Upgrade time (70D?)

So, I've got a T1i that suits me well, but it's getting a bit long in the tooth I feel. I'd like to upgrade the body and was considering going with the 60D as it's available from Canon Refurb/Loyalty for about $460.

However, a friend recently turned me onto the 70D and the tremendous amount of upgrades it has over even the 60D. Mainly the sensor (20MP), and the autofocus system.

He pointed out that going to a 60D might be a bit of a waste of money, as it uses the same sensor as the T2i, T3i, T4i, and T5i, is this true? Is he also correct about the superior autofocus system of the 70D vs. the 60D?

Should I just hold onto my T1i a bit longer and wait for the 70D to drop in price?

Thanks!

If you've gotten by OK with the T1i, the 60D's AF system will be fine. It is a bit better in that the center is dual-cross f/2.8, while all peripherals are f/5.6 cross points. If you find the T1i's AF lacking, the 60D isn't much of an upgrade. I like it, but it certainly isn't a 70D. Do you do video? If so, get the 70D.

went from a 350D to the 70D

only other camera in the equation was the 60D, but dismissed it, wanted more "next gen" tech, which what the 70D gives me! bit out of my price range, but .....

I recently went 450D (Rebel XSi) to 70D and it was a HUGE step up. I strongly recommend the 70D, the camera is superb and photography has become so much easier (fewer images thrown away) largely due to better focusing technology. I now have more time to try improving as a photographer and try new techniques etc. The video is also an excellent addition.

Chris R/T wrote in post #17400535
So, I've got a T1i that suits me well, but it's getting a bit long in the tooth I feel. I'd like to upgrade the body and was considering going with the 60D as it's available from Canon Refurb/Loyalty for about $460.

However, a friend recently turned me onto the 70D and the tremendous amount of upgrades it has over even the 60D. Mainly the sensor (20MP), and the autofocus system.

He pointed out that going to a 60D might be a bit of a waste of money, as it uses the same sensor as the T2i, T3i, T4i, and T5i, is this true? Is he also correct about the superior autofocus system of the 70D vs. the 60D?

Should I just hold onto my T1i a bit longer and wait for the 70D to drop in price?

Thanks!

Heya,

Depend what you want to upgrade.

The 60D is not a far cry different from the T1i, other than a few features, but IQ wise and ISO performance wise, not that different.

The 70D brings a lot of features to the table. At it's heart, it's a better sensor with higher resolution, and it has a good increase in ISO performance over the T1i. 20MP doesn't matter. That's not helping anything. Unless you're printing 30x20 prints, having more MP doesn't help much. As for "you can crop more" well, that doesn't help much either (if you're cropping down to 25% of the original image, even at high MP, it's not enough pixels on target at this point in time). So consider what medium you're putting your images into. If it's just web sharing, then again, MP is pointless. If you're printing large print, then it will matter. But don't let MP be a factor here.

The 70D brings one critical feature that you will not find in rebels and most APS-C bodies up until now, and that's MFA. The ability to fine tune a lens is a big deal. Really makes a difference on telephotos. This is it's shining feature in my opinion.

Other than that, yes, it has a better autofocus system, especially if video is involved, better LCD, but it's not a 7D or 7D2's autofocus.

You can usually get one around $800 refurb/second hand.

The real question is... what are you looking to actually upgrade? If you don't know concrete answers to what you find lacking in the T1i, then I suggest you hang on to the T1i for a while longer. Seeing as you almost were going to buy a 60D, tells us that you probably don't know what you even want to upgrade, and you really are just looking for something new (this happens when you look at the internet too much or hang around people who buy new gear too often heh heh).

So seriously think about what you need from a camera body. That should guide your purchase.

