Buying a secondhand 7D

[karl05]

I'm thinking of upgrading my old and trusted Canon 400D and have decided to go for a secondhand 7D. I have looked on MPB, Mifsuds, LCE, FFordes, Park Cameras etc and am confused about either their idea of condition and price. A Mint- body can vary by £100 between them.
I'm also thinking of pushing the boat out by getting the grip, flash and maybe a nice lens to go with it. Any suggestions?

Thanks

Karl

 

[Phil V]

Canon outlet on eBay have a couple up. Looks a good price.

 

[Orville]

HDEW sell new 7D's for £775 with a 3 year warranty. Most used 7D's are only £100 or so less, begging the question why buy used?

 

[PistolPeteUK]

If you don't a 3rd party grip to start with, you can get them on Ebay for £50 with 2 batteries, that and a brand new body from HDEW for £825 is a bargain.

 

[a33]

I got the neewer grip with 2 batteries from amazon for under£50 and am surprised how good the build quality is

 

[jdfotos]

Made this upgrade myself a couple of years ago. Be warned, it's going to take some getting used to the 7D. See the other thread going on about it!
It's also a heavy old lump with the grip attached so be prepared for the weight. Especially if you add a big lens on the front.
On the up side, all that weight balances nicely with something like a 70-200!!
What lenses did you have in mind?

 

[Jackwow]

Made this upgrade myself a couple of years ago. Be warned, it's going to take some getting used to the 7D. See the other thread going on about it!
It's also a heavy old lump with the grip attached so be prepared for the weight. Especially if you add a big lens on the front.
On the up side, all that weight balances nicely with something like a 70-200!!
What lenses did you have in mind?

I upgraded from 40D to 7D, almost no getting used to needed.

Who really needs a grip other than folks who think it will make their camera look professional! :shrug:

 

[PistolPeteUK]

Who really needs a grip other than folks who think it will make their camera look professional! :shrug:

I dunno.... people with big hands, people that want the extra battery power without swapping batteries, people with large lenses to help balance it out, people who want controls in portrait mode??

 

[Orville]

Grips are much more convenient for shooting within portrait mode, plus they provide an overall more secure and steady hold on to your equipment. The doubling of battery life and potential use of 6x AA batteries can also be beneficial for the trigger happy.

However, grips are largely unnecessary for the average guy on the street, who may not appreciate the added weight, size and unwanted attention they can draw.

 

[a33]

I upgraded from 40D to 7D, almost no getting used to needed.

Who really needs a grip other than folks who think it will make their camera look professional! :shrug:

Try shooting a 3-4hr live show with a 70-200 on it........ I found the grip improves the ergonomics a lot when taking portrait shots !

Just cos you dont need something doesn't always make it useless

 

[dinners]

I upgraded from 40D to 7D, almost no getting used to needed.

I'd be interested to hear how that move went. I might change my 40D for a 7D.

Who really needs a grip other than folks who think it will make their camera look professional! :shrug:

I'm sure a few do however - because your grasp is spread over a larger vertical distance it works against the lever action of a longer lens pulling down. Imagine holding a yard brush out in front of you by the head. If the brush head in your hand was horizontal then the long handle would start to drop. Turn the head around so it's vertical and you could hold that brush handle stretched out in front of you all day. Same effect.

That aside - battery life and portrait controls are worth it and if you chop and change between a full sized body and a smaller bodiy, it's good to have similar controls to hand.

 

[modchild]

I've had two 7D's now, the first I bought new in sept/oct 2010 and TBH I didn't get on with it very well. I had problems with exposure and focussing, even in studio conditions where the settings didn't need to change, but the camera kept giving odd shots in the middle of a sequence.

Recently though, I did a swap for a 60D and some cash for another 7D (through this forum) and the difference is startling. I've had some great shots from it so far and not a single duff shot (apart from the one's that were my fault) and now would recommend a 7D to anyone. I have it as a backup to my 5D3, but it's getting quite a bit more use than I'd expected.

 

[kenl]

Upgraded from a 400D to a 7D 18 months ago and absolutely love it. It is much better balanced especially with heavier glass on the front. Highly recommend it. Ken.

 

[jdfotos]

I upgraded from 40D to 7D, almost no getting used to needed.

Who really needs a grip other than folks who think it will make their camera look professional! :shrug:

The OP was asking about upgrading from a 400D, so I would suggest there is more of a difference then from the 40D. Different size, buttons, layout, AF system etc etc.

As for using a grip, I use them because I prefer the balance of the camera with grip, and find it physically easier to hold, with the added benefits of the additional controls and battery life.
Nothing whatsoever to do with making it look more professional.

 

[seriousrikk]

I would say, don't buy the grip unless you have a distinct need for it.

I have one, hardly ever use it. Canon really didn't think the design through and for me while the extension to the normal grip is nice, I found the portrait controls shoddy and the overall ergonomics of the grip terrible. (Fortunately canon sorted this for the 5d3 and 60D grips but still...)

 

[LCPete]

HDEW sell new 7D's for £775 with a 3 year warranty. Most used 7D's are only £100 or so less, begging the question why buy used?

Agree mine came from there not worth buying secondhand
I would not bother with a grip just get a nice lens instead