Canon 850D (T8i) vs Canon 7d mark ii for wildlife photography, which one to choose?: Canon Rebel (EOS 200D-800D) Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

Canon 850D (T8i) vs Canon 7d mark ii for wildlife photography, which one to choose?

Started Feb 17, 2022 | Discussions

winterwonderland • Forum Member • Posts: 64

Canon 850D (T8i) vs Canon 7d mark ii for wildlife photography, which one to choose?

Feb 17, 2022

Currently, we own the Canon 1000D + Tamron 150-600mm, but we want to upgrade the camera, and although there's not that many reviews to find on the 850D, we are wondering how the camera will work for wildlife photography (mainly squirrels, birds, deers etc.)...

Any thoughts on that? We know that the 7d2 is a very good camera for that purpose, but both are priced reasonably (used) and the 850D is newer than the 7d2, but is it better? Anyone who've tried the 850D for wildlife photography who can share us some good thoughts on it?

Canon EOS 1000D (EOS Rebel XS / Kiss F Digital) Canon EOS 7D Mark II Tamron SP 150-600mm F5-6.3 Di VC USD

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Digirame • Forum Pro • Posts: 41,857

Re: Canon 850D (T8i) vs Canon 7d mark ii for wildlife photography, which one to choose?

In reply to winterwonderland • Feb 18, 2022

Presently, I'm using the Canon T7i (800D) camera with the Tamron 150-600mm lens. I can't say if this or the Canon T8i (850D) camera is better than the Canon 7D Mark II, but I can say the photos turn out beautifully.

Here are some samples at ISO3200 and ISO2000 at full focal length:

To see what cameras are better you could check various website places that have camera comparisons. Maybe you could find something on YouTube too. The other Canon DSLR camera forum also could let you know more about the Canon 7D Mark II. I heard it's a great camera, but it doesn't seem likely that Canon will update that one to something like a Canon 7D Mark III.

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stevet1 • Senior Member • Posts: 1,300

Re: Canon 850D (T8i) vs Canon 7d mark ii for wildlife photography, which one to choose?

In reply to winterwonderland • Feb 18, 2022

winterwonderland wrote:

Currently, we own the Canon 1000D + Tamron 150-600mm, but we want to upgrade the camera, and although there's not that many reviews to find on the 850D, we are wondering how the camera will work for wildlife photography (mainly squirrels, birds, deers etc.)...

Any thoughts on that? We know that the 7d2 is a very good camera for that purpose, but both are priced reasonably (used) and the 850D is newer than the 7d2, but is it better? Anyone who've tried the 850D for wildlife photography who can share us some good thoughts on it?

Winter wonderland,

You can go to:

https://cameradecision.com/

and compare two cameras side by side.

Steve Thomas

stevet1's gear list:stevet1's gear list

Canon EOS Rebel T8i (EOS 850D) Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM Canon EF 50mm F1.8 STM Canon EF-S 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 IS USM

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Sue Anne Rush • Senior Member • Posts: 6,285

Re: Canon 850D (T8i) vs Canon 7d mark ii for wildlife photography, which one to choose?

In reply to winterwonderland • Feb 18, 2022

Hello...

winterwonderland wrote:

Currently, we own the Canon 1000D + Tamron 150-600mm, but we want to upgrade the camera, and although there's not that many reviews to find on the 850D, we are wondering how the camera will work for wildlife photography (mainly squirrels, birds, deers etc.)...

Any thoughts on that? We know that the 7d2 is a very good camera for that purpose, but both are priced reasonably (used) and the 850D is newer than the 7d2, but is it better? Anyone who've tried the 850D for wildlife photography who can share us some good thoughts on it?

There are so many cameras to pick from --- go to your local camera store or Best Buy to see what you like and then buy it from B&H

-- hide signature --

Sue Anne Rush

Sue Anne Rush's gear list:Sue Anne Rush's gear list

Canon PowerShot G9 Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II Canon PowerShot Zoom Canon EOS 7D Canon EOS Rebel T7 +4 more

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tdbmd • Senior Member • Posts: 1,547

Re: Canon 850D (T8i) vs Canon 7d mark ii for wildlife photography, which one to choose?

In reply to winterwonderland • Feb 18, 2022

I have both the T8i and 7DII. The T8i is a good camera and gives some really nice images, the AF system of the 7DII blows it away, IMO. The 7DII also has a faster frame rate and the ability for "quiet" shutter release, which can sometimes help when photographing wildlife.

tdbmd's gear list:tdbmd's gear list

Canon EOS 7D Mark II Canon EOS Rebel T8i (EOS 850D) Canon EOS R6 Canon EF 85mm F1.8 USM Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM +11 more

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realmadeira • Regular Member • Posts: 291

Re: Canon 850D (T8i) vs Canon 7d mark ii for wildlife photography, which one to choose?

In reply to tdbmd • Feb 18, 2022

+1 on 7DII. Save yourself a lot of frustration and missed shots, spend extra and get 7DII. Another option is 90D with a better sensor. I am not sure how 7DII vs 90D in terms of AF

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tdbmd • Senior Member • Posts: 1,547

Re: Canon 850D (T8i) vs Canon 7d mark ii for wildlife photography, which one to choose?

