Will I be frustrated with the 5d mkIIs AF?

My wife gave me the green light on the 5d mkiii, but I'm still debating between the mkiii and the mkii... I currently have a 7D, and I love the AF system on it. I still use my 40d when I shoot my company events and need a second body. The AF on it is decent, but its hard to go back to... I believe the mkii's af is similar to the 40d, is this a correct assumption?

If I go the mkii route, I would be able to pick up a new lens, or another flash with the extra money, but I'm worried I would only use the mkii for portraits and landscapes.... which may be OK since I still have my 7d... but I'd hate to spend money on a new camera and not use it a lot...

The mkiii's AF system is basically the 7D's AF on steroids and I wouldn't hesitate using it for anything and everything... it will likely make me neglect my 7D.... but i intend on keeping it anyways... I love my 10-22 and 17-55.... but my 24-105 and 70-200 would be great for the mkiii....

Oh the dilemmas...

Oh and sorry, I'm on an Android tablet and the forum search is a bit weird...

Unless you really want two bodies, sell 7d and pick 5dmk3 instead. It is pure joy to use. You would need something to replace 10-22.

Two bodies is nice to have.... gotta really think about selling my 7d.... its really hard to give up...

If you love the focus system of the 7d and the 40d is "hard to go back to", plus this is potentially going to become your new main camera, then I think you might be slightly disappointed with the 5d2. The 7d and 5d2 is a great pairing, but if you want the all in one, then you've correctly identified the 5d3 as the way to go. You may find you use the 7d less and less if you were to get the 5d3, who knows!

If my wife told me it was OK to buy a 5D3, I'd have to order it online. I would be in dire need of a shower and fresh underwear. I almost had a stroke last year when she told me to "Just go ahead and get the 100-400L. You'll get it sooner or later anyway." Dear, have you seen the new 1DX?.......?

I'm still debating which way to go... The 6D has also crossed my mind a few times...

5d mkii - $1550
6d - $2100
5d mkiii - $2975

this is how its breaking down in my mind...

5d mkii awesome IQ, very affordable price (maybe convince my wife to let me get a lens with it (doubtful, but i could try to play that card). downside is it's an aging body, future firmware updates unlikely, and the AF maybe an issue as i've grown accustomed to my 7D's AF performance...

6d, awesome IQ matching that of the mkii and mkiii... no room for a lens in this deal... AF is better than the mkii, but fewer points than the 7d, and only a single cross point at center... wifi and gps are interesting, but not necessary... the wifi phone app thing is pretty cool, but i'm not sure i'd use it that much, and gps and geo-tagging my pics... meh, i shoot pics of my son at home, don't need to worry about turning it on and off just to keep my privacy at home...no back joystick is also no bueno, but i could probably get used to it... and... for a few hundred more, i could have the mkiii

5d mkiii... IQ of course, AF of course... price totally rules out getting a lense with it, but i have a decent line up of glass for it (24-105 f4 is and 70-200 f2.8 is)...

i guess i'm just convincing myself to just get the mkiii... looking at the tech in the mkiii, and the specs, it should last me a good long time... and.. at this price tag, i think it will be a long long long long long time before i can convince my wife i need another camera... lol

cisobe wrote in post #15384416
5d mkiii... IQ of course, AF of course... price totally rules out getting a lense with it, but i have a decent line up of glass for it (24-105 f4 is and 70-200 f2.8 is)...

i guess i'm just convincing myself to just get the mkiii... looking at the tech in the mkiii, and the specs, it should last me a good long time... and.. at this price tag, i think it will be a long long long long long time before i can convince my wife i need another camera... lol

You have already good start for lenses.
And, hey You can use that a pretty good arguement "if we buy now 5D3, I dont need a new camera for a loooong time"

paulkaye wrote in post #15384451
If I were you I'd do all I can to get the 5diii - it's clearly the much better camera and if you get either of the others you'll only live to regret it.

+1, cos sounds, you want this one

Honestly, I don't know what's holding you back. If 8 FPS and the crop factor means alot to you, stick with the 7D. Personally, I'd sell the 7D, the two EF-S lenses and that 70-300. With the funds of that, you could pick up a nice L lens or a flash.

