should I sell my original 5D to get a 7D?

<p>I've been using the original make of the 5D for several years now and love it. When I upgraded from the 30D I got rid of all my EF-S lenses and invested in L lenses. I love the 5D for wide angle landscapes and interiors, but I do miss the crop frame for wildlife. My 70-200 f2.8 on the 5D just isn't cutting it.<br>

I am now considering buying a 7D for its more advanced features, video, and the crop factor. To afford this new camera, I've been thinking of selling my 5D. Will I miss it or will I find that I never use it because the 7D is so much more advanced? The other option is to keep the 5D and use the 7D for wildlife and 5D for landscapes, but funds are low. <br>

Does anyone have this combination, original 5D and 7D, or have at least used both?</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I think this is one of those issues that only you can really answer. A camera is only a tool and if the tool isn't doing what you need it to do, then you need the tool that will. </p>

<p>Bells and whistles don't make the photograph, so explore your alternatives. Possibly getting a teleconverter will solve your problem or maybe a longer zoom. Then your current camera might work in both of your applications. Be sure a 320mm equivalent on the crop sensor will really make any difference? Awful to change only to find out it is still too short a focal length for what you do.</p>

<p>Digital cameras have gotten better since the 5D, but you may find it hard to step back to a crop sensor. There are really a lot of factors to consider and, as I said earlier, you will be the best judge of what your needs are.</p>

<p>I'd suggest getting a TC first and see how that fills the need. A 2x TC on the 70-200 2.8 is not bad from what I hear. </p>

<p>The video is great, but it is a completely different medium and is very hard to do, even a short film takes many people to shoot.</p>

<p>Live view on the other hand is a good thing to have, the AF in live view is not nearly as capable, but over all live view works for still photos.</p>

<p>I'd suggest looking at a new rebel to see if the bells and whistles are worth it. IMO I wouldn't get rid of a 5D unless I was going to another FF camera. </p>

<p>Well, you mentioned a real reason to get the 7D, "wildlife". Problem is, you'll need a very good new lens to do your landscapes and interiors. I have the 5D MkII and the 7D and love the combination. When I shoot birds and wildlife, I keep the 5D2 around my neck for the stunning skies, water, sunsets, etc. that I run across as I chase birds and furry things around the woods and mountains.</p>

<p>You seem to indicate that the two-body approach is possible for you, but a strain. If so, then I'd suggest waiting a little longer, keeping your 5D and buying the 7D when you can afford it.</p>

<p>No way! Don't do it! I have both - the 7D and the 5D. If I could only own one camera, it would be the 5D! Why don;t you pick up a used 40D for very little money in addition to your 5D. Trust me, you will regret selling the FF camera!</p>

<p>The grass is always greener.</p>

<p>I'd continue investing in lenses instead and upgrade your full frame to another full frame in a few more years. As mentioned above you could start with a 1.4x or 2x converter. For the price difference between the 7D and 5D you could likely find a used Canon EF 300mm f4 L. If you stretch your buget you could get a used Canon EF 400mm f5.6 L for less than the new 7D.</p>

<p>Although the 7D does have higher resolution and can produce large prints like the 5D is capable of doing, there is no substitute for full frame. What about getting a 20D for the reach if you can't aford to keep the 5D and get a 7D? Now you have the wide and telephoto ends covered and its dirt cheap. Keep the 70-200mm on the 20D and your wide angle on the 5D. You'll have a more versatile set up that is great for portraits/landscapes and wildlife.</p>

<p>More and more I come to the notion that there are dramatic differences between the full frame cameras and those with cropped sensors. Keep your 5D and add an aps size sports/wildlife camera later. Nothing beats the smooth bokeh of a full frame sensor and fast glass.</p>

<p>The two cameras are so good at doing different thing that I'd strive to have both rather than one trying to fill in for the other (especially if you love your 5D). Of course, the 5D is the go-to camera for landscapes and wide-angle shots, while the 7D is the go-to lens for wildlife and actions shots, especially those using your longer lenses.</p>

