5DII > 7D Temporarily?

Up until the last year or so, I've been almost exclusively interested in landscape photography. However, I've been working at a new job more than I ever have plus I have two kids under the age of two. I'm just beat and don't feel like waking up at 4AM or earlier every weekend like I used to and I like to spend time with my kids while they're awake so I'm missing the evening golden hours too. Lately, my shooting has been more of my family and some hunting dog stuff where my 5DII autofocus has been failing me more often than I'd like.

I borrowed my neighbors 5DIII and wow, that thing was sweet. I mean, everything that bothers me about my 5DII was non-existent but I can't quite swing another 1.7k out of pocket right now (read: two kids under two and a wife who is a stay at home mom). So, I was thinking I could get a 7D + 10-22 for just a couple hundred bucks more than I could get for selling my 5DII and maybe I'd be happy with that until I could afford the 5DIII. I'd get better autofocus for kids and dogs and also the 10-22 for the few times I imagine I'll be shooting landscapes in the near future.

I currently have a 24-70II and 100-400 on my 5DII and would like to avoid selling either one since I'll be getting a 5DIII and maybe another ZE21 with part of my bonus check in January. Just thinking about a temporary solution here.

And, I know I'm the only one that can really decide for me but I'm just interested to hear what other folks would do in my shoes.

Thanks!

Whoops, thought I was in the camera forum not the lens forum! I'll leave it open instead of making another thread but maybe a mod could move this if they see it?

Used 7D? I would get used or refurb through the CLP if you have an old broken Canon if it is just temporary.

If not used...well, the 70D is coming. Tomorrow, if the rumors hold true and it sounds like they will.

Keyan wrote in post #16081214
Used 7D? I would get used or refurb through the CLP if you have an old broken Canon if it is just temporary.

If not used...well, the 70D is coming. Tomorrow, if the rumors hold true and it sounds like they will.

Yes, definitely used - would like to keep my budget in that neighborhood so I can also get a 10-22 with the sale of my 5DII. I'll keep my eye on the announcements, however.

Short: Don't do it.

I had the dilemma 7D vs. 5D2 vs 5D3.

I had the chance to try the 7D, sure its a great camera, but it is not superior to the 5D2.
For landscapes and portraits the 5D2 is much more better. As for autofocus. the 7D is better, but not by that much. Its better for sports, but hey, the 5D2 is still good for sports (exept the Burst, but then again, one ust decide, do I make "video" (8fps), or pictures.)

I wanted to upgrade my 40D... I tought the 7D would be great.
Then I tried a 5D2, and I find its much better. Then there is the 5D3, well, thats an Epic camera.
Sadly I did not have the money to get a 5D3, so I went 5D2, and I am loving it.
As for the 7D... Its a great camera for sure, but i am glad i got the 5D2.

just work through your problems with the 5D2 until you can afford the 5d3. kids do the same things over and over again. I've got 3 and a stay at home wife too, and I'de go to a 5Dc before 7D.

Better anticipation/more DOF should get you what you want.

If your kids are under 2 and your 5d2 isn't keeping up now, wait until they get older. They aren't going to slow down when they get older. I have a 6 year old, a 3 year old, and a new born and my 7D keeps up just fine. I'd love to have a 5D3 right now, and plan on getting one down the line, but I wouldn't want less than the 7D's AF system with 'can't sit still' kids.

FEChariot wrote in post #16081303
If your kids are under 2 and your 5d2 isn't keeping up now, wait until they get older. They aren't going to slow down when they get older. I have a 6 year old, a 3 year old, and a new born and my 7D keeps up just fine. I'd love to have a 5D3 right now, and plan on getting one down the line, but I wouldn't want less than the 7D's AF system with 'can't sit still' kids.

there are still ways to capture kids, and relatively easy, even on a 5D2.

have lots of DOF and high shutter speeds. Your AF accuracy doesnt need to be super accurate to do this, and the 5D center point can hang with the best.

If I'm doing F1.2 AI servo from 5 feet away, my keeper rate wont be that high

it's as simple as working with your deficiencies.

What the 5D2 will NEVER give you, is the burst rate... it's helpful if you are the spray and pray type. Personally, never used it once on my faster bodies.

