7D Autofocus Questions

Bernie174

Bernie174

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Bernie
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Merry Xmas and all that....

My subject is mostly aviation, and my current camera, a 50D, with a 300 F2.8 L lens seems to do a reasonably good job, but I am in a position to upgrade to a 7D, and I was wondering what experience anyone has with it in relation to aircraft. Mostly these days I am an airshow only photog. My days of hanging round outside the wire at an apparently secret Wiltshire Airfield are few and far between, and not being a mountain goat, I haven't got any intentions of going to the Loop.....
Is the autofocus much better than the 50D?

Bernie
 
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Like you I use my camera for aircraft pics,and have been known to drag myself up the hills at the loop.
I was never entirely happy with the 50D and upgraded to the 7d.
The first thing I noticed was an improvement in the tracking using AIservo the other benefit was the shutter appears to be better damped making it feel smoother when using the 8fps, I always felt the 50D was clunky.
For focussing I vary between single point and single point expansion depending on how big the object is going to be in the viewfinder.
The battery lasts a lot longer than the 50D too and the build quality is excellent.

For me it was worth the upgrade but the results that you see other people are able to get using the 50D sometimes make me think I should have been able to get more if I had perevered.

Any way its Xmas and you can't beat a new toy:thumbs:

Rob
 
Hi Rob
Your last one is a great point, although Mr Bank Manager may not agree, but who cares, he's a banker.
I'd certainly agree, the 50D does let you know you've taken a picture!
Have you got any example of planes with the mighty beast?
Bernie
 
The 7D is certainly great on the AF front, I use centre point with expansion for birds, whose flight patterns are , how shall I say, a bit more erratic than planes. :D
 
I love my 7D for aircraft flight and birds in flight although I've managed to get some really excellent BIF on my 5D2 as well. The 7D with my 100-400 L lens strapped to it is a formidable beast though, got some pics of the Tornado celebrating the 1,000,000 flying hours and can see the pilot looking my way in the cockpit, and that was from where I live and not just outside an airbase either. With SPOT AF in C.Fn III-6 enabled it allows you to use a smaller pinpoint in a focus point for smaller objects or fine details as well.
 
Some aviation shots taken with the 7d and 300mm f4


1

Tucano by TykeNRM Photography, on Flickr
A Tucano trainer taking off into some nice cloud - taken at my local base RAF Linton on Ouse (Where Prince William learnt to fly!)


2

IMG_9787 by TykeNRM Photography, on Flickr
Red Arrows RAF Waddington Airshow 2011

3.

IMG_0533 by TykeNRM Photography, on Flickr
A-10 at RIAT 2011

4.

Beech 200 Super King Air ZK455 - Khe Sanh approach by TykeNRM Photography, on Flickr
RAF King Air on a 'Khe Shan' approach into RAF Church Fenton, UK - this hasnt been rotated in anyway......he really was coming in that steep!!

5.

IMG_2704 by TykeNRM Photography, on Flickr
Hawk trainer low level through the valleys of Wales

6.

IMG_2650b by TykeNRM Photography, on Flickr
RAF Torndao low level through the valleys of Wales


Kind regards

Neil
 
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