Upgrade to a Canon 7D?

SDK^ said:
Also the reason why my 20D's have served me well for 10 years :)

As for the Sony, 179 focus points!! I imagine it's cumbersome cycling through those :p
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My D800's had 50 something, but 99.9999% of the time I only have 11 focus points active as it makes for fast af point selection.

I believe 179 points comes in handy when you ask the camera to track a subject.
 
Not sure about the a6000 as I haven't handled one, but this is basically where I'm at gear wise.
I always used a dslr with a grip until Nikon decided to charge a fortune for a D800 grip (my OCD prevents me from connecting a 3rd party grip). I got used to not using a grip and now prefer it.

Then I handled a Fuji x-pro 1 which I liked size wise but that was about it other than it's image quality. Then an A7 which I really do like but the specs and lenses are not right for me at the minute.

At the moment I feel stranded with my D800E's because neither Sony or Fuji (or Canon/Nikon) can offer me anything that will improve my photography.

Basically I'm wanting something like an A7s (I like the completely silent shutter mode) with a6000 autofocus. Apparently on sensor PDAF is more reliable hit rate wise. Also just as important.. a fast way to select a focus point.
Regarding lenses, I would need a fast'ish 35 and 85mm, they can even only be F1.8.

I also like the look of the XT-1 and Fuji have the right lenses (F1.2), but the bodies are not full frame and I'm not thrilled with the positioning of the PDAF points and the controls to change focus point are not quick enough imo.
Should Fuji address those minor short comings then I may be tempted with them.
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I'm surprised you like the handling of the A7 after the D800, I thought the A7 was a bit meh and cheap feeling. I never tried it with the grip though. the A6000 AF isn't all that either, just search YouTube for examples of it searching badly in low light.

Mirrorless is definitely going in the right direction. Fuji have some nice lenses but is only crop and is using the X-trans (I'm just not sold on it. It's not nad but it's not brilliant either). Sony have full frame but for me only one decent AF lens in the 55 f1.8. The AF is really poor as well.

So the A9 and XT-3 are probably where I'll be real interested. I've got the X-E1 and it's a fun camera, mainly because I like using my old FD and M42 lenses on it. That will wear off though and I'll get rid of it eventually.

m43 cameras work pretty well with AF, Fuji are okay and Sony are glacial. The tech will get there eventually, but getting mirrorless FF AF up to DSLR standards is going to take a while.

It's also interesting that you mention the X-Pro1 as being nice to handle, even though mirrorless give the option of a smaller camera they just don't feel great to me. The X-Pro1 is actually a nice size. The NEX and now new A6000 just feel horrid, not something I'd like using other than for the odd snap.
 
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All the mirrorless manufacturers claim DSLR autofocus speed, they are all pretty much wrong. The nikon1 is still by far the fastest and closest to a DSLR, especially in tracking and continuous but it is nothing compared to a pro DSLR. M43 are pretty good for static AF in reasonable light.

A big issue with most of the mirrorless is reliability and repeatability, escpeiLly in tracking. A good DSLR will give you 95% plus keeper rate in dozens of frames, mirrorless you are more like 30% so much more likely to miss the critical shot.




Mirrorless is getting and is the future but there is still a lot of work to do and technical hurdles to cross.they make excellent casual cameras to go alongside DSLRs though!
 
I've really enjoyed using manual lenses on the X-E1, its made me seriously consider trying the A7/A7r out. As soon as I do though you can bet Canikon will release their FF mirrorless! :D
 
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An update on this - I changed my mind 3 times.

I was very close to getting a new 7D for about £600, but then read a few 7D vs 6D posts on the Canon POTN forum and decided to get a 6D. Purely down to the full frame image quality improvement and the comments about AF being pretty decent.

I had the camera in my basket but couldn't convince myself it was justified.
So I ended up buying a used Canon 40D for about £200 and it's a worthy, cheap upgrade over my 20D.

