A real-world (read: unscientific) high ISO comparison between the 7D and 5D Classic

I shot an event today with two bodies: a 5Dc and a 7D. After I got back, I noticed that most of the 7D RAW files looked noticeably more noisy than the 5Dc RAW files. I decided to do a little test and downsampled the 7D's RAW files to 12.8 megapixels, then took 100% crops from the straight RAW exports (no NR applied to either). Here are two ISO 1600 samples that are representative of what I saw in general. Lighting was consistent on the stage throughout the performance.

To me, the 5D 100% crop looks a lot less like a watercolor painting. Is that what you guys see as well?

7D: 1/250 sec, f/1.4, ISO 1600 (downsampled to 12.8 megapixels, then 100% crop)

There is no way you can come to any sort of a conclusion from those samples...

wow that 7D image is surprisingly noisy...the way people go on about that camera I expected that much grain at 3200 or 6400 ISO

Wow. You weren't kidding when you said unscientific. f/1.4 vs. f/2.8. One shot, the dancer appears to be mid spin/moving, the other one, looking like she's holding a pose. One shot, the dancer's face is tilted downward. While the other, she's looking straight forward. No idea how even the lighting was on stage when you took either shot.

In any case, I don't know if you were expecting super clean images out of either camera.. but I recommend that you look at both (7D and 5Dc) images at the entire image as it was taken, instead of pixel-peeping your brains out. Under those conditions... I don't see any other camera producing any better results.

Half of the image is from what is captured at the time. The other half of the image is knowing how to get the most out of your image in post.

Doesn't the 7D lose a stop of light at the sensor at f/1.4?

As somebody who has neither a 7D or full-frame, I've learnt nothing from this thread.

David

Spacemunkie wrote in post #11319964
There is no way you can come to any sort of a conclusion from those samples...

I know right???

Well, if you get better results for the type of shooting you do with the 5d, just use the 5d for those occasions. It is a great camera. Don't need to follow blindly all the tests that are constantly rehashed on the net.

This was awesomely not helpful since I'm debating between these two.

come on guys give him a break. This shows that they are about the same. Its a little unfair cause the 7d looks underexposed (plus you are shooting wide open at f1.4 which makes it a little soft) but otherwise the noise looks kind of similar.

Given the conditions - they look similar to me.