FEChariot wrote in post #16081303
If your kids are under 2 and your 5d2 isn't keeping up now, wait until they get older. They aren't going to slow down when they get older. I have a 6 year old, a 3 year old, and a new born and my 7D keeps up just fine. I'd love to have a 5D3 right now, and plan on getting one down the line, but I wouldn't want less than the 7D's AF system with 'can't sit still' kids.

This brings up another concern I have - maybe my 5DII needs a checkup? Typical indoor lighting conditions where I'd say my 5DII has trouble are f2.8 ISO 800-1600, 1/100. It has trouble in these conditions whether the kids are still or running without flash focus assist. Sure, the shots are useable but they're rarely critically sharp in these conditions like the 5DIII was consistently capable of.

Or, are my expectations just too large? I just don't feel like the center point should have as much trouble as it does under these conditions.

5D2 isnt completely helpless

1116 x 1714

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Sorry, I am not one to buy into the hype that a "real phototgrapher" need a FF body. I do not hsve one, or want one and this is not necessarliyl about cost. I hve a 7D and a 60D and am more than happy. it is afterall, about lenses. See my gear list,

I've had the 7D for several years, and this winter bought a 5D2 at a great price thinking I'd use that for landscape photography and keep the 7D for kids, sports and other fast things. After a while I decided to give one of the bodies up as I wasn't really making use of both. I have good lenses, and I just didn't feel the 5D2 was giving me anything over the 7D, yet I was giving up burst rate, AF flexibility, and built in off camera flash control. So the 5D2 is up for sale and I'll stick with the 7D until something better come along (or the 5D3 comes down in price).

Charlie wrote in post #16081359
have lots of DOF and high shutter speeds. Your AF accuracy doesnt need to be super accurate to do this, and the 5D center point can hang with the best.

Then why not get a G15? Everything is in focus even with its 1.8-2.8 lens giving you those high shutters. Plus its got 10 FPS. Sorry but large DOF isn't always wanted when you are taking pictures of kids. It only takes about 15 seconds for the nice clean background where the kids are playing to be hit by a kid tornado and turn that background into a mess of toys. Its nice to blur that out. Yes the 5D3 would do a better job of both blur and focus, but the 7D can do a good job too for much less money.

Charlie wrote in post #16081359
What the 5D2 will NEVER give you, is the burst rate... it's helpful if you are the spray and pray type. Personally, never used it once on my faster bodies.

I can fire off a three round burst and get three completely different facial expersions with my kids at 8FPS. Call it spray and pray if you want, but its a big plus with small kids caught up in the moment IMO.

FEChariot wrote in post #16081724
Then why not get a G15? Everything is in focus even with its 1.8-2.8 lens giving you those high shutters. Plus its got 10 FPS. Sorry but large DOF isn't always wanted when you are taking pictures of kids. It only takes about 15 seconds for the nice clean background where the kids are playing to be hit by a kid tornado and turn that background into a mess of toys. Its nice to blur that out. Yes the 5D3 would do a better job of both blur and focus, but the 7D can do a good job too for much less money.

G15 wont give you the IQ of a 5D2. Large DOF can be interpreted a lot of ways. You can see in my sample shots that large DOF can mean different things to different folks. I'm talking about 1-5 ft on my sample shots..... nothing close to infinity of course.

This is about as torturing as it gets, a kid going down a slide at you... indoors.

FEChariot wrote in post #16081724
I can fire off a three round burst and get three completely different facial expersions with my kids at 8FPS. Call it spray and pray if you want, but its a big plus with small kids caught up in the moment IMO.

I've shot with a 30D for many years (5fps) and a 7D for a few months. With 8 fps, you're getting very similar facial expressions, and I couldnt care for the extra work of going through those files.

I see the 8FPS as a sports photographer's tool to get the very very best shot for the cover of a magazine. I can make due without that feature, and chose not to use it while I had it (I find it to be too fast and too much replication). I've never felt that I'm missing the moment by not using those features.... features I've had in the past.

Take the classic muhammed ali shot standing over one of his knocked out opponents. There are some variations of the same shot, and I cant really say one is better than the next because of separate instances in time. Any in that series looks good.

I don't know Charlie, slide physics are a lot more predictable than 'Whillie Nilly" child stop and go run around physics.

Plus shooting a group at 8fps, there is always someone with eyes closed on one shot that you can merge from another shot to save the image. I'm not talking about firing 10 shots but a few in rapid fire. Plus the heads don't move much when the FPS is faster making the merge easier.