Best body for Moving Objects?

Am into taking pics of Motorsport (Rallying) & Trains. I currently have an EOS550D but am thinking of upgrading. Just want to know which body would be more suited to my subjects. 5D MK2, 7D or 60D
I already have the lenses I need (I think) 10-22 EF-S (Which I know won't work on a 5D MK2) 24-105L, 50mm f1.4, 70-200 f4L, 1.4X Tele.

All advice will be gladly received.

Kind regards, Kevin

Out of the 3 you have listed, the 7d is your best option based on the autofocus system.

5D II is a bit slower on burst mode compare to 2X D bodies (And 7D that is one of them in disguise).
But sensor is much better in 5D when noise is an issue specially in dark.
Do the math.
I guess 7D should world very fine for you.

The best option is the 7D. Predecessor Auto Focus System of the 1Dx and 5D Mark III.
It raised the bar of Auto Focus. Highly recommend.

Out of those three, the 7D

Many thanks, My budget wouldn't stretch to a 5D 3 unfortunately I'm kind of leaning towards the 7D at the mo plainly because of the AF. I always use centre point focus & sometimes use back button (When I remember) I am happy with the 550D but am struggling to change the settings quickly when needed.

The 7D is the best of the 3 you mention for it's AF speed and tracking abilities. It's AF also can be tweaked to optimize performance in different situations... which can work well if you know what you are doing or be a disaster if you don't. Most Canon cameras other than 1D use a single processor for AF and image handling duties. The 7D is built for speed... It's the only non-1-series camera to date with a discrete AF chip, and that helps with performance. However, 7D also is the most demanding camera of the three. You'll need to spend more time learning to use it well, it is the least "point n shoot", the most "pro-oriented" APS-C model Canon has ever offered, a lot of it related to the AF system.

The 60D's AF is also very capable for sports/action, just is less customizable than the 7D's and has fewer points (9 vs 19)... Easier to use in some respects, than 7D.

60D inherited it's AF system from 40D and 50D, which are also quite good for action/sports... A very similar AF system has since been passed along to the 650D/T4i, too.

5DII is not a camera I'd recommend for motorsports. Action photography just isn't the 5DII's forté. It's only partially about the AF systems.... For sports/action I would also rather have the "extra reach" of a crop camera any day. I would be more inclined to use a 7D or a 1D model than any available Canon FF models (even 5DII and 1DX). If you were to switch to FF, I guarantee you'll be spending another $1000 minimum on a longer tele too. Then maybe a tripod or monopod to sit it on. Etc.

A high frame rate has little to do with it most of the time, but can be nice to have when you need it. 7D gives up to 8 fps (varies under some conditions). 60D gives just over 5 fps. 5DII provides almost 4 fps, is pretty close to the same as your present camera.

Hand in hand with frame rate is the camera's buffer size... how many images it can hold in it's buffer before the camera slows down... Comparing the models in question and your current camera, 7D has the largest/fastest buffer: 25 RAW files (with latest firmware). 60D handles 16 RAW. 5D Mark II handles 14. And your 550D handles 6 RAW.

Shooting action, "shutter lag" is important... This is how quickly a camera responds to you pressing the shutter release. With action photography you want as little delay as possible, to be able to time your shots for fleeting moments. For comparison, Canon 1D Mark IV has a shutter lag around 40 to 55 milliseconds. 7D uses a similar release for a lag of about 59ms. 60D is also about 59ms. 5D Mark II as a little slower at 73ms, but that's a smidge better than 550D/T2i at 90ms.

Why would you switch back and forth between back button focusing? I switched to BBF years ago and after learning to use it, never looked back... use it for everything (well, except Live View and a lot of macro/manual focus)... Can't recall the last time I switched BBF off on one of my cameras. No, wait, I can recall... It was at an event about two years ago when I lent a camera to someone who was unfamiliar with BBF and didn't know how to use it.

Yeah, with 550D I can see why you would use center point only most of the time. It's the only "dual axis" point on that camera. The 5DII is similar... 9 AF points with only the center one dual axis (however 5DII and 5D classic both actually have 6 more "hidden" AF points that can optionally be used, two of which are dual axis... those only work in AI Servo mode, but really don't help all that much with action/sports).

I gotta say, though, that I still use center point only most of the time. Shooting fast at sports/action events, there often just isn't time to change AF points and the center one is my "default". I do try to frame a little more loosely, to have room to crop for better composition later, when needed (I don't like to always end up with the subject perfectly centered, which is a tendency when primarily using only the center AF point).

