7D and 5D3 Questions

I am still in a holding pattern on purchases due to financial issues, but I am still reading a lot, shooting a lot, and hoping to learn as much as I can from you guys.

I have a series of questions that I hope you guys can help me out with.

First, I am a hobbyist, no real desire to do this professionally/full time, and I love to shoot portraits, candids of my kids, wildlife, sports, and landscapes.

I would really like the 5D3 for several reasons. Full frame, the AF, high ISO performance, and there is just something about the images I see from that camera that appeal to me. I think it is fair to say that there is also some gear lust too.

However, I don't feel confident that I will be able to get this camera for at least a year, possibly longer. In the interim, I would really like the 7D. The AF is good from what I read, and with fast moving small kids, this is a priority item for me regardless of body. It is also a great wildlife and sports camera, and no slouch at portraits and landscapes, contrary to some people's beliefs.

My first question is what lens(es) would you guys recommend for portraits on a crop body? I would more than likely get the 10-22, 17-55 2.8, the 70-200 of some sort, and the 100-400. Would this cover it? Or should I consider a 5th lens to cover portraits better?

My second question is whether or not I will end up wanting to keep the 7D after eventually getting the 5D3? I am thinking the only advantage would be the extra 'reach' of the crop body, but if all reports on the 5D3 are accurate, I don't think the 7D can compare to it in most meaningful categories.

My thought is to get the above kit with the 7D, and then once I decide to get the 5D3, sell the 10-22 and 17-55 2.8 to fund the 5D3 and associated wide equivalents lens purchase. For the 5D3, I'd end up with the 16-35 (or 17-40), 24-70, 70-200, and the 100-400.

I would not need to 'make do' with the 7D for portraits and landscapes anymore, as I'd have the FF for that. I would probably still want to keep the 7D as a backup and for sports/wildlife/hiking​/etc. I think...

Thoughts? Help me think through this...thanks in advance...

The 17-55 should cover you fine... Otherwise, consider a 50mm on top of that!

For your second question, I would sell the 7D after getting the 5D3. I am still waiting for more funds to come in and when Amazon has 5D3 in stock, then I will go for it. But I would definitely sell 7D. 5D3 has the best features so far.

Because you said the words "financial issues", I'd suggest, if you get the 7D, to use the lenses you already have in your sig. They're not L glass sure, but you should be very comfortable with that huge range to get some fine images.

Given that the 7d is a third of the cost of the 5dm3, I don't think the difference in high iso capability justifies the price. You have to ask how many times you would use high iso in the everyday shooting you do. Portraits are usually better with some form of lighting so you can shoot low iso, for landscapes by using a tripod you can maximise the dof by using small apeture and still get the best quality from a low iso. The extra reach of the crop definitely helps in the sports area, the big telephoto's for full frame are prohibitvely expensive.

So I would get the 7d and invest in some glass, instead of going for a body whose features you would rarely use.

Save. Wait. Buy the 5DM3. If you're in a financial bind...just wait. The 5DM3 is that much better. This is coming from someone who has both and uses both cameras.

The 7D will be a significant upgrade over your existing Rebel XT -- that was my first dSLR. Your intended lenses -- 10-22, 17-55 and 100-400 -- are the same ones I used when shooting with the 7D, and are a terrific set of lenses that should cover a wide range of shooting situations. If you get a 100-400, you may want to hold off on getting a 70-200, depending on what you shoot. My 70-200 f/4 got a lot less use after adding the 100-400. I just use it now when I want to travel lighter and do not anticipate needing the extra reach.

As for keeping the 7D after getting a 5D3, I decided to keep mine. We like visiting the national parks a lot, and quite often I've wanted two bodies to reduce the lens changes between landscape and wildlife shooting. The plan is to use the 24-105 on the 5D3 for landscape and the 100-400 on the 7D for wildlife. If I end up not using the 7D enough, I will sell it later.

Thanks guys.

For those of you who think there are features that I would not use on the 5D3, what are some reasons that other folks are raving about it? If the 7D can do everything I need, then why are other people saying the 5D3 is so much better? Help me understand what the 5D3 does better than the 7D, and then maybe I will be able to better understand why some say I don't need the FF...

I really want the full frame for portraits and for landscapes. I cannot explain it, but I just like the look of the images from the full frame more than the crop, generally speaking. I am definitely not saying crop bodies are inferior, I am just saying that there is something about the full frame images I see on here that I want to learn to produce. I don't think I'd ever be satisfied until I own a FF body...

