Canon 7D or 1Ds MKii ??

Ragon

I'm a little confused on what would be better. I plan to have a 5D MKii early summer but I'm looking for something that I could upgrade to for now and use mostly for sports afterwords.

I like that the 7D is 18mp and can shoot 8fps - I don't know if I like the fact that it still has a 1.6 crop.

I like that the 1Ds MKii is a full frame and still has 16.7mp - But at 4fps seems a bit slow.

I could always go for a 1DMKiiN that shoots 8.5fps but only at 8.1mp and still has a crop of 1.3.

Please help with pointers and advise for I'm a bit clouded and can't even think straight right now. lol Thank you all.

ckalephoto

I was trying to sell my 7D last week to purchase a 1Ds II. The frames per second did not bother me, I am a portrait shooter. I think if you list every feature out, you will see the choice is clear. Pro build, full frame, AF on any 1 series is great. Heck, if you have no use for HD video and you are not to worried about shooting at high ISO, I think the 1Ds II is a better choice than a 5D II. It's like getting a used BMW, or a new Honda. Both are going to be great cars.

Chris

Ragon

You're right, I'll have the 5DMKii this summer for my HD and high ISO's, I guess I was just a bit worried about the speed for sports photography. I'm at 3.5fps with my current camera and I've survived.

ckalephoto

I have never shot sports, so I have no clue as to whats needed. My 7D stays in one shot 99% of the time. I do wish I would have read up more on the older 1 Series when I made my purchase. Also, I only have one crop specific lens. It would be nice to have two bodies and three lenses, and no matter which bodies or lens I grab, the shot will compose the same.

Hackbone

A nice item to have with the 1d's is shooting to two cards as backup, especially being a portrait shooter.

ckalephoto

Boy, those 1Ds' just look better and better. I found one the other day for $1800 with only 50k clicks. If i could have sold my 7D, it would have been mine. I mean, it was 7k new!

Matthew Saville

If you plan on shooting professionally, and more portraits / events than sports / action, I recommend the 1-series for sure.

However the 7D is hands-down the BEST value in DSLR's today for the all-around shooter who dabbles in both action / sports AND high-res things like landscapes and portraits. Comparatively, the older 1-series cameras have poor battery life, abysmal menus and customization, a smaller low-res LCD screen, etc. etc. Yes they're built like a tank and will last you forever, but they're definitely from a different era and anyone who is spoiled by current technology will miss it in an older 1-series. As I said in the first place, ONLY buy an older 1-series if you absolutely do need the tank-like performance and reliability. Otherwise, the 7D will be a pleasure to use and it's reliability / speed will NOT let you down.

The quality of the camera is great, sure it's not a 1-series but it will get any job done as long as you keep a backup on hand. And even if you DO have a 1-series, you should still have a backup so to me that's a moot point. Unless you're shooting (I mean photographing!) a president's wedding or something, in which case I recommend dual card slots .

With the 5-series for your low-light and shallow DOF needs, the 7D makes a perfect lightweight backup / companion for when you need reach or speed.

So the bottom line for me is, what will you be shooting most of the time? How much do you like to experiment with new things, or goof around? The 7D is, in my opinion, the PERFECT "Strobist" camera for example. (And I'm a Nikon shooter!)

=Matt=

ThatCanonGuy

Like Matt said, the 7D is the best all-around camera. It's not the best if you'll only be doing portraits, or landscapes, etc. but if you're doing sports or a combination of everything then the 7D is the way to go.

You mentioned 3 cameras: they all have different crop factors. Decide what crop factor you want. The 1.6 will give you more reach, plus you get the 7D's res and pixel density. I say go for the 7D. I would not want to shoot sports with a 1DsII. 4fps is just too slow; unless you have a really good knack for pressing the shutter at just the right moment, you'll need 8fps. Even if you do have that knack, you'll still sometimes need the 8fps.

The 7D is the fastest and most high res--what's stopping you? Is it the crop factor? Well, it makes your lenses longer. You say you'll have a 5D2 soon, well, that solves the crop factor thingy right there doesn't it? A 1Ds2 and 5D2 combo would not be nearly as useful as a 7D and 5D2 combo would. With that, you can shoot anything. The 1Ds2/5D2 really limit you for sports.

I'll be one to say go with the 7D. Yes, the 1-series build is better. So? Unless you have an urge to hurl it onto some concrete, or want to clean it with a water fountain, the 7D will be just fine. It's metal too. You can get the grip if you like.

Why go FF when you'll already have FF soon? If you get the 1Ds2 that eliminates your need for a 5D2 altogether, unless you NEED 21mp. And it seems like you don't need hi-res if you're thinking of getting the 1Ds2 when the 7D is the higher res. The 7D has the greatest pixel density of all 3 of these. That gives you lots of room to crop.

7D for sports/action, 5D2 for portraits/landscapes. Both for other things.

What's stoppping you?

Ragon

Sounds good! Thank you all very much for the info. Looks like I'll be getting the 7D with the future 5DMKii.

Red Bull

I just recently upgraded from a 20D to a 1D mk II N and just the build quality makes the other models feel like toys. I'm not a huge fan of the menu and button setup on the mk II N, but I love the larger sensor and more significant feel on it.

Matthew Saville

ThatCanonGuy wrote: »

Like Matt said, the 7D is the best all-around camera. It's not the best if you'll only be doing portraits, or landscapes, etc. but if you're doing sports or a combination of everything then the 7D is the way to go.

