5D mk iii vs 7D mk ii for Low Light Auto Racing

JBHotShots

I'm in a very unique position, to me at least, where I could get either one. I know what both bring to the table but I am looking for any sports shooters that are fortunate enough to have both of these and would have direct and hands on comparisons.

FWIW either one would be a huge jump from my 5+ yr old 50D

TIA

kdog

All else being equal, nobody would shoot with a 7DII in low light if they had a 5DMKIII available because the image quality of the latter at high ISO is that much better. Although, everything else isn't equal because there are other differences, not the least of which is the crop factor of the 7D. If you need the extra reach of the crop, then that might override high ISO performance for you. What's your budget for lenses? Consider the fact that the 7D with a 70-200 f/2.8 has the same FOV and speed as the 5D with a 300 f/2.8 at a fraction of the price. Do you need high burst rate to capture crashes for example? if so, the 7D's higher burst rate might catch a critical frame that you might miss with the 5D. Have you had any problems with sodium light flicker at your track? If so, then the 7D's anti-flicker may work to your advantage, although it's been disappointing at gymnastics meets in that regard for me. The 7D's color tracking ability might help you track a particular car in a pack better in theory, although like anti-flicker, it may not live up to expectations in the real world. Otherwise, the AF of these two cameras is equivalent and stellar for your purpose. I think you'd be happy with either body. But there are a myriad of factors at work here that depend on a host of variables that only you know from your past experiences shooting the particular venues, your shooting style, your lens budget, etc.

mercphoto

My own past experience shooting race cars is you never have enough reach, especially if you want to be far enough away from the action to be safe. You are also very accustomed to shooting a crop factor camera and its effect on lens reach. That alone would push me to the 7DII. The 5DIII is going to change how you shoot. I believe the 7DII noticably cheaper as well, which is another consideration - how profitable is this for you? Does the revenue/market/expectations warrant a 5DIII and its higher price tag?

JBHotShots

I have L lenses, albeit older, but still amazing glass. To me, in the field of short track racing photography if you've seen one picture, you have seen them all; there just aren't many people out there doing unique things (of course with a few exceptions). My thought process is if I had the 5DIII it would hopefully give me the chance to do things without a flash that I just can't do quite as well with my current gear. I can count on one hand how many times I have purposely used the burst mode while shooting race cars, so that really isn't a deal breaker for me. You did answer my question about the AF with the two being comparable.

To answer both of you, cost isn't so much a factor, that's what makes this unique to me; although I'm not wanting to spend the extra $1,000 if I don't absolutely have to.

I appreciate the valuable feedback and I will let you know which route I decide to go.

mercphoto

Oval track photography in general can be pretty boring due to the limitations of the track itself. The most unique work I've seen from track photography was when I was on Hallett at a driving event, the track photographer had a cherry picker that allowed him to change his shooting altitude to match the rise and fall and background of the track. Including some rather high vantage shots of me going under. Very cool.

JBHotShots

Yes there are limitations for action shots, mostly because of safety reasons, but there is SO much more to show than what is going on on the track itself. Don't get me wrong, that stuff is important, I just think there is so much more to the story of a Saturday night race.

ziggy53

You could rent a Canon 7D Mark II for a race and decide if it provides the kind of performance you are looking for. Alternately, rent a 5D Mark III to gain some FF experience with that body.

moose135

ziggy53 wrote: »

You could rent a Canon 7D Mark II for a race and decide if it provides the kind of performance you are looking for. Alternately, rent a 5D Mark III to gain some FF experience with that body.

Excellent advice, try before you buy. I moved to a 5D3 about a year and a half ago, from the original 7D, and a couple of months back I got a 7D2 as a second body for the extra reach shooting aviation (and racing) stuff, based on the good reviews it received. Maybe I've gotten spoiled by the FF camera, but even at low ISOs in good light, I find the 7D2 images noisy, I'd be hesitant to use it in low light conditions. I'm almost to the point of finding someone who wants a good deal on the 7D2 and get myself another 5D3 as a second body.

jmphotocraft

I have both

JBHotShots wrote: »

I'm in a very unique position, to me at least, where I could get either one. I know what both bring to the table but I am looking for any sports shooters that are fortunate enough to have both of these and would have direct and hands on comparisons.

FWIW either one would be a huge jump from my 5+ yr old 50D

TIA

I have both. The 5D3 still has the edge in low light, but the 7D2 is very capable. A quantum leap beyond the old 7D. If you want 10fps and the crop factor, you'll be pleased with the 7D2. Here are some of my low light action shots with it:

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=253439
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/54780690

Now, if you want the best IQ you can afford and are willing to sacrifice 4fps and reach to get it, I would estimate the 5D3 is maybe 1 stop better at high ISO. The AF is top notch too. Just realize that FF can force you into some painfully expensive lenses if you need more than 200mm and a fast aperture. A 7D2 with a 70-200/2.8 gets you 320mm effectively, and the shutter speed and ISO associated with f/2.8 (just with more DOF). To get similar reach on FF, you'd need a 300/4 at least. Then you've negated the FF noise advantage, and you're stuck at a fixed 300mm. 300/2.8? Pay to play. A 100-400L on FF gets you more reach, but then you're a stop slower than the 7D2 + 70-200/2.8 combo.

JBHotShots

jmphotocraft wrote: »

I have both. The 5D3 still has the edge in low light, but the 7D2 is very capable. A quantum leap beyond the old 7D. If you want 10fps and the crop factor, you'll be pleased with the 7D2. Here are some of my low light action shots with it:

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=253439
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/54780690

Now, if you want the best IQ you can afford and are willing to sacrifice 4fps and reach to get it, I would estimate the 5D3 is maybe 1 stop better at high ISO. The AF is top notch too. Just realize that FF can force you into some painfully expensive lenses if you need more than 200mm and a fast aperture. A 7D2 with a 70-200/2.8 gets you 320mm effectively, and the shutter speed and ISO associated with f/2.8 (just with more DOF). To get similar reach on FF, you'd need a 300/4 at least. Then you've negated the FF noise advantage, and you're stuck at a fixed 300mm. 300/2.8? Pay to play. A 100-400L on FF gets you more reach, but then you're a stop slower than the 7D2 + 70-200/2.8 combo.

Thank you very much. I never really thought about the crop factor since FF was never really a viable option until now. I have good glass, so that isn't an issue, but it is probably more suited to my crop cameras and the types of photography that I have been/will be doing.

jmphotocraft

Your 24-70 really makes more sense on full frame, but your 70-200/2.8 is a great sports lens on crop. On FF it's more of a portrait/medium-tele.

If your profits can offset a 300 or 400 f/2.8 IS, that really is the ultimate. I owned a 300/2.8IS with my 5D3 for 2 years. The combination produced astonishing results, and the sheer size of the thing is a VIP press pass itself. However I missed a significant number of shots without zoom. Not so much with baseball, but definitely with soccer. I sold it when I scaled back my business, figuring I no longer deserved it. I bought the 7D2 and pocketed a couple grand. These are the decisions you'll be faced with on Full Frame!