Opinions please

Hi,

I'm upgrading my kit, shifted the Canon 1D MKIII a while ago and the 1Ds MKII is on it's way out the door.
I want to go back to having 2 working bodies and have a budget of about £3000. I'm looking at getting the 7D and the 5D MKII, both with vertical grips. Rather than blowing all my budget and having one body with the MKIV, as nice as the 1 series bodies are.

Just after some feedback from peeps who have/are using the 7D and 5D MKII for wildlife and landscapes/portraits.

Thanks in advance

Regards

Rob

Hi Rob

I have tried two 7D bodies with my 500f4 & 300f2.8. I got rid of them both as neither were consistently sharp and the high ISO performance was not as good as I thought it would be. I can only assume that buying a 7D is a bit of a lottery as I know two guys who think that their 7D's are fantastic although one of these chaps shots do not back up his claim but that could just be him

I own two 5dMKII bodies and they are just fabulous for landscape & portraits but the AFS & fps is a bit slow for action & flight photography so I treated myself to a MKIV last year

I think that the MKIV is amazing and that you should push your budget and go for one

I also have my old 40D which I love to bits and still gets used as a back up to the MKIV on my safari trips.

Bob

I'm a big fan of my 7D Rob. It has performed brilliantly on a variety of subjects from macro to birds and mammals. I've never used a 5DMKII or a MKIV so can't compare it to those I'm afraid. Your plan sounds a sensible one to me.

It would be good to see you posting images again

Matt

I am a big fan of my 7D, but I hate it to bits. Let me explain, upto ISO800 in nice light I am happy. ISO 400 is astounding sometimes, but you need the right light. It is not often I get to shoot at ISO 400 though :( Yes the crop comes in handy for birds and shy animals. But I really would like a MKIV just so I can get the proper speed on my shots.
The5D II is at least a stop better than the 7D for noise, the noise if finer and much nicer too. But the AF and speed leave me wondering why the hell Canon used the old 5Ds innards. Lets see if the fabled MKIII will arrive soon.

I woud buy a MKIV, used they are selling for 2500-2700 quid.

Hi Bob & Matt,

Thanks for the replies. The reason the MK III went was because of focusing issues so that's the last thing I want !! Although as you say I have heard from people who love their 7D's ! If I blow my budget on a MKIV, I know I will regret having one body ! Is your MKIV focusing razor sharp ? Do you fell its much improved over the debacle that was the MKIII ?

Thanks for that Matt, been tied up doing other things so my photography was put on the back burner, but hoping to get back into it and take it more seriously again :)

Regards

Rob

Hi Neil,

Thanks for your reply. I'm not to concerned about the 7D's noise issues, more that thing is sharp and no other hidden nasties. I'm tempted to now keep my 1Ds MKII and get a MK IV ?!?!?
Decisions decisions !!

Regards

Rob

Keep the 1DsII Rob. The 1-series are a totally different ball-game to the non-1's. I've been running a 5DII for a little while now for video/high iso/full frame stuff (I was waiting for a 1DsIV to be announced... but Canon haven't obliged ).

Against the 1's, the 5DII is frustrating. A capable enough camera, but not in the same class at all. Versus the 1-series, AF is slower at getting focus and not as good at tracking, the AF points are fewer and sometimes getting AF lock on the outer points is very tricky, as can regaining focus after switching to vertical on a shot. (You'd find getting shots of Ozzie running around a bit more tricky, and forget any Pere's in flight!). The joypad thing is a total waste of time for selecting AF points against spinning the wheels on the 1's (although the 1DsIII is equally as bad grrr...). The other major bug-bear is the darned selector wheel on the top, it's always getting caught on something and changing mode , the buttons on the 1's are much better in that respect. Battery life is lower too, so budget for 2 batteries for each 1 series battery you'd have.

Water sealing may be an issue - one of my friends had their 5DII written off after shooting in the rain (water got in via the mic slots), but mine survived filming in spindrift on the moors last winter, being caked in snow, then thawing in the car

Having said all that, the 5DII is nice for the high ISO/low noise, and the Mpix. When it gets the focus, it's great, and the video (while limited) is nice.