The 7D can be had for a low price these days and gives you access to an AF system that is only normally found on the 1D series, 5D3, etc (in a flavor, not exactly the same). Beyond it's AF system, it's not much different, if at all, from a T3i/60D in it's other attributes. The 70D does not share that AF system. It has it's own system that is more dedicated to video. It's a good AF system, better than a Rebel, but not a huge step compared to the 7D/7D2/5D3/1D series.

To give you an idea, I have several cameras, APS-C, APS-H, full frame, mirrorless, etc. I wanted an "action" camera. I'm not printing my wildlife/sports/action stuff. It's mostly for fun sharing in digital medium/media. I do however print my portrait work and travel stuff and walk around stuff (all of which I basically manual focus, I manual focus my portraits and most of my walk around, travel is often manual focus too for me; point being, I have zero need for AF systems, just a big sensor and a good viewfinder), so I use my full frame and higher MP APS-C's for a lot of that, for large print. My wildlife camera, I just wanted something that had good autofocus that could lock and track very fast, and fire a high FPS shutter to capture a ton. I didn't want or need the higher MP count of the 7D or anything newer than that, and I also didn't want to spend a ton of cash so that took out the 1D3/1D4/7D2, so I bought an old second hand 1D MK II for $280. It's only 8MP. But you can't tell since it's still 3 times the resolution of anyone's monitor and for anyone running 4k it more than fills those pixels too. I can print smaller stuff, up to 8x10 without too much fear. The only thing that the lower MP count does is effect how much I can crop the photo and retain a high pixel count on target. But I alleviate that by using a 600mm lens.

Again, what you need from your camera should dictate the body you buy. Focus more on what you need or will need, and less about the what-if's.

Very best,

I think Malveaux hit the nail on the head. There are a lot of incremental improvements over the 60D. If you have the 60D, it is difficult to justify buying the 70D (I have it and I didn't).

The AF is more complicated and in theory more capable, but in every action shot session, the 60D never let me down. NEVER!...

The MFA is the most significant feature that the 60D lacks. I had to cross my fingers every time I bought a new (and rather expensive) lens. When I got the 5DIII, I MFA'd meticulously all my lenses. Guess what? They all came back with 0 correction, except for the EF 70-200 II which required +5 in the long end only. After some more shooting, I recalibrated it and performs better with 0 on the long end...

My take is that the 70D is not a radical enough departure to replace a 60D, for a T1i... the decision is yours.

I think that you will find the ergonomics of the xxD series better than the T1i, and the delta expense of selling your T1i and buying an xxD worth it.

May the Force be with you!

Just for the record, I use a 60D and also so no reason to upgrade to the 70D. I use the center-point only - about 98% of the time. The other thing mentioned is MFA. The 60D does not have it. I have run probably 25+ lenses across my 60D. Cheap zooms, L-zooms, consumer primes, and L primes. I have never had a need for MFA. Most of those lenses have been shot on my 6D, also. I actually tried to MFA several of them. Every single time I get the best performance at 0 MFA. I may be the luckiest guy in the world, but I have never missed MFA on my 60D, or any other camera.

I realize other folks do appreciate this feature. I just wanted to point out that not everyone needs it.

I upgraded from a T2i to the 70D.
Image quality itself is about the same. Dont expect the extra pixels to do magic on pictures.
What really set it apart was all the extra features that the 70D came with.

When I took the first picture, the first thing I noticed was how quiet the 70D was, compared to the T2i. And it wasn't even on silent mode. Second, a Auto ISO that actually works. Third is ability to MAF each lens. Haven't had to though. The flip screen, which I though was going to be useless, is quite useful. And even the touch screen. List could go on.

My upgrade wasn't about mode megapixels, or better image quality. It was about features that I needed. 70D delivered for me.

I had the 60D. The lack of the AF micro adjustment is what eventually forced me to move to the 70D. I really struggle with a couple of lenses, one of them being a long telephoto. And since I am into birding, it drove me nuts. The 60D went to Canon twice for calibration, and it still was not enough. Eventually I upgraded to the 70D and could not be happier. Adding to that feature are many others mentioned above, and you get the picture.