In reply to tdbmd • Feb 18, 2022

The T8i is capable of wonderful images and if things are pretty static, would do fine but for faster moving objects or birds in flight, the 7DII will be better

tdbmd's gear list:tdbmd's gear list

Canon EOS 7D Mark II Canon EOS Rebel T8i (EOS 850D) Canon EOS R6 Canon EF 85mm F1.8 USM Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM +11 more

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Dunlin • Senior Member • Posts: 2,611

Re: Canon 850D (T8i) vs Canon 7d mark ii for wildlife photography, which one to choose?

In reply to winterwonderland • Feb 20, 2022

The 7D II has better AF, but it bigger/heavier, and doesn't have the 850D's articulating touchscreen.

The 800d (basically the same size as 850d) in front of the 7d ii

Dunlin's gear list:Dunlin's gear list

Canon PowerShot SX410 IS Olympus OM-D E-M10 II Canon EF 35-80mm f/4.0-5.6 III Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F4-5.6 R Gimp +6 more

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tdbmd • Senior Member • Posts: 1,547

Re: Canon 850D (T8i) vs Canon 7d mark ii for wildlife photography, which one to choose?

In reply to winterwonderland • Feb 20, 2022

I have come to appreciate the articulated touch screens as far as going in to make changes and for getting shots via Live View at different angles but for wildlife, I will still take the 7DII frame rate and AF system, but that is just my preference

tdbmd's gear list:tdbmd's gear list

Canon EOS 7D Mark II Canon EOS Rebel T8i (EOS 850D) Canon EOS R6 Canon EF 85mm F1.8 USM Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM +11 more

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realmadeira • Regular Member • Posts: 291

Re: Canon 850D (T8i) vs Canon 7d mark ii for wildlife photography, which one to choose?

In reply to Dunlin • Feb 21, 2022

Urban Camera wrote:

The 7D II has better AF, but it bigger/heavier, and doesn't have the 850D's articulating touchscreen.

The 800d (basically the same size as 850d) in front of the 7d ii

If by "wildlife photography" you mean taking selfies in a petting zoo with your camera in your outstretched hand then I would concur

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stevet1 • Senior Member • Posts: 1,300

Re: Canon 850D (T8i) vs Canon 7d mark ii for wildlife photography, which one to choose?

In reply to Dunlin • Feb 21, 2022

While the weather sealing of the 7D II is attractive, the lesser weight of the T8i was the deciding factor for me.

With 515g for the T8I vs. 910g (body only) for the 7D II, I just couldn't see holding that up to my face all day.

Steve Thomas

stevet1's gear list:stevet1's gear list

Canon EOS Rebel T8i (EOS 850D) Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM Canon EF 50mm F1.8 STM Canon EF-S 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 IS USM

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Digirame • Forum Pro • Posts: 41,857

Re: Canon 850D (T8i) vs Canon 7d mark ii for wildlife photography, which one to choose?

In reply to realmadeira • Feb 21, 2022

Please explain. What's your experience with either of those cameras? I take thousands of "wildlife" pictures with my Canon T7i (800D) camera which is similar to the Canon T8i (850D) camera. Both are very capable of taking photos in the wild. There's advantages and disadvantages to both cameras. I didn't want to list all of them because that's available on the internet for those that want to research it. If someone just likes to take photos of birds in flight and that's their main interest in wildlife photography, then yes a camera with a better AF system would be preferred.

Here's one of thousands taken during a partially cloudy day. Because of COVID I rarely go to the zoo, so I must find them in the wild.

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tdbmd • Senior Member • Posts: 1,547

Re: Canon 850D (T8i) vs Canon 7d mark ii for wildlife photography, which one to choose?

In reply to stevet1 • Feb 21, 2022

The T8i is certainly lighter and I will sometimes choose it for a travel camera due to size and weight. I previously had a T3i and the 7DII was much better but it is a closer call with the T8i

tdbmd's gear list:tdbmd's gear list

Canon EOS 7D Mark II Canon EOS Rebel T8i (EOS 850D) Canon EOS R6 Canon EF 85mm F1.8 USM Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM +11 more

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Digirame • Forum Pro • Posts: 41,857

More Wildlife Photos

In reply to Digirame • Feb 22, 2022

I have every reason to expect that the Canon T8i (850D) camera would take as good or better photos than what I can get with my Canon T7i (800D) camera. See some more photos that I took last year. This is just a small sample that I quickly grabbed. I have thousands more that I have taken over the years.

The autofocus is reasonably fast, enough to catch birds that move around quickly. If I were going to upgrade to another DSLR camera, I would prefer a Canon 90D. But I just bought two Canon mirrorless cameras and will be happy with what I have for now. It was surprising to me how inexpensive the Canon 7D Mark II is now as a used camera. But I think if a person is not in a hurry and happy with their gear, to wait and see what else Canon develops along their mirroless line. In the meantime enjoy what you have. Pick a Canon 7D Mark II or Canon T8i (850D) camera. Both should be good for different reasons and preferences. A used Canon 7D Mark II might not be as reliable as a new Canon T8i (850D) camera; that's something to consider. I suppose it depends on the shutter clicks and how it was treated.

