7D or 70D?

I was saving up to upgrade from the 550D to the 7D and now the 70D came long with its new sensor, swivel screen, improved live view AF etc. There are discussions in Equipment Talk and other forums but I thought I should post my own question here as well.

If the primary objective is birding(and sometimes wildlife and nature\landscape), which one should I choose?

I won't pretend to grasp all the technical comparisons on the net but I understand that the 7D is faster(FPS\AF\memory card) and stronger(I read that it can take cold\heat, drizzle, fog etc and still perform). I borrowed one and tested but not in hard weather conditions. Beats the 550D and 60D anytime I think.

The 70D's swivel screen and the improved LV AF means I can get ground level shots with less mud on my clothes and a newer camera\sensor should mean clearer images(no?) but I am not interested in video, wifi, touchscreen etc.

Considering the locations, time of the day and situations that you go for birding, please suggest.

I have the 400/5.6, tested and chose it over the 100-400. Will not be able to afford any glass upgrade so the lens is fixed.

Thank you in advance.

Since you state you have no interest in video then I would say 7D, if you were then not so clear cut, both cameras have advantages in different areas.

7D, without a doubt.

I cannot comment no the 70D as I have no experience of it but I take a lot of wildlife pics most of which have been on a 40D but recently I borrowed a 7D for a week and loved it - this led to me buying one about 3 weeks ago. Absolutely no regrets.

Thank you all. Booked the 7D+15-85 today, it arrives in 3-4 days.
I went through your galleries, book worthy stuff!

Excellent choice! Congratulations!

I've had a 7D for a few years now, it's my only DSLR and will be for quite a long time. Get yourself a good prime lens at some point, the 35mm f/2 and 135 f/2 are really nice choices in my opinion.

In the 70d thread there are some duck in flight shots that are pretty good. I would say the camera is not a limiting factor in using it for birds.
It would be a difficult decision for me to pick between the two right now at their respective new prices.

I've had the 7D for about a year now, and I'm still on the learning curve.

About a month ago I managed to shift from Expansion Point to Spot focus mode without moving my eye from the view-finder, which enabled me to get a keeper of a bird behind branches. That is exactly the kind of shot that the 7D can make (if YOU are skilled enough) while the 70D will not be able to do it.

Robert

7D all day!

You can manual focus for the bird in branches shot too. Probably just as fast as switching modes and the AF ing.
I like my 7d but its getting long in the tooth.

Thanks every one for your suggestions and sorry about the late response. I got the 7D+15-85 last week.

jhayesvw wrote in post #16325696
You can manual focus for the bird in branches shot too. Probably just as fast as switching modes and the AF ing.
I like my 7d but its getting long in the tooth.

Thanks for your suggestion Jeremy. The fact that I got the 15-85 kit for almost half the price was an added bonus financially While researching before the purchase, the 7D's spot focus was something I thought mandatory for small birds. Apart from the 2/3(?) stop high ISO noise performance I could not find anything on the 70D that I would rather have instead of the spot focus. I use the camera mostly for birding and very little wildlife and nature\landscape, for everything else I have a Nikon PnS so..

topdslrs wrote in post #16320681
I've had a 7D for a few years now, it's my only DSLR and will be for quite a long time. Get yourself a good prime lens at some point, the 35mm f/2 and 135 f/2 are really nice choices in my opinion.

Thank you for your suggestion, I use the camera(and a 400/5.6 L) for birding almost exclusively, very little landscape for which I now have the 15-85. I am not really in to photography with everything else so cant afford to spend more now.

As an FYI, due to the pixel density of the sensor, try to maintain a SS of 1/1000 when handholding BIFs. In other words, the the rule of 1.6 x FL isn't 100% true with this body. Not saying it can't be done, but easier if you keep a higher SS.