p.2 #1 · Like to upgrade from 40D. Need advice please.
RobDickinson wrote:
I'm not saying the 5d2 is a bad camera, its not, it has some great advantages and will seem like (mostly) an upgrade from a 40d. Its just the 7D or something else ( 650d and a flash, a 24L , whatever) could be a more appropriate upgrade.
I should have mentioned that I also have a 430 flash. A few have mentioned a 650d. I have picked up something in the rebel series for awhile. Are they still smaller and more compact, similar to the old 350d? If so, I don't really like the feel as I have big hands and they just don't feel comfortable or as substantial. I am actually fine with way my 40D feels in hand. No complaints....but nothing better to really compare it to.
p.2 #3 · Like to upgrade from 40D. Need advice please.
artsupreme wrote:
D600, make the switch now before you get trapped like a lot of us.
Last resort if you stay Canon I don't even know why you would think of a 6D. For close to 2K you can have a 7D and 1DSII. Two bodies are always better than one IMO. Tele on the 7D, prime or 24-105 on the FF. Done.
LIkely will stay with Canon. Although I don't have as many lenses as most, I have enough to make me stay. I don't really want two main cameras for the same reason I don't really want a 1DIII, just too much bulk and extra stuff. 5-10 years ago maybe when I didn't have any kids. Now....lugging extra stuff just isn't worth it too me and I am not doing anything so critical, that I have to have the best of both worlds. I would just like a happy medium that is better than my current 40D
p.2 #5 · Like to upgrade from 40D. Need advice please.
Trevor Sowers wrote:
Using a speedlite on the hotshoe for it's AF assist makes the outer points on the 5D MKII work in any low light!! If you don't want the speedlite to fire just disable it but leave it turned on for the AF assist.
AF speed is faster on the 40D but for most situations other than sports and flying birds the 5D MKII AF speed is fine.
Hadn't thought of using the speedlite for that, but it eliminates the convenience of just quickly picking up the camera to take some pictures inside.
AF speed is faster on the 40D than the 5DII....really. That doesn't sound that good.
p.2 #6 · Like to upgrade from 40D. Need advice please.
dnadrifter wrote:
LIkely will stay with Canon. Although I don't have as many lenses as most, I have enough to make me stay. I don't really want two main cameras for the same reason I don't really want a 1DIII, just too much bulk and extra stuff. 5-10 years ago maybe when I didn't have any kids. Now....lugging extra stuff just isn't worth it too me and I am not doing anything so critical, that I have to have the best of both worlds. I would just like a happy medium that is better than my current 40D
Sounds like the 7D is your answer, but I would suggest pickup a 5D to go with it for it's amazing IQ. You said you don't need the extra MP of the 5DII so the 5D would be perfect. The 5D is still as good as any modern body at low-med ISOs.
p.2 #7 · Like to upgrade from 40D. Need advice please.
alexdi wrote:
I'd be tempted by a 1D III. The 7D is probably the next best choice, but don't expect more than a half-stop better noise relative to your 40D.
Really? Only a half stop from the 7D over the 40D?
p.2 #8 · Like to upgrade from 40D. Need advice please.
RobDickinson wrote:
5d2 autofocus SUCKS compared to a 7D. 5d2 ergonomics and build is also much poorer.
5d2 is a one trick pony vs the 7d. Its trick is a decent one for sure but still a one trick pony.
<- and I own a 5d2.
This is why some of this is hard. Some say 5DII AF is bad. Some say that as long as you use mostly use the center point it is fine. I have historically just used the center, but not sure if that is because that is how I started and never taught myself how to take advantage of the other points.
p.2 #9 · Like to upgrade from 40D. Need advice please.
I'm always amused at the cries of alarm that the 5d2 AF is not up to the task of tracking a 3 year old.
Nonsense!
The 7D's AF is more sophisticated than the 5d2, if you're going after birds. But for kids, regardless of age or activity, I had no problem with my 10D using Sigma lenses (including high school soccer, volleyball and lacrosse). And the 5D2's AF is better than that of the 10D.