The 5D II, 5D III and 6D will all give you better image quality than the 7D. If you need decent AF, then get a 5D III and sell the two wide EF-S lenses. That should bag you enough cash for a 17-40L and a Tamron 28-85/2.8.

You are unlikely to go back to the 7D for anything other than sport and wildlife after you've had full frame, in my experience.

cisobe wrote in post #15360041
I believe the mkii's af is similar to the 40d, is this a correct assumption?.

Not entirely. The 40d AF is better. They may look similar in layout, but the 40d outer points are all cross-type points whilst on the 5dii they're all linear. As a result the 40d outer points are much more usable.

However, the 5dii's centre point is really very good.

If I were you I'd do all I can to get the 5diii - it's clearly the much better camera and if you get either of the others you'll only live to regret it.

I don't have a problem with the AF on my 5DII, it does what I ask of it. One time when at a macro class shooting a mouse on an ear of corn under brolly flash it messed me about, but switching to centre AF point solved it. I have shot motorsport using it with a 100-400 lens, which also has a "certain reputation" in torrential rain here in the UK (so not the best light in the world) and have been delighted with both.

I would certainly prefer more AF points, but thats a slightly different issue. My introduction to Canon was the 45 point Eos-3 so I've been spoiled!

When you use the 5D3 you will never go back to the 7D. Just sell it and be done with it.

Since you already used the AF on the 7D, this pretty much negates a 5D2 as you will hate it. Same thing for 6D as it only as 11 AF points with 1 cross type.

Your "no additional lenses with the 5D3" could easily be resolved by selling the 7D and EF-S lenses you have. You already have the 70-200 and 24-105, so that takes care of the most used focal range. Buy a wide angle 16-35 L lens and a flash with the extra cash (maybe even a 600EX-RT).

Gregg.Siam wrote in post #15384536
When you use the 5D3 you will never go back to the 7D. Just sell it and be done with it.

Since you already used the AF on the 7D, this pretty much negates a 5D2 as you will hate it. Same thing for 6D as it only as 11 AF points with 1 cross type.

Your "no additional lenses with the 5D3" could easily be resolved by selling the 7D and EF-S lenses you have. You already have the 70-200 and 24-105, so that takes care of the most used focal range. Buy a wide angle 16-35 L lens and a flash with the extra cash (maybe even a 600EX-RT).

LoL, until i have my mkiii in my hands, and I'm comfortable with it, my 7d is going no where... its an awesome camera... and i can't foresee giving it up...lol... now, selling my 40D, 17-55, 10-22 and 70-300 is a viable option :P out of those, i think i'd miss my 17-55 the most...

my wife just emailed me, telling me she signed up for a 5% cash back promo for our discover card, couple that with the 2% rewards from amazon, and i think it ends up being a pretty good deal! just gotta bide my time till the 22nd i guess...

My two main bodies are 7D and 5D2, both of which are limited more by my eye and technique than their own shortfalls. The 5D2 needs a little more thought at the input stage and the 7D (possibly) a little more at output. If you expect huge differences in IQ between the 7D and 5D2/3, I think you will be disappointed. My experience is that for normal print sizes, the difference is hardly significant. In my own case, FF was a way to get more out of the widest lenses that I own.

Would I buy a 5D3 if I could afford to? Probably. Would I replace both with one 5D3? Definitely not.

cisobe wrote in post #15360041
I believe the mkii's af is similar to the 40d, is this a correct assumption?

The mkiii's AF system is basically the 7D's AF on steroids ...

Another reply commented that the 5D2 AF was more limited than the 40D, so a step back. The 5D3 AF is also not similar to the 7D. Rather, it is the same system as used in the 1DX... so significantly more advanced. I just started using it, coming from using 1D series bodies for years, and it is amazing... way better than anything I've used before. I do indoor sports in bad lighting and it doesn't miss.

That said, the 7D isn't bad, and does give you more reach... I'm considering picking one back up specifically for birding. All indications are a new one is coming though in the spring. You may want to sell both to get the 5D3 and wait a few months to save for 7D2. I did that... sold a 1D3 and 50D to go to the 5D3.