upgrading and need help....

I really depends on what you shoot. You will be able to shoot wider with the 70-200 so that can be good, but you also lose the perceived reach. Chances are you will still need something wider, yes?

Would it be feasible for you to keep the t3i and use it as a backup with a wider lens attached? Used with an ef-s 17-55mm f/2.8 would compliment your other gear very nicely, and there'd be no need to be switching lenses.

yes I suppose it's still nice to have the extra reach.... and perhaps a wider lens is needed also.

I did think about keeping the t3i with the additonal lens however it's just too much to lug around 2 cameras, I'm a small guy and what I'm thinking is to just use the wider lens in certain gyms or switch up at half time and shoot half with the 70-200 and half with the wider lens, and just call it a day.

This is why I'm leaning towards the 7dII and whatever additional lens would be best... I really don't want a 'fixed" prime type lens as there are too many variables in the gyms that require a zoom and I don't want to have a whole bunch of lenses.... this is why I was thinking about the 50-100 1.8 although it seems no too much wider than the 70-200 already in hand.... would be nice to have this one for close poorly lit gyms and the 24-70 in the bag as well, then everything is covered... I guess this is why it's an expensive hobby

For a 2nd lens, I would consider the Tamron 24-70 VC for the 7D2. This way you are covered from 24 to 200.

Yes, I was looking at that one... however I see it's about 1300 and they have a similar Sigma for about half the price although it does not have VC/OS... should that be considered in this lens? and If so, is it worth the extra $$? I suppose that is a lens that could be used as an all around lens as well so it could be worth it? Your thoughts?

You can get that lens for around $700 or so if you watch for it. The Tamron one does a bit better than the older Sigma one, I believe.

Adorama has it for $950 (assuming USD)?
http://www.adorama.com …dZRUg0U-T09hwUaAjUI8P8HAQ

However if you watch KEH, or private sellers, you can do better than this.

got to best buy finally, the only camera shop I see around lol... got to handle a 7dII finally. felt good although a little big/heavy, at least compared to the t3I and 70d they had on display. the 70d wasn't working so I couldn't mess with it although the size/weight is certainly a consideration. I see the 80d coming friday and cost will be close to the 7dII... here we go now tyring to figure out which to get. the 10 FPS felt impressive. is there much real world difference between the two?

heat00 wrote in post #17940870
got to best buy finally, the only camera shop I see around lol... got to handle a 7dII finally. felt good although a little big/heavy, at least compared to the t3I and 70d they had on display. the 70d wasn't working so I couldn't mess with it although the size/weight is certainly a consideration. I see the 80d coming friday and cost will be close to the 7dII... here we go now tyring to figure out which to get. the 10 FPS felt impressive. is there much real world difference between the two?

I havent had time to read the specs on the 80D yet, but generally 7DII is designed with sports/action in mind. The focus system and frame rate pay off there. The XXD line is more of an all around line although the 80D might have some game changing feature I havent read anout yet.

gonzogolf wrote in post #17941272
I havent had time to read the specs on the 80D yet, but generally 7DII is designed with sports/action in mind. The focus system and frame rate pay off there. The XXD line is more of an all around line although the 80D might have some game changing feature I havent read anout yet.

If you are focal length limited the 80D does indeed have a game changing new feature, multiple f/8 AF points. I think it's around a half dozen of them, just like the new 1Dx II. I really like the look of the specs for the 80D in that regard, and the 24 MP sensor is also a nice present for the FL limited. Since I often find that the high speed setting on my 50D is too fast the frame rate is not generally an issue when comparing with the 7DII.

My problem is the ergonomics, which I really struggle with when comparing with either the all button xxxD bodies, and the wheel/joystick of the older xxD and current xD bodies. In addition I use the PC socket quite a bit when using strobes in an industrial setting where the RFI makes using my RF triggers difficult. I know it is only a little thing but one I use a lot. I also seem to have the ability to kill an SD card just by handling it.

Alan

guess I'll wait since it's here in a few days and maybe have a chance to read some reviews and play with it at least at the store, in comparison to the 7dii.
I do realize the 7dII will be better however if it's not too much of a difference I might prefer the smaller/lighter body..
defintely will be going with one of these 2 at some point soon, then I plan to grab a 24-70 for close ups/wide angle in the gym and just to replace the 18-55 that came with the t3i as this covers the same range plus some.
Then if there is cash leftover I might look at the 50-100 sigma 1.8, that could be really great for indoor basketball I would think, 1.8 and a 50-100 range... except for the long reach of the 70-200, it almost could replace that lens entirely lol. guess the backpack will be full at some point, there are just so many different situations for different lenses, it's amazing.

hey Teamspeed, got some shots at Espn this weekend, still don't seem great and I tried to focus on exposure. some of the gyms were better lit than others however it still seems most of the shots, especially the action shots, are not really sharp or in focus... not sure if this is a the lens or poor focusing on the rebel... your thoughts?

I am still leaning towards the 7dII as of now and just wondering if that is the difference. they don't seem "sharp" or focused really and I'm wondering if it's a combo of the T3i and the sigma lens, neither of which is really top notch by any means.

https://flic.kr/s/aHsk​tUM4LX

guess what I'm asking is ... I realize the 7dII is the best (crop wise) canon I can get for what I'm doing. will that make a big difference even with the sigma or will that ultimately need to be upgraded to the canon glass? do you think the lens or body/focusing is the bigger issue now. and yes, I realize my inexperience isn't helping however I think with better gear it will help a lot?

as always, thanks for your input or anyone else's input as well, it is always welcomed and the best way to learn is from you (experienced photographers!)

I still have it in my mind to look at the 5dIII as an option however it's not only a lot more expensive (and this may sound silly) but it's nice to have a built in flash for those darker/night team pics etc. it was bad enough when we went outside to get the team pic to swap the lens for the 18-55 lol, on the fly.. to have to look for a separate flash lol is too much for me. also, I couldn't for the life of me on the spot, get the aperture setting to change and I'm so used to/programed for the indoor 1/500 etc 2.8, ISO 1600/3200/6400 when i went outside I paniced lol and just went to auto and sport mode I think haha. guess I have a lot to learn lol.

oh yea, and still very grainy even after noise reduction in LR lol. will the 7dII help with this and shoot with much less noise to begin with or am I dreaming? LOL

I don't think the Sigma lens is doing you much good there. Nothing is really sharp, which means that the Sigma simply isn't resolving to the 18mpx sensor in my opinion. For action shots, 1/500 may not be fast enough either, but my prior assessment is based on the shots of the team discussing strategy. Is this the OS version or one of the older 70-200 Sigmas?

I don't believing stepping up the 7D2 with even a higher resolution is going to make your images too much sharper, if I am correct. The best thing to try next is a controlled test with a well lit object in one shot and see how the detail plays out. You first have to have detail in your shots, or noise reduction won't leave you with much to sharpen up after the fact.

Again, your gear is fine, but i think you have unrealistic expectations given your relative inexperience. I took these off your flikr link and as I said earlier I think your problems are in post. Sooc with your experience isn't giving the results you want. You need to polish what you get, as most of us do before putting your work out there

thank you both for the comments, please explain what you mean that my problem is in post? I don't understand. All I did was reduce noice in Lightroom and sometimes fix the birghtness/exposure a little. I don't see how you otherwise fix a blurry or non sharp photo? Yes, I am very new at this and the reason for my dumb questions
It just seems like many of my pictures are not razor sharp or truly in focus. Also still grainy and noisy.