Hi there-

I am a pro wedding and New York performing arts photographer photographer shooting 5Dii and up until recently the 40D. I went and purchased the 7D--- actually, I'm on my 3rd 7D. All front focus. ALL. I just want a camera that focuses correctly.

Now, I could go back to using the 40D for long stuff. But, can anyone convince to sell off everything and go Nikon or is it not worth the hassle? I'm thinking that I want a 700 and a 300. I do know that the new Nikkor 70-200 is on its way so I would want to get on that bandwagon. Any thoughts?

Thanks
Brian

I'd have to imagine you as having an extensive collection of Canon lenses, so it would have to be a major deal for you to switch. Being in NYC, if you are in fact in the area, there's no shortage of places to rent from, I'm sure, so maybe try out a D700+24-70 and see what you think of it.

Is the 5DII is working out?

There seems to be plenty of good working 7D's out there...mmmm bad luck 3 times sucks though. Maybe pick up a 50D?

d~

I myself too switched from Canon, and I only got a 2nd hand D200, but I am already impressed by the autofocus and metering of Nikon cameras.

If you think Canon AF is the disease, Nikon is the cure.

5Dii is working out alright. Focus hunts a bit when not in ideal situations. I have a handful of lenses that i'd have to sell but I am willing to do that.

That does stink, but doesn't the 7D have adjustable micro-focus that can be set separately for each lens? I've read in reviews that persistent back-focus/front-focus problems should "be a thing of the past" with this feature.

I'm saving up my pennies to upgrade from a 20D body now that I've finally got a good lens kit, so this is certainly disheartening to hear, though.

If the camera itself has a bad autofocus system, the adjustments won't help much.

The grass is ALWAYS greener

What lenses can I get for cheap from you

keep the 5D2 and get a 1Ds3 or another 5D2. I thought the 5D2 was a pro wedding photog dream machine.

get the new 70-200IS lens coming out real soon

Why did you need 3 cameras?

Buy something that has some kind of positive track record if you plan on using it professionally

If you go Nikon, you can get a lot of free advice and there may not be a lot of used pro gear available, it goes quickly...

Nikon has good to excellent AF in the lower range bodies, unlike Canon.

However, if you're a pro, I'd think that a 1 series would be reasonable. Despite some of the internet FUD, I find the 1Ds MK IIIs to have spot on AF. I have a 5D II and it is acceptable for static subjects but that's about it. Even my old 1Ds MK IIs are better except in very low light. The Canon cropped bodies have always been borderline at AF, and the 7D is pushing the limits of small pixels. I;m not even bothering with that body since the 1D IV is no near.

EBH

I always say if you can find someone with comparable (and desirable) gear wanting to go the opposite direction, it can be a win-win move. Otherwise I honestly think it's really expensive. Maybe try renting a D700 and give it a go for a while... it's a winner in every way. You will know after some solid seat time with that body whether you think the full swap is worth pursuing.

I went from Canon (40D, 50D, 5D II, 1Ds II, 1D III) to Nikon (D700 & D90) and am so glad I switched. The metering, flash, and AF does seem better with Nikon. The D700 is an amazing camera. Try it out!

Brian, the chances are that a switch is not worthwhile on the basis of a single camera model not working as expected. Try another first because there is a considerable expense in swapping and a learning curve too (everything works backwards ).

However, the Nikon flash system works very nicely with no effort and you might find a benefit from that for your wedding work depending on how you operate. I think that it is largely due to the 1005-segment metering system and Canon still has nothing like it. A D700 gives excellent dynamic range and AF system too.

- Alan

Maybe have a look at the 1D IV. Could be cheaper than switching.

Also, if it's front focusing, just take it in to get calibrated. I won't get into the 'they-should-already-be-calibrated' discussion. It is what it is, but the 7D is actually quite a good camera. Hopefully it'll work out for you.

Cheers
Nik

Canon will tell you to send in body and all front focusing lens for calibration. Went through this with Canon a few times myself. It gets played after a while. However of the half dozen Nikon bodies Ive owned, this situation never happened.

I took a 7D body to Canon-- came back better but not fixed.

I'd love a 1D 4 but at $5000 that ain't happening quite yet.

The 7D focus problems are not consistent. Seems like longer focal lengths give it more trouble than shorter ones.


I forgot to mention flash issues in general. I feel like the 580ex II is like a toddler. So finiky. Metering all over the place.

JUST DO IT AND DONT LOOK BACK! ANOTHER BRIGHT SIDE IS NX2 IS WONDERFUL SOFTWARE. GO FOR IT! RELIABILITY AND GETTING THE SHOT IS WHAT ITS ALL ABOUT. YOU WILL NOT REGRET A PAIR OF D700'S 24-7-, 14-4, AND THE NEW 70-200 VR. THROW IN THE WONDERFUL 50 1.4G LENS AND CONSIDER IT DONE!

ANYTIME A NIKON USER READS A THREAD LIKE THIS THEY DISMIS THOUGHTS OF RETURNING BACK TO "THE DARK SIDE". GOOD LUCK

luminosity wrote:
I'd have to imagine you as having an extensive collection of Canon lenses, so it would have to be a major deal for you to switch. Being in NYC, if you are in fact in the area, there's no shortage of places to rent from, I'm sure, so maybe try out a D700+24-70 and see what you think of it.

Its not that big of a deal to switch due to a lens collection. Used lenses hold their value very well, especially with the price rises of new lenses lately. I'm really worried about Canon, I have to wonder just what is going on over there.

Oh, I didn't mean to imply that he'd lose a lot of money over the glass. Rather, that it's still a bit of a hassle to do a major selloff and then buy new lenses. You're out of action for at least a short time.

I'll tell you. If you can stand the hassle of switching, a D700 is really hard to beat. I own and use a D300 and D700, and I really couldn't be happier with that combination since I retired my F3HP bodies a number of years ago. Since I got into this in 1959, there have been times I've either felt neutral or absolutely loved my gear. I'm in the "in love" situation right now with those two bodies and most of my glass.

The first time was in the early 1960s with a Pentax H3 and a new Spotmatic. I switched to Nikon in 1968 but it wasn't until the early 1980s and a pair of F3HPs that I felt a love for my gear. Now with the D300 and D700, it's back again. I just know that these two cameras and quality Nikon glass won't let me down. I think confidence in my gear plays a role in producing better images. I will not consider changing or upgrading unless to a D3x or equivalent in the future.

If you take a look at DXO Lab's raw sensor ratings, and comparing against others, it would back up how I feel about the output of these two camera bodies.

http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/eng/DxOMark-Sensor/Camera-rankings

As a working professional that you are I would probably suggest renting the equipment first before you completely switch systems.

That being said, I have been down the similar road with Canon and can say that its gets rather tiring of worrying about whether your equipment is performing properly rather than getting the shot. I am happy with the switch.

Incidentally, those rankings help show the D3x as the bargain that it is if you want medium format type quality without having to pay for it. It just barely trails the Phase One in its sensor ranking, despite being about $30,000 cheaper.

luminosity wrote:
Incidentally, those rankings help show the D3x as the bargain that it is if you want medium format type quality without having to pay for it. It just barely trails the Phase One in its sensor ranking, despite being about $30,00 cheaper.

And, the D3x beats all the other Phase One models as well as the Leafs and Hassleblads. For starting out with the Sony made silicone, Nikon did an amazing job with the rest of that sensor like the electonics and microlenses. Not using my EE degree since the early 1970s, I have zero knowledge on how Nikon did it, but it seems they did.