After 10 years is it time for a new body?

Hey all! I have been using a 7D for the past 10 years (from a XTi!)... It has been a great workhorse, but I have noticed or maybe I am more aware now in my age the ISO handling in low light is terrible!

I am a hobbyist, but love photography -- to frame things, this isn't a career for me!

I am thinking of upgrading my current 7D w/ a 6Dmk2 -- but the concern i have is the focusing system.. I want to go to full frame on a newer body, but from what I have read and seen, the 6Dmk2 might be new, but it is thrown together with older tech...

That brings me to the mirrorless craze -- new lenses, and need a adapter to fit older lenses? Not really thrilled with that -- Canon taking Apples "dongle" approach... I am kidding, a little...

So, I guess, do I hold off and limp on the 7D for a bit longer for a better entry level FF? The 5Dmk4 isn't really in my budget...

If you love your 6Dmk2 post up... if you have opinions on other bodies, let me know, but moving to Nikon won't be a easy sell -- Having to swap all my gear out....

What are you shooting, and do you use your center point on the 7D a majority of the time?

For those that use center point almost all the time, even for action shooting, I believe many have stated the 6D2 is fine for that.

Possible bodies to consider to upgrade your 7D:
80D
77D
M50
SL2
5D3
6D2
EOSR

Of all of these, the SL2 has the least adequate AF system IMO, but is a great travel APS-C. The M50 steps up the game a bit with access to other lenses and some features found on the EOS-R.

I would concentrate my efforts on the models in this list. If you have alot of crop-only glass (EFS or 3rd party crop based lenses), then the 6D2 and 5D3 should be thrown out of the list unless you want to sell those lenses and buy EF replacements. Crop lenses will work on all the remaining models.

Don't worry about the adapters, they work well, and extend usage of your camera. For example, with an adapter, I can use EF and EFS glass on my M50. The same exists for the EOS-R. Adapters will allow you to expand into other lenses you typically could never try. They aren't a thing to be worried about.

If you have a collection like I do, you would have teleconverters, macro tubes, and adapters, you get use to the extra things you put inline with your lens.

Mostly family / indoor photography.

I should of been clearer I think I will keep the 7D, I doubt I will sell it, since I won't get much for it... Yeah, my plan would be to get a FF with a 24-70 and use the 70-200 for longer shots...

That 10-20 on the EOS R would be pretty cool for a wide angle scenic and video lens. Just something to think about. You can use the 17-50 on the EOS R too and then save up for the RF version of the 24-105 or other variants that are coming out soon.

Of course a 6D2 and EF 24-70 will be quite a bit cheaper overall.

I have a problem with limited AF point coverage under certain circumstances.

If you shoot people, either landscape or portrait orientation, and do full body shots vs, head and shoulders, then the 6D2 AF field will be limiting.

I want to keep my AF point on the eyes or at least face, which means the top most AF point. The tight central grouping of the 6D2 means doing so will require zooming out a lot farther than I prefer.

It can be overcome, they had to do the same on the EOS 1Ds models.. but by todays standards the 6D2 cluster is very much stuck in the middle.

That is a interesting idea... Body+Mount might not be much more than a 6Dmk2 + 24-70...

This is exactly my concern...

When I get to my computer, I look at the eyes to determine sharpness... if the eyes are not sharp, I basically rage...

6dii is an excellent value, you may even start shooting videos with it.

Keep in mind that your 7D was marketed by Canon as a 'prosumer' body with advanced features and design characteristics for its time, while the 6Dn is considered by them to be an 'entry FF' body...'defeatured' for product positioning reasons and not really using 'older technology' as you put it. Bodies in the past 10 years have significant improved upon high ISO performance with less noise apparent. And those within the past 3 years have also improved upon their ability to 'push' the shadows by several EV with less apparent 'banding' noise than in the past. So they are a signficant advance over the 7D body in those characteristics. Yet, for you, bodies like the 6Dn or nnD bodies, both of which are not 'prosumer' status might lose out in features which you have come to consider essential through your use of a 'prosumer' body.

You might want to reconsider your 'want' vs. your 'need'...I have shot professionally in the past, forgoing 35mm film for medium format SLR or even large format studio camera. Yet, for most digital work today, as a no-longer-'pro' shooter, APS-C provides me with 95% of what I need to do; I reserve FF digital for architectural work only because of the fact that a 24mm Perspective Control lens which I have does not afford a wide enough AOV when mounted on APS-C body. Unless you routinely make large prints (larger than 13x9"), APS-C can well satisfy the typical non-pro/ non-enthusiast shooter. Just maybe the 7DII (or the 7DIII which many are waiting for) would be a better match for you than 'downgrading' features for a larger image capture. This is a consideration for some, but not for other shooters, a highly individualized consideration. Other characteristics might well point you away from the 6DII, as the 7D may have spoiled you about some of its advantages over even the newer body 6DII...

