Will I be overwhelmed by the 7D as a newbie?

I'm looking into buying a new dSLR that I can take solid pictures now, have it grow when I learn from it, and have it relatively future proof. I haven't shot with an SLR for a number of years, then saw my sister shooting nice pictures with a D7000 during a recent family outing. I dusted off my existing SLR (XTi), attached the kit lens, and got out there. Shot almost entirely in auto mode but I'm very willing to learn.

I signed up for classes through Groupon and it's a 4 part class, 2 hours each class. It'll take me mostly through the basics. My wife and I are also expecting our first in March, so I would want something that I can practice on now and be able to take solid pictures when the big day comes.

A breakdown of what I plan on taking pictures of
70% family/people/baby next year
20% landscape/architecture​/buildings
10% action/sports

Some things I'm looking for
- Solid build. My XTi feels a little cheap in my hands. I went to Best Buy/Costco to feel and hold the various cameras they have there. The 650D felt a little more solid, they had a 60D which feels very solid in my hands. I'm planning a trip to B&H this weekend to get a feel on more.
- Video. It doesn't have to be the best video just HD that I can take short clips of my kid. Don't plan on anything more than a couple of minutes at a time. Obviously I know that video is a secondary feature of a SLR and to expect something better I'd probably be better off with a camcorder.
- Relatively future proof. I know all the sayings when it comes to shooting (lens is more important than body, the shooter is more important than the gear, etc). I would want this body to last me 3-5 years on the short end, the longer the better. I know that the camera came out in 2009 but with the new FW released it looks like it's given the 7D a breath of fresh air.

My budget's around $2000-2500 initially. I plan on getting the body, the Canon 17-55, maybe the new 40mm pancake to start. I plan on adding the 10-22 and the 55-250 later on, but maybe not until next year. This is a comfortable budget that I've been saving for a while.

So going by some pricing research
7D - $1000-1200
Canon 17-55 - $800-1000
Decent CF cards - $50-80

I have a Manfrotto 7322YB M-Y Tripod with Ball Head tripod already which I'll probably have to upgrade in the future.

Couple of questions though.

1. Is the 7D somewhat new shooter friendly? I know that I can probably just get the 650D or even the t3i, but I want something that feels really solid and I keep on hearing that the 7D is currently the top APS-C camera now. I don't really care too much about the rumored 7DII since right now crop vs. FF doesn't really matter to me. The one thing that may interest me is the 70D but I have a feeling that it'll be priced in the $1200-1500 range for body only. Will I be able to pick this up as a newbie, slap on the 17-55 and take decent shots? I know a lot of the work is done in PP, but I don't want to be so overwhelmed and take pictures that I could've done just as well or even better on a simple $200 P&S.

2. Should I just get 1 32GB or should I get 2 16GB CF cards? I'm not that familiar with LR or PS but hopefully I can learn on the fly a little bit. So I will shoot in Raw + JPEG, just not sure how much editing I'll actually be doing.

3. Will the built-in flash suffice for now? Again as a beginner I'm not too familar with the science behind using flash. I can pickup a 270EXII or even a 430EXII, but I'd rather keep the gear to a minimum if possibly, especially if I have to start carrying baby gear at the same time.

Should I go for the 7D + 17/55 package now? Should I wait to see what the 70D looks like? Or should I just get a t3i or t4i or something in that range, learn, and then upgrade the body in 2-3 years? I know that some of you might say that I should skip this altogether and just get the 5DII or something like that, but right now I'm not really interested in FF.

Thank you all for your time and insight! I look forward to being a more active member of the community.

7d is gonna eat you alive if you are not careful with AF-ing and exposure. Why because it has more CFns dedicated to AF than the entire Rebel CFns combined.
It doesn't even have the Running Man, Mountain View, Portrait etc modes. So if you are just learning, you are gonna be bummed out. It annoys the POTN-ers seeing noobies coming out on here posting how bad their 7ds are when 99.9999% it's the user themselves.

