cputeq wrote:
I shoot the D300, I rented the 7D for a week.

It's a nice camera, for sure. It's not the Second Coming of Christ like all the fanboys make it out to be.

Canon finally has a camera that can compete with the D300, that's all.

A small bump ahead of it for sure, which is good for us Nikonians - hopefully this will step up their game for the D300x / D400 / Dwhatever.

P.S. - If you really want a true sealed crop camera, go Pentax.

"Canon finally has a camera that can compete with the D300..."

...and that's what's so exciting to me. I absolutely love my 7D because Canon finally put everything I wanted in my DSLR in the 7D. I think it's an incredible camera, simply awesome, but so is the D300/D300S. Prior to the 7D I was seriously contemplating purchasing a D300 because it had all of the features I wanted and to get the same in a Canon body, I was going to have to pay upwards of $4500 for a 1-series body and as much as I love the 30D (still a great camera), it doesn't match up to the D300. Now with the 7D Canon has provided those features and build-quality in a much more affordable body at a much more sane price. There will always be something more in the next body from either Canon or Nikon, but the D300 was a superb camera when it first came out and it's obviously still just as awesome, slightly more so with the D300S. With the 7D, now we Canon shooters can enjoy the same kind of superb camera that you D300 shooters have had for a while. I no longer lust after the D300 but if I were a D300 user I wouldn't switch either. I think that while the 7D has some advantages over the D300 the cameras are close enough in most respects to pretty much equal each other out with each one having its own strengths over the other.

racoll wrote:
cputeq wrote:
I shoot the D300, I rented the 7D for a week.

It's a nice camera, for sure. It's not the Second Coming of Christ like all the fanboys make it out to be.

Canon finally has a camera that can compete with the D300, that's all.

A small bump ahead of it for sure, which is good for us Nikonians - hopefully this will step up their game for the D300x / D400 / Dwhatever.

P.S. - If you really want a true sealed crop camera, go Pentax.

"Canon finally has a camera that can compete with the D300..."

...and that's what's so exciting to me. I absolutely love my 7D because Canon finally put everything I wanted in my DSLR in the 7D. I think it's an incredible camera, simply awesome, but so is the D300/D300S. Prior to the 7D I was seriously contemplating purchasing a D300 because it had all of the features I wanted and to get the same in a Canon body, I was going to have to pay upwards of $4500 for a 1-series body and as much as I love the 30D (still a great camera), it doesn't match up to the D300. Now with the 7D Canon has provided those features and build-quality in a much more affordable body at a much more sane price. There will always be something more in the next body from either Canon or Nikon, but the D300 was a superb camera when it first came out and it's obviously still just as awesome, slightly more so with the D300S. With the 7D, now we Canon shooters can enjoy the same kind of superb camera that you D300 shooters have had for a while. I no longer lust after the D300 but if I were a D300 user I wouldn't switch either. I think that while the 7D has some advantages over the D300 the cameras are close enough in most respects to pretty much equal each other out with each one having its own strengths over the other.



1dmk3's are 3600 new on aamzon and 23-2400 used on the buy and sell here, I'd have gone 1dmk3 myself.

The 1DIII is indeed a great camera but I get a lot of nice features in the 7D, some of which are in the 1DIII; 8-channel output with dual Digic processors, 19 cross-sensors, 8fps is more than enough even if not 10fps, highest frame rate at 14-bit full resolution, more (and easier) AF set-up options, improved Live-view, HD video, 18mp vs. 10mp, $600-$700 less in cost than the used ones. Also I like the fact that I can remove the vertical grip and reduce size and weight; I wish the 1-series DSLRs were like the film 1-series bodies in this respect. The 7D is all the camera I need, probably more camera than what I need, truth be told. Similarly a D300 would more than suffice for me, even as nice as the D3 is.

I took a deep dive into the specs of the 7D compared to the D300s. On the surface, it looks like a better camera, with more megapixels, much better video implementation and "nicer" noise characteristics (at least judging from the sample I have seen). But, Canon always have a few surprises in store, like:

- Metering mode is neither visible in the viewfinder nor adjusted with a physical switch, so if you forget which mode you're in, you have to remove your eye from the viewfinder and look at the top LCD.
- Spot metering area is center only, which often means meter then recompose for off-center portraits.

While I could probably live with the first, I'm sure the second one would drive me up the wall. It also reflects an attitude that I don't like. It's as if they are saying: "The 7D is a camera for professional use, except for the fact that we hold back a few features that will make you buy an 1D anyway."

Pentax K-7 on the other hand...

Jorgen Udvang said;
"It also reflects an attitude that I don't like. It's as if they are saying: "The 7D is a camera for professional use, except for the fact that we hold back a few features that will make you buy an 1D anyway."


That's kind of what I thought about the D300 initially upon learning that in order to shoot the maximum 8fps the resolution dropped significantly and it couldn't be done in 14-bit; am I stating this correctly? I don't know the D300 in depth so I might be missing some important details. Perhaps the D300S corrects this. Like I said, both cameras have certain advantages over each other. I'm extremely happy with the 7D but if I were a D300/300S user, I'd be pretty content as well. Whatever 'shortcomings' the D300/300S may have will be addressed in the D400, I'm sure. New camera releases are becoming something of a spectator sport; it's almost exciting to see what each company is going to do next.

racoll wrote:
That's kind of what I thought about the D300 initially upon learning that in order to shoot the maximum 8fps the resolution dropped significantly and it couldn't be done in 14-bit; am I stating this correctly?



Frame rate does drop in 14-bit, but this is a physical limitation of the way Nikon is doing 14-bit with the D300 sensor. In fact, I believe the D3x behaves in a similar fashion. There's virtually nothing in either the D300/s or D700 that is intentionally crippled. Criticize the implementation of 14-bit if you like, but it's not an intentional ploy to drive sales to the D3 or D700.

I have shot with the 30D, 40D, Mark III. I still have my CANON stuff (primes etc). However, I switched to NIKON and have shot with D700 and D300 for a little over a year. The Canon's don't come close to Nikon. Little to no noise with the Nikon. No AF problems. (I had 3 Mark III bodies - none worked for sports, wildlife that was in motion).
I recently checked out the 7D. Canon has already acknowledged a couple of problems - one which is the 'ghost image'.
I am really glad I switched to NIKON.

You can have your 7D. None of my superior lenses will mount on it. I'm talkin' 24-70/70-200/300 VR I've had all
the Canon L counterparts on their PRO bodies FF/1.3 crop and Nikon smokes 'em.

From what I have read on BPN Forums and Naturescapes the 7D focusing for the most part is not impressing bird shooters. Many have already returned them, the common complaint is that the focusing system picks up the backround instead of the bird. Maybe too many cross sensors can have a negative effect. The only shooters doing any good with them are using single point focusing. Wow what a handicap for BIF. Then again the MK3 was a failure, I had two, why should this one be better?
Why can't Canon make a camera that you can take out of the box and use instead of messing with the settings for a month only to find out you have to use single point focusing.

gene

I tell you in all hoensty, I ALMOST got tired of going with my old D300 bird shootin, the keeper rate was so great that I would be PP'ing for several days afterwards, but the 3D focusing was superb to get the egrets zooming in on a windstream. The D300 nailed the pic evey time.

D300, 70-300VR, getting crazy with some pics, hang on

I honestly cannot see how you can compare the 7D to a D700 or even a D300s, the noise on the 7D at higher iso is, imho disgusting, the brown's especially, they just smudge into each other,with massive loss in detail.No contest.Keep on packing those mp's in canon