Currently have the T1i. Maybe looking to upgrade.

Until eight months ago, I had never really used a SLR for any length of time. I purchased the T1i and 50mm/1.8 so that I could take some nice photos of our daughter once she was born. Since then I've really started enjoying photography and constantly tinkering trying different techniques. I'm getting ready to purchase a new lens, but I'm also wondering about a possible body upgrade? Thinking about the 7D?

I guess my question is: what benefit would having the 7D body give me over my T1i?

In searching through some other "upgrade" themed threads here, I've seen people respond to similar questions with "if you have to ask, you don't need an upgrade" or "what limitations are you finding with your current setup that you would want to upgrade?"

Honestly, right now I don't think the T1i has any limitations but then again I don't know a lot about the 7D, so I may not know what I'm missing by not having it. I guess the only thing I find with the T1i is that I can't shoot with a really high ISO (in low light situations indoors) without getting quite a bit of grain, which I don't care for.

What benefits would the 7D give me?

I am in the same situation. The T1i works good in adequate light but when the light get low the % of keepers go down ALOT!

I have a 24-105 F4 and 70-200MM F4 IS I get I think alot of miss focus when not in bright light.

Pushing the ISO to 1600 the T1i does not look good at all.

. Will the 7D help with this?

The 7d would give you:

one generation better ISO performance,
3 more megapixels,
better viewfinder,
weather sealing,
more solid body,
better video,
compact flash slot,
more shots per second,
bigger buffer,
different control scheme,
internal flash commander,
better metering,
significantly better autofocus accuracy,
faster maximum shutterspeed (up to 1/8000th of a second)
faster flash sync speed

jrplane wrote in post #11538435
I am in the same situation. The T1i works good in adequate light but when the light get low the % of keepers go down ALOT!

I have a 24-105 F4 and 70-200MM F4 IS I get I think alot of miss focus when not in bright light.

Pushing the ISO to 1600 the T1i does not look good at all.

. Will the 7D help with this?

1) noise at the ISO 1600 is not that bad and easily manageable with free noise programs in post process.

2) Neither of your lenses are 'fast'. f/4 lenses really aren't well suited to dark situations or action shots.

Of course the 7d will be better for both autofocus accuracy and noise, but your lens setup isn't directed for dark or action scenes

I was at the same boat few weeks ago - 1600 ISO is too noisy at Tli.
But it appears you just don't need to be shy. Bump it up until your exposure is to the right. I posted several examples at Tli thread and 12800 ISO thread after I learned how to use high ISO from another Tli users. Now I don't need to use NR even at ISO 6400 if exposure is correct.
It makes me even worried now how I'm going to use highest ISO at 3200 at 5D which I'm looking for.
7D is not going to do anything much better compare to Tli except better AF and FPS rate.
For low light keepers you don't need 7D, you need at least one good flash.

Agreed with what has been posted above...get a good flash and better glass.

spiralspirit wrote in post #11538482
The 7d would give you:

one generation better ISO performance,
3 more megapixels,
better viewfinder,
weather sealing,
more solid body,
better video,
compact flash slot,
more shots per second,
bigger buffer,
different control scheme,
internal flash commander,
better metering,
significantly better autofocus accuracy,
faster maximum shutterspeed (up to 1/8000th of a second)
faster flash sync speed

Wow! Thanks! So, do you think it's worth the upgrade?

Also, the flash sync speed is how fast of shutter speed the flash will allow, correct?

spiralspirit wrote in post #11538512
1) noise at the ISO 1600 is not that bad and easily manageable with free noise programs in post process.

Can you give me any recommendations on these free programs? Any good ones for Mac? I do all my PP in Lightroom 3. How does Lightroom's noise fixing features compare to other programs?

kf095 wrote in post #11538647
I was at the same boat few weeks ago - 1600 ISO is too noisy at Tli.
But it appears you just don't need to be shy. Bump it up until your exposure is to the right. I posted several examples at Tli thread and 12800 ISO thread after I learned how to use high ISO from another Tli users. Now I don't need to use NR even at ISO 6400 if exposure is correct.
It makes me even worried now how I'm going to use highest ISO at 3200 at 5D which I'm looking for.
7D is not going to do anything much better compare to Tli except better AF and FPS rate.
For low light keepers you don't need 7D, you need at least one good flash.

Care to share your technique for bumping the ISO up that high on your T1i and getting keepers?

It looks like the ISO setting on my T1i only goes to 3200. How are you going up to 6400?

Sports_Dude wrote in post #11538676
Agreed with what has been posted above...get a good flash and better glass.

Thanks. I actually bought a Sigma 530 DG Super and like it. It was quite a bit cheaper than the alternative so I got it. I think it could be faster, but it serves the purpose for now.

deronsizemore wrote in post #11542516
Care to share your technique for bumping the ISO up that high on your T1i and getting keepers?

You have to enable high ISO in your custom functions. Read up on HAMSTTR (link below) to learn techniques to mitigate noise at high ISO. The key is proper exposure.

https://photography-on-the.net …/showthread.php​?p=8534003

Here are a couple examples of exposing to the right to mitigate noise: (ISO 6400, 12800, and 3200) - I have some ISO 6400 examples with the T1i - but I'll have to look for them..


ISO 3200 w/T1i

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'text/html' | Byte size: ZERO

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'text/html' | Byte size: ZERO

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'text/html' | Byte size: ZERO

deronsizemore wrote in post #11542516
Wow! Thanks! So, do you think it's worth the upgrade?

that's a tough question. 'worth it' is not an objective judgement - personally to me it is not, but to you it can be. That's a totally personal thing.

the maximum shutter speed in which the entire scene is lit by a flash.

LR3 has very good noise removal. If you're unhappy with the results at 1600 you may need to play more with it. I know that prior to the release of LR3/CS5 I was using topaz denoise, and I think its a pretty amazing denoise software, but its not free.

