far my most used lens is the 135 F2L (I can shoot 1 stop ISO lower with this lens and I get better seperation from the BG due to DOF). I also shoot a fast 50 and sometimes 24, 35 and 85. I just got a 200 1.8L for this same purpose (that is another whole discussion as Canon no longer repairs this lens), that should give you an idea about how serious I am about needed the stop.

Anyway, if you need low light, the 5DII is te way to go and the 135 F2L and possibly the 85 F1.8.

I don't have any issue with AF using the center AF point on my 5DII with focus and re-compose. I also got the EG-S super precision matte focusing screen which helps me see the focus as well. The viewfinder in the 5DII is also much better.

If you do go for a 70-200 because the venues you are working have more light than mine, consider the canon 70-200 2.8 non IS. It is very sharp and IS is limited in it's usefulness for this type of shooting. You can sometimes get a stop back if you are shooting at 200mm, but that is about the max usefulness unless they are still or you are going for motion blur shots with crisp BGs.

If you want perfect AF and low light, you will have to go for a 1D3s or 1d4. I don't have either, but I hope to get a 1 series body someday. I have been buying glass while I wait for the next gen 1 series to come out (and the current 1 series bodies to drop in used price).

Jan 03, 2012 at 08:51 PM

vchowdhary
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p.2 #16 · Canon 7D recommendations

Really not a big fan of the 7d
have owned three copies and while they worked great I much prefer the files from the 1d Mark iii or 5d Mark ii

Jan 03, 2012 at 09:10 PM

Jimna
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p.2 #17 · Canon 7D recommendations

saneproduction, great post and advice!

Samantha, ditto I appreciate the honesty.

as far as moving to Nikon, I have given this serious thought and research and have ruled it out. I need to be able to put together a functional kit within my budget and there is no way I can with the prices of Nikon glass, and that is a deal breaker in my situation.

Your all helping me very much, thank you all.

Jan 04, 2012 at 12:11 AM

3catsinky
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p.2 #18 · Canon 7D recommendations

how about a 1ds2, or perhaps a 1dIII? Me thinks if you are upping your budget, don't rule out a 1 series body. The MKIII is a dream to shoot with.

Jan 04, 2012 at 12:59 AM

Jimna
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p.2 #19 · Canon 7D recommendations

I am upping my budget by $700 for the 5DMII, how much more is the 1DII or III used? After reading the thread saneproduction linked too(great thread BTW) I just dont see the benefits of the 1D bodies over 5DMII?

Jan 04, 2012 at 01:07 AM

Andrew J
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p.2 #20 · Canon 7D recommendations

Hrow wrote:
Having just compared my shooting partner's 7D images to my 1DsMkIII images of a horribly lit dance event (both my cameras), if I was in your situation and was shooting low light on a regular basis I would seriously consider a Nikon D700. In fact, if I get a lot more of these jobs I probably will as an add-on to my Canon gear. Here's why...

1. 12 MP is more than enough for virtually any conceivable use for these photos. (This is not a general statement - merely specific to this market as relates to me.)

2. The focus of the 5D MkII makes it non-starter for me as does the slow FPS, and most importantly, the buffering speed. This is an often overlooked consideration that is ignored at your own peril when shooting fast moving subjects.

3. The 7D is usable at 1600 but not what I would call great. Same for 3200 only less so. I have seen stuff out of the D700 at 6400 that blows me away - noisewise. That's not going happen with a 7D.

Under his type of shooting then medium RAW should be fine. Shooting that on the 7D he gets 10MP and about a stop better noise. Lightroom should take care of the rest.

Jan 04, 2012 at 01:47 AM

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