5D vs 7D Help?

[trener1]

Hi,

I am in the market for a DSLR, I already have minolta lenses from my Maxxum, so...
I am wondering if anyone can enlighten me on the main difference's between the 5D vs 7D, and more importantly should I spend the extra dollars (the difference seems to be about $140.00)
Thanks in advance for any help.

[Anbesol]

for $140 i might spring for the 7D. not much of a difference though - probably the most important difference is that there is no (currently) vertical grip available for the 5D and there is for the 7D. Aside from that - differences are very minor - the 7d is slightly larger and heavier - lending itself to a better balanced camera when paired with heavy telephoto lens, the 7d also feels slightly sturdier, however i say that kind of hesitantly becasue the 5D feels pretty dang sturdy as well (sturdier then any of those silly nikons ;)). In addition to that, the 7d has a few more buttons more readily available, and something i was quite fond of was the exposure compensation knob on the 7d that isnt on the 5d. Their is also a significant difference on the LCD - the 7D has an AWESOME looking LCD screen, crystal clear, whilst the 5D has a rather mediocre LCD screen. The LCD on the 5D functions every bit as well as the 7D, but when viewing images the 7D is nicer, although you can still check sharpness on the 5d very well with a very functional zoom feature. The exposure compensation is slightly different too - but not that different, 0.3 (5d) vs 0.5 steps, and 2 (5D) total vs 3 total.

I myself have gone with the 5D, but i bought that when there was a $400 price difference between the two - if there was a $140 difference that 7D might have stood out a bit better.

Honestly it sounds like theres a lot of differences but theyre all very minor differences, From what i remember it seems the 5D is going for around $660 and the 7D for about $1000 or $1100. If those are the prices i would still stick with the 5D and save the extra money for another lens or a flash or the sort (because your 35mm flash wont work on your new maxxum), but if like you said there is only a $140 difference then that 7D might be worth considering, i think the best thing for you to do is find a camera store with both of them, hold each of them in your hand and feel which ones more comfortable - id probably put more weight on that then anything else.

[payn817]

For $140, i'd do the 7D too. However, the 5D is a nice piece of equipment. I have yet to find a situation that left me feeling I wish I had the 7D, and I shoot a wide range.

Anyway, the 5 is a fine kit. If it had faster FPS, higher res, and weatherproofing, it could give anything out there a run.

[Anbesol]

faster FPS?! 3 is way more then i'll ever need...

then, im not the type to really use the burst mode.

on that note - i read somewhere, on a spec sheet that the 5D is faster then the 7D, that the 7D is actually 2.8 FPS vs 5Ds 3....

dont know if thats true or not though.

[Ronnoco]

faster FPS?! 3 is way more then i'll ever need...

then, im not the type to really use the burst mode.

on that note - i read somewhere, on a spec sheet that the 5D is faster then the 7D, that the 7D is actually 2.8 FPS vs 5Ds 3....

dont know if thats true or not though.

Yes, burst mode is 3 on the 5D and 2.6 to 2.8 FPS depending on the test results from different labs. The LCD screen is the same size on both: 2.5" but there are more pixels on the 7D one and therefore brighter and sharper than the 118,000 pixel screen on the 5D.

Most of the controls for exposure, colour, metering,ISO, white balance, etc. are right on the 7D body and therefore much faster to adjust. On the 5D, there are fewer buttons and the choices are buried in menus and not as fast to get at and adjust. Also the USB 2 jack on the 7D is high speed for downloading to computer whereas it is normal speed on the 5D.

Ronnoco

[payn817]

faster FPS?! 3 is way more then i'll ever need...

then, im not the type to really use the burst mode.

on that note - i read somewhere, on a spec sheet that the 5D is faster then the 7D, that the 7D is actually 2.8 FPS vs 5Ds 3....

dont know if thats true or not though.

I agree, it is fast enough for me too. However, some people want more, and think it is a must for any camera if it is to be taken seriously. I simply meant those three things are all that really seperates a 5D from the "pro" cameras in the Canikon camps.

FWIW, I don't have a hard time navigating the options, and they don't seem buried to me. Metering, focus area, wb, iso, exposure compensation, are all very easily accessible. If you want to change file size, or flash mode, you may have to dig a little. However, how many people change flash mode while shooting fast action? I mean, for example you can choose fill/red eye/ adi/ ttl, etc. Know what each does before the shoot, and you should be ok selecting the right one and sticking with it. If you are shooting a model, just chnge during a break from the session. There's work arounds for everything.

[Anbesol]

Yes, burst mode is 3 on the 5D and 2.6 to 2.8 FPS depending on the test results from different labs. The LCD screen is the same size on both: 2.5" but there are more pixels on the 7D one and therefore brighter and sharper than the 118,000 pixel screen on the 5D.

Most of the controls for exposure, colour, metering,ISO, white balance, etc. are right on the 7D body and therefore much faster to adjust. On the 5D, there are fewer buttons and the choices are buried in menus and not as fast to get at and adjust. Also the USB 2 jack on the 7D is high speed for downloading to computer whereas it is normal speed on the 5D.

Ronnoco

yes - almost double the pixels - 5Ds 115k to 7D's 207.

ah yes the high speed is another thing - doesnt make a bit of difference to me though, i use readers, but yes it is something - it would be a waste of time connecting the 5D to a computer.

[trener1]

Hmm intresting stuff, thanks for all of the input.
So it seems that most of you think to go with the 5D? am I understanding this correctly?

[Ronnoco]

Well, the differences have been mentioned. It depends on how important those differences are, as to whether you choose the 5D or the 7D?

Ronnoco