From what I've seen LR3/CS5 do a great job with denoising at the raw stage. I'm not sure your level of aptitude with light room, but I'd suggest playing with it more, and doing your best not to pixel peep. Don't look at noise at 100% on a 15 megapixel image and expect it to look like other noise. look at 100% when you're doing the denoising, but then zoom out a bit and see just how good it looks.

hieu1004 wrote in post #11542535
You have to enable high ISO in your custom functions. Read up on HAMSTTR (link below) to learn techniques to mitigate noise at high ISO. The key is proper exposure.

https://photography-on-the.net …/showthread.php​?p=8534003

Here are a couple examples of exposing to the right to mitigate noise: (ISO 6400, 12800, and 3200) - I have some ISO 6400 examples with the T1i - but I'll have to look for them..


ISO 3200 w/T1i

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'text/html' | Byte size: ZERO

ISO 6400 w/7D

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'text/html' | Byte size: ZERO

ISO 12800 w/7D

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'text/html' | Byte size: ZERO

Wow! Great looking shots! Can I ask what lens you were using for these? They look extremely sharp.

I had no idea that I could enable a high ISO function on my camera. May be a good time to RTFM? lol

Also, thanks for the link. Going to read it now.

spiralspirit wrote in post #11542580
that's a tough question. 'worth it' is not an objective judgement - personally to me it is not, but to you it can be. That's a totally personal thing.

Yeah, I think you're right. I don't do this professionally for starters and it's not like the T1i isn't capable of taking some great photos. It is; I've seen them (https://photography-on-the.net …p?p=11542244#po​st11542244). I need to learn to use the equipment I have, otherwise, the shots I take would likely look about the same even with a 7D body.

spiralspirit wrote in post #11542580
the maximum shutter speed in which the entire scene is lit by a flash.

Thanks. What determines the flash sync speed? Is it something on the flash that's aware of what the shutter speed needs to be to get the entire scene lit? Still a little confused on that part. I know on my Sigma 530 DG Super, I've noticed that at times I have a fast shutter speed set and then I look down again and it's reset itself to 1/200. Is this the flash sync working?

spiralspirit wrote in post #11542580
LR3 has very good noise removal. If you're unhappy with the results at 1600 you may need to play more with it. I know that prior to the release of LR3/CS5 I was using topaz denoise, and I think its a pretty amazing denoise software, but its not free.

From what I've seen LR3/CS5 do a great job with denoising at the raw stage. I'm not sure your level of aptitude with light room, but I'd suggest playing with it more, and doing your best not to pixel peep. Don't look at noise at 100% on a 15 megapixel image and expect it to look like other noise. look at 100% when you're doing the denoising, but then zoom out a bit and see just how good it looks.

I'm pretty good with Photoshop and only got Lightroom a few months ago. I'm getting better at Lightroom, but I definitely wouldn't consider myself a guru. I'll have to read up on some of the de-noise techniques in Lightroom and see what I can produce.

I think you touched on part of my problem; I'm a major pixel peeper. Always have been with anything I do whether it's graphic or web design, I like things to be in place. Maybe need to get over that.

deronsizemore wrote in post #11542696
Wow! Great looking shots! Can I ask what lens you were using for these? They look extremely sharp.

They were actually all shot with my fairly inexpensive lenses. The 1st one(stethoscope) is done with a 50mm 1.8, 2nd (ISO 6400) with the 55-250mm IS, and 3rd (ISO 12800) w/a Sigma 30mm.

I never had a problem with my T1i shooting at ISO 1600. I continually shot at ISO 6400 with good results. I would not upgrade to the 7D unless you NEED the better AF system for action, sports, etc. The 9 point AF system in any xxD body is plenty for most work.

If I was in your shoes and felt I had to upgrade bodies, I would spring for the 60D.

Noise is a part of digital photography. Things that will help reduce noise on lower end bodies is:
-Fast glass
-Nailing the exposure (underexposure creates more noise)
-Noise reduction in PP
-Flash

Also, not to sound rude, but if you don't know how to enable ISO expansion or what flash sync speed is, you probably don't need to upgrade. The 7D is a whole new animal.

Staszek wrote in post #11542774
I never had a problem with my T1i shooting at ISO 1600. I continually shot at ISO 6400 with good results. I would not upgrade to the 7D unless you NEED the better AF system for action, sports, etc. The 9 point AF system in any xxD body is plenty for most work.

If I was in your shoes and felt I had to upgrade bodies, I would spring for the 60D.

Noise is a part of digital photography. Things that will help reduce noise on lower end bodies is:
-Fast glass
-Nailing the exposure (underexposure creates more noise)
-Noise reduction in PP
-Flash

Thanks. Yeah, I've decided to stick with what I've got. I'm upgrading lenses here soon once I figure out what I want. I've been going back and forth for a month now.

Staszek wrote in post #11542774
Also, not to sound rude, but if you don't know how to enable ISO expansion or what flash sync speed is, you probably don't need to upgrade. The 7D is a whole new animal.

Fair enough. Thanks.

Is this true even stripped down to just a single point of focus, or more on the overall focusing system employed by the 7d?

My T1i misses focus an awful lot, and after a year and a half with it I'm starting to entertain the fact that it might not be my fault (center point, single shot)...

pol024 wrote in post #11543239
Is this true even stripped down to just a single point of focus, or more on the overall focusing system employed by the 7d?

My T1i misses focus an awful lot, and after a year and a half with it I'm starting to entertain the fact that it might not be my fault (center point, single shot)...

The 7d of course has significantly better autofocus, more akin to a 1d series. It also has more and more sensitive sensors to do tracking with and more processing power to do computations - but a lot of it comes down to technique.