7D or 5D for sports shooting

[C_Heath31]

Im gonna be doin it all but I love to shoot sports. 5D or 7D?

Let it rip!

[ewheeler20]

7D without a question. Sports and 5D don't usually mix.

[C_Heath31]

how much for the 70-200 IS?

[oldbergkamp]

7D.

You can get the 70-200 for $1975-2075 right now, if you look around. It's a great pairing for the 7D and sports.

[ewheeler20]

The 70-200 f2.8is II is as low as $1974.

The 70-200 f2.8is I used is around $1400-$1500.

[oldbergkamp]

Actually, you can still get a new one at Adorama for $1974:

http://www.adorama.com/CA702002ISU.h...ce=rflaid62259

Just got mine in the mail today and it's great!

[camarillo]

well, i am not sure the 7D is the choice without question

it would be interesting to start a thread reading " show your best 5D mark 1 or mark 2 sports images"

i think many would be surprised what sport images that are captured with this camera

ok, it focus might be a little slower - not significant unless you are a professional

if you time your shots for what ever sport you are covering, i think you will be very pleased with your images.

so it has been my experience, from covering middle school orchestra events, fundraising galas, sport programs,lacrosse, high school football and baseball, landscape and portraits , family events and just goofing around. the 5D is pretty good - actually really good.

so far, i have not found the need to shoot 8fps - once again it's about timing (for me and what I shot)

you really dont want to come home from a highschool baseball game with 500 images do you?

you shared you wish to shot everything; well then, you just can't go wrong with the 5D

my choice, the 5D mark 2

the 70-200 2.8 is is a must, what a great lens and very versatile for many types of photography.

well, i hope this helps you with your choice

all the best

[ewheeler20]

Originally Posted by camarillo

ok, it focus might be a little slower - not significant unless you are a professional

Uhh.. what? Since when do only professionals consider fast sports AF significant. That is complete crap.
The 7D AF speed is what should convince the OP the MOST for sports shooting comparing it with the 5D series.

Originally Posted by camarillo

so far, i have not found the need to shoot 8fps - once again it's about timing (for me and what I shot)

I have. a lot...

Originally Posted by camarillo

you really dont want to come home from a highschool baseball game with 500 images do you?

I certainly do. It dramatically increases your keepers especially when selling individual photos. It takes about 10 minutes to go through them and delete all the non-keepers.

Originally Posted by camarillo

you just can't go wrong with the 5D

Well, of course you can. Isn't that what this thread is all about?

[camarillo]

please forgive me ewheeler20, it is not my intention to present any "complete crap" comments

if i earned a living as a professional photography, i would want the best equipment - probably the 1dmark 4 series - but since i am not, the 5 d mark 2 is a little slower in regards to AF, which has not been significant challenge for what i shot

i am not going to argue the point

the 5d mark 2 is fast enough and captures great sport images - great all around camera

if you wish to hold down and shot; well then that is your style - what ever gets the job done

everybody has their own style, i was just sharing a different opinion for the OP

[Rrudo74901]

Any camera, even a Point and shoot, will get the "right" picture occasionally. All that is being stated is the 7D would outperform the 5d II with respect to shooting sports more often than not.
I am not a professional by any means, but my keeper rate went way up with the 7D shooting field sports. And when my son or daughter gets the ball, I let it rip on high speed. Timing is great, but if I get 10 pictures in succession I will more than likely get the shot with the eyes looking right at the camera and correct body position.
Trying to time shots of football linemen can be extremely difficult as you never know when they will stick their head out and a great shot is available.
Again, any camera you have is better then no camera, but having the right tool for the job just makes it better still.

[Brian_R]

7D without a doubt. i played with a 5DII at a soccer game and although it takes fantastic shot i felt as though the burst speed and focus speed was lacking

[DennisW1]

Originally Posted by camarillo

ok, it focus might be a little slower - not significant unless you are a professional

So everyone else should be satisfied with slower AF response and possibly missed shots because they're not a pro?

Sorry, don't follow that logic at all.......fast AF response is, IMO, a more critical factor in "getting the shot" in a sports setting than the arguably better IQ that 5D2 is going to produce. If it's OOF, its no good, no matter how pretty the colors might be.

[ewheeler20]

Originally Posted by camarillo

if i earned a living as a professional photography, i would want the best equipment - probably the 1dmark 4 series - but since i am not, the 5 d mark 2 is a little slower in regards to AF, which has not been significant challenge for what i shot

lol... First of all, the OP is asking about SPORTS shots... AF is an extremely important factor to consider when purchasing a camera body. And just because your not a pro, you would want worse equipment That makes NO sense... the 7D is CHEAPER than the 5DII and yet you'd still want the second-tier (of the two options) sports-shooting body. huh?

[clarence]

OP, can you clarify if you're considering the 5D Mark II or the original 5D?

I've owned the 5D before upgrading to the 5D Mark II. The 5D is a beautiful camera for portraits, but was the most lacking camera I've ever used for sports (compared to owning XT, XTi, 40D, T1i, 7D, 1D, 1D Mark II, 1D Mark III).

The 5D Mark II is usable for sports, but only when you have sufficient light. The number of focus selection points is severly lacking and only the center point can track any significant motion. Once the light starts to fade, then the AF tracking really falls apart. Which is a shame because the high ISO quality is the best I've ever seen. My rule of thumb is that once the light fades enough to require more than ISO 1600, then put the 5D Mk II away... the AF sensor just won't have enough light to acquire and sufficiently track a moving subject.

Same with indoor sports like basketball or volleyball. Even in the best lit HS gyms, the 5D Mark II just can't keep up. Sure, you can get lucky with a few shots, I could post several which would seemingly prove that the 5D2 was a capable sports body. But the keeper rate is miserable... easily <10%. For AF, even the Rebel T1i outperforms it.

For sports, I'd arbitrarily rank them:
original 5D = 2/10
5D Mark II = ~4/10
7D = ~7/10

[Hannya]

Dunno about autofocus but frame rate is significantly slower on a 5d which wld make it a no no for sports that and the focal length issue.