Volk359 Loc: Fairbanks, AK

Greetings All,

I am very intrigued by the 7D Mk II and am very close to making the decision whether or not to make the upgrade from my 50D. The cost has made it difficult to justify the upgrade plus my 50D works fine albeit I've never really been satisfied with the image quality. Typical lenses I use are the 70-200 f2.8 and the 24-105 f4. The biggest challenge I've had with it is shooting in low light, which seems like always, and the Mk II looks like a viable solution. ISO 16000 with no (very low) noise! So far no one has talked me out of the purchase including, suspiciously, my wife but a buddy of mine suggested the 6D instead.

In comparing the two at B&H they look very similar in cost and specs, the only real difference I could see is crop sensor vs. full, a built in flash & mic on the 7D, higher still frame rates on the 7D, and a higher ISO on the 6D.

So, how do the two compare otherwise? Will my current lenses fit on the 6D? Seems to me if I were to pick I'd go with the 7D Mk II as the 6D has been out for a while and I'd be getting a newer body with the latest and greatest technology.

Thanks

birdpix Loc: South East Pennsylvania

For sports and wildlife, the 7 D Mk II. For landscape, portrait and other studio work, the 6D. If you do all of the above, the compromise is the 7 D Mk II.

CHOLLY Loc: THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE!

Go with the 6D. The 7DmkII is EXTREMELY over-rated and SEVERELY over hyped.

The 6D is a GREAT full-frame camera for the money... MUCH better than the new 7D which isn't even the 5th best camera in it's class.

Don't be fooled; The Sony A77mkII, Nikon D7100, Olympus OM-D EM-1, Pentax K-3 and Samsung NX-1 ALL completely outclass the 7DII for LESS money, so you are FAR better off going with the proven performance of the 6D than that overhyped under achiever. ;)

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

Regardless of the improvements of the 7D2 over the 7D (and there are MANY), its STILL a crop sensor body. The 6D will definitely give you better low noise results, especially at higher ISO's. And both the leses you listed are EF lenses so they will work just fine on the FF 6D.

Volk359 Loc: Fairbanks, AK

Over-hyped, perhaps. :)



I got the impression that was one of the advantages of the 7D2 was a superior noise to ISO ratio.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

In the crop sensor arena, yes. Compared to full frame even the best crop sensor cameras cannot compete with the least expensive full frames for low noise at high ISO's.

Grammieb1 Loc: New Orleans

I don't have a 6D, I do however have a 5Dlll & a 7Dll. Your decision should be based on what type of shooting you do. The 6D takes lovely portraits & landscape images but though it is possible to do bif & sports, it is handicapped by it's af capabilities in these areas. Although I bought my 5Dlll before the 6D came out, I don't think I would have been totally happy with the 6 D because of these issues. The 7Dll is much better than some of these posters have led you to believe. I have used it in comparison to my 5Dlll & found it to be very capable of making really good images. As I said, it depends on what kind of shooting you do now & plan to do in the future. The only current camera available that does a better job at sports & wildlife is the 1Dx. The difference in image quality amoung the better quality DSLR's is not as great as some would have you believe. Dpreview has a very interesting video of a noted wildlife & nature photographer shooting with a 7Dll. You might want to take a look at it before making your final decision if you are interested in this type of photography. Bab

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Volk, what you don't say is how you will use the camera.
Shooting low light means nothing.
WHAT you shoot in low light is what matters.
I have shot a ton at night on a tripod at ISO 100 with my 5ll. Is THAT low light? Or are you talking indoor sports in poor light?
You are talking apples and oranges.
Your 50 is a lot like the 7ll is like the little brother in a family of athletes. The 6d is like the fat mother in that family having only ONE cross focus point.
Form should follow function. Narrow down say the three things that are most important to you that you CAN'T do without. That's the one you need.
Let's just say that the 7ll can shoot ANYTHING the 6d can shoot. But the 6d can't even touch about half the stuff the 7ll can shoot. Good luck;-)
SS