In 60D (and 40D, 50D, 650D/T4i) all 9 points are dual axis, so you might not feel as limited to using only the center one. In 7D, all 19 points are dual axis. In both 7D and 60D, the center point is further enhanced "diagonal" dual axis. (For comparison, In 5D Mark III you'll find 61 AF points, up to 41 of which are dual axis type... There are several diagonal dual axis, too. But it varies a bit depending upon the max aperture of the lens being used. The 6D has 11 AF points, only the center one being dual axis. It does enjoy better peripheral AF point performance than the 5DII, though... probalby thanks to a newer generation processor as much as anything.)

Low light focusing capabilities vary too... the 5DIII, 6D are rated by Canon to -3 EV. The 7D, 60D and 5DII are rated to -1 EV. Your 550D is rated to -0.5 EV. Using 7D and 5DII alongside each other, I find that the 5DII is able to focus in slightly lower light than the 7D... though it does slow down quite a bit.

The 7D and 60D both use a 63 zone iFCL metering system that's very similar to what's in your 550D. One small difference, the spot metering area of both is smaller than that of your camera. The 7D has one of the smallest (most precise) spot meters of any APS-C crop camera. The 5DII uses an older 35 zone metering system, which really isn't all that different in use. It also enjoys a fairly precise spot meter. I think the newer metering system handles some situations a little better, one example being strong backlighting. I feel the 7D handles that pretty well, a little better than the earlier metered cameras.

Your 550D, like all cameras in that series, uses a penta-mirror based viewfinder both to keep cost and size/weight to a minimum. The 60D, 7D and 5DII all use true pentaprisms that make for bigger/brighter viewfinders. The 7D's is a 100% viewfinder, one of the largest on any APS-C camera. It's add'l brightness is offset a bit by use of a transmissive/active matrix LCD focus screen (the AF point layout changes as you configure it differently, for example... it also displays a grid on demand, and even an electronic level). The 5DII, as a full frame camera with a standard focus screen, has one of the biggest and brightest viewfinders of any DSLR, though it's not 100% (it's very close at 98%). 60D has a 96% viewfinder. Your camera has a 95% VF.

In conclusion, you'd find the 60D a very nice upgrade and quite usable for motorsports. The 7D would be even more of an upgrade, but brings with it more complexity and the need to "take command" of the camera, it offers less support for less experienced users. For several reasons, I just wouldn't recommend the 5DII for your purposes (not knocking it... I have one and it's a great camera for other purposes).

Another vote for the 7D, both on AF and FPS

7D all the way, the AF is awesome.

Agreed, the 7D is an easy choice here.

one more for the 7D

Currently i'm using a 7D, i'm waiting to see if an updated 7D is going to be released before getting a second body....because if i did move FF it would be a 1Dx but i don't have that kind of funds for a hobby.

I find myself PP every image.

HTTP response: NOT FOUND | MIME changed to 'image/png'

If I would have to take into account both image quality and AF (and only new bodies), then this would be my top 3 for shooting sports:

1) 1Dx
2) 5D3
3) 7D

The 7D. Love the AF on it. And it will help if you decide to add a 5D3 later.

amfoto1 wrote in post #15672081
The 7D is the best of the 3 you mention for it's AF speed and tracking abilities. It's AF also can be tweaked to optimize performance in different situations... which can work well if you know what you are doing or be a disaster if you don't. Most Canon cameras other than 1D use a single processor for AF and image handling duties. The 7D is built for speed... It's the only non-1-series camera to date with a discrete AF chip, and that helps with performance. However, 7D also is the most demanding camera of the three. You'll need to spend more time learning to use it well, it is the least "point n shoot", the most "pro-oriented" APS-C model Canon has ever offered, a lot of it related to the AF system.

The 60D's AF is also very capable for sports/action, just is less customizable than the 7D's and has fewer points (9 vs 19)... Easier to use in some respects, than 7D.

60D inherited it's AF system from 40D and 50D, which are also quite good for action/sports... A very similar AF system has since been passed along to the 650D/T4i, too.

5DII is not a camera I'd recommend for motorsports. Action photography just isn't the 5DII's forté. It's only partially about the AF systems.... For sports/action I would also rather have the "extra reach" of a crop camera any day. I would be more inclined to use a 7D or a 1D model than any available Canon FF models (even 5DII and 1DX). If you were to switch to FF, I guarantee you'll be spending another $1000 minimum on a longer tele too. Then maybe a tripod or monopod to sit it on. Etc.

A high frame rate has little to do with it most of the time, but can be nice to have when you need it. 7D gives up to 8 fps (varies under some conditions). 60D gives just over 5 fps. 5DII provides almost 4 fps, is pretty close to the same as your present camera.

