Still Shooting with a Canon T1-i. Thinking of moving to a 7D

So, yep, I am still using a Canon T1-i body. It works OK, and the biggest improvement I've made is to get an F4L 70-200mm lens. Personally, for shooting equine events (primarily outdoors and at a modest distance), I think a used version of this lens is a great investment ($500 w/o stabilizer).

I've noticed that 7Ds can be bought used for about $250.

My biggest issue with shooting horse jumping is nailing the apex and getting the shot with the horse's knees flexed.

I don't have issues with focus or exposure for the most part. I tend to pre-focus on the rail and will typically hold the results until the horse enters the frame. Sometimes I shoot full manual mode. I really depends. I am not usually that close to the jump, so I shoot at f4 and so long as I either pre-focused and held or didn't miss with the center spot, I'm OK. I never user multiple sensors when shooting these events. I also shoot in RAW and so can bring out the shadows from a dark colored horse. Typically, I only need to do that when there is extreme contrast or I make a mistake. RAW also allows me to bring in some sky detail on those nearly flat days. Anyhow.

Most "pros" shooting these events seem to use 5D type cameras and burst shoot.

So:

1) Assuming nearly focused or fully pre-focused, will a 7D shoot with less delay than the
T1-i making my timing more accurate or:
2) Should I just shoot in a burst and take advantage of the 8 fps rate of the 7D. (A T1-i is about 3.7 fps and too slow).
Or should I just keep practicing and not use burst since I'm unlikely to get the best shot anyhow, even at 8 fps.
3) Any other similarly priced used bodies I should consider instead of the 7D?

Thanks,

Mike

Sample of one that worked:

IMAGE LINK: https://www.flickr.com …40734611762/in/​datetaken/

2018_03_10_08418

I have a 7D, and the autofocus can bit a bit 'slow', unlike my 1Dmk4. Go for a 7Dii. Fast frame rate helps, but honestly I usually find the first shot in my sequence is the right one, so normally only shoot 3-4, not machine gun.

I stopped using my 7D a few years ago. Outdoors, and in good light (ISO 800 or better), this is a fantastic camera.

You will be pleased with the upgrade from the T1:

Having used (rented & owned) a selection of cameras over the past few years (6D, 100D, 7D2, 5D3, 5D4 & 1DX), I would choose the 7D over both the 6D & 100D - solely because of the number of focus points (assets with composition when using AF).

The increased frame-rate also gives a much better chance of capturing the exact moment that you want.

My 7D2 was faulty, so this was never worth the upgrade from the 7D, but all the FF models with 60+ AF points are leagues ahead of the 7D.

If you are going with Pre-focus, then the complexities of the AF system are probably irrelevant. However, seeing that you are on a budget, the 7D & 70-400 would make a really good combination. For sports, you can definitely forget about the need for IS. If you can trade to the 70-200/2.8 (non-IS), I think you'd have an even better combo. (Adding a 1.4X converter would then give you useful extra reach, and still only be at f/4.)

I moved to a used 7D from a T3i and have been extremely happy with the move. I seem to get many more "keepers" with the 7D than I did using the T3i on "sports auto" mode. Now shooting almost entirely in AV mode. At some point I would like to move to the 7D II

Thanks a lot for writing. I will keep the idea of going with the larger lens and 1.4x converter in mind. One thing about the 70-200 f4l is that it not too heavy. A plus for all day shooting. I may just go with the 1.4x converter to start with. There are a lot of days I can easily shoot faster than 1/640 iso 200 f4, so the 1.4x might give me a tighter and better shot.

1/640 appears to be about the minimum required to stop a horse going over a jump.

Just ordered a 7D from an auction. Appears to be from an owner, not a pawn broker type, so I am excited.

Thanks,

Mike

That's great to hear. I just bought a 7D (see prior reply).

Thanks,

Mike

I just finally after 5 years pulled the trigger on upgrading my t3I to a 7dII. very excited. used mostly for indoor basketball. i expect better performance and focusing.

I went from an xti to a 1d3. Price on this monster is around $400. it's a beast but well worth it.

Well, I got a 7D. So far, I am liking it. I really should have reset the camera to default I spent a fair amount of time tracking down different behavior than I am used to because of the prior user's CF settings. On the other hand, I got a quick tour of what it can do. First event is this weekend ... looking forward to it!

Edit: what a difference. While I'm sure even newer bodies are better, there is a substantial difference in the feel between a T1-i and the 7D. While a Mark II might be even better, etc, at $340 for a 6500 click perfect condition body, the upgrade was very worthwhile. Especially since I can sell my 25000 click T1-i for $100-$125, I'm looking at a net cost of about $225 or so.

I rented a 100-400 F4-5.6L lens to shoot an ice skating exhibition this coming weekend. The larger 7D will be nice for handling such a large lens and the faster time to shoot should pay off. Most likely the EV will be pretty low and I won't get the really fast clicks, but still. Hoping this rental works. And hopefully I'll get to visit some decent places where eagles are known to hang out as well.

Edit: Well, they won't let anyone take 35mm type equipment into ice skating venues. Huh. So, I went to a local wildlife area and shot photos of eagles with the rental lens. That was a lot of fun. As for shooting horse events, the 7-D has been completely worth it. I really enjoy the camera. 20,000+ clicks now, of which I guess 12,000+ are mine. Everything about the camera from the huge memory card sizes you can use to the speed to the customization makes it worthwhile over the T1-i.

Mike

Enjoyed the 7D, but now I'm off to the races with the Fujifilm X series. Really enjoying the new body. Waiting on a 55-200.

Mike

Update us on how it works for sports shooting.

Get an M50, it looks nothing like a 35mm-ish camera and you can use all those lenses, and its IQ is better than the 7D. Great travel body for those times establishments have stupid rules about the equipment you can bring in.

duckster wrote in post #19000708
Update us on how it works for sports shooting.

You mean like this?

TeamSpeed wrote in post #19000718
Get an M50, it looks nothing like a 35mm-ish camera and you can use all those lenses, and its IQ is better than the 7D. Great travel body for those times establishments have stupid rules about the equipment you can bring in.

An M50 with a 70-200 f2.8L or even the f4L isn't going to fool anyone with rules.

I opted to move out of Canon because I didn't want to deal with adapter. I also don't shoot fast moving sports like basketball in general. Enjoying playing with the odd manual focus lens you can get for Fujifilm a great deal.

Those basketball shots in a prior post are really nice. However, they were taken with the f2.8L lens, which is something I never owned.

Mike