Well I certainly already want one! I would certainly like to hear the reasons why, it's always interesting to hear different opinions. It's either save for a 7dmk2 or a sigma 150-600 sports sigma.
....Regarding the question of lens vs body, the 70D is already extremely versatile and a body is merely a control unit mounted on the all important lens. Whether any Sigma or Tamron lens is 'better' than a Canon L lens is another question and budget may influence your choice. But if funds allow, Canon L
every time! I bought all my four Canon L lenses here on TP Classifieds - Two of them
even before I bought a DSLR body! (the 70D).
Following are the 7D Mark II and 70D pros and cons versus each other but please understand that these are only from the perspective of how I personally use a camera and that's for almost exclusively wildlife. I never use any video so cannot comment on those features at all. Also bear in mind that I have used the 70D for 11 months and the 7D2 for only a few days. They each have much in common such as Canon's excellent ergonomics and surprisingly effective built-in flash. They both suffer from the topside buttons being too small, in my opinion.
70D PROS (not in any order of importance):
(-) Relatively compact but still very easy to handle with the heavier telephoto L lenses mounted.
(-) T
he flip screen, being fully articulated, can be closed so that the LCD display is completely protected.
(-) Easier and faster to navigate and resize the review of images after capture due to touchscreen but also the alternative buttons are better positioned for faster use.
(-) Simpler to use and easier learning curve.
(-) Wi-Fi if that is useful to you (it isn't to me).
7D Mark II CONS (not in any order of importance):
(-) No articulated flip screen - Useful for low down and high up shots. I don't miss the touchscreen as it just gets greasy.
(-) Much more elaborate Autofocus system to learn but it promises to deliver a higher rate of 'keepers' when mastered.
(-) A steeper learning curve due to offering more control options and much more customisation generally.
(-) Very heavy on battery juice and that's without activating GPS.
(-) No Wi-Fi without an expensive accessory (but I don't need Wi-Fi on a camera).
70D CONS (not in any order of importance):
(-) The rear control dial is smaller and it's inner selections are often awkward to control.
(-) Easier to accidentally engage the overall settings LOCK slider (I was in the middle of a critical shot when I first did it without knowing and thought the camera had completely failed!).
(-) Tiny and also badly positioned, and therefore utterly useless, DoF Preview button. What were you thinking, Canon!!? Possibly my biggest gripe.
(-) Hinged battery cover isn't sprung and so can sometimes obstruct if you are in a hurry.
(-) Not as weatherproof. I got caught out by a very heavy shower and it caused temporary and uncontrollable LCD display racing when viewing images after capture. It lasted a couple of hours and I was ready to contact my supplier.
7D Mark II PROS (not in any order of importance):
(-) A more sophisticated Autofocus system.
(-) Much more customisable throughout and also so that you can change/select more settings while still looking through the viewfinder.
(-) Much more valuable information can be displayed in the viewfinder (which is bigger).
(-) A higher frame-per-second rate of 10 fps, hence potentially securing more choice of best image.
(-) More weatherproof (not fully tested by me yet!) and lots of rugged rubber.
(-) Grippier to hold but it is a larger and slightly heavier body. Rugged rubber again!
(-) Probably smoother ISO performance at higher ISO settings but not significant at lower settings. (Not fully explored yet).
(-) I no longer lose autofocus if I mount a Canon 1.4x Extender on my 400mm F/5.6L. But I rarely do so anyway because I don't like the results so far.
(-) Offers a more enabling camera to grow your potential than the 70D and that is probably the most important consideration of all.
In making this list I may have missed some aspects but these are the ones which immediately come to mind. As said, the 7D Mark II is still a voyage of discovery but I already feel that I made the right decision to buy one. It will take time before I can master it but I won't be using any 14 days consumer rights to return it!