<p>It's always good to have two cameras. I would just wait and save up a more until you have enough for the 7D.</p>

<p>Thanks for all the responses. I especially appreciate the comments telling me NOT to get rid of the 5D in favor of the 7D. I am leaning toward keeping both, though this means I'll have to wait a little longer. I already have a 2x TC and it sucks. I could get the 1.4x, which would produce better results, but will still fall short of having a camera with a 1.6 crop. Longer lenses mean more to carry. I usually travel for business and take a few days to do photography, so I'm already loaded down with more than enough to carry on my trips. </p>

 

<p>Get the 20D now to hold you over until you can afford the 7D.</p>

I have a 5D and an XTi. I occasionally use the XTi with my 100-400 when the light is good. But, I shoot a lot of indoor swimming where that light is atrocious both in terms of white balance and exposure. With the 5d, I can get very usable swimming pictures at ISO 1600 and 3200 because it performs very will there. Now before I start an argument after many years of doing newspaper sports using single point focus and not using Ai, I do not use my camera like a machine gun I prefer to carefully aim and fire one shot. The frame rate is very slow, as you know on the 5d and the XTi. I use a Canon 70-200 almost exclusively because with the 5D I can get 1/400 at f2.8. I like to do better than that because of limited depth of field at 2.8. You can get a 20d, XSi, whatever very cheaply. I have gotten some great blowups with that flimsy little, inconsequential XTi.

<p>Shaun,<br>

I guess your dilema is why I have always kept my EOS3 in addition to my 50D! Although film, I do sometimes pull it out for lanscapes.<br>

I did however, have good success with the EOS3 and the EF100-400 L and the 1.4X TC for wildlife.<br>

How would the current cost of the EF100-400 f4.5-5.6 L IS and the EF 1.4X TC be compared the cost of the 7D?<br>

If I owned the 70-200 f2.8 I would keep it for low light, but knowing what the EF100-400 does on both FF and crop . . . In my opinion would be a possibility.<br>

Would the 1.4X TC perform better than the 2X TC on your 70-200? Maybe that $300.00 or so would be worth a try.<br>

my .02 worth</p>

<blockquote>

<p>I got rid of all my EF-S lenses and invested in L lenses.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>That was, of course, your first mistake. You should have kept whatever APS-C camera you already had.</p>

<p>Don't repeat the mistake going back the other way. Get a nice 100-400mm IS lens, or do a 20D sort of thing, or even buy a new Ti2z or whatever it is called; <em>but</em> keep your 5D at any cost.</p>

 

<p>Another vote for keeping the 5D. I have been shooting with 3 , 5D, 7D and 5D mark II. For my application, the full frames win every time. The 7D is a great camera but when it counts I get the full frames out. I will be selling my 7D to get another mark II. v/r Buffdr </p>

<p>Do you already have a TC? Adding an 1.4x TC gives you about the same level of reach as switching to a crop camera at a much lower price.</p>

<p>Keep 5D, save for another lens.</p>

<p>I'm not sure if you're making prints or not but why can't you just crop the pictures that you take using the 5D to get the framing you want? </p>

<p>Cropping will reduce IQ. Printing has nothing to do with it, assuming you view your images on a 46" or 52" HDTV in 1080 resolution, like many of us do.</p>

<p>When using my EF 500mm f/4L IS on my 7D vs. my 5D MkII, I see a much larger image in the viewfinder that's easier to track and lock on the AF. Even though I most often add my 1.4x TC, yielding "equivalent" focal length of 1120mm on the 7D, I still crop most of the images somewhat. The 7D is clearly superior to the 5D MkII in this situation when you compare the cropped images.</p>

<p>+1 on most of the above. I have a 5D, 5DII and a 30D not to mention a few film bodies.<br>

My gut feeling is that you will regret getting rid of the 5D. How much "extra" reach do you need? How important are "advanced features" to you? Personally I would save up and get a 400mm prime. Or as others have said, get a used 40/50D </p>