Reasons to get 7D over Rebel T2i/550D?

The Rebel T2i is out of stock in my area .. During my wait, I started looking at the 7D and started liking it a lot.

However, it's almost double the price of the Rebel and they have very comparable features. I'm an amateur and won't be taking this out in really harsh weather but I do like solidly built equipment.

I cannot believe I'm considering it but I am ... Why exactly is the 7D worth this premium? I know I'm not experienced but I do have a good understanding of how things work on the camera so don't hesitate to get technical with me.

Other things to consider. I have lenses to buy ... Primarily the Sigma 50mm f1.4 and a WA (Thinking Sigma 10-20mm f4-5.6).

7D

18.0 Megapixel CMOS Sensor and Dual DIGIC 4 Image Processors for high image quality and speed.

ISO 100-6400 (expandable to 12,800) for shooting from bright to dim light.

8.0 fps continuous shooting up to 126 Large/JPEGs with UDMA CF card and 15 RAW.

Advanced movie mode with manual exposure control and selectable frame rates: 1920 x 1080 (Full HD): 30p (29.97) / 24p (23.976) / 25p, 1280 x 720 (HD): 60p (59.94) / 50p, 640 x 480 (SD): 60p (59.94) / 50p.

Intelligent Viewfinder with approximate 100% field of view, wide viewing angle of 29.4°, high magnification of 1.0, intelligent viewfinder with glass pentaprism and an overlaid LCD display in viewfinder supports various shooting styles.

New 19-point, all cross-type AF system equipped with dual diagonal cross-type sensors in center at f/2.8 and f/5.6 and AF area selection modes to match various shooting situations.

iFCL Metering with 63 zone dual-layer metering sensor that utilizes AF and color information for optimizing exposure and image quality.

Magnesium body with shutter durability up to 150,000 cycles and exclusive dust and weather resistance.

View Sample Video

T2i

18.0 Megapixel CMOS (APS-C) sensor and DIGIC 4 Image Processor for high image quality and speed.

ISO 100-6400 (expandable to 12800) for shooting from bright to dim light.

Improved EOS Movie mode with manual exposure control, expanded recording, new Movie Crop recording in 640 x 480 and external microphone IN terminal for access to improved sound quality.

Enhanced iFCL 63-zone, Dual-layer metering system; and 9-point AF system utilizing a high-precision, f/2.8 cross-type center point.

Wide 3.0-inch (3:2 aspect ratio) Clear View LCD monitor (1.04 million dots) for improved viewing.

New Quick Control Screen button for easy access to frequently used settings.

Improved layout with dedicated Live View/Movie shooting button.

New compatibility with SDXC memory cards, plus new menu status indicator for Eye-Fi* support.

3.7 fps continuous shooting up to approximately 34 JPEGs or approximately 6 RAW.

Compatible with the full line of Canon EF and EF-S lenses.

View Sample Images

7D is nice, but the Rebel is probably worth waiting for. Unless, you really need a few 7D features.

Save and invest in lenses.

Just my thoughts.

Yeah, this is just my impatience getting the better side of me.

I should put my money towards lenses and perhaps a trip.

From above....Pro body, pro layout, enhanced AF, Weather sealing, speed......

The 7D is throwing some experienced photographers for a loop trying to get used to it. I think the Rebel is worth waiting for since from what your say it is more in keeping with your experience level. I also find it easy to fall in love with technology if I study it too long.

Experience with the Rebel will let you make a good decision between the full frame camera such as the 5D MKII or a crop sensor as the 7D for the future.

It is said that good glass will last you a long time but bodies come and go. You are making a good choice is starting with Canon since they have the widest range of quality glass at "reasonable" prices.

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Bob

'I can look at a fine art photograph and sometimes I can hear music.' - Ansel Adams

T1i or 7D....T2i is a very slight upgrade over the T1i for the money, if video is the main thing or one of the main things attracting you it might float your boat though.

I think the speed, build, and especially the AF of the 7D make it worth it. The T1i/T2i body is nice and lightweight but not as comfy for large hands....the T1i/T2i auto-focus system is not particularly accurate compared to 7D or Nikon offerings. In effect you have a one-point AF system if you really care about your shots.

Speed....if you shoot in RAW you want to shoot RAW even with your continuous shooting...even the T1i here does more than double what the T2i does because they use the same processor and the T2i has to write those larger files. The 7D with the dual processors can not only blaze away at 8fps (which is wonderful if you have ever tried a camera with this capability, even for things besides sports/action) but if you are snapping shot-to-shot in single mode you don't get the delays experienced now and then with a T1i/T2i.

The 7D is weather sealed and is constructed of durable magnesium.

The 7D VF is pentaprism with approx 100% coverage and has the transmissive LCD which can display a grid, level and other useful information.

The top of the 7D has an LCD with a multitude of shooting information which will extend the life of your battery.

The nomenclature of the 7D, with its two control dials and joystick makes it much easier to use when shooting.

The 7D has 3 customizable shooting modes (C1, C2 and C3) which is very handy when presented with different shooting situations, such as BIF, sports, etc.

The 7D has the microadjustment feature to dial in your lenses to get the best possible performance between the body and lens.

The 7D has the wireless flash controller built in to the body.

The 7D has 19 cross type AF points versus 1 cross type out of the 550D's 9 AF points.

The 7D uses dual digic IV processors to give it 8 fps vs 3.7 fps for the 550D. The 7D can also shoot more continuous raw/jpeg frames before slowing down.

The 7D's metering system is more advanced.

The max shutter speed is 1/8000th for the 7D and 1/4000th for the 550D.

