Looking for a new Canon body

phildoug

phildoug

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Phil Douglas
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Hello Guys, I have owned canon full frame DSLR’s for a number of years; 5d1, 5d2 and now the 5d3. I have managed, in most cases, to get great images from them, which is not always easy when the subject is birds.

The 5d3 has been pretty awesome combined with my Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II, often used with the EF 1.4x III or 2x III Extenders. It’s a light weight combination that has worked well for me. Although carrying 8lb around all day, does take its toll on the old back!

With the 5d3’s 6 frames per second, I can’t help feeling I lose out on some interesting behaviour. So I am looking for a faster camera body, 10 frames per second or more.

So far I’ve narrowed it down to a 1d IV. The 1d IV is an old camera now, but it does appear to have lots going for it for the bird photographer. Lots of good used low shutter count examples out there.

I did think about the 7d II; however, many negative reviews have put me off. I did think of the 1dx, however photography is a hobby and its likely to go unused, as I am a pretty busy guy and don't get out with the camera as much as I'd like.

Does anyone own the 5d3 and/or the 1d IV that could offer any advice as to the suitability of the 1d IV and companions with the 5d3?
 
Archie747 said:
I wouldn't ignore the 7Dii. Try it yourself.
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I'll second that - there's a lot of camera snobbery in the reviews and unless the camera has the prefix '1' on it, other bodies are considered inferior.
The 7D2 is a fantastic camera for bird / wildlife photography and meets your criteria for fast 10fps, superb AF and tracking capabilities. Ok high ISO isn't great but if you have a 300 f2.8 mkii, I don't really see that as an issue most of the time. The combination you would have is most bird photographers dream set up unless you want to spend over 12K that is.
I would certainly give the 7D2 a try as I think you will be pleasantly surprised and having the 5D3 alongside it, you have pretty much a perfect set up imo.
 
Many thanks for the feedback guys. The 7d ii certainly ticks all the box's for me. However criticism over battery life, some experiencing focus issue and high ISO performance put me off a little. Hence my post to gain some opinion. The 7d ii would be a new body for me, a 1d iv would be second hand. I did buy a second hand 1dx last year from London Camera Exchange, but took it back to the shop due to focus issues. I may hire a 7d ii and give it a try first. The local peregrine falcons are getting active, so I am after catching more action, 10 fps would help!

1507370_907827835927384_8074450979147082899_o.jpg
 
I haven't had a problem with battery life to be honest with you and the focus issues were sorted with the last firmware update so it's really only high iso that is an issue but even that can usually be resolved in PP as its still an improvement over the original 7D.
Good luck, try before you buy is a good option as we can only offer our opinions, your first hand experience will tell you what you need to know in the real world.
 
It could work then, I rarely use high ISO. There are reports that 1d body drives the big telephotos better, I do notice my 5d iii battery reducing with lots of autofocus action.

They say ISO up to 1600 is pretty good on the 7d ii ?
 
phildoug said:
It could work then, I rarely use high ISO. There are reports that 1d body drives the big telephotos better, I do notice my 5d iii battery reducing with lots of autofocus action.

They say ISO up to 1600 is pretty good on the 7d ii ?
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Yes iso1600 is pretty good. Ive gone to 3200 with a little PP and got decent results.
The 300 mkii will really suit the body and with a 1.4x extender you'll get great results at a similar focal length as your 5D3 with 2x allowing for the 1.6 crop factor.
 
7D MkII is supposed to be the first non 1 series body able to drive the big telephoto lenses as fast as the 1 series bodies.

I would try one. I bought and sold one as it just didn't give me what I was looking for. However I have a friend who uses one with 300 f2.8 MkII with 1.4 and 2.0 extenders and gets some lovely stuff. Mine was quite an early one and I have had thoughts about trying one again.

To say that there is snobbery if a body doesn't have a 1 on it is just plain daft. Most of us want a camera to fulfill a need. That need can dictate what camera you buy. I would have loved my MkII to be everything I wanted it to be, but it wasn't. Or not that particular one at least. Maybe because I have a 1DX it was always going to lose out but it had sweet FA to do with the number on the front.

A 7D MkII and your 5D3 could be everything you want. Only you know what your expectations of a camera are.

Link to my mates Flickr site if you want to have a look.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jacobite1746/
 
thanks so much for the input Wardy and GazJ, I did really fancy a 1dx, but I don't get out enough to justify the price. I have also heard reports about the early 7d ii models having issues.

I have spotted a few low shutter count 1d mark IV's, its still a toss up between the two!

I will check out the site as well, thanks again
 
Gaz J said:
7D MkII is supposed to be the first non 1 series body able to drive the big telephoto lenses as fast as the 1 series bodies.

I would try one. I bought and sold one as it just didn't give me what I was looking for. However I have a friend who uses one with 300 f2.8 MkII with 1.4 and 2.0 extenders and gets some lovely stuff. Mine was quite an early one and I have had thoughts about trying one again.