Personally, I valued high quality photos of my kids more than overkill AF, and the IQ of the 5D2 is excellent. If the 6D is in your price range, I'd wait for it. If you want to spend less, it should be pretty easy to get a 5D2 from Canon refurb or CLP, or a gently used one (I sold mine, with about 10k actuations for $1600 when I bought the 5D3).
The 7D is a fine camera (I have one, and like it), but I don't know that, for your purposes, it makes a lot of sense to spend money for the switch from the 40D to the 7D.
p.2 #10 · Like to upgrade from 40D. Need advice please.
RobDickinson wrote:
I'd like the OP to post some photos that he thinks are lacking , easier to see what would be more appropriate in those situations.
If I posted something I would just post pics of my kid that are out focus or not perfectly in focus like others in a particular series. Either action or just him moving around doing kid stuff. Or I post blurry inside images because I am not using a flash and don't want to go above iso 800 on my 40D.
Overall, I like my 40D okay. It does a decent job and I am capable of getting way better photos than I every could with a P&S.
p.2 #11 · Like to upgrade from 40D. Need advice please.
IMO the 7d is , real world, at least a stop better than the 40d.
In low light or for moving targets the 5d2 non centre points are unusable. Even worse for fast lenses. In good light they may sometimes get it right, again not reliably with fast lenses.
Perhaps other peoples experience/needs on AF are not like mine. I found the 7D to work, every point, whenever I needed it too and I got used to using all the focus points.
p.2 #12 · Like to upgrade from 40D. Need advice please.
cobra0469 wrote:
I used a 40d and then purchased a 7d for the same reasons you stated for wanting to upgrade. While the 7d was a very nice upgrade ergonomically, I would not do it again. The 7d was felt really good in hand and the screen was a welcomed upgrade. I was never really in love with the images from the 7d. At the time Canon didn't offer what I wanted in terms of full frame and good focus system, so I went with a D3s. When the 5d3 was released I decided it was what I wanted from Canon. I love Canon lens options and the files sooc.
Having used the 5d3 now I would skip the 7d and either pick up a 5d3 or try a 1d3. I also have a 40d now as a backup and for my wife to use. Our primary subjects are my 4 year old and 2 month old.
Save your money and wait for a 5d3 in your price range, if you can wait....Show more →
Thanks for your opinion...especially considering your similar situation to my own. Did you consider a 5DII and why did you not choose it.
Regarding the money thing, it isn't so much that I can't buy it, it is more being able to justify buying a $3K camera. Said another way....for what I am doing with it...do I really need to spend $3K on a camera. I guess one could say the same about $2K or $1500. $3K just seems like a lot for its intended purpose.
p.2 #13 · Like to upgrade from 40D. Need advice please.
StarNut wrote:
I'm always amused at the cries of alarm that the 5d2 AF is not up to the task of tracking a 3 year old.
Nonsense!
The 7D's AF is more sophisticated than the 5d2, if you're going after birds. But for kids, regardless of age or activity, I had no problem with my 10D using Sigma lenses (including high school soccer, volleyball and lacrosse). And the 5D2's AF is better than that of the 10D.
Personally, I valued high quality photos of my kids more than overkill AF, and the IQ of the 5D2 is excellent. If the 6D is in your price range, I'd wait for it. If you want to spend less, it should be pretty easy to get a 5D2 from Canon refurb or CLP, or a gently used one (I sold mine, with about 10k actuations for $1600 when I bought the 5D3).
The 7D is a fine camera (I have one, and like it), but I don't know that, for your purposes, it makes a lot of sense to spend money for the switch from the 40D to the 7D.
Thanks for your post. The size of the ergonomics of the 6D (if it is like the 60D) now has me worried.
Yeah, I am not going after birds and I don't need 60 AF points. I would just like more reliable focusing than I have experienced on my 40D.
Or maybe what I want is more "user-proof" AF. Not sure. I am sure that someone more experience or better technique than myself could do much better with the 40D AF I have. I don't shoot a ton, but when I do grab the camera, I want to be able to get the most keepers I can for a given outing, within reason.
p.2 #14 · Like to upgrade from 40D. Need advice please.