You mentioned 3 cameras: they all have different crop factors. Decide what crop factor you want. The 1.6 will give you more reach, plus you get the 7D's res and pixel density. I say go for the 7D. I would not want to shoot sports with a 1DsII. 4fps is just too slow; unless you have a really good knack for pressing the shutter at just the right moment, you'll need 8fps. Even if you do have that knack, you'll still sometimes need the 8fps.

The 7D is the fastest and most high res--what's stopping you? Is it the crop factor? Well, it makes your lenses longer. You say you'll have a 5D2 soon, well, that solves the crop factor thingy right there doesn't it? A 1Ds2 and 5D2 combo would not be nearly as useful as a 7D and 5D2 combo would. With that, you can shoot anything. The 1Ds2/5D2 really limit you for sports.

I'll be one to say go with the 7D. Yes, the 1-series build is better. So? Unless you have an urge to hurl it onto some concrete, or want to clean it with a water fountain, the 7D will be just fine. It's metal too. You can get the grip if you like.

Why go FF when you'll already have FF soon? If you get the 1Ds2 that eliminates your need for a 5D2 altogether, unless you NEED 21mp. And it seems like you don't need hi-res if you're thinking of getting the 1Ds2 when the 7D is the higher res. The 7D has the greatest pixel density of all 3 of these. That gives you lots of room to crop.

7D for sports/action, 5D2 for portraits/landscapes. Both for other things.

What's stoppping you?

Indeed, I'd rather have a 1D mk3 than a 1Ds mk2, if I shot sports on the side. Maybe if I shot landscapes for national geographic I might want a 1Ds mk2, but in general the 1.3x crop is the best fully pro pro setup on the market for "jack of all trades" photographers. And a camera bag with 1.6x + 1.0x is just as capable, of course. Diversify your portfolio! :-P

=Matt=

ThatCanonGuy

Matthew Saville wrote: »

Indeed, I'd rather have a 1D mk3 than a 1Ds mk2, if I shot sports on the side. Maybe if I shot landscapes for national geographic I might want a 1Ds mk2, but in general the 1.3x crop is the best fully pro pro setup on the market for "jack of all trades" photographers. And a camera bag with 1.6x + 1.0x is just as capable, of course. Diversify your portfolio! :-P

=Matt=

I'll go even farther and say I'd rather have a 1D2 than a 1Ds3 for sports. Those 1Ds's just don't have enuf fps for most sports purposes.

Ragon

Alright, I bought a Canon 1D MKii, the N sold before I could grab it and I couldn't find another around. I still plan on getting a 5DMKii this spring but may lean towards a 1DsMKii. We'll see. Thanks again for all of the points made above.

jhefti

I shoot sports all the time--soccer, surfing, river kayaking, others--and I usually use my 5DmII. I seldom if ever shoot continuous, so FPS is not an issue. I guess it depends on the sport, but in my experience, anticipation produces far better pix than high FPS continuous.

I was recently shooting a semifinal game at night in the collegiate womens soccer championships, and many of us Canon people had our 5DmII's out instead of a 1D because of the high ISO capabilities.

I prefer the best image quality I can get over just about any other capability in a camera.

Matthew Saville

jhefti wrote: »

I shoot sports all the time--soccer, surfing, river kayaking, others--and I usually use my 5DmII. I seldom if ever shoot continuous, so FPS is not an issue. I guess it depends on the sport, but in my experience, anticipation produces far better pix than high FPS continuous.

I was recently shooting a semifinal game at night in the collegiate womens soccer championships, and many of us Canon people had our 5DmII's out instead of a 1D because of the high ISO capabilities.

I prefer the best image quality I can get over just about any other capability in a camera.

[can of worms]
...Or, you could get a D700 with a battery grip and hit 8 FPS AND good high ISO. :-D
[/can of worms]

GadgetRick

jhefti wrote: »

I shoot sports all the time--soccer, surfing, river kayaking, others--and I usually use my 5DmII. I seldom if ever shoot continuous, so FPS is not an issue. I guess it depends on the sport, but in my experience, anticipation produces far better pix than high FPS continuous.

You are correct, it does depend on the sport. Soccer, for the most part, doesn't move as fast as many other sports. I shoot MMA and it's EXTREMELY difficult to try and time shots. Punches, kicks, etc. just happen (and move) way too fast to try and time them.

ThatCanonGuy

jhefti wrote: »

I shoot sports all the time--soccer, surfing, river kayaking, others--and I usually use my 5DmII. I seldom if ever shoot continuous, so FPS is not an issue. I guess it depends on the sport, but in my experience, anticipation produces far better pix than high FPS continuous.

I was recently shooting a semifinal game at night in the collegiate womens soccer championships, and many of us Canon people had our 5DmII's out instead of a 1D because of the high ISO capabilities.

I prefer the best image quality I can get over just about any other capability in a camera.

It does depend on the sport. Some sports you just can't anticipate, and even if you can, you're missing perhaps the best shot. Lots of times, anticipation is one-eighth of a second, and therefore one frame, later than the peak of the action. With 8fps, you get to choose which moment is best, instead of anticipating and hoping you'll get the best.

kdog

Matthew Saville wrote: »

...Or, you could get a D700 with a battery grip and hit 8 FPS AND good high ISO. :-D

And a resolution out of the stone age.

jhefti

Agreed that it is sport-dependent! I have sometimes used continuous mode when there is chaos in front of the goal, or a oddly breaking wave during a surf comp, and have probably gotten more than a few great shots with my 1Dm4 as a result. However, these are the exceptions.

I can certainly imagine that for many sports, though, where the action is fast but separated by longer slow periods, like baseball, that a high frame rate would be very useful.

Matthew Saville

kdog wrote: »

And a resolution out of the stone age.

Actually the stone age just called, they want their megapixel race back!