A 5D mark 3 is not a good alternative to a 7d!!

Hi all,

Many here ask about a 7d in low light and before you know it someone recommends they get a 5D mark 3. Sure the 5D3 is great. It also costs 2.5 times the price of a 7d and wont isn't compatable with EF-S lenses, so often it really doesn't matter if the 5d will drive you to work, it is not usually an option. Fair enough if the question mentions budget as not being an issue etc etc.

The 7d has in fact Canons best crop sensor (shared with all their other crop cameras), so if thats not good enough people have to look at other brands or go ff, but to say it is poor in low light is not fully justified. 4 years ago it was probably the best on the market, so does that mean anything taken in low light with a crop previous to that is useless.

mmk.... neat.

I went from the 7D to 5DIII and have no regrets... I wouldn't say the 7D is "poor" in low light... but it's no 5DIII...

Compared to what? Its poor in low light compared to the 5D3, no question. It beats the pants off my old 20D.....

Canon sales tell a different story....The 5D3 has been an option for LOTS of people!

Point being if someone has a budget and asks about a 7d, the 5d3 is not a good option

Canon does need to release a new sensor though. The 7d sensor is so far behind in tech that it's embarrassing hat they're still using it in new camera bodies.

jaomul wrote in post #15882974
Point being if someone has a budget and asks about a 7d, the 5d3 is not a good option

Well, I'll give you that... if someone only has the money for a 7D, then in that price range, the 7D is the best Canon camera you can get with a crop sensor, fast AF, and good burst speed...

But, given the extended budget, the 5d3 is an excellent alternative to the 7D... wicked fast AF that's programmable to suit your needs, excellent noise handling/low light capabilities, and a respectable burst rate...

Given an even larger budget, a 1Dx would be an amazing alternative to the 7D.

There are many alternatives for the 7D... depending on your budget... If someone was on the fence, and had enough room in their budget, I'd definitely recommend the 5d3 over the 7D.

I have gone back to using my 7D more...while I did not have a 5D3...I did buy a 5DII in December and used it a lot...but the FF euphoria has worn off...the 5DII is good at a couple things, but I have grown to like my 7D even more now...it is a great camera body.

I own both, and both have their positives and negatives.

I love my 7D for bird photography and sports where light is great.
I love the 5D3 for portraits, lower light photography, and landscapes.

It's an Apples to Oranges comparison between the two.

"It's an Apples to Oranges comparison between the two."

I like apples better than oranges. The acid in oranges upsets my stomach.

Mike

When you compare a 7D against the current crop sensor cameras in Canon's lineup - yeah, the high-iso performance is the "best". But it really is nothing to brag about and left me reaching for my flash often.

I've recently upgraded to the 1d MK4 and while it currently goes for 3x as much as a 7d on the used market, I am kicking myself for not making the upgrade sooner.

So IMO, anyone looking to upgrade from the 7D should look look to the 1d series rather than the 5d, assuming you bought the 7d because sports telephoto reach were part of the reason your chose the 7d in the first place.

So its not a good alternative as defined by and limited to your point of view. Very helpful....

jaomul wrote in post #15882944
4 years ago it was probably the best on the market, so does that mean anything taken in low light with a crop previous to that is useless.

Sensor and processor tech has come a long way in the past 4 years....except for Canon's 18MP crop sensor.

Have both. No comparison for high iso/low light. That being said, I have a hard time letting go my 7D and am very much considering just keeping it.

Complain to someone who cares man. Honestly if you have too much money tied up in crop lenses then thats your own fault. 5d3 sales have been great and in comparison the 7d definitely is poor in low light. But the 7d's low light performance is still plenty for most people