Upgrade from the EOS 30D to EOS 5DM3?

feilong said:

If I were you I would go the mirrorless route. Either Olympus or Fuji X-T1

I have the 5D III and love it but if you go the 7D II route or the 5D MIII you are going down the slippery slop because the choices of lens is so much, therefore the cost will keep going up. When you end up traveling you will bring so much lens with you which will become heavy.

The new 7D does not interest me at all because once you go with full frame its hard to go back when talking about DSLR.

If you were to ask me which APSC would you rather take, 70D, 7D II or a mirrorless the answer will be obvious. I would go for the smaller lighter body. The AF will be superior on the 7D MII but AF wont constitute any reason to go for the larger heavier body.

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Once you go for good quality telephotos there is no mirrorless size advantage except for having a disproportionately smaller body compared to your lens.

Not to mention not a single mirrorless AF system can approach 1DX levels of action competency.

Mirrorless makes the most sense with *normal* focal lengths.

Michael Thomas Mitchell said:

Fabulous said:

Hi,

I've been an avid user of the Canon EOS 30D for almost 9 years now and I think it's time to get a new camera.

The majority of the pictures I shoot are of my dogs running around, birds, wildlife, landscape, nature etc etc. I also like the idea of recording HD videos with the camera.

I've been looking at the EOS 5DM3, but the EOS 7DM2 caught my eye. I noticed a lot of you said the 7DM2 is great for wildlife photography and taking pictures of fast moving objects (like my dogs).

Is it worth the extra money to get the 5DM3 or possibly the 5DM4 if I'm mostly into wildlife, nature and animal photography?

I have a few lenses like the 60mm macro lens, 75-300mm, 17-55mm etc etc, but they won't work with the 5DM3 so I'd have to buy new lenses as well.

Thanks for the help. All feedback is appreciated.

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You've already answered much of your question in regards to the lenses. Indeed, the 5DIII will require a completely new -- and somewhat expensive -- investment in compatible glass.

Since you're also interested in subjects that are often shot with telephoto lenses, you might also consider that you might too accustomed to the APS-C format to really change. That 75-300 lens, for instance, offers a field of view equivalent to almost 500mm on the 30D; if you shoot zoomed out a lot, you'll lose nearly half of that field of view on a full-frame body like the 5DIII. And even investing in a longer lens like the 100-400 won't get you back completely. (The Tamron 150-600, on the other hand, would be a different story!)

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I agree most parts you said above but EF 100-400L on 5D3 should have better IQ over 7D2 + EF 75-300 which is a very mediocre lens, not at 100-400L league. But 100-400L is lots more expensive and heavier. 400mm AOV on FF is not much different from 480mm FF eq AOV from 300mm FL on Canon APS-C, and equivalence has IQ lost not a free ride. I actually will suggest OP to replace that lens with either EF 70-300L or EF 100-400L as either one has much better optical quality than EF 75-300 to leverage potential of a semi-pro camera either 7D2 or 5D3. But I agree here that unless OP has IQ as top prioirty that will need invest some L lenses that are expensive, then 7D2 is a better overall option for OP.

Member said:

The 30D is VERY long in the tooth these days. Yes, it's still capable, but in terms of features and functionality, it has long since been surpassed by newer models. It is the last in that line to feature Canon's original user interface, and any newer model is going to seem far superior. For you, it would seem the 7DII might be a no-brainer, offering the very latest APS-C technology with some features that even rival the 1D-series of cameras.

Best of luck

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Your post is interesting to me since I upgrade a lot and have a 70D but will be needing two cameras (one for outdoor sports/wildlife in which the 7DMKII seems to be the one and one for indoor low-light in which a FF (like 6D-or 5D MKIII if one camera and wildlife are also important)-would be the one. In my case it would be the 7DMKII (because wildlife (BIF and cropping) is important) and the 6D MKII (I am waiting for the 6D replacement since it is rumored to have an ATLCD).

