Camera Labs

Hi guys,

I am kinda torn at the moment. I have decided on what camera I want to buy (sort of). The 7D (Mark II) is ideal for me as I want to shoot wildlife and the crop factor combined with the high burst rate and good auto focus make it a perfect match (not taking into consideration the higher image quality of the 5D MII).

There have been loads of rumors that a 7D Mark II will be announced AND released very soon. Of course this would be interesting to me as well. The thing is: the original 7D has been lowered in price a lot. There are a few things that I am wondering now. Do I really need the rumored +2 burst rate and +3,1 MP? If there is something truly magnificent in the 7D Mark II then I will consider putting in the extra cash, but if not then I wonder if it will be worth it for me.

Something that worries me a bit is Canons pricing strategy that they have used the last two years. This suggests to me the 7D Mark II might even be launched with a price on par with the 6D, or maybe even higher. If that's the case then it will really have to offer a load of extra awesomeness.

So what do you guys think? Will the original 7D go down in price even more once the Mark II hits the stores? What kind of price do you expect for the 7D Mark II? And do you think Canon has any other tricks up its sleeve which might be worth putting down a lot of extra cash for a Mark II instead of the original one?

Thanks and looking forward to your opinions!

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Cameras: Canon EOS 7D, Canon EOS 40D
Lenses: Canon EF 17-40/4 L USM, Canon EF-S 60/2.8 Macro USM, Canon EF 70-200/2.8 L USM, Canon EF 100-400/4.5-5.6 L IS USM
Want list: Canon EF 24-105/4 L IS USM, Canon EF 100/2.8 Macro L IS USM

difficult question, I don`t have all the answers, but what I can say is that the 7D will offer a step up from the the 40D and that anything else will be much more expensive.
I have a 7D and basically don`t see the point if upgrading yet, maybe the next generation will do it for me.

Buy what fits in your budget, at the moment.

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Canon Powershot S95, Canon 7D, 15-85, Canon 85 1.8 USM, Sigma 30 1.4, 50mm 1.8, Canon 100 2.8L IS Macro, Canon 70-300L IS USM+Kenko 1.4 Pro 300DGX, Canon 430EX II and RS 4 Classic

I don't have a direct answer, just an anecdote.

I wanted a fullframe camera in 2011, but the 5D2 typically sold close to $2300-2400 back then.
After the 5D3 came out early 2012, I could find the 5D2 for around $2000.
After the 6D came out late 2012, it was common to see the 5D2 around $1700-1800.
The day before X-mas, I saw a deal for the 5D2 for $1529 and I jumped on it.

I'm guessing after the 7D2 arrives, prices should drop a bit on the 7D1.

At the moment the 7D is around 1150 Euro. If it will drop to say 1000 Euro then that would be awesome. The new one I expect to be around 1600 Euro, but it could just as well be 1800 Euro or 2000 Euro. I might be crazy enough to pay 1600 Euro (and that's a big maybe) but the other two are just too expensive... Guess I will have to wait a little longer for more information. What price was the original 7D launched at?

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Cameras: Canon EOS 7D, Canon EOS 40D
Lenses: Canon EF 17-40/4 L USM, Canon EF-S 60/2.8 Macro USM, Canon EF 70-200/2.8 L USM, Canon EF 100-400/4.5-5.6 L IS USM
Want list: Canon EF 24-105/4 L IS USM, Canon EF 100/2.8 Macro L IS USM

I still have nightmares when I had my Olympus E510 and wanted to get an E1 because the 7D was $2400 Australian (body only) on release - that was $1850 Euro at the time. Keep in mind the philosophy behind the 7D mkII will be the same - so the only upgrades that are important will be the extra MP and the +2fps.

I Dont think 1700 or 1800 euro is worth spending on that.

If say, Canon put the 5D3 metering, AF points, and maybe a faster processor MAYBE 1700-1800 Euro might be worth it. Otherwise Id get a VERY good Mark 1 that everyone seems to praise and see if a Mark 3 comes out when you are looking for an upgrade - or even better - get the next 5Dmk4 when its released and you compliment your camera system with crop and FF.