The built in flash of the 7D has coverage out to 15mm vs 17mm for the flash on the 550D. This feature on the 7D was designed for the new 15-85mm lens.

Another 7D feature built into the 7D is the increased sampling rate of the AI Servo focus mode when a macro lens is mounted. This is not available on the 550D.

FEC is + - 3 stops on the 7D and + - 2 stops on the 550d.

The 7D gets approximately double the number of shots on a battery charge as does the 550D.

The 7D's low pass filter has a flourine coating, whereas the 550D's does not.

The 7D shutter mechanism is rated at 150,000 cycles vs no rating for the 550D.
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7d also has two silent modes, which the 550d does not have. If you want to take photographs during performances, I would expect the 550d to be too loud. Not as loud as my 20d, which I can only use during the applause, but still too loud. I tried both the 550d and 7d in a store the other day, and the difference was really huge. I think it would be possible to take photographs during concerts without disturbing anyone using the silent mode 2 on the 7d, which the 550d does not seem to have.

Also, looking at the reviews here at dpreview, it seems that the noise level on the 7d is lower than on the 550d for high ISO. I am not quite sure I read the RAW noise tables correctly, but it seemed to be about one stop difference in noise levels for high ISO, like 6400. I am not sure why that is so, as I thought the sensors would be practically identical in Image Quality.

Have you considered the 50D rather than the 7D? It's less expensive and a camera one you can understand in no time. Than you can spend the extra money on lenses and a trip. Just my opinion as I own a 7D which I love.

for me, the faster, more accurate focus and higher framerate (8 fps v 3.7 fps) are the reasons. Additional benefits include the brighter, 100% pentaprism viewfinder, better environmental sealing, AF micro-adjust, more controls, and a few other things, but those go against the lighter weight and lower price of the 550D.

Everything I've read suggests the 550D is a big upgrade from the 500D, and I am just not a fan of the XXD cameras (40D, 50D) given the availabliity of the 7D and the extremely capable Rebels, which also have very good video capability. The latter might just be me, though.

But back to your original question: if fast action isn't a major deal for you--and the 550D isn't exactly a slouch--then get it instead of the 7D. If, on the other hand, birds, wildlife, or sports are your thing, then get the 7D and don't look back.

FF

The most attractive feature of the 7D to me is that 8 fps and the sturdy body. I'll admit I haven't researched the 50D but I just assumed since it was older than the 7D and 550D they would be better than it.

Moreover, the 550D doesn't have micro lens adjustment (No one in this thread mentioned this, I thought it was important. I just found out today) ... I'm not sure if this is something I will be needing, but I would rather adjust a focusing issue myself instead of sending gear back to be serviced.

I don't know if it's the fact that the Rebel is out of stock that makes me want the 7D, but the more I look it up the more I keep seeing advantages.

It's a great camera and I can afford it very comfortably but I can't help but think it's just a stupid financial decision on my part. I've never paid this much for a camera before so I really hope I enjoy this purchase if I take the plunge.

RJ-07 said:

Have you considered the 50D rather than the 7D? It's less expensive and a camera one you can understand in no time. Than you can spend the extra money on lenses and a trip. Just my opinion as I own a 7D which I love.

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For me the biggest reason is the AF system of the 7D. The T2i AF is pretty good but it still isn’t up to that of the 7D especially in terms of usability. The extra FPS on the 7D is nice as well. If you aren’t doing much action photography the 7D probably wouldn’t be worth the price difference.

Greg

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the AF and metering of the 7D are much better than the rebel's.

and it is faster and shoot better video.

also , the 7D is seled with sealed lenses.

and a big zoom or or long prime blances better on the 7D than on the reble.

7D has better AF, faster frame rate and less shutter lag. That’s an advantage if you shoot a lot of action, sports or birding. It also has more versatile controls, which can be convenient shooting in the field. Its bigger size can be a good thing, especially when you use bigger lenses, or a bad thing. If none of the above means much to you then T2i can provide you pretty much the same result a 7D would. You will probably be better off to use the money to buy some good lenses.

n/t

I thought that both cameras have the same metering system.

pandalee said:

the AF and metering of the 7D are much better than the rebel's.

and it is faster and shoot better video.

also , the 7D is seled with sealed lenses.

and a big zoom or or long prime blances better on the 7D than on the reble.

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Olga

So I just got back from my local Best Buy ... They didn't have the 7D in stock but I got to get hands on with the 50D and compare it to the Rebel.

After spending some time with it, I've got to say ... The Rebel feels pretty flimsy by comparison. I picked up the Rebel after the 50D and it felt like a toy. If the 7D is built anything like the 50D then I am almost certain I'm going to cough up the cash for it.

I know bodies aren't as important as the glass in this case, as the bodies are pretty similar but .. I'm going to be holding this thing in my hands, I want it to feel comfortable. It's odd, prior to picking up the 50D I didn't think anything of the Rebel's construction.

They are about the same. The evaluative metering is tied to the in-focus points, of which the 7D has 19 vs 9 for 550D.

Olga Johnson said:

pandalee said:

the AF and metering of the 7D are much better than the rebel's.

and it is faster and shoot better video.

also , the 7D is seled with sealed lenses.

and a big zoom or or long prime blances better on the 7D than on the reble.

Click to expand...

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Olga

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I have both the 50D and 550D. The 50D is heavier although I never notice a difference in feel when I pick up the cameras. I need low weight for my hands and have been using the 550D almost exclusively (and the 500D before it).

I do miss the FPS, faster focusing, bigger buffer. I do like the 550D's ability to set high ISO for Auto ISO (which even the 7D does not have) although I only use it in M mode.
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Olga