If cropping for wildlife is not important and indoor shooting is important I would get the 5D MKIII. For me, I will likely get the 7D MKII with an entry FF like the 6D or hopefully the 6D MKII since I don't need to spend the extra $1000 on a FF wildlife camera. In your case you may want to especially if you can find a great deal on a 5D MKIII.

Timbukto said:

feilong said:

If I were you I would go the mirrorless route. Either Olympus or Fuji X-T1

I have the 5D III and love it but if you go the 7D II route or the 5D MIII you are going down the slippery slop because the choices of lens is so much, therefore the cost will keep going up. When you end up traveling you will bring so much lens with you which will become heavy.

The new 7D does not interest me at all because once you go with full frame its hard to go back when talking about DSLR.

If you were to ask me which APSC would you rather take, 70D, 7D II or a mirrorless the answer will be obvious. I would go for the smaller lighter body. The AF will be superior on the 7D MII but AF wont constitute any reason to go for the larger heavier body.

Click to expand...

Once you go for good quality telephotos there is no mirrorless size advantage except for having a disproportionately smaller body compared to your lens.

Not to mention not a single mirrorless AF system can approach 1DX levels of action competency.

Mirrorless makes the most sense with *normal* focal lengths.

Click to expand...

You are right, telephoto on DSLR is far superior to mirrorless but comparing the 1DX is comparing apple and oranges. Wedding photographers all over the world use the 5D and the AF is fine for them. Not many of us head out on a safari everyday to take pictures. Or shoot professionally for sports. There are mirrorless cameras out there that can do 10 fps.

People buy mirrorless on the merit that it is small, light, and easy to travel with.

I myself would buy a mirrorless if it was not for my wife.... I already spent thousands of dollars on my DSLR system... so I will have to wait. When I travel, my bag is between 30-40 lbs easy.

Fabulous said:

feilong said:

If I were you I would go the mirrorless route. Either Olympus or Fuji X-T1

I have the 5D III and love it but if you go the 7D II route or the 5D MIII you are going down the slippery slop because the choices of lens is so much, therefore the cost will keep going up. When you end up traveling you will bring so much lens with you which will become heavy.

The new 7D does not interest me at all because once you go with full frame its hard to go back when talking about DSLR.

If you were to ask me which APSC would you rather take, 70D, 7D II or a mirrorless the answer will be obvious. I would go for the smaller lighter body. The AF will be superior on the 7D MII but AF wont constitute any reason to go for the larger heavier body.

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Thank you for your constructive feedback, feilong.

I guess I'm already halfways in the Canon camp because I have various EF lenses and a couple of Canon macro lenses. Getting a 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM in addition to the lenses I already have would cover my needs pretty well. The weight of the body does not really concern me.

I have never tried a mirrorless camera and based on what I read they are better suited as a DSLR backup or companion. What advantages do mirrorless cams bring to the table?

The reason I'm stuck on the 7D MII is because of the aps-c sensor and the 10fps, a perfect match for getting nice close-up wildlife shots

Thanks again for your reply, feilong. Your feedback and views are much appreciated.

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The 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II is a lovely lens. Of course it can produce better images than any mirrorless lens out there. Cost is another factor if comparing mirrorless to DSLR.

For the mirrorless group, I would consider the Fuji X-T1 or the Olympus OM-D M1. Most people on the camp of mirrorless prefer the Olympus OM-D. Both cameras have the speed you are looking for. They also have image stabilization on the body.

Go so the camera store and try out those cameras for yourself.

I have a friend that has a D800, D4 and the Olympus OM-D M1... he takes out the olympus most of the time because of size and weight. He pretty much got the D4 because he can afford it and so he can feel like a "real photographer"

Nice looking photographs has more to do with the photographer and less the gear. The new fuji 56mm 1.2 is looking almost as good as the 85L 1.2, and its only selling for $1000 the canon 85L is $2099. Worth every penny but for more than double the price.

