To go Full frame or Not

flyingsnail · 15-06-2013 5:53pm #1

So I have pretty much decided that I am going to get a new camera in the next few days. What I can’t seem to do is decide is what I am going to buy. In my price range I seem to have two options a brand new 7D or a second hand 5D Mk2. My mind keeps ping ponging between the better AF and 8fps of the 7D and the much wider field of view and iq of the full frame 5D mk2. The portraiture, landscape side of me is pulling me towards the 5d, while sports is pulling me towards the 7D. Overall I am leaning towards the 5Dmk 2

Has anybody here made a similar decision recently, have you regretted going in either direction? Is there anything else I should be considering in my decision?

The rest of my gear is
20D
24-70 2.8L
70-200 F4L
50 F1.8
580EX Flash

mikka631 · 15-06-2013 6:44pm

The inbuilt wireless flash function on the 7D. I personally think it is a great feature, use it quite a bit with my 580 and 430 flash units.

chisel · 15-06-2013 9:14pm

I had a similar decision to you - but it was some time back, before the 5dmk2 came out. I ended up going for the 7d - but it was an easier decision back then.

However, I have been completely happy with my decision and still am content with the 7d, no desire to "upgrade". +1 on the inbuilt flash trigger too. I shoot a lot of film in a good few formats, so I'm used to the full frame as well.....

I'd say see what you can get the best deal on and go with that. Save the extra for glass/printing/flash/beer

dirtyghettokid · 16-06-2013 7:29am

i am kind of regretting getting the 5D2, but only after owning it for two years. i wish i'd gone for the 7D instead! a crop with a 10-20mm would have done the job for landscape..

flyingsnail · 16-06-2013 5:06pm

dirtyghettokid wrote: »

i am kind of regretting getting the 5D2, but only after owning it for two years. i wish i'd gone for the 7D instead! a crop with a 10-20mm would have done the job for landscape..

Is there something in particular that you find lacking in the 5D mk2 or just a general feeling that the 7D might have been better for you?

dirtyghettokid · 16-06-2013 9:43pm

flyingsnail wrote: »

Is there something in particular that you find lacking in the 5D mk2 or just a general feeling that the 7D might have been better for you?

auto focus is terrible. & sometimes i miss the long reach that a crop cam can get with a telephoto.

M5 · 17-06-2013 6:08am

The high iso capability of the 5D2 vs the 7d should also be considered

puddles22 · 17-06-2013 9:01am

how about a 6d. recently bought one and am delighted with it so far , the noise at high iso is fantastic , i would also recomend using ian kerr at flashcamera.co.uk to buy any canon stuff, i couldnt fault his service

flyingsnail · 17-06-2013 9:53am

puddles22 wrote: »

how about a 6d. recently bought one and am delighted with it so far , the noise at high iso is fantastic , i would also recomend using ian kerr at flashcamera.co.uk to buy any canon stuff, i couldnt fault his service

Thanks, but I think the 6D is a little out of my price range.

walkeith25 · 17-06-2013 9:55am

I'm used to the full frame as well...

Splinters · 17-06-2013 2:02pm

dirtyghettokid wrote: »

auto focus is terrible. & sometimes i miss the long reach that a crop cam can get with a telephoto.

Id totally agree, the autofocus is pretty bad but I've grown to work with it. I had a chance to shoot with a friends 1D-X a few weeks back. It was an absolute beast in so many areas, especially the auto focus. There was some serious voodoo magic going on there.

I did notice though with super shallow depth of field it did lock focus in a split second but wasnt necessarily any more accurate then my 5D mkII. I was using a 50 1.4 and it did lock focus in no time but looking at the images later I was still getting quite a few shots locked in focus on the tip of the nose and the eyes not being as sharp as I'd like. I suppose there has to be a point at which you say the camera can't read your mind and know exactly what you want to focus on. Still though, it was almost relieving on the bank balance to know the way I work with my 5D mkII (live view for anything shallower then 2.8) wouldn't really be any different if I bought a 1D-X (not that thats likely to happen any time soon).

flyingsnail · 23-06-2013 9:09am

Thanks for the help guys. In the end I went for the 7D. I was still going back and forth between the 7D and the 5D Mk 2 when I came across a awesome deal on a second hand 7D. I got a near mint 7D with 6 month shop warranty for €705. Honestly in the end it was the price that sold me, allowing me to put the rest of the money towards a new lens.

Thanks again, Flyingsnail

dirtyghettokid · 23-06-2013 3:23pm

awesome! enjoy your new camera! let me know what you think of it. i am half thinking of flogging my 5d2 and buying a 7d..

Splinters · 23-06-2013 4:03pm

With a price like that you can't wrong.

flyingsnail · 23-06-2013 4:09pm

dirtyghettokid wrote: »

awesome! enjoy your new camera! let me know what you think of it. i am half thinking of flogging my 5d2 and buying a 7d..

will do

Singularity 1 · 23-06-2013 4:13pm

I would have went with the 7D too. I think having a good quality lens in front of it is even more important though.

flyingsnail · 25-06-2013 5:30pm

dirtyghettokid wrote: »

awesome! enjoy your new camera! let me know what you think of it. i am half thinking of flogging my 5d2 and buying a 7d..

So I have had it for a week now and I am loving it. Most of what I have taken were just test shots around the house to make sure everything was working, as usual when I get a new toy I just don’t have the time to enjoy it.:rolleyes:

The biggest difference I am noticing in operation is the AF. I came from a 20D which has a 9 point AF system similar to the 5D mk 2 (minus the 6 invisible points on the 5d mk2). On the 20D I found myself composing the photo around where I could get a AF point or if DOF allowed it I would focus and recompose. The wider coverage of the 19 points alleviates this problem. I really like the ability to quickly select groups of AF points, or single AF points. AF lock-on seems o be a lot quicker, more noticeably with my non usm lens, but I am not sure how that compares to the 5D. The entire AF system felt like a giant leap forward for me, and it even came with a learning curve with regards to operation and performance.

Overall I see this camera serving me very well for a few years to come.

I bought mine from http://www.wexphotographic.com/used , they seem to be the only company that I have come across that post pictures of the actual camera you are buying rather than just some stock picture of the model.

To go Full frame or Not

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