Professional photographers: Canon 5D Mark II or Canon 7D?

Not a pro but, I own both cameras. Which is best really depends on what you are shooting and how you use the camera. Pure image quality goes to the 5D Mark II but, the 7D certainly offers the best IQ of any Canon 1.6x crop-body made to date. That said, in many ways the 7D is actually a better camera. Specifically, the 7D has a much better AF and metering system that even offers some advantages over those used in the 1D/1Ds cameras. The 7D has better environmental seals as well having gained a lens-mount gasket similar to that seen on the 1D/1Ds cameras that mates with the same gasket on many L-series lenses. Live-view and video recording have a dedicated button on the 7D and the LCD is also improved. In fact, the only thing one can really say is "bad" about the 7D is it's NOT a full-frame camera and therefore cannot match the image quality of a full-frame camera but don't be fooled into buying a full-frame camera on this factor alone. Again, as a whole, I honestly think the 7D is a better camera that allows me great freedom to customize the camera's controls to my personal tastes. I also like the built-in wireless flash controller...This is something Nikon has been able to do for years and I was glad to finally have that feature. Oh and before I forget, it shoots 8 frames per second. If you shoot sports, action or need to keep up with kids, this is the camera to buy. The 1.6x crop-factor also becomes and advantage when shooting telephoto lenses because the crop factor gives the illusion of a lens that is 1.6x times longer in focal length.

Having said all that about my 7D, I also thoroughly enjoy shooting my 5D Mark II. Though I'd grown up shooting 35mm film, I spent two years shooting a Canon 40D exclusively and then upgraded to the 7D in December. The 7D offered a much larger and better viewfinder than the 40D so it was an improvement. However, moving from the 7D's viewfinder to that of the 5D Mark II is watching TV on a iPhone for versus a 56-inch plasma screen. This alone makes the 5D Mark II a pleasure to shoot by comparison to any crop-body camera. The viewfinder is now large and bright enough that manual focus is readily acheiveable. And the two greatest advantages are the fact that my 16-35mm lens truly is an ultra wide angle lens on the 5D Mark II and the noise (particularly at high ISO) is minimal compared to the 7D. While image quality is where this camera excels, it falls down compared to the 7D in every other category. Because I owned the EFs 17-55mm and 10-22mm lenses with my 7D, I honeslty didn't need the 5D Mark II and was content to stay on the APS-C format. But I had an opportunity to get the full-frame camera for little or no money and I have to say, life is better with a full-frame because you get the full benefit of wide lenses like the EF 14mm f/2.8L or 16-35mm f/2.8L. Do I think the 5D Mark II is worth the extra $1000 for image quality alone? To honest, the answer is "no" unless you are a professional who can/will recover the cost through your business.

While lacking the full-frame sensor, I think the 7D will be more than suitable for doing what you need. It's not lacking in image quality as its one of the very best performers at high ISO and definitely on par with the 5D mark II, and it's compatible with a larger range of lenses such as any EF-S lenses you may have used before on the 30D. The Canon 5D is only compatible with EF lenses. The 7D also has a more advanced autofocus system and faster burst shooting than the 5D, which can be helpful when shooting events. Not to mention the 7D is a lot less expensive, leaving more money for a quality lens. If in the end you decide to go for the Canon 5D mark II, I would consider getting a 70-200mm f/2.8. If that's too expensive, then probably a prime lens such as a 135mm f/2 or a 85mm f/1.8 If you go for the 7D, the same lenses apply, except you may also want to consider a 50mm f/1.4 or similar lens.

the only PRO about the 7D is the 8 fps burst. If you are shooting sports, or fast moving objects, it's a must.

For the rest, Canon 5D has been the #1 camera for most photographers due to it price and being full frame. Shooting wide angle, full frame is the only way. (crop cameras makes you lose a lot of focal length).

If you have the money, don't think about it, 5D is forever.

P.D.: Remember, crop is x1.6, so you multiply the lens focal length by 1.6. If you are using a telephoto lens, you will GAIN focal length. So, that's a pro there too.

Hey,

The 5D Mark II is Full Frame and has less noise. It has less AF points and is slower. They're both very sharp and the 7D has less noise than any other APS-C Canon today.

Here is a post called 'Buying A DSLR, what's important, megapixels, features, brand, price, quality and which one to get. There are also Amazon links, here is the post - http://the-digital-photographer.blogspot.com/2009/...

5D Mark II is more so for studio stuff.

I've some photos here taken with it (and the old 5D, too). Keep in mind you need to use good lenses with it.

http://www.flickr.com/little_pooky