Volk359 Loc: Fairbanks, AK

I tend to shoot scenery, wild life and family; indoors and out. I'd love to do BIF but I don't have the patience for it. :| In fact my hats off to those who do. I upgraded from a P&S camera when my daughters started taking dance. In the dim light/large rooms the P&S's just don't cut it and the 50D in a local shop had a good price at the time which is why I chose it. I do use a tripod from time to time but I don't always carry one or sometimes is not practical. The 50D doesn't seem to hold up in low light; dark rooms, dusk, museums, etc. I can get still photos but with an increase in noise. A while back the body had developed some issues so I sent it in to Canon for repair/calibration and when I received it back it was performing much better but in the interem I think I may have gotten over critical about the clarity of my shots.

This was taken on a tripod, mid-day if I remember correctly, cloudy, semi-shade. 1/30sec f20 75MM with my 24-105 with a wee bit of PP. I didn't sharpen it but it seems to me it should be sharper/cleaner.

(Download)

Grammieb1 Loc: New Orleans

The image quality of the 7D was better than the 50D & the 7Dll is better than the 7D. For portraits & close up or macro of flowers, I would recommend the 100 2.8 L macro from Canon. I have had great success taking images of my granddaughter's dance reviews with both the 135 2 & the 70-200 2.8 ll. for these types of shots, the lens means more than the camera. Bab

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Volk, you may be better off with the 6d. It's a lot like the 5ll. The 5ll is a crappy sports camera. But ANY camera will shoot action if the action goes left to right or right to left. The huge difference is when the action is coming AT you fast. THAT'S where it takes a sports camera. I've shot LOTS of sports including difficult coming at you shots, but my hit rate goes down dramatically. If you are just shooting for you it's no big deal. If you are shooting professionally, it's a big deal.
That's why there is Sooo much buzz about the 7ll. For people that shoot action, the noise, the DR, the IQ etc., don't MATTER, it's just icing. The ONLY thing that matters is the HIT RATE !!!
I'm gonna suggest the you look at the uTube by Tony Northop from Nov. 5. He shows and explains exactly where the 7ll stands in noise etc. compared to other cameras. He uses purely the DXO numbers and explains how they are relative. Then you will understand two things. 1, why there is Sooo much buzz, and 2, if the 7ll is for you or not. Volk, check that out.
Maybe someone way smarter than me will provide a link. ;-)
SS

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

volks ... your two primary lenses will be excellent regardless of the Canon body. Don't be fooled by buying new. Compare the prices on new vs used or refurbed. You might find any of the following cameras at the relatively same price at KEH.com:

1D III
6D
5DII

None of these cameras became crap simply because a newer model came out. Your 50D was always a nice camera but Canon didn't position it well. And, it's low light ISO performance was a weakness. Look to KEH.com for pricing on these ideas. An EX or high rating will seem as good as new.

If low light is an issue and flash is any option you might too look at an EX 580 or EX 580II speedlight, think used here too.

Peter from NH Loc: Dublin NH

I have both. I am finding very similar image quality. Certainly one isn't better by a large margin. The 7D mk2 is really pretty good at higher ISOs. The 6D is probably a little better there.

However, the focussing capabilities of the 7D mk2 blow away the 6D. Speed also blows away the 6D. The crop factor of the 7D mk2 is also a real advantage using longer lenses.

In any case, I am glad I have both in my bag. One is not inferior to the other, they are just different. I bought the 6D used and saved money over the 7D mk2. Not sure I would buy the 6D over the 7Dmk2 for near equivalent price. But that's just my experience.

TimS Loc: GA

The 1DIII is a really nice piece of hardware. I get great shots at ISO 3200. I don't use 6400 as its really much too noisy for me.

AntonioReyna Loc: Los Angeles, California

I am sure that a lot of persons will be asking themselves the same question. Prices are comparable. Comes down to shooting full frame versus crop sensor. The 6D takes amazing pictures and it looks the same for the new 7DII. Can't make a bad choice. Just depends on how and what you shoot.