Wesam

to your point, money is being put into consideration here. I have just spent some decent amount of money on L lenses, so I'm trying to slow down the bleeding now :)

Appreciate your feedback

47greyfox Loc: on the edge of the Colorado front range

I also have both. 7d2 has a better focusing system and for shooting birds, you can't beat it especially when rattling off 10fps!

RRS Loc: Not sure

Regis does shoot sitting eagles and that can be done with almost any camera out there. He does get great details with the 5DSR but not the best for action such as BIF. Too bad that photography isn't played like golf, many clubs in a bag, guess it could but I don't have that kind of money and think what you'd have to pay your caddie. I have been spending that money on glass. It's easy to see why we photographers ponder over bodies, FF or crop, like a golfer, 7 iron or a driver. They're all just tools of the trade or hobby. Have fun and enjoy whatever you buy but do learn how to use it to the max.

47greyfox Loc: on the edge of the Colorado front range

I'm not sure and only Regis knows for sure. But, didn't he shoot with a 6D before buying the 5DSR?

pfrancke Loc: cold Maine

I do not know - but thought so also. I think he also upgraded from a 150-600 lens to the new Canon 400 mm and possibly uses an extender with it. The OP is wise to focus on good lenses, that is for sure.

Methinks, that while I want Regis equipment, I would be much happier and better off with Regis skills!! And full concurrence that Action=7D2, but Regis demonstrates what a landscape camera will do with wildlife that is paused - and I suspect he gets some action keepers too.

RRS Loc: Not sure

I think Regis is using the new 100mm-400mm Canon but BIF are not the pictures that he posts. I'd like to see what he could do with BIF with his equipment.

jteee Loc: Montana

You have received great guidance from many who know what they are talking about. I own both the 6D and 7DII. I struggle with the low light capabilities of the 7D (image quality suffers above ISO 800 it seems), but the focus system is far superior to that in the 6D. If I were having to choose, I would probably go with the 7DII or a GOOD used 5DII or III. I have attached a couple recent shots for your comparison. Good Luck.
Egret- 7DII, Sigma 150-600 Sport (at 600), 1/2500, f8, ISO 640; Osprey- 6D, Sigma 150-600 Sport (at 600), 1/1600, f6.3, ISO 1600.

(Download)


(Download)

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

If the wildlife is standing still and nicely posed for the shot.... 6D would be fine.

If the wildlife is in motion, 7DII would be much better. It's AF system is far better for moving subjects. The 6D's AF is one of the least capable for movement, among the current Canon models.

If the wildlife is in low light, forcing you to use a high ISO, the 6D would be better, but will be limited to it's center AF point only. The other 10 points aren't as low-light capable. The 7DII's AF is able to focus in equally low light... and more of it's 61-point AF array will be usable, but the crop camera cannot produce as noise free images at higher ISOs.

If you already have or plan to get very large and expensive telephotos... and don't mind hauling them around... as well as a tripod to use them on... the full frame 6D would be fine. Otherwise, the APS-C crop sensor 7DII would be better. Much wildlife work is done with telephotos. An EF 300/4 IS that cost $1500, weighs 2.5 lb., is 3" in diameter and about 10" long is handholdable all day long on a 7DII. In order to frame a subject the same way from the same distance with a full frame 6D, I'd need to get out my 8 lb., 6" diameter, 15" long, $9000 EF 500/4 IS... and a tripod to sit it on.

If you plan to use teleconverters, 7DII's center AF point can handle an effective f8 combo (such as an f5.6 lens with a 1.4X TC). The 6D is limited to f5.6 combo (such as an f4 lens with a 1.4X TC).

If you plan to print larger than, say, 16x24" the 6D would be better. Otherwise, 7DII would be fine.

EDIT: 5DIII would give you full frame high ISO capabilities and a much better AF system than 6D.... but as a full frame camera still means using bigger, more expensive lenses. I would NOT recommend a 5DII instead... it's AF system is no better than the 6D's. In fact it's AF is less low light capable than either the 6D or 7DII.

I've recently started shooting with a couple 7DII and so far have been generally pleased with their high ISO image quality compared to the 7D's I used previously. Judge for yourself. This was shot at ISO 16000 (RAW file converted with Lightroom using default NR, sharpening, etc.)...



Yes, there is some high-ISO noise in the above image and 6D would likely be a bit better. But 7DII does better than I expected and what noise there is seems less objectionable. I never shot original 7D above ISO 6400, and those always required some extra work in post-processing (I know folks who used 7D at higher than 6400, but to do so they use fairly complex and time-consuming NR in post-processing).

A couple weeks ago I took thousands of images with 7DII at an event were I had little choice but to use ISO 8000 and 16000. Those will easily make 8x10 or 8x12 or smaller prints.... and, if needed, larger with extra post-processing work. Anyone who won't use above ISO 800 with 7DII is simply doing something wrong and/or pixel peeping at magnifications far, far beyond sizes they're ever likely to print.

pfrancke Loc: cold Maine

Completely agree... We can not have our chicken and eat it also.

Wesam

Thank you for the nice guidance.

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

I use a Canon 7D II with a Sigma 150-500 zoom for wildlife photography. Compared to my old 60D it is phenomenal!

I also use the same lens Metabones IV adapted to a Sony A7R II body. The 7D II wins hands down; no contest for autofocus speed under good light conditions! But the Sony A7R II/Sigma combo wins under low light conditions...

bwa

Wesam

Many thanks bwana .
Very useful feedback.

I have ordered the 7D mark ii from Canon USA.

Wesam

Wesam

Alan Myers, many thanks for the nice analysis and review.

I have bought the 300/F4 very recently and I love it.

I'm not a big fan of tele- converters. I just freak out when you tell me that I'm going to lose a stop of light (but that's just me:)

I have ordered the EOS 7D Mark ii today. ( thanks to the amazing reviews I received over here)

I know you might find this silly, but in addition to having only one cross type focus point ( a compositional WARNING for me) , I hate that the 6D doesn't have a WB button. This is big issue for me ( I know I'm silly :) because I think fixing the WB in the camera is way more effective that doing so in a post processing software.


Many many thanks for the amazing review

pfrancke Loc: cold Maine

ah... the other camera that I wished I own. LOL -

The things a wildlife photographers wishes for (in my mind) - how you prioritize these features depends on what you do and want. But the case is made for multiple camera bodies.
great Autofocus -- without proper focus, the image is useless
Frames per second -- getting that unique action, things happen so much faster than what we can react to
Resolution -- who can argue the beauty of detail?
low light ability -- wildlife in beautiful light makes for wall hangers

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Yes he used the 6D and he was also using the 7DII later. He still sometimes uses the 150-600 but mostly the 100-400 with 1.4X.

Actually I seem to remember he posted some BIF of ducks, taken with the 6D and the Tamron. I have gotten some good BIF with the 6D using both the Tamron and the 100-400. It is easier with my 7DII.