7D Mk II v 5D mk II (*yes, II*) in low light

<p>Hi, chaps,<br>

I'm looking to replace my 5D Mk I as my second body (I also have a 5D Mk II). My question is, is the 7D Mk II better than my current 5D Mk II (yes, Mark Two), specifically when used in low light?<br>

I'm a wedding photographer in the UK, so I'm often bumping up my ISO and using my lenses at f2.8. I'd love to be able to bump up my ISO further without compromising on quality. I know the 5D Mk III is excellent at low light, but I have a sweet EF-S 10-22mm lens I haven't been able to use since my 20D days, which I'd love to use again if the 7D Mk II proves worth it. I'm asking about comparison with the 5D Mk II because I know what that the results are like, day in, day out.<br>

Anyone have any experience? Could I risk the 7D Mk II or should I just go with the 5D Mk III, and wave bye-bye to my lovely lens?<br>

Thanks.</p>

<p>It's seen tests that suggest the 7D MkII is the best low light performer in the EOS range, followed by the 6D. This is in terms of both pattern noise and SNR. This was testing for astrophotography, which is generally pretty low light (!). I can't be sure the same would apply for Wedding Photography, which rarely takes place at night...</p>

<p>I own the 5D MkIII and the 7D MkII and owned the 5D MkII in the past. In my experience, the 5D2 and 3 beat the 7D2 in low light situations requiring ISOs above 1600. All of the above correct quite nicely with DxO Optics Pro, which I use as my Raw converter. I think that the 5D2 does well at ISO 3200 and even 6400. Still, the 7D2 isn't bad. Here's an ISO 6400 shot, taken after sundown:</p>

<p><a title="Coyote In The Grass by David Stephens, on Flickr" href=" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7326/16437263211_e3817f0916_c.jpg" alt="Coyote In The Grass" width="800" height="534" /></a></p>

Looking at the DP Review test of the 7DII, If you substitute a 6D or 5DIII for comparison, and move the image to one of the faces in the test, to my eyes the FF cameras looks materially better at 3200 and above than the 7DII. It may make sense for you to rent a 7DII for a weekend to test before making this large an investment.

 

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canon-eos-7d-mark-ii/11

<p>Here's a link to Roger Clark's (detailed technical) analysis of the EOS 7D MkII. He has a special application (astrophotography) which involves long exposures at very low light levels.</p>

<p>http://www.clarkvision.com/reviews/evaluation-canon-7dii/index.html</p>

<p>I'd definitely agree that renting and testing the camera under the conditions and light levels you'd expect to be using it under most would be the best way to decide if the image quality is up to your standards. For general purpose photography it may well be that a FF camera would yield better final prints.</p>

<p>Note that the reasonably priced EF 17-40/4L zoom has much the same range on FF as the 10-22 does on APS-C (16-35mm FF equivalent) so you probably don't want to let the 10-22 influence your decision too much. If you really like wide angle shots, the new full frame 11-24/4L will give them to you if you have $3000 to spare. 11mm rectilinear on FF is wider than anything rectilinear you can get for APS-C.</p>

<p>When you look at the Raw files, before Raw conversion, either of the 5D bodies blow away the 7D2. However, in the real world, with competent exposure and Raw conversion, with NR applied competently, the differences are not near so great.</p>

<p>That excellent article by Roger shows the high potential of the 7D2 and my own experience with converted files, shows very little difference. Still, the 5DII and III Raw files look much cleaner on my computer, from my own bodies. </p>

<p>Swap your 10-22mm lens for a 17-40 f4L and stay happy.</p>

<p>Thank you everyone for your excellent responses.</p>

<p>From what I have read, the 7D2 would be a good choice.</p>

<p>Bob, I believe the OP was referring to the UK having less than clement weather a lot of the year and often the dark skies drive the need to bump up ISO, rather than specific needs for night photography work.</p>

<p>I would also give it a test run first, at a real wedding. More than noise and tech specs, how does it handle, how different are the controls, how will you work it into your current lens arsenal, etc. All these are things to consider before you buy.</p>

<p>I currently have a 5D2 and a 7D and I love the versatility of having the focal length multiplier of the 7D when needed and ultra-wide when I need that (on the 5D2) instead. Your 10-22 EF-S is a nice lens but would not drive my decision of body that much mainly because it has a variable max aperture. That would absolutely drive me nuts. You may want to look at offloading that; there are now a few excellent ultra-wides for APS-C sized sensors. I would rather use my beloved 17-40L any day,on my 5D2. I typically mount a longer lens on my 7D to give me extra reach.</p>