[Dr_Jones]

am i crazy to consider a lightly used 40D w/grip speedlite and maybe a nice prime over the 7D?

Anyone else in this boat?

[UdubBadger]

I did about 6 months ago, its a great camera... I would say the only better used deal would be a 5D

[ichiban]

I was about to, but got a good deal on a 50D so i did that. But if your into birding, sports, and want to shoot some kick ass vids, then you should give the 7D a little more thought. the 7D is a pretty big upgrade from the xxD bodies, both in IQ and Noise at high ISO. Plus the AF system on the 7D is amazing. But again, if you dont shoot sports or birds, i dont really see you using those things much.

[immiketoo]

Get the 7D. I got my 50D just before the announcement came out, and I would have jumped at that without a thought. Nothing wrong with a 40D, but if you have the means....

[UdubBadger]

ehhh I think I agree with ichiban more. If you don't need it, save your money for L glass

[immiketoo]

Originally Posted by UdubBadger

ehhh I think I agree with ichiban more. If you don't need it, save your money for L glass

Good point! I already have L glass, so I was thinking body only. Get the 40D!

[UdubBadger]

you can never have enough L glass...

[BMW F22]

The 40D is a great camera. Like others have said, if you have the money then get the 7D; otherwise the 40D is fine. If I don't already have a 5D I would have gotten either the 40D, 50D or sprung for the 7D (it's still a bit too much right now since it's new and everyone wants one).

FWIW, the 7D might be too much if you don't need all the features. That's the beauty of marketing: shows you all the features to make you want it even though you probably won't use/need all of them. Shoot I know it's got me hooked, that's for sure.

[UdubBadger]

I want a 5D so badly

[BMW F22]

^ While I'm enjoying some of the features, I miss the 1.6x crop. I might pick up a 40D/50D or 7D in a year or two to have all my bases covered.

[UdubBadger]

why would you miss the crop?

[BMW F22]

I miss the "zoom" factor (like how a 200mm would become a 320mm). Most of the time I don't need the wide angle so much as the zoom factor. I was looking to pick up a 40D but don't need it as of yet.

[UdubBadger]

Originally Posted by BMW E90

I miss the "zoom" factor (like how a 200mm would become a 320mm). Most of the time I don't need the wide angle so much as the zoom factor. I was looking to pick up a 40D but don't need it as of yet.

meh, all you need is a 1.4x extender

[immiketoo]

Originally Posted by UdubBadger

I want a 5D so badly

You and me both. Tax time my friend

[dcstep]

Dr_Jones, how do you plan to use it and how flexible is your budget? What camera are you moving up from?

If you can afford the 7D and you're going to photograph birds and wildlife, then the 7D is the way to go. If you're into scenics, portraits and general purpose, than a used 5D might be the best choice. If either of those is beyond your budget, then a used 40D or 50D would be a good choice.

The 40D will do a good job and you need to include at least one good L-series lens in your budget, no matter which body you buy. Because sensor technology is redefining Moore's Law, I think you need to buy the latest body technology that you can afford (with at least one L) and plan on staying with it for a while. If you start with 2-year old technology, then you'll be wanting to trade up sooner.

Full frame is great. I've got the 5D2 and the 7D. The IQ of a cropped bird with the 5D2 equals the equal-sized crop of the 7D (it might be slightly better in fine detail actually). The advantage of a 1.6 crop-sensor is in tracking birds with the single-point AF. With FF the bird is much smaller in the viewfinder such that it's harder to keep the focus point on the desired part of the bird. The focal length of the lens is NOT increased, with roughly the same number of pixels on the subject as taking a FF image and cropping it more severely down to the same size subject. AF is no issue with static subjects. The 7D has more "convenience" features, a faster burst rate and more AF modes.

FF is better for wide-angle images and the large sensor gives you more pixels to work with for portraits, archetecture, etc. Of coure, if you get a FF, then most non-lens will not do. You'll see softness as you're tempted to make larger and larger images.

Anyway, all the cameras mentioned are great. The high ISO performance of the 5D and 7D open up possibilities that you won't get with the 40D or even the 50D. The 7D is also fast handling and aimed at sport and wildlife photographers.

Dave

[UdubBadger]

Originally Posted by immiketoo

You and me both. Tax time my friend

hahaha, I wish. My refund is going to a down payment on a new ride

[Cyruz]

hey guys, just so you know, the 7D is an APS-C sensor. which is 1.6x. same as the xxD bodies. you loose none of the "extra reach" you have with the 40D. as for the speed, the 7D can shoot up to 8fps. so for the wildlife, birding, sports, the 7D is clearly a superior camera.

for now ill stick with my 40D and eventually go full frame with a 5DmkII. but id keep the 40D as well, just for birding, wildlife and sports.

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by Cyruz

hey guys, just so you know, the 7D is an APS-C sensor. which is 1.6x. same as the xxD bodies. you loose none of the "extra reach" you have with the 40D. as for the speed, the 7D can shoot up to 8fps. so for the wildlife, birding, sports, the 7D is clearly a superior camera.

for now ill stick with my 40D and eventually go full frame with a 5DmkII. but id keep the 40D as well, just for birding, wildlife and sports.

I think that's a perfect plan for someone that already owns a 40D.

Having both a FF and a crop-sensor sounds like a luxury, but if you do any wildlife or sports, the bigger image in the viewfinder of the crop-sensor improves your accuracy of focus dramaticly. The 40D gets that part done. OTOH, when it comes to scenics, portraits, general travel and almost everything else, a FF gives you so much detail to work with that it seems almost like your cheating. The high ISO performance of the 5D2 has changed my approach to low light photography immensely.

Dave

[Dr_Jones]

i bought a lightly used 40d...should arrive on thursday. 7d would have been fantastic but i will probably use the difference in the near future for more reach (300mm f/4 or 100-400)

[Cyruz]

dc, i agree with you 100%. my biggest complaint with the 40D is noise and iso with low light.

side note, great shot of the BIF at sunset the other day.

[ichiban]

yea, i'm probably gonna collect some L's then step up tp FF. I just dont know if i should get the 5d and wait for MK3, or just get the MK2.

[UdubBadger]

Originally Posted by ichiban

yea, i'm probably gonna collect some L's then step up tp FF. I just dont know if i should get the 5d and wait for MK3, or just get the MK2.

there are a lot worse cameras you could buy than an mkII