Just remember, people like you still shoot with 5D1, 30D, 40D and they are still in business or still working with no issues. I dont see how a highly praised camera like the 7D shouldnt be jumped on if I saw it for 1000 Euro. You save money, get better lenses and most of all, you can start shooting now, instead of later. Becasue in the end, no one is gonna pat you on the back if they see a mkII badge on the camera

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1) Olympus OM1 [Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8]
2) Pentax MZ-60 [Sigma 28-90 & 100-300]
3) Canon 7D [EF-S 15-85 & 70-200mm f/4 IS]

Leo's Flickr Page

Thanks Leo. Your comment has helped me make my decision. However cool it might be to have a Mark II badge on my camera and having people patting me on the back (never gonna happen lolz ), I agree with you that the difference in price is just too big for me. I can't justify that with my current budget. There are so many other things I still want to buy (like a good tripod with a nice swing head) that I can better use all the cash I save for other useful stuff.

A Canon EOS 7D it is then, and I hope to order it today, maybe tomorrow. Thanks for your help guys!

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Cameras: Canon EOS 7D, Canon EOS 40D
Lenses: Canon EF 17-40/4 L USM, Canon EF-S 60/2.8 Macro USM, Canon EF 70-200/2.8 L USM, Canon EF 100-400/4.5-5.6 L IS USM
Want list: Canon EF 24-105/4 L IS USM, Canon EF 100/2.8 Macro L IS USM

My first photography instructor with official credentials was Christopher Duncan, in October/November of 2010, and at that time he was still shooting and teaching with a 40D well after the 50D and 7D were on the market. (He had access to govt.-agency 50D camera at the time for official purposes; he did not specify whether he used his 40D while on duty.) Chris stated that his philosophy on buying cameras was to wait until a successor was on the market, and buy the older model at the close-out price. When asked about the 5D Mark II, for its better low-light perfomance, he said he was going to wait and see what its successor offered, and then, perhaps, buy the successor. (I have not yet checked with him, to see what he thinks of the 5D Mark III.)

Humanitarian photographer and photojournalist Karl Grobl used a pair of Canon 1D Mark II cameras, with 8.2 MP, until very recently, at which point they looked quite worn, and had been superceded by three generations of 1D-series cameras. He had bought them when his Nikon D1X was stolen, and when the successor 1D Mark IIN was introduced, he blogged that he did not plan to update. (When he finally updated his cameras, he returned to Nikon, with the D3s.)

These are two examples of professionals who did/do not feel the need to have the latest and greatest equipment, if what they have works well enough.

After spending too much too quickly at the start, I now try to consider these two examples when I catch the fever of "gear acquisition syndrome." The present is a quite good time to buy a new 7D. I paid over $1300 US to buy my second 7D body, in good pre-owned condition, in 2011. Now, I could buy a new one for just under $1200 US from at least two major internet sellers that have affiliate agreements with Cameralabs. (To benefit this Cameralabs forum and website, go to the support link, then click-through to the seller's site.)

I purchased a pre-owned 5D "Classic" in late 2011, after the 5D Mark III had been announced. Now that the last few 5D Mark II cameras are being sold, new, at about half of their original price, I am
considering taking advantage of this good value, though I may elect to skip a generation. (Even though I shoot evidentiary images for official purposes, cropped-frame cameras are the norm for this, so I do not "need" a full-frame camera.)

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Canon 7D/5D/40D/1D2N; Nikon F6, FM3A, & Coolpix A; Canon 40mm Pancake, 135L, 50L, 35L, pre-II 50mm 1.8, 100mm 2.8L Macro, 10-22mm EF-S, 28-135 EF, 400mm 5.6L; Nikkor 50mm 1.2 AI-S, 50mm 1.4G, 50mm 1.8D, 16mm 2.8D Fisheye, 180mm 2.8D, 100-300mm 5.6 AI-S; Tokina 17mm & 100mm 2.8 Macro

Well yesterday my new 7D came in. Have been playing around with the settings. Needed to read a small part of the manual for some settings, but now I know what I need to know and am really looking forward to putting it to use! It already feels like an awesome camera, now let's hope my pictures will be as well .

