CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

The surest way to corrupt a novice is to explain the importance of full-frame sensors.

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

She might consider the relatively new Canon EOA RP mirrorless camera. She can use her current lenses and as time and finances allow she can start adding Canon L lenses..

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

True, we really need to know what lenses she has already. If she has EF-S lenses they will not help her move to FF. She may also want to consider mirrorless. Sometimes the best answer is to wait and save up more money...

SteveR Loc: Michigan

With a budget of just $1,000 that leaves little for lenses which are the most important thing with full frame cameras. If she finds a full frame camera but shoots with cheap lenses, any large enlargement will magnify the deficiencies of those lenses. Judy 2011, who used to post on this forum used to have the t3i but has upgraded her camera in that series but has put her money into lenses, primarily the newest Canon 100-400mm vrii. She shoots primarily wildlife and gets terrific shots with that combination, and submits 9x12 (is that the right size?) blowups for county and state competition where she consistently wins top ribbons. My suggestion would be to stick with the crop sensor camera until she earns enough to go full frame in the proper way and buy not only a good camera but good lenses.

The t3i has 18mp. The t7i has 24mp. Actually, not that big of an increase. It's like the increase from the D7000 to the D7100. Actually, the camera she has is still a good camera, unless there would be features like better AF and increased fps that would be worth the jump. If so, the cost of a new t7i would not be nearly so much as the costs of full frame and the appropriate lenses. Lenses are everything with full frame. You can't cheat. For instance, when I purchased my Nikon D800 I still use my 28-300mm out of convenience at times, but the better lens is the 24-80mm f2.8 which cost me $1800 as I recall. The 70-200 f2.8 was $2800. There are other lenses, however, like the 50mm f1.8 which is reasonable as well as the 85mm f1.8 which is about $500. I have the 50mm but not the 85mm. My suggestion here would be to put her money into a good full frame lens with an eye to the future to going full frame. Perhaps a good used 100-400mm vrii if she shoots wildlife or action shots.

It just occurred to me that I purchased a 16 x 20 b&w blowup from Judy that came out nice and sharp.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

I believe he stated her budget was $1000.00. Based on that, I would believe an upgrade in lenses too would be out of the question. What do you think?

aellman Loc: Boston MA

An excellent point!

wds0410 Loc: Nunya

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SteveR Loc: Michigan

That depends on the lense. For instance, the Nikon 85mm f1.8 is about $500, but a 50mm, an 85mm and one other would be a beginning. I'd be curious to know what a used 100-400mm vrii goes for. That's an outstanding lens, one that I am familiar with.

ELNikkor

Since she "shoots astro", "wants to move to FF", and "is an accomplished photographer", an 80D, good as it is, will not be moving her in the direction she desires. The 5D III refurbished with a 50 1.4 for night skies would be a start. Adding a Canon 100-400 II or Tamron 150-600 G2 for that far-off wildlife might be next. Yes, this move is way over her budget, but since she is already "accomplished", the sales of her photos can pay for the new equipment. She just needs to be patient and build her FF kit, since that is what she truly desires.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Her budget of $1000.00 FOR A CAMERA. There is no room for a lens too. Did any one read the original post or was it just me?

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

If her glass is ASP-C and her budget is $1,000, sticking with ASP-C for now is the only real new camera purchase option. But a lot of people have great success with the t3i for astrophotography as well as most of the other subjects mentioned. Her best option is to either 1) buy nothing and save for a Canon Ra or 2) start to invest in FF glass while the mirrorless lines improve and drop in price. The t3i is actually a great camera. If she is really in a hurry to get to fast moving wildlife, then the 80D might be a good route in her budget but if it is distant slow moving wildlife, the t3i is fine.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

I'm encouraging her to keep her current camera and buy lenses INSTEAD. As I have written, I purchased a nice enlargement from Judy 2011 taken on one of the Canon t series cameras. I believe that it's 16x20. That being the case, the niece should be able to get decent enlargements with her present camera and good lenses. I think general advice is to go glass over camera. She'd be better off having good glass than a great camera with mediocre glass. I always advise to buy full frame glass in anticipation of some day purchasing a full frame camera.

thrash50

I also have 6D mk2, witch I think is great. She might consider upgrading to a good EOS lens on the Rebel, before upgrading the camera. The actual focal length will be different but acceptable, whereas lens choices always end up being more expensive than the camera. My suggestion would be a fixed focal length 400mm lens with image stabilization for moving wildlife. Canon lenses are expensive, Tamron, and Sigma are not quite as expensive. I have a Tamron 100-400mm lens, which is absolutely fine, but I am currently saving to upgrade that lens to a Canon luxury lens.

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

Yes, I agree. I can throw a $2000 lens on my daughter’s T3i and get some good results. You may go through a few bodies but good glass will always pay dividends. It also really depends on what glass she already has too...

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

I am thinking it comes down to how soon she wants to shoot wildlife and whether that wildlife is the active kind, like birds in flight. The t3i is, as I said earlier, a good camera. The only time I have ever had problems is BIF. Most of what the daughter is shooting is stationary. The key to doing enlargements is often sensor utilization and post processing. The t3i sensor is fine. Longer lenses with better glass can get more out that sensor and still be useful when she upgrades her body later. If she uses a long lens for a shot of a deer and fills the frame at 400mm on her t3i, that same shot on a FF will not fill the frame unless she purchases a 640mm lens. So she will have to crop and lose much of the benefit of the FF camera. I do not know what lenses she has, but it seems she may be jumping at the FF mystique. If she only has APS-C lenses now, the switch will be expensive.