Years ago dropping thousands on camera equipment wasn't an issue but now I have other priorities which I'd rather spend my money on.

I will make the move to a 6D in couple of years.

P.S : The 20D can still take decent shots :)

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This was captured with him jumping around on our trampoline.

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Just because a camera is old doesn't mean it stops being decent :)

Despite having a 5D3 and 7D, I'm keeping my old 40D because it's a good camera and it's worth more to me as a backup than it is to sell.
 
Vertigo1 said:
Well there have been a lot of reports of AF problems with the 70D. Not sure how prevalent these issues are or whether they've been solved yet.
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Dang, I hadn't heard. Still, if they do get sorted, it's going to be very good in that dept.

Also, glad you're happy, SDK. That's what is most important ;)
 
Vertigo1 said:
That's very misleading though as it makes it sound like the 70D is far superior which just isn't the case. The 70D is a no-brainer if you shoot video due to the dual-pixel sensor but, aside from that, it's quite similar to the 7D but not as well built.



The downside to the 6D is the AF system is nowhere near as good as the 7D's which could be an issue if he wants to shoot pics of his son on the move.



Good choice - at current prices the 7D is a steal.



Neither could I but I did anyway :p
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I am a 7D owner and the comments above I agree with. The AF, IQ, weather sealing, tough build, FPS rate and due to it's size ( females may not agree, not being sexist at all ) itfits comfortably in my hands. This is a big plus !
 
I remember a friend I was in business with, wanted a 7D for the size/feel. However, we got 550Ds instead and slapped a battery pack on it and it got that bigger feel.

Also, since I've taken the 550D out to film on multiple occasions, outside and inside, I've never had any issues due to build, etc. It's always good to go with something you know will work for you. Something you can trust.
 
Imdur said:
I remember a friend I was in business with, wanted a 7D for the size/feel. However, we got 550Ds instead and slapped a battery pack on it and it got that bigger feel.
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But then some of us feel the 7D is too small without its own grip, which makes it even huger! :)

Have grips on all of my bodies and they just feel wrong without them now. The price of the BG-E11 for the 5D3 stung a bit though!
 
So after everything I have previously posted I have just gone and ordered a new Canon 6D.
I thought the 40D had a lens focus adjust feature but it doesn't and my 135L lens has 5-6cm back focus which is really annoying.

The 6D was only £880 new, without the Wi-Fi and GPS features, which appear to be totally useless anyway.

Just got to hide this purchase from my partner now :D
 
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It's the 6D 'N' model.

The GPS kills the battery; even when the camera is turned off the GPS is still running. You need to manually disable the option each time to stop it.
Wi-Fi is very slow for transferring files and the remote EOS App is currently rubbish.
 
Interesting, presume you got it on import as I don't think they sell them here do they?

Adds another element to my "junk the 7D for a 6D?" dilemma :)
 
Rojin said:
Have you handled a NEX body? Great specs but horrid handling. The Fuji X series are a little bigger and much nicer to handle. I'm not sold on the X-Trans sensor at the moment though. The attraction of a smaller body was negated instantly as I immediately thought "this needs a grip" :D (with the X-E1 I picked up recently that is)
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I have a NEX 5R and it is great for just slipping in my jacket pocket. I have purchased leds & body caps so I can break it down for pockets.
Good points are large CMOS sensor and a reasonable range of lens, IQ very good

Down side is some what fidly trying to change settings, the touch screen to focus on an area or subject now were as good as DSLR with AF points.

i alway use the NEX5 when I go to London as it it easy to carry around for the day.
 
My missus uses a 7D because of the size. There's a grip at home she could put on it or my back-up 1D MkIV she could use...

Tysonator said:
I am a 7D owner and the comments above I agree with. The AF, IQ, weather sealing, tough build, FPS rate and due to it's size ( females may not agree, not being sexist at all ) itfits comfortably in my hands. This is a big plus !
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