To say that there is snobbery if a body doesn't have a 1 on it is just plain daft. Most of us want a camera to fulfill a need. That need can dictate what camera you buy. I would have loved my MkII to be everything I wanted it to be, but it wasn't. Or not that particular one at least. Maybe because I have a 1DX it was always going to lose out but it had sweet FA to do with the number on the front.

A 7D MkII and your 5D3 could be everything you want. Only you know what your expectations of a camera are.

Link to my mates Flickr site if you want to have a look.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jacobite1746/
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You're entitled to your opinion Gary as am I, and I personally belive that crop sensor bodies generally get a bad press as they're always compared to 1 series bodies at very much higher prices which is not a realistic comparison and that is why I made my comment about snobbery. I wasn't pointing the finger at any individual, just my observations over time based on reading a lot of reviews.
I'm not looking for an argument and we both seem to agree on the rest of it so no problem but it's not "daft", it's my opinion having owned 1 series bodies myself alongside all the 'big white' lenses from 300mm up to 600mm, so im not talking blindly. I used the same lenses with the 7D2 and they all worked perfectly with it, no drive issues or AF problems either and the firmware update certainly sorted the problems suffered by the early models. You too may be surprised if you give another one a try.
You're probably right as you own a 1DX that it's not easy to compare but to be fair, that's the Rolls Royce of bodies and the price is similar.
I guess we have to agree to disagree but I was just making my point that it doesn't have to bear the prestige logo to make a camera viable for certain situations over another. In an ideal world a 1DX and 7D2 would be camera heaven but I'm sure the OP will find his 5D3 and crop to be a great set up, as you also stated to be fair. ;)
 
wardy07 said:
You're entitled to your opinion Gary as am I, and I personally belive that crop sensor bodies generally get a bad press as they're always compared to 1 series bodies at very much higher prices which is not a realistic comparison and that is why I made my comment about snobbery. I wasn't pointing the finger at any individual, just my observations over time based on reading a lot of reviews.
I'm not looking for an argument and we both seem to agree on the rest of it so no problem but it's not "daft", it's my opinion having owned 1 series bodies myself alongside all the 'big white' lenses from 300mm up to 600mm, so im not talking blindly. I used the same lenses with the 7D2 and they all worked perfectly with it, no drive issues or AF problems either and the firmware update certainly sorted the problems suffered by the early models. You too may be surprised if you give another one a try.
You're probably right as you own a 1DX that it's not easy to compare but to be fair, that's the Rolls Royce of bodies and the price is similar.
I guess we have to agree to disagree but I was just making my point that it doesn't have to bear the prestige logo to make a camera viable for certain situations over another. In an ideal world a 1DX and 7D2 would be camera heaven but I'm sure the OP will find his 5D3 and crop to be a great set up, as you also stated to be fair. ;)
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Fair point Chris. Poor choice of words on my part. But the whole 1DX comparison was started by Canon themselves and perpetuated in reviews. I believed the hype and mine simply did not live up to it. Strangely it worked really well when I used it for motorsport.

I think I would have to hire one if I was interested in the MkII again. I think when you've had FF bodies the crop sensor will always suffer and that is what I compared it to.

I'm waiting in hope for the 5D3 upgrade which I'm hoping will bring the latest AF and increased FPS with it.

Ironically I bought my 1DX after waiting and waiting in vain for the 7D MkII to arrive until I got fed up and splashed out far more than I intended to.
 
Gaz J said:
Fair point Chris. Poor choice of words on my part. But the whole 1DX comparison was started by Canon themselves and perpetuated in reviews. I believed the hype and mine simply did not live up to it. Strangely it worked really well when I used it for motorsport.

I think I would have to hire one if I was interested in the MkII again. I think when you've had FF bodies the crop sensor will always suffer and that is what I compared it to.

I'm waiting in hope for the 5D3 upgrade which I'm hoping will bring the latest AF and increased FPS with it.

Ironically I bought my 1DX after waiting and waiting in vain for the 7D MkII to arrive until I got fed up and splashed out far more than I intended to.
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No worries Gary and I wasn't offended but just wanted to justify my comments.

If I'd had the available funds to buy a 1DX, I'm sure I would have done the same as you but I was very happy with the 7D2 combined with a 5D3 when I wanted full frame options. I never suffered the early AF issues so I guess my experience was a good one.

My biggest regret was selling my DSLR kit to go to M43, I had some health issues that scared the hell out of me and I decided to down size but I couldn't adjust to the smaller kit and am now getting back some of the kit that I sold as things have improved again now. It's a slow process but I'll get there in the end hopefully.
 
phildoug said:
I have also heard reports about the early 7d ii models having issues.
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Certainly some did, but we don't know the percentages. I've had mine since the day after release, probably done close to 150k shots with it and not had a problem yet, but YMMV.
 
I shot over a thousand images with a 7Dii and 100-400mm II on one battery last week and that was a Duracell pack.
 
phildoug said:
Some ace photos on your mates flickr site, just to confirm, he used the 7dii with the 300 2.8 and extenders? if the photos are anything to go buy, detail is not far off the 5d iii
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Yes Phil. He has a 7D MkII and a 5D3. He usually puts which camera, lens, extender he uses in the info on flickr. Certainly lately he has been using his 7D MkII for the majority of his work. His stuff is as good as any I have seen from the camera.
 