https://photography-on-the.net …showthread.php?​p=18757072

The only things one might lose from a 7D to a 6D2 would be (which you covered well in the post you linked):

- lack of a joystick
- pixel density, the 6D2 provides an APS C resolution of 10Mpx vs the 18Mpx of the 7D, but better quality pixels
- C3 custom setting
- perhaps the AF point spread across the frame on the 7D 19 points is better than the 6DII, but the AF point performance on the 6DII should be better
- a bit of a framerate/burst hit (6.5fps vs 8)

For family/indoor shooting, I would think the 6D2 would just be better overall though for IQ, which may be more important than resolution or burst differences.

I am not going to ditch the 7d... I am just ditching it for indoor/kid photos... Family shots, etc. -- so I will keep the 7d, so this will supplement my stash...

The 7d does a GREAT job overall, just needs loads of light.

The joystick is a bummer... I guess you use the 6d touchy screen? We will see how that works for a fat-fingered person.

jtalerico wrote in post #18763568
I am not going to ditch the 7d... I am just ditching it for indoor/kid photos... Family shots, etc. -- so I will keep the 7d, so this will supplement my stash...

The 7d does a GREAT job overall, just needs loads of light.

The joystick is a bummer... I guess you use the 6d touchy screen? We will see how that works for a fat-fingered person.

You use the 8-way rear ring around the Set button to move around.

TeamSpeed wrote in post #18763565
The only things one might lose from a 7D to a 6D2 would be (which you covered well in the post you linked):
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- perhaps the AF point spread across the frame on the 7D 19 points is better than the 6DII
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The AF point spread, and how much of the frame it covers, is usually of enormous importance when shooting people indoors. . Especially so for those who want their in-focus subject to be way off center and shoot shallow depth of field and who are persnickity about exactly what is in sharpest focus and what isn't.

This is such an important camera capability that it shouldn't be marginalized, as it is of crucial importance when it comest to getting shots exactly the way you want them to be. . Focus / recompose really sucks when it comes to handholding for way-off-center subjects and shallow depth of field, and will cause one to get many missed-focus shots.

Jake sums it up perfectly:

CyberDyneSystems wrote in post #18763523
I have a problem with limited AF point coverage under certain circumstances.

If you shoot people, either landscape or portrait orientation, and do full body shots vs, head and shoulders, then the 6D2 AF field will be limiting.

I want to keep my AF point on the eyes or at least face, which means the top most AF point. The tight central grouping of the 6D2 means doing so will require zooming out a lot farther than I prefer.

It can be overcome, they had to do the same on the EOS 1Ds models.. but by todays standards the 6D2 cluster is very much stuck in the middle.

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jtalerico wrote in post #18763496
Mostly family / indoor photography.

Here are my two cents: I would highly recommend to get a body with a newer sensor. The difference for your use (indoor) is substantial. I do have the old 6D and it really makes a difference compared with the older sensors. The rest is up to your taste. FF is overrated - but give you a slightly better ISO performance. I am almost an exclusive center point shooter. For dynamic family shots where you have to be fast, I have no clue how other people have the time to adjust focus point.... I just use recomposition either in camera or then in post.

P.S. Just saw that Tom provided exactly the opposite opinion. Tells you a lot about how shooting style has a large impact on what fits you best. Good luck with sorting this out for yourself.

jtalerico wrote in post #18763484
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I have been using a 7D for the past 10 years ... the ISO handling in low light is terrible.

I am thinking of upgrading to a 6Dmk2 -- but the concern I have is the focusing system.

I want to go to full frame on a newer body ...

The 5Dmk4 isn't really in my budget...

[COLOR="Red"]If you have opinions on other bodies, let me know....
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I have an opinion on a body that checks most of your boxes:

The 1D Mark 4.

PRO: . It has ISO performance that in my opinion is two stops better than the original 7D.

PRO: . It has AF point coverage across a very wide portion of the frame, and the AF performance is spectacular.

PRO: . Used bodies in decent condition have fallen well below the $1,000 price point, and will not depreciate as quickly as new bodies will.

CON: . It is not full frame. It's a 1.3 crop factor, right between your 1.6 7D and a full frame body.

CON: . It is not at all new. . But what does that matter? . What matters is how something performs and how capable it is, not how new or old the tech is. . When old tech is better and more capable than new tech, then old tech is the better choice.

You can buy a 1D4 for $700 or $800, use it for a while, and if you find it doesn't meet your needs, turn around and sell it for the same $700 or $800. . So you won't be out any money except for shipping and PayPal fees. . But my guess is that you'd end up being happy with it and keep it and shoot with it for a long time. . It is a huge upgrade from your 7D.


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