I also have a 6D, but the 70D is my wildlife camera.

I have G.A.S., and have had the fortune of owning the 60D, 70D, and the 7D2.

Going up from a Rebel to one of the XXD line cameras is a big step forward in itself. You will not want to go back. The dual wheel ergonomics, faster shutter, better viewfinders, etc, all make improvements that will have a material result in your photography in most cases.

To the specific comparison at hand, the 70D has some real advantages over the 60D. It has a little faster FPS, the touchscreen paired with the dual pixel AF is one of the reasons I haven't sold mine, wireless is actually pretty cool in some situations (got a nice family shot outside with it on a tripod this fall using the App). One feature that is often overlooked is the viewfinder...I REALLY like the "live" viewfinder vs the static one in the 60D. The full time level is huge for me, as well as having the viewfinder show only the information relevant to what I am doing. The in camera jpegs from the 70D are about a stop better than the 60D, and RAW files have a noise pattern that is much easier to clean up.

Of course, the 19pt tracking AF is great, and the addition of the ability to start Liveview and video recording with the switch is also a big improvement from the 60D- the 60D's dial is a mess and getting to video is annoying on it.

Interesting that someone says the 70D shutter is quiet..generally people who have one think it is pretty loud, especially at full burst. The 7D2 is noticeably quieter.

This is a very interesting thread for me. I have a T1i bought in 2011 that was my first digital. Learned a lot with it and really improved my skills over where I started.

It has been a great camera, but I was thinking it was time to move up to something better. I primarily shoot auto racing at my local short oval track and will be the "official" track photographer this upcoming season. My shots are generally on track action and victory lane. All stills with very little video.

The 70d looks like a decent upgrade that is more affordable for me than a 7DII. Hoping to sell enough pictures this race season to make it happen.

vapore0n wrote in post #17400847
I upgraded from a T2i to the 70D.

When I took the first picture, the first thing I noticed was how quiet the 70D was, compared to the T2i. And it wasn't even on silent mode. Second, a Auto ISO that actually works. Third is ability to MAF each lens. Haven't had to though. The flip screen, which I though was going to be useless, is quite useful. And even the touch screen. List could go on.

I did the same upgrade and experienced similar impressions. In addition I can definitely deal more effectively with higher ISO noise with the 70D than with the t2I.

For many months I have been debating if I should move up to the 70D. I originally had the t1i and then last year a good friend passed away and his wife wanted me to have his t3i. So I gave the t1i to my oldest son and now I have been enjoying the t3i.

I like reading about the robust features which accompany the 70D. I keep watching the Canon site for the refurbished body only 70D. But don't BLINK. The 70D will be "out of stock" then suddenly will be in stock....but he who hesitates is lost. Within a matter of a few hours and the supply is exhausted and back to an "out of stock" status. Right now the refurb price for body only is $767....buuuttttt "OUT OF STOCK".

I'm patiently waiting. Wish me luck.

Good luck!

I'd like to confirm that the 70D produces similar (even slightly better) images at ISO 12800 than the 60D at ISO 6400 with competent noise reduction (and I don't mean the in-camera noise reduction... ). A member of the forum was kind enough to supply a few RAW images when the 70D first came out and I was trying to figure out whether I should make the move or not.

Although I shoot a lot of low light/high ISO photos, it is seldom that I need to go above 3200. (When I do, I pick the 5D3 anyway...).

So much good information in this thread.

I'm looking at upgrading to a body that's going to last me several years just like the T1i has.

I like the 60D's price point. I keep watching for a 70D refurb because at roughly $770 I think it's quite worth it. I could sell my T1i and be into the camera for close to what I'd own a 60D for.

I like the MFA. I don't think I currently have any issues with lenses, but it's nice to know it's there incase I need it.

Also, I do shoot some action, planes, automobiles, etc.

Very glad for all the info, keep it coming please!