Photo No. 1

Photo No. 2

Photo No. 3

Photo No. 4

Photo No. 5

Photo No. 6

Photo No. 7

Photo No. 8

Photo No. 9

Photo No. 10

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tdbmd • Senior Member • Posts: 1,547

Re: More Wildlife Photos

In reply to Digirame • Feb 22, 2022

A couple of backyard shots with the T8i

tdbmd's gear list:tdbmd's gear list

Canon EOS 7D Mark II Canon EOS Rebel T8i (EOS 850D) Canon EOS R6 Canon EF 85mm F1.8 USM Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM +11 more

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Digirame • Forum Pro • Posts: 41,857

Re: More Wildlife Photos

In reply to tdbmd • Feb 22, 2022

I like seeing the black squirrel. I've never seen one like that where I live in Oregon. It looks like the autofocus locks on real good. I disabled my manual focus on my Canon M50 Mark II camera. That was so annoying because I would accidentally hit that ring (whatever it is called) and it would mess me up. Finally someone told me how to stop it in the menu. What a relief. These cameras do so well with the autofocus (much better than I could ever do with manual focus). I'm using the nine center cross-type points on both the DSLR and mirrorless cameras.

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tdbmd • Senior Member • Posts: 1,547

Re: More Wildlife Photos

In reply to tdbmd • Feb 22, 2022

With the T8i, I usually use either single point or small zone with 9 in a square. On the 7DII, I will many times use either the 4 point or 8 point expansion

tdbmd's gear list:tdbmd's gear list

Canon EOS 7D Mark II Canon EOS Rebel T8i (EOS 850D) Canon EOS R6 Canon EF 85mm F1.8 USM Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM +11 more

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tdbmd • Senior Member • Posts: 1,547

Re: More Wildlife Photos

In reply to Digirame • Feb 22, 2022

Digirame wrote:

I like seeing the black squirrel. I've never seen one like that where I live in Oregon. It looks like the autofocus locks on real good. I disabled my manual focus on my Canon M50 Mark II camera. That was so annoying because I would accidentally hit that ring (whatever it is called) and it would mess me up. Finally someone told me how to stop it in the menu. What a relief. These cameras do so well with the autofocus (much better than I could ever do with manual focus). I'm using the nine center cross-type points on both the DSLR and mirrorless cameras.

We used to not have black squirrels around here but they have been expanding their range over the last 20 years.

tdbmd's gear list:tdbmd's gear list

Canon EOS 7D Mark II Canon EOS Rebel T8i (EOS 850D) Canon EOS R6 Canon EF 85mm F1.8 USM Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM +11 more

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Dunlin • Senior Member • Posts: 2,611

Re: Canon 850D (T8i) vs Canon 7d mark ii for wildlife photography, which one to choose?

In reply to winterwonderland • Feb 22, 2022

winterwonderland wrote:

Currently, we own the Canon 1000D + Tamron 150-600mm, but we want to upgrade the camera, and although there's not that many reviews to find on the 850D, we are wondering how the camera will work for wildlife photography (mainly squirrels, birds, deers etc.)...

Any thoughts on that? We know that the 7d2 is a very good camera for that purpose, but both are priced reasonably (used) and the 850D is newer than the 7d2, but is it better? Anyone who've tried the 850D for wildlife photography who can share us some good thoughts on it?

Hi winterwonderland,

If you live in the UK, I recommend getting you used camera gear from CEX.

Fast postage, and a 48 month guarantee.

They don't post photos of the actual camera, but everything B grade I've ordered from them has been absolutely fine.

CEX

850d

7d II

Dunlin's gear list:Dunlin's gear list

Canon PowerShot SX410 IS Olympus OM-D E-M10 II Canon EF 35-80mm f/4.0-5.6 III Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F4-5.6 R Gimp +6 more

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tweetybird485 • New Member • Posts: 1

Re: Canon 850D (T8i) vs Canon 7d mark ii for wildlife photography, which one to choose?

In reply to winterwonderland • Apr 26, 2022

I own the rebel t8i and it is my first camera. I bought it for astrophotography and it worked for that but I do not have the time for that hobby. I started using it for bird photography with sigma 150-600 and there are pros and cons to this camera. 24 megapixels is nice. The Shutter speed is 7 per second and that is good for the price range. The variable ISO increment numbers are good 100 125 160 200 250 320 400 500 640 800 1000 and so on, you get the idea. The auto ISO works great on a overcast day but if I have direct sunlight on my subject it blows it out and I have to switch to manual ISO. The auto focus is my main reason for wanting an upgrade. To pic a bird out of a tree I have to use a single focus point, but if a bird is in flight I have to switch the focus setting. I can get both shots but I have to choose what kind of shot I want. This is why I am eyeing the canon EOS R6 because it has the Eye Autofocus, so I wouldn't have to change focus selections. In my opinion when looking at the specs of the d7 I don't see any noticeable advantage, its whatever you can get a deal on.

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Canon 850D (T8i) vs Canon 7d mark ii for wildlife photography, which one to choose?

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