Posted by Allen Brooks on March 25, 2015 at 4:50 PM
I'm trying to decide between the two cameras and would appreciate some input. It would be for general nature photography, but with an emphasis on birds. Good image quality at high (i.e. at 400 or more) ISOs is important.
thanks for your assistance.
Posted by Mark Seaver on March 25, 2015 at 6:18 PM
Allen,
If you're serious about emphasizing birds, you probably want the 1.6x crop factor of the 7DII. I just spent a week in Florida with Mike Ramy mostly shooting birds from his boat and his 7DII with a 70-200 + 2X converter did way better than my 5D3 with a 400 f5.6, both in reach (due to the crop factor) and in it's ability to autofocus on moving subjects located nearly anywhere in the frame. The 7DII looks to have some significantly improved autofocus capabilities over my 5DIII...got me thinking about adding a 7DII as a second body to use for birds and wildlife. I found myself constantly switching the small area that my 5DIII would use for autofocus, which meant quite a few missed shots. Admittedly I'm a neophyte at autofocus on rapidly moving subjects so there's a good chance the the 5DIII has better capabilities than I've figured out, but Mike and I compared functions once and the 7DII has several additional options that mine didn't have and it was one of those that Mike was mostly using.
I think the 1.6x sensor and the 10fps give the 7DII an advantage if you have birds in mind. The 5DIII will produce higher quality images at higher ISOs, particularly 800-3200, but for bird photography I think the 7DII is a bit more advanced in the other areas that may be important to you.
Max
Posted by Allen Brooks on March 25, 2015 at 8:39 PM
Mark and Max,
Thank you both for taking the time to respond. Your opinions are helpful and will probably move me more towards the 7d.
Allen
Posted by Paul DeCesare on March 26, 2015 at 12:21 AM
Allen, good timing with your question. Martin Bailey (wildlife photog now living in Japan) just posted his Final Verdict Review on the 7D MKII, which he has been testing for quite a while. Definitely worth a read, and even a listen (to the podcast) if you have time. He likes it overall but he did find some limitations regarding ISO and AF, but keep in mind he's basing it against his 1D X.
Enjoy!
Posted by Allen Brooks on March 26, 2015 at 1:25 AM
Paul,
Thanks for providing me with this information. It was, as you said, definitely worth reading. Quite helpful.
I totally agree...no brainer...7D MkII way better for bird photography and in fact any action photography. The autofocus system is essentially the same between the two (and even the 1Dx) but the 7D2 has a new innovation with a lever which makes switching focusing areas/points much faster. Put it with the new 100-400 twist zoom and you're rock solid for birds. The 5D3 is an excellent camera, make no mistake, but it was not designed for fast action/wildlife shooting. It is the landscape and portrait choice par excel lance. I have both so these opinions are based on solid personal experience. I would disagree slightly on the previous comment about ISO. The 5D3 does have a higher ceiling but I find the 7D2 to also perform exceptionally well at up to 2000 ISO and even higher to 3200 AS LONG AS YOU HAVE YOUR EXPOSURE RIGHT. Underexpose and any camera is going to give you more noise. I have been using the 7D2 for 4 months now and have no reluctance to crank the ISO up when needed to get the shutter speed for bird flight work. It is a remarkable camera to say the least.
Posted by Loren Fisher on March 27, 2015 at 10:12 PM
I just got back from hosting a week long workshop in Florida mainly shooting birds and using my new 7DII along with my two 5DIIIs. The fast frame rate is amazing but the autofocus is much better for action shots. It tracked great and held focus as birds flew by. You can see a gallery at http://lorenphotos.com/2015/03/lots-of-beauty-in-florida. If you need one camera for action, I highly recommend the 7DII
Posted by Allen Brooks on March 29, 2015 at 6:11 PM
Thanks, John and Loren, your comments are quite helpful.
Posted by Richard Hahn on March 30, 2015 at 8:43 PM
Allen,
I cannot speak about the 5DMIII, but I do have the 7DMII. It with the Cannon 70-200 2.8 IS is a great combo. It is fast and takes great pictures. I have had it for about 3 months and still figuring out all the bells & whistles. Before buying it I had considered the 5DMIII but decided against it because of the crop sensor with the 7D, which helps with wildlife. I did buy a second battery for it, which I use but I do get a lot of pictures out of 1 battery, probably approx. 3 - 4 k easily. Decisions are not easy. Good luck.
Discussion
9 repliesthanks for your assistance.
If you're serious about emphasizing birds, you probably want the 1.6x crop factor of the 7DII. I just spent a week in Florida with Mike Ramy mostly shooting birds from his boat and his 7DII with a 70-200 + 2X converter did way better than my 5D3 with a 400 f5.6, both in reach (due to the crop factor) and in it's ability to autofocus on moving subjects located nearly anywhere in the frame. The 7DII looks to have some significantly improved autofocus capabilities over my 5DIII...got me thinking about adding a 7DII as a second body to use for birds and wildlife. I found myself constantly switching the small area that my 5DIII would use for autofocus, which meant quite a few missed shots. Admittedly I'm a neophyte at autofocus on rapidly moving subjects so there's a good chance the the 5DIII has better capabilities than I've figured out, but Mike and I compared functions once and the 7DII has several additional options that mine didn't have and it was one of those that Mike was mostly using.
Max
Thank you both for taking the time to respond. Your opinions are helpful and will probably move me more towards the 7d.
Allen
Enjoy!
Thanks for providing me with this information. It was, as you said, definitely worth reading. Quite helpful.
Allen
I cannot speak about the 5DMIII, but I do have the 7DMII. It with the Cannon 70-200 2.8 IS is a great combo. It is fast and takes great pictures. I have had it for about 3 months and still figuring out all the bells & whistles. Before buying it I had considered the 5DMIII but decided against it because of the crop sensor with the 7D, which helps with wildlife. I did buy a second battery for it, which I use but I do get a lot of pictures out of 1 battery, probably approx. 3 - 4 k easily. Decisions are not easy. Good luck.