Hand in hand with frame rate is the camera's buffer size... how many images it can hold in it's buffer before the camera slows down... Comparing the models in question and your current camera, 7D has the largest/fastest buffer: 25 RAW files (with latest firmware). 60D handles 16 RAW. 5D Mark II handles 14. And your 550D handles 6 RAW.

Shooting action, "shutter lag" is important... This is how quickly a camera responds to you pressing the shutter release. With action photography you want as little delay as possible, to be able to time your shots for fleeting moments. For comparison, Canon 1D Mark IV has a shutter lag around 40 to 55 milliseconds. 7D uses a similar release for a lag of about 59ms. 60D is also about 59ms. 5D Mark II as a little slower at 73ms, but that's a smidge better than 550D/T2i at 90ms.

Why would you switch back and forth between back button focusing? I switched to BBF years ago and after learning to use it, never looked back... use it for everything (well, except Live View and a lot of macro/manual focus)... Can't recall the last time I switched BBF off on one of my cameras. No, wait, I can recall... It was at an event about two years ago when I lent a camera to someone who was unfamiliar with BBF and didn't know how to use it.

Yeah, with 550D I can see why you would use center point only most of the time. It's the only "dual axis" point on that camera. The 5DII is similar... 9 AF points with only the center one dual axis (however 5DII and 5D classic both actually have 6 more "hidden" AF points that can optionally be used, two of which are dual axis... those only work in AI Servo mode, but really don't help all that much with action/sports).

I gotta say, though, that I still use center point only most of the time. Shooting fast at sports/action events, there often just isn't time to change AF points and the center one is my "default". I do try to frame a little more loosely, to have room to crop for better composition later, when needed (I don't like to always end up with the subject perfectly centered, which is a tendency when primarily using only the center AF point).

In 60D (and 40D, 50D, 650D/T4i) all 9 points are dual axis, so you might not feel as limited to using only the center one. In 7D, all 19 points are dual axis. In both 7D and 60D, the center point is further enhanced "diagonal" dual axis. (For comparison, In 5D Mark III you'll find 61 AF points, up to 41 of which are dual axis type... There are several diagonal dual axis, too. But it varies a bit depending upon the max aperture of the lens being used. The 6D has 11 AF points, only the center one being dual axis. It does enjoy better peripheral AF point performance than the 5DII, though... probalby thanks to a newer generation processor as much as anything.)

Low light focusing capabilities vary too... the 5DIII, 6D are rated by Canon to -3 EV. The 7D, 60D and 5DII are rated to -1 EV. Your 550D is rated to -0.5 EV. Using 7D and 5DII alongside each other, I find that the 5DII is able to focus in slightly lower light than the 7D... though it does slow down quite a bit.

The 7D and 60D both use a 63 zone iFCL metering system that's very similar to what's in your 550D. One small difference, the spot metering area of both is smaller than that of your camera. The 7D has one of the smallest (most precise) spot meters of any APS-C crop camera. The 5DII uses an older 35 zone metering system, which really isn't all that different in use. It also enjoys a fairly precise spot meter. I think the newer metering system handles some situations a little better, one example being strong backlighting. I feel the 7D handles that pretty well, a little better than the earlier metered cameras.

Your 550D, like all cameras in that series, uses a penta-mirror based viewfinder both to keep cost and size/weight to a minimum. The 60D, 7D and 5DII all use true pentaprisms that make for bigger/brighter viewfinders. The 7D's is a 100% viewfinder, one of the largest on any APS-C camera. It's add'l brightness is offset a bit by use of a transmissive/active matrix LCD focus screen (the AF point layout changes as you configure it differently, for example... it also displays a grid on demand, and even an electronic level). The 5DII, as a full frame camera with a standard focus screen, has one of the biggest and brightest viewfinders of any DSLR, though it's not 100% (it's very close at 98%). 60D has a 96% viewfinder. Your camera has a 95% VF.

In conclusion, you'd find the 60D a very nice upgrade and quite usable for motorsports. The 7D would be even more of an upgrade, but brings with it more complexity and the need to "take command" of the camera, it offers less support for less experienced users. For several reasons, I just wouldn't recommend the 5DII for your purposes (not knocking it... I have one and it's a great camera for other purposes).

Wow, Many thanks for this. Very informative indeed. Truly appreciated. All the other answers are also equally appreciated.
So, It is looking that for my needs, a 7D is the way to go. I am not scared about learning a new camera & tend to do so rather quickly I will also be able to use all my current lenses with it which is a bonus.

Many, many thanks.

Kind regards, Kevin