That being said, like someone said above, the cost for long tele lenses for the FF are pretty high. I would end up using the 7D as a wildlife/sports body, and the 5D3 for all other work.

Some would say go 7D + 5D2, but I figure why not get great AF in both? If I am waiting to purchase anyway, why not wait a bit longer and get the better of the two between 5D2 and 5D3...

My thoughts anyway...if any of you can explain to me or point me in the direction of a good comparison of 7D and 5D3, I would be grateful...

Scott M wrote in post #14570890
The 7D will be a significant upgrade over your existing Rebel XT -- that was my first dSLR. Your intended lenses -- 10-22, 17-55 and 100-400 -- are the same ones I used when shooting with the 7D, and are a terrific set of lenses that should cover a wide range of shooting situations. If you get a 100-400, you may want to hold off on getting a 70-200, depending on what you shoot. My 70-200 f/4 got a lot less use after adding the 100-400. I just use it now when I want to travel lighter and do not anticipate needing the extra reach.

As for keeping the 7D after getting a 5D3, I decided to keep mine. We like visiting the national parks a lot, and quite often I've wanted two bodies to reduce the lens changes between landscape and wildlife shooting. The plan is to use the 24-105 on the 5D3 for landscape and the 100-400 on the 7D for wildlife. If I end up not using the 7D enough, I will sell it later.

This is the kind of versatility I am anticipating by keeping both. Thanks for your input.

bmaxphoto wrote in post #14570911
Thanks guys.

For those of you who think there are features that I would not use on the 5D3, what are some reasons that other folks are raving about it? If the 7D can do everything I need, then why are other people saying the 5D3 is so much better? Help me understand what the 5D3 does better than the 7D, and then maybe I will be able to better understand why some say I don't need the FF...

I really want the full frame for portraits and for landscapes. I cannot explain it, but I just like the look of the images from the full frame more than the crop, generally speaking. I am definitely not saying crop bodies are inferior, I am just saying that there is something about the full frame images I see on here that I want to learn to produce. I don't think I'd ever be satisfied until I own a FF body...

That being said, like someone said above, the cost for long tele lenses for the FF are pretty high. I would end up using the 7D as a wildlife/sports body, and the 5D3 for all other work.

Some would say go 7D + 5D2, but I figure why not get great AF in both? If I am waiting to purchase anyway, why not wait a bit longer and get the better of the two between 5D2 and 5D3...

My thoughts anyway...if any of you can explain to me or point me in the direction of a good comparison of 7D and 5D3, I would be grateful...

I have a 7D and had a 1Ds II. I had both bodies at the same time until recently to compliment each other just as you've said the 7D and 5DIII would compliment each other for you. I like the idea of the crop for long and the FF for landscape/portrait.

With the advent of the 5DIII, my plan is now to sell the 7D and just own a 5DIII. I will miss the reach of the 7D, but the 5DIII can do anything else the 7D does for me. The 7D is a noisy body, with noise showing at a pixel level in the shadows even at ISO 100. Bump the ISO and there is noise everywhere. It doesn't show too much in a print, but it's easily visible on screen.

The 5DIII does a better job at handling noise, but it's still pretty far behind the D800 as far as that goes. I am heavily invested in Canon glass so the 5D is the way I'll go, for me the 5D III is the best option right now. The review of 5DIII vs D800 at FM, shows the sensor superiority of the Nikon body, but the photos Fred gets with the 5D are still excellent and that quality will do just fine for me. The Nikon body also will make HUGE files, and I really don't want to fill my HD that fast.

Finally if I were you, I would keep shooting with my XT and save for the 5DIII, I had an XT and it's a good little body. Build up your glass collection while using the XT, then when you've got a solid collection, and enough cash for a 5DIII go for it and enjoy the full frame goodness.

I would suggest 550D with good glass. I use a 550D with a 5D Mk III and both are excellent cameras. The 550D is a great 1.6x crop camera just like the 7D. It's much cheaper and you can spend the money on quality Canon glass. The 5D Mk III, as nice as it is, isn't great with low quality glass so you are most likely better off getting a cheaper body and better glass to really have excellent IQ.

The 7D will cover all you've described, and very well.

If you're totally itching to go full frame for portataits & landscapes, for the same price as a 5dmkiii you could have a 5dmkii .... and a 7D for everything else