Therefore I would recommend you to get a EOS 60d. It's friendlier. Does 70% what a 7d does to an expert shooter. 90% to what a enthusiast hobbyist and 99.99999% of what a noobie would ever expect it to do. In fact the flip out LCD screen is really great for hdslr.

Not at all.. the 7D was the first camera I ever bought. And I had no problem with the learning curve at all.. Just read the manual, use the search on here, and you will be fine. Plus I was being asked to shot a local 5k, within the first month of owning it and had no problems at all. all the hype about a learning curve is just that hype.
If you are intutive, willing to learn you will be fine.
I think it's gets that rap when someone gets it and comes on here asking a question without reading the manual or experimenting on their own.

Download the manual for the 7D, gives a pretty good insight into what you'd be letting yourself in for.

TMaG82 wrote in post #14912738
...I haven't shot with an SLR for a number of years, ... I dusted off my existing SLR (XTi), attached the kit lens, and got out there. Shot almost entirely in auto mode but I'm very willing to learn.

I signed up for classes through Groupon and it's a 4 part class, 2 hours each class. It'll take me mostly through the basics. My wife and I are also expecting our first in March, so I would want something that I can practice on now and be able to take solid pictures when the big day comes. ...

IMO, this is what you should address first, not new gear. You can take solid pictures with your XTi. If you want to buy something now on the path you want to go, go ahead and get the 17-55 to replace your kit lens and get out there and learn.

Once you learn more, and know more, you will discover in which areas the XTi is limiting you. That will guide you to the next camera body.

Of course, that does not address your need to keep up with your sister! In that case, go right for the 5DIII!

It depends how much time you're prepared to commit to the learning curve. The 7D was my first DSLR late last year. Prior to that it was point and shoot or cellphone cameras. What I found useful when I started with the 7D was to use the auto mode for any given situation, see what the camera suggested for the settings and then use that as a baseline in manual mode whilst slowly changing the various settings to see what effect that would have.
If you really want to learn I say go for it. You'll get loads of help on this forum. The critique section is great when you're starting out looking for pointers to improve (and don't be afraid to ask basic questions, everyone starts somewhere). Just be prepared to spend a lot of time learning how to get the best out of the 7D. It's a great camera and you'll really enjoy it.

1. The 7d AF can be difficult to use and if the mkii features the 1dx/5diii AF then I would highly prefer it to the current 7d. Even the current rebel line could last you 3-5 years. I still use a 5d and that's 7 year old technology. I think the 60d is probably sufficient given the pics you take and should last you quite a while. Even the t2i or t3i would suffice though build quality isn't what you're looking for.

2. 2 16gb might be better as if one dies you still have another to shoot with.

3. The built in flash works moderately well. It's best to use the flash off camera but at least with something like a 430EXII you can bounce them off the ceiling or a wall and get better pics.

The 55-250 is a decent lens but if you get the 7d then it kinda hobbles the AF. It would be better to get the 70-200f4 IME.

Have you looked at the T4i?

If you have the budget....get any XD camera and learn it. That saves time and cost compared to purchasing a XXXD or XXD body and replacing it in a year or two. You can learn about photography and the 7D specifics with books, videos (there are several on the 7D), and at local photo clubs and shops (that hold training classes). Get together with other local 7D owners and do "meet ups" at local sites. Check Amazon for the books and videos.

Yes, provided you take learning the camera's (any camera's) operation a step at a time. A third party book specific to your camera will offer insights that the manual doesn't. It helped me. But don't judge how well it helped me by the pictures I take... I'm a lost cause.

I would definitely get the EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 first and start using it with your XTi.

As far as the move to the 7D is concerned, I came from a Rebel XSi and I didn't have any problems. However, I was well past using the "Auto" mode on the XSi. With what you learn in the coming photo classes, I think that you'll do fine with the 7D.

Definitely get an external flash, like the 430 EX II! With the new one on the way you'll be taking lots of photos and the capability to bounce your flash will make a lot of difference in your photos!

Good luck!

