New gear question

[scottcolbath]

It's that time of year. I pick one major new chunk of gear to put in the camera bag.

I'm considering the new 7D to replace my original version, and the new Canon100-400 zoom.

I currently have a 5D Mark 3 body alongside my 7D original. For lenses, I have a 400mm F/5.6 prime, 70-200 and 24-70; all which I very much like. And they cover a great range.

I'm just not sure if the new 7D is worth investing in at this time. Is it really that much better than the old version of the 7D? A couple more FPS high speed shooting, better focus, and better high ISO. All improvements, but I tend to be leaning towards the 100-400 because of the flexibility it offers.

Opinions?

S.C.

[Dave S.]

Oh to have a problem like this!  Dunno what to say, but a nice one to chew on!

[scottcolbath]

I wish it was between Youmans' 500mm or a 1Dx, but I can't pull the trigger quite to that extent. 

S.C.

[Anna M. Wood]

Best thing to do it rent them both to see which one you wish to buy.

I have had good luck with https://www.lensrentals.com

[Jay Beckman]

Early buzz on the 100-400 MkII seems very good.  Many have said the improvements are on par with what people saw with the 70-200 MkII (and IMO, that's significant.)

[Mike Margolis]

Been agonizing over similar issues for several months...

At present, my primary body is a 6d which I got before I started shooting a lot of moving things, and things in the daylight - it's awesome for astro, aurora and landscape but its focus system and FPS can not keep up with what I want from birds and airplanes. I use the wi-fi sometimes for astro and an occasional file upload, but certainly do not need it.

I've rented the 5dMkIII several times and love it. But it's too pricy for me right now.

That said, I pulled the trigger on the 7dMkII and it will get here tomorrow!! The 7d will become my primary moving subject/long zoom set-up and the 6d will almost always wear the 28-70/2.8. That will solve the body problem for a while.

My best long lens is the original 100-400 and it's been awesome! It gets a little soft at 400mm so I typically never shoot above 350 anymore which on the full frame limits my reach a bit. I might be able to tune that but have not yet tried.

That said, I've rented the new 100-400 MkII for the upcoming week and I plan to compare the new and old 100-400's on the 7dMkII. If the new one is a hands down winner regarding image quality, usability (twist vs push-pull and filter access), focus speed, IS, etc. I will likely upgrade soon and sell my current 100-400.

We've got a big South America trip coming up and having some better kit will be well worth the "investment."

[scottcolbath]

Thanks for the input guys. I'm leaning towards the 100-400. I think that on my 5D Mark 3 will be an excellent combination. Maybe next year I will look at a 7D Mark 2 (or Mark 3 by then for all I know).

S.C.

[Bill]

Since you don't have a 100-400mm lens I think you would get more use from the lens than the upgrade to the 7D Mk II. I have the old 100-400 and find it to be a great lens for aircraft and nature work. I am seriously considering upgrading to the 100-400 Mk II later this year. On reason that has not been mentioned is the 1 meter minimum focusing distance which makes it a great field macro lens. You get 1:3 magnification at a distance of 1 meter. The key question is, what would you like to be able to do that you cannot do with your current gear? Answering that should point you to the right purchase.

Bill Todd

[Mike Margolis]

Right you are Bill! I forgot about the closer "reach" as well... That could have come in real handy for this little multi-winged fellow... Shot with the 100-400 right at the 1.8m minimun.
Neither Dragon nor Fly - AZ Hwy 2014 by Mike Margolis Photography, on Flickr

[Chris Janes]

 I've been hearing some good things about the new 100-400, If I didn't have some plans already on what new lens(es) I'm wanting go with I probably would be thinking about that one.
I've also been in a similar argument about what extra camera body to add. I'm tired of swapping lens' out on my 7D in this dust pit we live in. I was thinking about the 7D markII but I've been wanting  to do some other types of photography so I'm about sold on adding a 5D markIII just to give me the versatility of having a full frame camera to do landscapes, static shots of aircraft, and cars.. etc. I can leave my 100-400 on the 7D and my 17-40 on the 5D.

[Bill]

Nice shot Mike.

Bill

[scottcolbath]

The key question is, what would you like to be able to do that you cannot do with your current gear? Answering that should point you to the right purchase.

Bill Todd

More focal flexibility is something I'd really like. I love my 400 prime, but I lose shots due to the subject taking over the frame, and then some. Having the ability to pull back and keep the subject properly framed is a big plus. The reason I never went with the old 100-400 was I hated the push/pull. This new lens sounds like an awesome one.

The new 7D has better a focussystem, which I'd like, but that's about it.

I think the answer is clear. The lens wins this year. 

Well, that and I'll also be getting the Tamrac Expedition 8 backpack. I need more room.

S.C.

[scottcolbath]

And that is an excellent shot Mike.

S.C.

[Mike Margolis]

Thanks guys!

Unboxed the 7d MkII this afternoon!

Set the buttons the way I like them and took it for a spin...

Wow!! Love it!! Very impressed!! My 100-400mm became a 160-640mm and 10 FPS (max RAW) without even thinking about filling the buffer is awesome!

The fast and accurate focus and tracking feels the same as the 5dMkIII (I think it is the same).

The only thing not perfect is what others have reported - it eats battery. GPS was off, the LCD was only used a few seconds at a time, did not chimp much and sleep was set at one minute. The 6d could shoot all day long at an airshow on a single battery, fill a couple 64GB cards and still have 50% power left on the drive home. The 7dMkIII was down to 60% after two hours of fairly lite shooting. Nothing a spare battery (same unit as the 6d but with a little more power) and/or a grip won't resolve though.

It was getting dark and I did not have anything good to shoot so I'll share something soon. But, the test drive was great! Very pleased with it!!

[scottcolbath]

Thanks guys!

Unboxed the 7d MkII this afternoon!

Set the buttons the way I like them and took it for a spin...

Wow!! Love it!! Very impressed!! My 100-400mm became a 160-640mm and 10 FPS (max RAW) without even thinking about filling the buffer is awesome!

The fast and accurate focus and tracking feels the same as the 5dMkIII (I think it is the same).

The only thing not perfect is what others have reported - it eats battery. GPS was off, the LCD was only used a few seconds at a time, did not chimp much and sleep was set at one minute. The 6d could shoot all day long at an airshow on a single battery, fill a couple 64GB cards and still have 50% power left on the drive home. The 7dMkIII was down to 60% after two hours of fairly lite shooting. Nothing a spare battery (same unit as the 6d but with a little more power) and/or a grip won't resolve though.

It was getting dark and I did not have anything good to shoot so I'll share something soon. But, the test drive was great! Very pleased with it!!

When I first started reading this, I was thinking the otherr way, and that maybe the 7D Mark 2 is what I should get. Then the battery thing got my attention. Then i did some looking. The batteries and grip do not cross over from the old 7D to the new one. That sucks, because I currently can share batteries with my 5D Mark 3 and 7D. That is a big plus for me. And the power comsumption got me as well. I'll surely wait now. There's always next year for a new camera body.

S.C.