Camera dilemma
Posted by: Gordon Jones
Tags:
Canon 1DmkII, Canon 7D, Photographer
Posted date:
April 10, 2010
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2 Comments
Currently I have a Canon 7D as my primary body and a Canon 1D Mark II as my backup / second body. The 1D was my primary body and served my well. It’s not perfect but despite its age it still can cut it with the prosumer DSLRs.
Since getting my 7D it has seen little use and I’ve been considering what to replace it with, this is my dilemma.
The Canon 1D Mark III that replaced it has had a troubled life with an auto focus issue that has required both hardware and software fixes. Despite this, they are still selling for £1400 second hand. I would consider this as a replacement but not for that price.
The Canon 1D Mark IV that replaced the Mark III is far too expensive at £3700.
So, lets look at the prosumer range of cameras. The Canon 50D is the current model, retailing at £680 new. Not a bad camera but one that has suffered due to the ‘pixel race’ with Nikon. The 15MP sensor has worse high ISO performance and a smaller dynamic range than the previous 40D. The size of the images as well reduces the RAW burst from 19 to 15 or 16 if you have UDMA CF cards.
What about a second hand 40D you ask?
I had a 40D when I was using the 1D Mark II as my primary body. The 40D was a good camera and as you’ve read above it beats the 50D in some areas but the 1D performed better. Most noticeable was the auto focus tracking performance and the exposure metering.
Go Nikon? :-)
I did consider it! The photography of both Thomas Joseph Hill (TJ) and Mark Jayne with Nikon kit is very impressive but the cost of swapping systems now is too high.
How about another 7D?
I think that may well be my best option. By the time I throw in the battery grip and a second official Canon battery we will be talking £1400 – same as the 1D Mark III but the 7D is a better camera, especially for aviation photography.
It is more than I want to spend. I’m still trying to get a Canon 300 f/2.8 L IS but refuse to pay £3600 for one when they were £2600 at the end of 2008; thank you weak not so Great British Pound!
Decisions, decisions, decisions.
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2 Comments for Camera dilemma
Thanks for the reply Nick! Giving the 7D option a lot of thought.
I’m using a Sigma 300 f/2.8 as a stop gap (I’ve owned the 300 f/4 L IS previously). I’m keeping an eye out for a 2nd hand one at a good price but the ones I have seen were overpriced (people selling at a profit over what they paid before the price rises). It’s going to be a waiting game but the Sigma will keep me going in the meantime.
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The MkIII in later versions was an excellent camera and extremely responsive. I miss the two I had, despite the odd shortcoming.
However, there are big advantages to having a pair of matching bodies and a 2nd 7D would be my choice for your situation. The AF is far superior to 40/50D and probably the MkIII too.
EF300mm f/2.8L IS? A truly beautiful lens – I still have and use a non-IS version, but there should be plenty of good S/H IS examples available – try calling Nikon; I believe they have several hundred Canon ‘white lenses’ in a cupboard somewhere in the UK ;-) Alternatively Jacobs / Park Cameras or similar should point you in the right direction.
If funds are tight or weight is an issue, the f4 version of the 300 is also excellent and very small. 1 stop with 7D is not an issue, especially if you turn off highlight tone priority.