"I know two guys who think that their 7D's are fantastic although one of these chaps shots do not back up his claim but that could just be him"

As a Nikon man, I won't comment on the merits of the various models discussed, but simply note that the dodgiest item on any camera is the nut behind the viewfinder.

David

In your situation I'd be tempted to keep the 1DsII and buy the MkIV from what you said about budgets. I have the 5D MkII and use it a lot for wildlife 'portrait' type shots for which I think the image quality is superb. I would agree with all that Nick said above though - especially the frustrations of the AF points if you want to do anything quickly. I got a 1D MkIV a while ago and I think it is outstanding, having had no issues with AF speed or accuracy that I have spotted. I would have said it is crisper at picking up focus than the MkIII, although to be fair to that most maligned of cameras, I had a late numbered version and had no problems with it as such.

Dave

Thanks for the replies guys.

My mind is pretty set on keeping the 1Ds MKII and going for a 1D MK IV now ! searching online for best deals now.

Has anyone had dealings with the SLRHut (london office) ?? I'm guessing they are American imports held in a London Warehouse ?!?!?!

Regards

Rob

Rob,

I have never used SLRHut, but have had my fingers burned (and wallet lightened) by using a few other too-good-to-be-true companies. Before you order from them you may like to check the following out:

http://blog.photo3.co.uk/2011/12/is-slrhut-scam-slrhutcouk-reviews.html

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1018&message=39197106&changemode=1

http://www.avforums.com/forums/camcorders-video-editing/1483302-anyone-used-slrhut-co-uk.html

If the prices seem too good to be true, they probably are.

David

Hi Rob

Keeping the 1Ds and getting a MKIV is excellent advice. I agree with Dave Bartlett re the atributes of the MKIV and I have not spoken to anyone or read of anyone who has a seriously bad word to say about it. You asked if it was sharp. Have a look at the kestrel in my gallery as this was possibly the third or fourth ever frame that I took with mine and I have not looked back since

I got mine from Park Cameras as I like to buy expensive items from a main dealer. If you get the chance to go to the 'Focus On Imaging' exhibiton at the NEC in a few weeks time then you may get a bargain

Bob

I have a 5Dm2 and a 1D4. I shoot landscape and wildlife and a few other bits and bobs.

For landscape the 5D2 produces lovely crisp images and the detail is nearly as good as the 1DSm3 except for the weather proofing element, focusing etc. Any condensation or rain seems to find its way into the camera - can only recommend a shower hat and elastic band to keep it dry. The thing with full frame at this size is that you really need good WA lenses to get great shots i.e. a TSE24II, Zeiss 21 or alt glass.

One thing the 5D2 has that the 1DSM2 doesn't is live view (something I thought Id never use) which I now use more frequently and video, but if you want something you can use in all weathers then you need a 1D. I find live view to be quite helpful for macro work too (so another consideration depending on what your shooting). I also find live view easier to work on the 5D2 than the 1D4.

The 1D4 is a good camera for landscape too and because of the crop and this allows the best part of canons WA lenses to be used without the expense of buying the other lenses detailed above. e.g. 17-40, 16-35 etc.

I know quite a few photographers that have moved from 7D to 1DSM2 and found the results with the older camera to be miles better....depends on the 7D lottery though.

My opinion would be to get a 1D4 and 1DSM2 as backup basically agreeing with Dave. As two camera though I think they provide a different sorts of file and basically complement each other.

Ian

Rob

Ian makes a good point about the live view and video operation on the MKIV compared to the ease of the 5D2 but you soon get used to it. The video start/stop button is the most tricky especially if you have large or cold fingers

Bob

I am a Nikon user but I do know from looking at photos that are winning comps that the Canon Mk IV is used quite a lot and I guess that speaks volumes. I read a lot of different forums and when people ask advice the replies are very often conflicting but the advice here is pretty unanimous.

Nick.

Hi Rob

Mk4 is cracking and despite the fact I'm selling mine (to fund a dedicated pro video system) I'd recommend it in a heartbeat.

My previous advert is below: if you're interested we might be able to do a deal on the price. With the money left over you can treat your wife and score massive brownie points.

Cheers,
Chris

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