I have been researching a faster body for a few weeks now. Lots of options on the international forums and web reviews! Some useful, some not so, some darn right confusing.

If you take away the (expensive!) 1dx and soon to be releases 1dx ii, if you're in the Canon camp it does seem come down to the 7d ii or the 1d iv.

What's made it difficult, as Gaz points on, once you've had full frame, you compare everything against it.

I haven't ruled out the older 1d iv, and a good used example is about £400 more than a new 7d ii.

My research suggests that many pros, who take some pretty amazing shots, would favour the 1d iv for a variety of reasons. I'm not suggesting the older body is better, but combined with some of the negativity out their for the 7d ii, it does sway a person towards older technology that is proven.

If anyone has any direct experience of the 1d iv, it would be good to hear.

Thanks Gaz, yes his work is good, I can see some 5d 3 in there too, its the detail it brings to the image!
 
I have a 5D3 and a 6D but realised the 6D wasn't seeing a lot of use, so I decided to trade it for something to bolt onto the back of my 100-400ii.

I went for the 7D2. Sure, it's not quite as good as the 5D3 but I am getting plenty of detail from it at ISO800 and 1600. It's fast, really fast, and the autofocus is very good. I am definitely the weakest link as I learn the camera.
 
Yes, I've had mine about five weeks so a very late one in comparison.

Definitely no issues, autofocus is a lot better than the already excellent 5D3
 
RichardtheSane said:
Yes, I've had mine about five weeks so a very late one in comparison.

Definitely no issues, autofocus is a lot better than the already excellent 5D3
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Got mine about the same time as you, no problems at all so far..
 
There was no doubt that some of the first ones had an issue. Others didn't. Some of the issues were probably user error but there were too many experienced photographers having issues with it for everything to be lumped into that category.

Those issues seem to have been resolved and in terms of value for money its very hard to beat. The AF is great with more customisation than any other Canon body, 1DX included.

Probably like several others I've owned the 1D MkIV, 5D3, 1DX and the 7D MkII. My order of preference is 1DX, 5D3, 1D MkIV, 7DMkII. I should stress that this is purely down to my requirements and the performance of the cameras when I owned them for the subject matter I shoot.. But if my MkII had performed like my mates then it would have been second choice.

Would I choose a MkIV over the MkII? I don't think I would now.
 
Thanks Gaz, very interesting observations that make a lot of sense. Knowing myself I'll likely end up with a 1dx! some nice second hand examples about now. The idea of the 1d iv was appealing, the age of the camera wasn't.

The 7d ii as a companion body to my 5d3 (which I don't think I could part with) is becoming a realistic proposition. It's having got the 300 2.8 ii last June, which has prompted these choices. My previous long lens was the 400 5.6, but seeing the images that the 300 creates, I Cant help feeling that the faster body will really gain some great action shots, with such a fast lens.
 
Hi Phil,

For your use and as you say you do it for a hobby then the 7d mkii really does sound like the camera for you. If it helps I used a 7d mk ii shooting for a long term review with various L lenses and rated the focus very highly. In fact i really liked almost everything about it. The construction is good, the focusing is fast and very configurable. The only issue I had was after shooting Nikon full frame cameras a lot, the high ISO performance wasn't quite on par. However it's still good up to 1600 and usable at 3200. I did a quick ISO comparison and the images are on our Flickr page. Although they were taken in daylight it gives a quick idea of quality.

I'd also say that we have sold literally hundreds of 7d mk ii's and I can't think of a single warranty claim on one. The only complaint we ever got was that the focus system was too good (complicated) for one customer so he returned it for a simpler model.

In terms of value the 7d mk ii is pretty high up on the list if you shoot birds.
 
If you're going to keep the 5D3.. one advantage of the 7DII is that it has very similar control layout and menu system to the 5D3. So on days where you might be carrying both, switching between them would be pretty seamless.
 
GeeJay57 said:
If you're going to keep the 5D3.. one advantage of the 7DII is that it has very similar control layout and menu system to the 5D3. So on days where you might be carrying both, switching between them would be pretty seamless.
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It uses the same batteries as well - not a deal breaker but has its uses.
 
i have just gone through this same quandary as my 1dmkiii died on me ,and as it was a uneconomic repair i decided to buy new ,there are two 7dmkii in the household so i have had plenty of chance to play with them ,but i decided to take a chance and go for one of the new 80D ones instead ,its turned out to be a very good choice indeed and i,m more than pleased with the results .worth looking at heres one from the other day .plenty more shots in the sigma sports thread to

rudolph the red nosed shelduck by jeff and jan cohen, on Flickr
 
phildoug said:
Many thanks for the input David, its very useful, I'll checkout the Flickr page also.
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You're welcome.
I'm currently debating myself between getting another 7d mk ii and the 80D as I have a baby due in July and my Fuji X100T probably wont cut it as far as auto focus goes once she is running around all over the place :-)
 
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