Sensor comparison: MKII vs new 7D?

[photog1107]

I am seriously considering a large upgrade in camera body. I currently have a rebel XTi, but am ready to move to a higher performance level. I have almost talked myself into taking the plunge for a 7D (all the press is overwhelming) but before I spend $1700... i want to think through the potential advantages of going even further... to the MKII.

Can anyone help me with what kind of discernable difference I would see with the full-frame sensor versus the APS-C? Although the 7D has the 8 fps, which is mighty enticing for sports, as well as many other great features, my main concern is image quality and I am not sure how to judge those two sensors' performance.

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated before I empty my wallet for this big upgrade. Thanks!

[CanonRebelz]

Well first off. The 5DMKII will not have the 1.6 crop factor your XTi and any other APS-C sensor has.
That means any lens you have, for example an 18-55mm, really does go as wide as 18mm. On a crop factor/APS-C sensor camera it's about 27mm at it's widest.
Second, the 5DMKII only takes EF lenses, so any EF-S mount lenses you have won't fit.
The 5DMKII has 21MP, only 3 more than the 7D.
The 7D takes ef and ef-s lenses, so all your lenses built for canon should fit.
The 7D has 18MP sensor, but still APS-C sensor. It's only $1700(body only), while the 5DMKII(body only) runs $2700.
The 7D has an ISO expandable up to 12,800 but the MKII can go to 25,600.

[photog1107]

That is actually very helpful. It looks like the sensor processor is the same, but what you are saying is that I am not getting the full image capacity out of the lenses I have. That makes sense now. Also, I did not know my Tamron would not be compatible, which is not a huge barrier, but is good to understand ahead of time.

With the $1000 difference, it might be worth saving the additional money and using that for other lenses, accessories. The 7D is certainly no slouch, but I just wanted to make sure I did the diligence on the other ones. Thanks for the helpful information! Any other thoughts from others are welcome, too.

[photog1107]

And by the way... this is off the topic, but how did you get those gorgeous macros I saw on your Flickr site? I don't see a macro in your equip list. That is my NEXT purchase...

[inkista]

Actually, your Tamron 17-50 won't be usable on the 5DMkII. It's for crop-body only. And even if it mounts, it's going to vignette.

And lenses don't actually change their focal length when on a full frame vs. a crop body. The field of view changes, but the magnification remains the same. 17mm is still 17mm, irregardless of the sensor size.

What will change is the DoF you'll get with 17mm at f/2.8. With the larger sensor, the depth of field will be narrower, partly because you'll be working closer to the subject to get the same composition. Your working distances will get smaller.

Comparing the 5DMkII sensor to the 7D's sensor is tough. Different resolutions AND different pixel densities are going to make apples-to-apples comparisons tougher. But due to the higher resolution and lower pixel density, the 5DMkII is likely to have the edge in dynamic range and higher iso noise performance. Whether you can see it, or you care about the difference if there is one, is probably a matter of personal taste.

I'd also say you jumped a tier by considering the 7D. I know the 50D gets no love, but you have to consider that it's a year older than the 7D, and is very close to being a previous generation. But since Canon puts out higher-tiered cameras before trickling their features down to lower-tiered models, you may also want to consider if it might not be worth waiting to see what happens when the 50D's successor/refresh is announced (which is likely to be around March 2010).

I'm willing to bet that the 7D's sensor and digic processor (and there for the iso performance and resolution) will be trickling down to a 60D, just as the 50D's sensor (with a few tweaks) trickled down to the 500D. Not so sure on the AF system or the higher framerate--those are the main selling points of the 7D, and probably will be left on that tier alone (and, obviously, moved up to the 1DMkIV) to differentiate those tiers. The sensor to use the RC-1/RC-5 remotes seems likely, since that part's cheap enough to be in the XXXD line. The pop-up flash as master is a toss-up to me, depending on how expensive it is to implement/refit into the 50D. Ditto the LCD overlay in the viewfinder and the level. I figure one of those three features at least, though. And probably video, but more along the lines of the 500D's 720p, not the 5DMkII or 7D's 1080p, given the need to build an extra data channel off the sensor to handle the added throughput. That's my speculation, anyway. Given that the 50D's successor is likely to be about $500 less than the 7D, you can't expect it to get all the same features.

[OsmosisStudios]

Maybe check out DPReview's take...

Canon EOS 7D Review: 1. Introduction: Digital Photography Review

[photog1107]

Thanks to all! After reading numerous reviews and technical specs, and taking many viewpoints under advisement, as well as thoroughly evaluating my shooting needs and desires... I have decided on the 7D. Ordered it today, so I am stoked!

[skyline photo]

the 7d is a bit noisier than the 5d. you will really notice it in the upper iso's. the 7d is really an upgrade to the 50d which is noisy as all hell in the upper iso's. it's better the the 50d. go to the web site I attached he does a really in depth review on the 7d. the 5d mkII is probably going to give you a little better image quality because of the full size sensor. from what I understand the 7d is a 1.3 conversion not a 1.6 so I dont know how this relfects with ef-s lenses. make sure first. hope this helps a little

Canon Digital SLR Camera and Lens Reviews at The-Digital-Picture.com

[daft_biker]

Originally Posted by inkista

I know the 50D gets no love, but you have to consider that it's a year older than the 7D, and is very close to being a previous generation.

I'd have loved one as I rarely venture above ISO 200 but it came out about a month after I got my 40D. Sods law

The 100% viewfinder would have drawn me to a 7D anyway....but all those pixels too....I want one!