Look at the price to change systems, compare the cost of the new gear and cost if you were to keep the system you are using then make a decision. I'm not trying to hate on DSLR, I'm happy with my 5D III. The big sensor gets more detail but there is a price to pay for just a little bit better now. Cameras are getting better and cheaper for the consumer. If we are talking about the echelon of optical and image qaulity we would all get Leica's but for the average joe paying extra money just for a 10% improvement on quality doesn't make sense. Ansel Adams photos still look better than anything that I can produce with all the advanced gear that I have.

I used a 30D for 6 years until I upgraded to the 5DIII. I'd wanted to upgrade earlier but was waiting for the 7DII to come out but it didn't - I stopped waiting and went with the 5DIII. I did have to buy a new wide angle and my telephoto lost some of its reach. If I had NOT upgraded and was now about to upgrade I would go with the 7DII.

And if you look at my flickr you'll see I take a ton of shots of my dogs as well.

Cropped sensor is more than sufficient for most people. Unless you make large prints I don't see the need for FF.

feilong said:

Timbukto said:

feilong said:

If I were you I would go the mirrorless route. Either Olympus or Fuji X-T1

I have the 5D III and love it but if you go the 7D II route or the 5D MIII you are going down the slippery slop because the choices of lens is so much, therefore the cost will keep going up. When you end up traveling you will bring so much lens with you which will become heavy.

The new 7D does not interest me at all because once you go with full frame its hard to go back when talking about DSLR.

If you were to ask me which APSC would you rather take, 70D, 7D II or a mirrorless the answer will be obvious. I would go for the smaller lighter body. The AF will be superior on the 7D MII but AF wont constitute any reason to go for the larger heavier body.

Click to expand...

Once you go for good quality telephotos there is no mirrorless size advantage except for having a disproportionately smaller body compared to your lens.

Not to mention not a single mirrorless AF system can approach 1DX levels of action competency.

Mirrorless makes the most sense with *normal* focal lengths.

Click to expand...

You are right, telephoto on DSLR is far superior to mirrorless but comparing the 1DX is comparing apple and oranges. Wedding photographers all over the world use the 5D and the AF is fine for them. Not many of us head out on a safari everyday to take pictures. Or shoot professionally for sports. There are mirrorless cameras out there that can do 10 fps.

People buy mirrorless on the merit that it is small, light, and easy to travel with.

I myself would buy a mirrorless if it was not for my wife.... I already spent thousands of dollars on my DSLR system... so I will have to wait. When I travel, my bag is between 30-40 lbs easy.

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I only mentioned the 1DX AF because it for the most part seems to be rolling out to the 7DMKII which is within the realm of affordability if not eventually definitely will be 1-2 years out from now as prices go down and Canon considers putting the AF in even more bodies.

The focusing system alone is worth it. The 5D3 is pretty good but the 7DII is suppose to be quite a bit better. Considering you're use to the framing of the APS-C sensor I think the 7D II is a no brainer in my opinion.

thanks for your reply qianp2k. Better lenses are definitely on my to-get list

thanks for your reply, 4thnebula. Cropping for wildlife is not the most important factor and indoor shooting is even less important.

The most important thing for me is to get a good, solid action/wildlife camera with a couple of good lenses that will let me shoot faster and better pictures. Based on what I've read think the 7D MII and the 70-200 f/2.8 is a good start.

feilong - thanks again for your reply. I totally agree with you. The outcome of the pics definitely has everything to do with the user, and less with the equipment. But having good lenses and a good camera can and most likely will make the process of getting good shots easier

philmar, you've got some awesome shots in your gallery. Good job!

It's funny that you'd mention large prints, because I want to take some of the wildlife shots I take with the new camera, combine them into a black/white collage and have the collage printed. That massive collage will be used as wallpaper on one of the longside walls in my livingroom

Thank you for your feedback, James. I'm pretty sure the 7D MII is my next camera, I just have to wait for it to hit the store.

Fabulous said:

Thank you for your feedback, James. I'm pretty sure the 7D MII is my next camera, I just have to wait for it to hit the store.

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Adorama appears to have them in stock.