7d with vs 5dmkII for weddings

[marlin_penton]

<p>I'm at a buying decision right now and need your input. I shoot weddings (RAW) with a 40D w/ 28-70L and a Tamron 10-24. Low end rig for sure. Trying to upgrade and this decision is critical because budget is tight.<br>

Option 1) I can go 5dMKII with my existing lens set up.<br>

Option 2) 7d with 70-200 f4L added to lenses.<br>

I've done plenty of research on the two bodies up against each other and except for the $1000 price difference I can't come to a comfortable conclusion. Does the 5DMKII really outshine the 7D when it comes down to it? My work is mainly 10x10 albums and 11x14 thru 20x24 portraits. Most of my enlargement work comes from my studio's 5yr old 5D which I am happy with.<br>

I give high value to your opinions.<br>

-Marlin</p>

<p> </p>

[nathangardner]

<p>5D II is the wedding camera of choice and my suggestion, however you need the glass to really use it to its fullest potential. The staple wedding setup is a 5D II Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/2.8 IS. I think I'd sell the Tammys and work toward these lenses to use with the 40D until you save up enough for the 5D II. The 40D is a great camera and I don't see a real need to upgrading unless you can get the lenses at the same time. An 85mm f/1.8 or 1.2 is also a good wedding lens. If you use a crop camera the 17-55mm f/2.8 IS may be a better wide-normal choice than a 24-XX. Tamron makes a 17-50mm f/2.8 that is good and affordable as well. I think the biggest thing to look for in wedding lenses is speed. Primes are good and any zoom should have a max aperture of 2.8, that way it will perform in low light and give great background blur. Also, with the 5D II, it will handle noise much better than the 7D, which is a big deal when you have to crank up the ISO in a dark church.</p>

[roy_palmer1]

<p>I went for the MKII fantastic.<br>

For weddings I don't think there is a competition.<br>

With either you will see a major improvement in IQ over your 40D.<br>

Lenses? you will see a difference when loosing the 1.6 factor, imo for the better.</p>

<p>In the end in all these issues it comes down to you. Have you thought of hiring both for a few days?</p>

<p>Best Wishes</p>

<p>Roy</p>

[alan_bryant1]

<p>For Option 1, you can't use the 10-24 with the 5D II. You could carry both the 40D with the 10-24 and the 5D2 with the 28-70, but that's a lot of weight and you'd have almost no telephoto. I'm not sure that's really a viable option without adding a lens. You could sell the 28-70 and buy a 5DII + 24-105/4 kit, that would have slightly less telephoto than you currently have, though you lose a stop of speed, which is partly recovered in the 5D2's better high ISO capability.<br></p>

[jim_j2]

<p>You indicate that you are already using a 5D in the Studio, . . . sounds like a "slam dunk" to me!</p>

<p>I'd shed the Tamron 10-24 and the 40D for a later lens purchase, and get the 5D II.</p>

[ilya_e]

<p>I'd sell 40D + Tamron and get 5DII + 85mm f/1.8. I think it's simply unbeatable when shooting people. In the future I'd sell 28-70 and get 24-70 + 70-200 f/2.8. I'd stay away from 24-105 f/4 as it might be not fast enough for low light situations.</p>

[arie_vandervelden1]

<p>Don't sell anything. The money raised will be minimal. Plus, you need backup gear.</p>

<p>Yes the 5D2 is better than the 7D. That's why it costs more. Question is, do you need it. The 7D will be fine for most prints but for those 20"x24" prints you'll see significant improvement with a 5D2 compared to a 7D.</p>

<p>Forget about the 70-200/4. It's a fine lens for outdoor use, but I think you don't need as much reach and you need more speed. The $1000 price difference will buy you a Tamron 17-50/2.8 plus a Canon 85/1.8. I have both these lenses and they work great with my 7D.</p>

[picturesque]

<p>I would send you back to the drawing board. Nobody can make a decision like this for you.</p>

<p>One thing I notice is that you aren't mentioning the high ISO response of a full frame in comparison to a cropped frame camera, one of the primary reasons wedding photographers seem to desire the 5DII over a 40D. I shoot weddings and own a 5D and 40D. The full frame makes a slight difference in high ISO response, but not as much as people think. If you are exposing your cropped frame camera correctly, you should have no problem. Since you are familiar with a 5D and didn't mention this issue, I assume this isn't a concern.</p>

<p>The 5D II will indeed make slightly better enlargements, but I made 16x20s from my 20D years ago, and they were perfectly fine. I don't think the decision should go to the 5D II's higher pixel count just on this issue. And there are very good reasons to prefer a 7D now. Apparently, the autofocus is much improved, and autofocus speed and accuracy count for a lot in wedding photography.</p>

<p>So back to the drawing board. I make a list of prioritized features and rate each candidate against the list. If you can't account for the $1000 difference with numerous priority items, I'd say you have your answer. Although, making the list might take you back even further--why do you need to upgrade? :^)</p>

[mike_hitchen]

<p>I have not used either of these cameras so am going by the many reviews and comments I have read.<br>

If you took pictures with the 5DII and the 7D then at the larger print sizes you could tell the difference with the photos side by side. With difficult lighting conditions you may even be able to identify which camera took which picture without having them side by side. But that is you as an experienced professional. I doubt the client will neither know nor care about the difference in quality so the 7D may well good enough forthe job - Nadine commented that she did photos like this using the 20D !<br>

I am not talking about short-changing the client - I am talking about making a business decision, especially as you say budget is tight ($3,000 can be profit from one heck of a lot of shoots). So if the clients are happy with your pictures, why are you buying a new camera? If the camera is definitely limiting your availability to capture certain shots then that is a damned good reason - but you do not mention any of this in your post.</p>

<p>So think carefully about why it is that you want a new camera.</p>

[photographicsafaris]

<p>5D (I or II) and an 85mm f1.8<br>

For weddings its all about faster lenses. The f4 (whilst a great lens) is not such a great option, rather head for an 85mm f1.8 <br>

Also Full frame is so much more useful for tight wedding shots when you need the wide angle. This is where the 35mm f1.4 comes into its own.</p>

<p>Cheers G</p>