Yogi

The 7D is a fine camera for a beginner, if that is what you need. If you don't know WHY you need a 7D, you don't need a 7D. However, if you want one, and can afford it, buy it. Your question was about 'learning' the 7D. Learning anything is a return-on-investment venture. You could spend no time trying to learn your 7D, always shoot it in Green Square mode and never learn anything about it. Or you could read the manual, try things, read again, experiment and in a year's time, be the most proficient 7D user on the planet. That process has nothing to do with the camera; it applies to any camera, even your XTi. It is all about you.

That said, I would stick with the XTi until you know what features you want/need in your new camera. Then go shopping. What if you buy a 7D and find you really need the capabilities of the 1DX, or that you would have been completely happy with a T4i? The 7D will have been money ill-spent.

As I said above, if you want a 7D and you can afford a 7D, go buy the 7D. It is a fine camera, I am sure. I want a 5D3. I can afford a 5D3. As soon as they show up on Canon refurb, I will be buying a 5D3. And no, I don't need a 5D3.

Gaarryy wrote in post #14912897
Not at all.. the 7D was the first camera I ever bought. And I had no problem with the learning curve at all.. Just read the manual, use the search on here, and you will be fine. Plus I was being asked to shot a local 5k, within the first month of owning it and had no problems at all. all the hype about a learning curve is just that hype.
If you are intutive, willing to learn you will be fine.
I think it's gets that rap when someone gets it and comes on here asking a question without reading the manual or experimenting on their own.

Geejay wrote in post #14912909
Download the manual for the 7D, gives a pretty good insight into what you'd be letting yourself in for.

As these two posts show, everyone is different. I went from a Rebel to a 1D and have had nothing but positive experiences with it. Learning the new body is some work, and I'm still not an expert with the subtleties in all the AF settings (lots of them are similar to 7D settings). The point being, even when I realized after the fact that I had some setting "wrong," the thing is still so damned fast that my keeper rate is much higher than with my T2i.

I think that if you get into that level of camera body, you'll probably have a better experience if you're willing to take camera settings on as a side-hobby, just to really know and understand what will change with each setting. This is more than manuals and tutorials, but actually shooting and realizing the different behaviors from each setting.

If you're curious, download the 7D manual and read it a couple times. If the C.Fn stuff makes you hungry, dive right in. If it scares you, maybe go for a used 60D to hold you over until you're feeling limited by it.

DON'T BUY THE 7D!

Keep your XTI for now. Sure it may not "feel great," but functionally if you have no idea how to use your current camera yet, you aren't going to get a benefit dropping over a grand on a new body. By the time you actually learn everything about your camera, depending on how quick a study you are, and how much time you want to put into it, the 7D MK IV will be out for half the money, and it will be able to shoot through walls, make you a coffee, and drive you car for you.

As for video, unless you are preparred to manual focus on a child running around, I would drop a bit of money into a seperate easy to use video camera. The new AF capable video on the t4i may change this a bit, but DSLR video wasn't really designed to be point and record "camcorder" easy.

If you must go out and drop some coin, I would put it into a few decent lenses, like the aformentioned 17-55 and a 70-200 F4 IS L, and mabye a low light prime like a 50 1.4, and a decent external flash. Those items will last you a lot longer, let you shoot a lot more, and keep their value much better, than going out and buying a shiny new body.

If you have to get a camera with better ergonomics, buy a used 40D or maybe 50D. Spend $350 today and by the time you know how to use the camera to its fullest potential, or even decently, it will have been a year or more, you might lose $100 selling it, to buy whatever the newest greatest camera is by then. Or you can lose an easy $500+ buying a 7D by the time you actually know how to use it.

delhi wrote in post #14912823
7d is gonna eat you alive if you are not careful with AF-ing and exposure.

Love it, adding to sig.

I went from an XSi to 7D. There is definitely a learning curve but not too bad if your know the basics. I was also thinking about getting a 60d but since video wasn't a big deal I skipped it. Besides I got an awesome deal on mine it was a no brainer.