7D too much to handle for a newbie ??

I have a Canon 40D with about 100k actuations , got it used 4 free from a photographer friend , it works great so far ... (and the price was right )

Incase its going to die on me , for someone like me who is not making tons of $$ from the Photography but wants a very good camera ( and doesn't have years of exp')

is the 60D enough ? , i read that the 7D can give lots of headache if you dont know what you doing...

If you were in my shoes would you buy 60D , maybe t2i i read great things about it as well?

Thanks .

Drum360 said:

I have a Canon 40D with about 100k actuations , got it used 4 free from a photographer friend , it works great so far ... (and the price was right )

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Roll hard with the 40D, which is a very capable camera. Look at the work that some people have done with the 40D and you will be amazed. The camera will not hold you back only you can hold yourself back. Don't buy into the gear myth that is so popular on these forums which is more expensive gear = better photography because it is false.

If you have money that is really burning a hole in your pocket and you want to spend it, get yourself a decent 2.8 or faster lens and some quality books/videos and dive headfirst into the learning experience. The camera body is the least of your concerns at this point for you.

I really wish someone told me this years ago (and that I believed them). I would have learned much quicker because I would have been more motivated to learn and less concerned with getting the latest gear of the month. Best of luck!

--
http://mdominique.zenfolio.com/

You've got a great camera and the price was great!
It could be quite a while before you need a new one!

Drum360 said:

I have a Canon 40D with about 100k actuations , got it used 4 free from a photographer friend , it works great so far ... (and the price was right )

Incase its going to die on me , for someone like me who is not making tons of $$ from the Photography but wants a very good camera ( and doesn't have years of exp')

is the 60D enough ? , i read that the 7D can give lots of headache if you dont know what you doing...

If you were in my shoes would you buy 60D , maybe t2i i read great things about it as well?

Thanks .

Click to expand...

Thanks 4 the tips i appreciate .

I did buy Canon EF-S 17-55 2.8f , i also got some books and watching lots of YouTube tutorials.

Im trying to learn as much as a can and hopfully the 40D wont take a dive on me... ;-)

Is it worth the $$ fixing the 40D in case the shutter dies ? or better to just buy new body ?

I wouldn't worry about the shutter, some last MUCH longer than the rating, and some die off early. You'd have to get a quote from Canon about replacement to weight the options at that point.

I moved from 40D to 7D with no regrets. However, be prepared for a steep learning curve. At your first opportunity, spend some time shooting to get used to the differences. Not a long one, but a slightly different control layout.

My reason for the upgrade was simple. My wife had moved from our old 350D to a new 50D, and we liked the improvements over the 40D. Whilst I wasn't going to dump the 40D and jump to the 50D, we were going to Singapore for a 50th, and wanted HD Video for the Jurong Bird Park. Our old Video Camera is MiniDv with 4/3 aspect ratio, and a resolution of 720 x 576 pixels (PAL standard). While it can shoot widescreen, it's not anywhere near full HD resolution, which is 1920 x 1080. My main focus nowadays is still, not video, so I wasn't keen to spend $1K to get a new HD Video Camera to only shoot a few minutes every now and then. But for $1K I could sell the 40D and buy a 7D to get video. The advantages were that it could use the good lenses, I wouldn't have to cart two lots of equipment around, and I'd go back to a shutter count of zero.

The main learning curve is losing the "Simple Modes". Which isn't a real biggie, but for example Portraits require you to choose an appropriate aperture for the DOF you want etc. Ditto with sports mode etc. Buit all is not lost, as you still have "AUTO" and "PROGRAM" settings for where you don't have a clue, and just want to shoot. You can store your favourite settings into C1-C3 custom settings, so they are still there at a turn of the dial. So in short, you configure a 7D to suit you and away you go. You will also find the higher pixel density is slightly less forgiving of camera shake, so prepared to not get slack and let bad habits creep in.

If you are prepared to do that, you'll just love the 7D.
--
The Aussie Viking

Go for the 60D. Appears you already have a nice glass.
Good Luck!

If you bought the 7D and grow into it you won't be a newbie anymore! The 7D has a lot of features and you will used to it.

if you get on that works straight out of the box, you will be OK

Drum360 said:

I have a Canon 40D with about 100k actuations , got it used 4 free from a photographer friend , it works great so far ... (and the price was right )

Incase its going to die on me , for someone like me who is not making tons of $$ from the Photography but wants a very good camera ( and doesn't have years of exp')

is the 60D enough ? , i read that the 7D can give lots of headache if you dont know what you doing...

If you were in my shoes would you buy 60D , maybe t2i i read great things about it as well?

Thanks .

Click to expand...

I am not going to tell whether 60D is a better buy or 7D is a better buy. Both cameras should serve you well but they have their own uniquely features. My comment is is for say that 7D will not be too much for you to handle. The DSLR controls are the same on both. There are more options for you to choose for the right job. The main things its focus system. However, you do not need to master them all. You can just use the common ones or basic ones until you learn what the other ones are for. I moved from XS to 7D and have not problems with using it and still learning with it.

Regards.

No text

Stay with the camera that was gifted to you (40D) and use it till it dies. Learn from it and enjoy taking pics. There is no reason to put money out for a new body. The 40D is a wonderful camera and the results you get from it will be very good.

I see many here showing off their pics with their latest and greatest camera body when they just came a 30D or 40D etc.. and their pics really aren't that good. You get the idea? Use your 40D and learn from it. It's a great camera, and it was free!

Enjoy!

But the 7D has more feature laden options that can make your ideal photo come to life.

I don't see the point of getting a new camera right away; the 7d is not going anywhere. Use the 40D till it dies, and then go for a new body. as for the learning curve, I just purchased my 7d a few weeks ago, and am still getting used to it, the first week was frustrating but i'm starting to really like it. You will too.

The poster didn't mention anything about finances so it's safe to assume he could afford the cameras mentioned. Today's cameras are robust and hardly die. The 40D is a good camera and he's willing to move on. He could sell the 40D to offset the cost of a new camera. The 7D is a great camera and with the latest firmware updates made it even better. Since the title mentioned the 7D I also assume that's what he really wants. The new cameras has better sensors and overall an improvement from previous models.

Drum360 said:

i read that the 7D can give lots of headache if you dont know what you doing...

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The 7D is the first DSLR I've owned. I've used many before that but before the 7D I never used a Canon DSLR. I put a couple days in learning the 7D putting it through its paces (low light, bright light including shooting the sun, etc) and it wasn't a big deal.

Drum360 said:

If you were in my shoes would you buy 60D , maybe t2i i read great things about it as well?

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If you are willing to invest the time, you'll master the 7D within a couple days. It's no different from shooting with other DSLRs, except that full auto is unforgiving if you don't learn when to and not to trust it.

There was one person on this forum who blamed the camera when he was shooting wildly with the camera over his head, shooting over a crowd in full auto, with full auto AF and he blamed the camera when it worked as designed by focusing and exposing the closest subject rather than the stage. That was a 1D-10T or PEBCAK error, and any other camera would have given the same results. What he ought to have done was pre-set the focus and locked exposure and then do his shooting.

Drum360 said:

Thanks .

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--
Caution: Do not stare into laser with remaining eye.

Spend money saved on classes join local meetup group shoot, shoot and shoot some more. When you know what you are doing spend money on lenses and shoot 40D untill it dies.

Thanks everybody 4 your tips i appreciate ! great forum great people & great advises .

I'll keep shooting with the 40D till it dies , & when that happends ill cross that bridge .... i guess ill get what ever is the step up from the 40D @ that point...

4 now im going to do what everyone says - getting better , shooting learning & improving my rudimental skills in photography.