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Cameras: Canon EOS 7D, Canon EOS 40D
Lenses: Canon EF 17-40/4 L USM, Canon EF-S 60/2.8 Macro USM, Canon EF 70-200/2.8 L USM, Canon EF 100-400/4.5-5.6 L IS USM
Want list: Canon EF 24-105/4 L IS USM, Canon EF 100/2.8 Macro L IS USM

Congratulations! I upgraded from 40D to 7D, too, and have been well-pleased.

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Canon 7D/5D/40D/1D2N; Nikon F6, FM3A, & Coolpix A; Canon 40mm Pancake, 135L, 50L, 35L, pre-II 50mm 1.8, 100mm 2.8L Macro, 10-22mm EF-S, 28-135 EF, 400mm 5.6L; Nikkor 50mm 1.2 AI-S, 50mm 1.4G, 50mm 1.8D, 16mm 2.8D Fisheye, 180mm 2.8D, 100-300mm 5.6 AI-S; Tokina 17mm & 100mm 2.8 Macro

Thank you! Really looking forward to putting it to good use. Can't wait .

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Cameras: Canon EOS 7D, Canon EOS 40D
Lenses: Canon EF 17-40/4 L USM, Canon EF-S 60/2.8 Macro USM, Canon EF 70-200/2.8 L USM, Canon EF 100-400/4.5-5.6 L IS USM
Want list: Canon EF 24-105/4 L IS USM, Canon EF 100/2.8 Macro L IS USM

It appears I have made a great choice: there is no sign of the 7D Mark II for now (and there probably won't be any news until the second half of 2013) so it would have taken far too long for me. I am very happy with the 7D so far, and I am already totally adjusted to this new level of awesomeness that the camera provides. It really makes a big difference compared to the 40D. Thank you guys for helping me make this tough decision!

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Cameras: Canon EOS 7D, Canon EOS 40D
Lenses: Canon EF 17-40/4 L USM, Canon EF-S 60/2.8 Macro USM, Canon EF 70-200/2.8 L USM, Canon EF 100-400/4.5-5.6 L IS USM
Want list: Canon EF 24-105/4 L IS USM, Canon EF 100/2.8 Macro L IS USM

Congrats MTK *pats you on the back*

Welcome to the Special camera club. Of all the cameras out now, there is still a lot of buzz about the 7D. Even though theres the D7000, the D800, 5DIII and the 6D, the 7D I think has given Canon a lot of clout that Nikon seems to be missing out on since they started using Sony sensors...

For the price, I cannot get over the speed of the processor, the SPEEEEEEEEEED of the AF (even though theres only 19 points, the fact they are all X type and ALL are super sensitive makes me drool) and most of all I cannot get over the quality of the sensor - noise is fantastic at 3200 - usable at 6400 and of course the feel has made me feel super confident on the street, in the rain (without the battery grip - PLEASE MAKE A SEALED GRIP CANON) and I always feel confident getting the focus bang on and without a delay.

Ok, I might be a 7D groupie but until they can make a FF 7D, I dont see myself changing up just yet. (Although, I think I might get my Leica M before I get a Canon Full Frame camera.)

Leo

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1) Olympus OM1 [Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8]
2) Pentax MZ-60 [Sigma 28-90 & 100-300]
3) Canon 7D [EF-S 15-85 & 70-200mm f/4 IS]

Leo's Flickr Page

There is a FF 7D, it's called the 5D mk3.

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Canon DSLRs: 7D, 5D2, 1D, 600D, 450D full spectrum, 300D IR mod
Lenses: EF 35/2, 50/1.8, 85/1.8, 135/2+SF, 28-80 V, 70-300L, 100-400L, TS-E 24/3.5L, MP-E 65, EF-S 15-85 IS
3rd party: Zeiss 2/50 makro, Samyang 8mm fisheye, Sigma 150 macro, 120-300 f/2.8 OS, Celestron 1325/13
Tinies: Sony HX9V.

True

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Gear: Canon SX20 IS, Canon Rebel T3i, Canon EF-S 18-55mm
Wishlist: Canon 50mm f/1.8 II, Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II
Visit me and leave me a comment in My Flickr

I have that FF 7D and it is a great camera but I still have serious love for the 7D (mine was stolen)

Congrats MTK - the 7D is lovely to shoot with and will remain so even when the 7DII comes out.

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Dan Marchant
I am learning photo graphee - see the results at www.danmarchant.com