Based on posts here maybe I should seriously consider the 5DII. When I do though, I hear in my head, "yeah but it is old technology". But then right behind it I hear, "how much technology do you really need?"
p.2 #15 · Like to upgrade from 40D. Need advice please.
RobDickinson wrote:
IMO the 7d is , real world, at least a stop better than the 40d.
In low light or for moving targets the 5d2 non centre points are unusable. Even worse for fast lenses. In good light they may sometimes get it right, again not reliably with fast lenses.
Perhaps other peoples experience/needs on AF are not like mine. I found the 7D to work, every point, whenever I needed it too and I got used to using all the focus points.
Thanks for sharing your experience....appreciate it.
p.2 #17 · Like to upgrade from 40D. Need advice please.
I was let down by the 40d focusing on my active daughter. Center point worked well, but try focus and recompose with a toddler, not a lot of success for me.
I moved to the 7d instead of the 5d2 because I felt the focusing system would be an issue with the 5d2. The 7d was ok, just never wowed by images. Then I moved to the D3s, which was a very enjoyable camera to use. But I like Canon's system more and moved back to the 5d3. I like the 5d3 and have no regrets regarding the cost, it allows me to capture the images I want of my kids. Hard for me to put a value on that. Want to add that I have never used a 5d2.
The 5d3 offers everything you want, other options some of what you want. You just have to decide what's important to you. The 7d is very capable, but pales in comparison to the 5d series regarding image quality. I would buy a 5d2 over a 7d.
p.2 #18 · Like to upgrade from 40D. Need advice please.
Jason Lang wrote:
^^
Same here. Just dumped the 40D in favor of the 5DMkII. I'm blown away by the IQ difference and haven't had any AF issues. I shoot with a 70-200 f/2.8L IS and 24-105 f/4L IS. For the price of a used 5DMkII, it's hard to pass up if it is in your price range. Full frame is a hell of a trick for this "one trick pony".
p.2 #19 · Like to upgrade from 40D. Need advice please.
I also moved from a 40D to a 5D II. On center-point AF, it's fine. Motion tracking isn't awful. But if you want to use the rest of the focus points, the 40D was better, and the 7D is much better.
p.2 #20 · Like to upgrade from 40D. Need advice please.
I've had 10D, 40D, and now use 5D1, 5D2, and 7D for travel, wildlife and family photography. Frankly, I think the whole autofocus controversy is way over blown. While I think there are circumstances where the 40D or 7D outer cross points can make a difference over the 5D's or 6D's linear points and the 7D's configuration settings can make a difference over the 40D, these are specialized and the photographers affected know this going in to a camera selection decision. The same goes for a camera body's maximum frame rate.
The kinds of AF issues I've had were hunting with macro or the 100-400 in low contrast situations. But these are obvious when they happen, you adjust, refocus and shoot. By far the more frequent cause of missed shots in my photography has been due to motion blur rather than a lack of focus lock or accuracy. In general, no camera body has stood out as better or worse than the others, they've all worked well. I've found the 5D2's center point is a bit more accurate than the 7D's points but the 7D's outer points are a bit better than the 5D's. No argument the 7D is better ergonomically but the 5D2 is wonderful.
Much more apparent to me is the improved IQ of full frame over crop. 5D images are just easy to deal with in a wider range of ISO settings. 5D2 images are sharp to the pixel which means a 1.6 crop will yield an 8 MP image close in resolution to a 40D image. The 40D is lower in noise at low ISOs than the 7D, but the 7D has more resolution that can be used for noise reduction and sharpening. And that is the 7D's rub, it can yield better images than a 40D but this requires careful post processing from raw to get the most out of it. I use the 7D mostly as a 1.6 tele extender.
So far I've felt no need for the 5D3's AF. If Canon were to give it the f8 AF firmware upgrade, I'd have to consider it because then I could then use my 1.4x with my 100-400 and I could leave the 7D home.
