5DII or 7D

OK, I know the obvious answer to this question is the 5DII is better. I know this much and I was pretty much decided on that but my mind won't let me settle on this. So I thought I'd get your advice...

I have about $5,000 coming my way soon to upgrade my gear with. I want the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS for sure and I also need to upgrade a camera. I just cannot stand my 40D anymore. It's basically obsolete for what I need it for.

I shoot mostly weddings and prefer to shoot with only natural light so I need a camera that will help me more when the sun goes down or for darker indoor weddings. But I also need a camera that will help me with my birth photography which I'm trying to get into more. I would NEVER use flash during a birth and often mother's choose to give birth in very dim lighting. I pulled off my past births using my 5D and 50mm f/1.4, but feel I would be more successful with a camera I can crank up to 6400 (or even 12800) ISO without worrying about losing too much of the image quality.

I know, all of this is STILL pointing towards the 5DII. But here's why I'm on the fence- I also want to get more primes. I use primes during births, and for most of my portrait sessions. My 85 f/1.8 and 50mm f/1.4 I lost in my divorce. I would love to add those back into my line-up. I know I can live without them but I'd rather not have to. But if I get the 5DII I won't be able to afford them plus the 70-200. If I go with the 7D I could. So is the 7D "good enough".

Suggestions? I suck at decisions like these.

I would say 5DII, and then add primes as you can afford them.

Tough call. I have both the 5D2 and the 7D and my shooting choice is changing the more I shoot. Funny thing is that ISO is not part of the equation. The 5D does better, but it's not a whole lot better. The two things that make the decision as to which body I grab is focal length. If I'm shooting wide I grab the 5D and if I'm shooting long, it's the 7D and focus speed. The 7D focuses way faster and more precisely especially in low light. Bottom line is whichever body you choose, they both will do the job.

The 5D2 will give you about 1.5 stops better high ISO performance over the 7D.
If you are a natural light shooter, even for weddings, then I'd say the 5D2. End of story really...
Used ones can be had for 2100. You may also consider the older version of the 70-200. While the new version is indeed sharper, ask yourself if clients will notice this. The older version was a workhorse up until late last year in fact. This would give you enough to buy some primes...

Get a 5d2 and some primes. I used to LOVE my 70-200, but since I got my 135mm I haven't put it back on my camera. I am loving primes, and while I bought them for backup gear, they are now my work horses.

I do have both cameras, and a 1D3 too. I also used to use a 40D and have shot weddings with it.

Personally I'd go for the 5D2 without hesitation. If you are concerned about FOV then you always have the option to crop a 5D2 image down to APS-C size, but you can't do the reverse with an APS-C camera. You'll still end up with an 8.2MP image if you crop like that, but instead of the 7D's 18 heinously noisy megapixels you'll only have 8.2 relatively clean ones to deal with.

The only reason I'd pick the 7D over the 5D2 for the usage you describe is for the improved AF with peripheral focus points. In most other respects the IQ of the 5D2 would easily be the dominating factor in my decision making. Sure, there's stuff like the 3 stop meter, wireless off camera flash control and the more accurate viewfinder, but at the end of the day IQ is king and you can work around those other limitations.

I might add that for a wedding I'd go with my 5D2 and 24-70 plus my 1D3 and 70-200. The 7D would be relegated to backup, with a 17-55 mounted and ready to go. I'd have a couple of primes and a 16-35 lurking about as well, but I would hope not to have to use them.

I have both, and both are great. I use the 7D when I want longer focal length or if I'm going somewhere where I want to use off camera flash but don't want to bring cybersyncs along, since the popup flash can trigger another flash. I think the video controls are more intuitive on the 5D2. It bugs me that the power button on the 7D is on the top.

I think I would miss the full frame more than the extra focal length. But if money was an issue, I wouldn't feel let down by the 7D.

You guys are no help! OK, you were helpful. I am back to getting the 5DII. But now you're all making me want a 7D, too!!

PeaceFire wrote in post #10737403
You guys are no help! OK, you were helpful. I am back to getting the 5DII. But now you're all making me want a 7D, too!!

Best of both worlds (and the 7D's pixels are not "heinously noisy," despite what some (above) might say, although the 5Dii does have a high-iso image quality advantage over the 7D).

gjl711 wrote in post #10735125
Tough call. I have both the 5D2 and the 7D and my shooting choice is changing the more I shoot. Funny thing is that ISO is not part of the equation. The 5D does better, but it's not a whole lot better. The two things that make the decision as to which body I grab is focal length. If I'm shooting wide I grab the 5D and if I'm shooting long, it's the 7D and focus speed. The 7D focuses way faster and more precisely especially in low light. Bottom line is whichever body you choose, they both will do the job.

Agree with the above. I have the 5dMKII and my husband has the 7D. Both are very useful & have their own particular niches. I covet my husband's 7D for it razor focus and he lusts after the expansiveness of my 5D shots. We shoot wedding & engagements mostly.

Michelle Brooks Photography wrote in post #10737721
Agree with the above. I have the 5dMKII and my husband has the 7D. Both are very useful & have their own particular niches. I covet my husband's 7D for it razor focus and he lusts after the expansiveness of my 5D shots. We shoot wedding & engagements mostly.

Haha, NOT HELPFUL!

I used to shoot with the 1DMKIII and 5DMKII. I sold the 1DMKIII and bought the 7D to hold me over until the MKIV came out. Owned the 7D for a month and sold it. Not saying it's not a good camera. Hardly the case. I just prefer 1.3x or FF bodies and IQ/noise control from them.

Of course I shoot Nikon cameras now, so it's probably a moot point, but I always liked the IQ of the 5DMKII and the AF is decent even in low light.

5DII and the 50 f1.2.

stsva wrote in post #10737446
Best of both worlds (and the 7D's pixels are not "heinously noisy," despite what some (above) might say,

We are talking here about shooting at 6400 or 12800 ISO. Here is a full image and 100% crop from a 7D at 6400 ISO, no edits.

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Good writeup Tim. I completely agree. That's how I felt about the 7D when I owned it for a month. 18MP's crammed in a 1.6x crop sensor is pretty much quantity over quality. Even at lower ISO (ISO200-400 for instance) I noticed noise, for example on blue skies.