Talk me out of it.

I love my 7D, I bought it for action photography and it's been brilliant. Then I craved for a full frame and bought the 5D mk3 and I've been amazed at its performance. Although it has a slower frame rate, I get alot more keepers with it, and I love the look and colour and richness of the photographs even more than my 7D. I never thought I would consider selling the 7D but I'm starting to think I really dont need it anymore. Trouble is, it's now 3 years old and probably taken at least 40,000 photos. The new price has dropped so much that although it's been well cared for and has nothing wrong with it I cant imagine I'd get much for it. Should I just pack it away and keep it in case something happens to my new best friend, or just cut it loose and sell it off.

It's always good to have a backup and if you really need the fund then sell it. But if not, keep it as a backup. Or if there is a lens you want, you can always sell it and pick up another lens.

Nah, keep it the "reach" of a crop can come in handy. If I hadn't needed to sell my T2i back when I did, I would have kept it as a backup body. I can see how they are useful, if anything just to carry another lens so you dont have to choose one lens over the other for a shoot, or waste time changing lenses.

I would keep it for the reach you get from it, 1.6 crop is a hell of a reach, but on the other hand, try to see what price you could sell it, maybe you'll get good money, for a second hand camera.
Tough decision!
Personally I don't like carrying 2 cameras.
And if you sell it, buy those new compact camera that has a vintage look, like the fujifilm or leica, they are amazing and real low price!
You can carry them around and look classy!!!!!

I really don't see a need for a backup camera unless you shoot events for pay. Even though the camera price drop, you holding onto your camera will not help with future sale price. If you don't need it, sell it. Buy again if you should ever need it for a lot lower price. I'm sure in the future, you will decide to get a different camera then the 7D if your 5D3 should ever break.

If you're an enthusiast or hobbyist, why do you need a back-up for? It's not like you are liable for not able to capture an image.

Money talks BS walks. If you don't need it, lose it. There's only one way camera body value goes. And it's not up.

Great to have as a backup - but if you think you want to sell it NOW IS THE TIME!!
It will only go down in price as new models come out - plus with the new firmware upgrade its stock has gone up a little!

I kept my 7D for the reach and as a backup. I'm a hobbyist but shoot a lot of events where I use both cameras. For example, I recently shot Dragon Boat Races - had a 100-400 on the 7D, and a 24-105 on the 5D. Best of both worlds.

jmark252 wrote in post #15085733
I kept my 7D for the reach and as a backup. I'm a hobbyist but shoot a lot of events where I use both cameras. For example, I recently shot Dragon Boat Races - had a 100-400 on the 7D, and a 24-105 on the 5D. Best of both worlds.

Ditto on a FF and 7D.

You can always sell it to a newcomer (<---me) for cheap

I think that if you don't pull it out once a month and use it - for something, then you really should sell it.

If you use it every now and again, certainly keep it. But in the end, if you aren't using it, it's just going to waste. Having a backup is nice, but it needs to be used periodically...

drive_75 wrote in post #15085585
I really don't see a need for a backup camera unless you shoot events for pay.

delhi wrote in post #15085597
If you're an enthusiast or hobbyist, why do you need a back-up for? It's not like you are liable for not able to capture an image.

5D2/17-40 & 450D/85 or 100 macro for landscape/coastal/natu​re walks...
5D2/50 & 450D/70-200 for car shows with track action...
5D2/50 & 450D/85 for portraits...

I quite like the ideal of a second body if funds can allow it. Maybe you will get away with selling the 7D & picking up another [lesser] used body...??

What sports do you shoot? What conditions do you work in?

Having used a full frame camera several times, and now owning a 7D, I really want something like a 5DmkII or mkIII, but I expect I will keep the 7D for telephoto sport shots.

I am in photography purely for the hobby. I have strict rules when it comes to shooting that I am Never responsible for providing shots. Sure, I will come to your event and take photos on my own dime, but if you absolutely MUST have decent photos of the event, then you shell out and hire an actual photographer to do work as well. And I still very much want to always own at least two cameras.

Why do I want two cameras? Because I like photography. I don't get out and take photos nearly as much as I want, but if I go somewhere that is going to be important to me I sure don't want to be stuck with a single broken camera, and then say "Oh well, guess we'll do this once in a lifetime thing again month when I have this repaired."

I also have my old T3 on loan to a friend from university who loves photography, but hasn't yet been able to get her own.

Having two or three cameras is not something suitable only for professionals. Personally I expect in ten years to own at least a medium format film, large format film, and possibly a truck sized plate camera/mobile darkroom.


So here is the question to ask yourself: What will bring you more in your hobby/life? Selling the camera now for something else, or keeping it and continuing to use it?

I really think a FF with 24-70 and crop with 70-200 gives you a great combo. 24mm-320mm 2.8 capable range. If I did events then that's what I would have.

I really think the 7dmk2 will basically be a cropped 5d3. Then a 5d3/7d2 would be a perfect pair.

I should add, I'm purely a hobbyist. I shoot mainly whippet racing for fun, a very few people have bought some photos of their own dogs but not many. I've started watermarking my photos so people wont steal them as readily.
Right now, I am still using the 7D but the other day I'd been shooting with the 5D and when the card was full switched over to the 7D and that's when I really noticed the difference. I thought I had very similar settings on them, but the 7D overexposed and just couldn't keep up the way the 5D could. It's the first time the thought of selling it popped into my head.