ok here we go again - 7d or new L Lens

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barry100

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Barry
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Hi all. Just been reading a topic about a guy needing some new upgrades. I am now facing the same dilemma BUT I have different gear from him.

Here is my gear:

40d (and 20d for backup)
24-70 f/2.8 SIGMA EX DG
70-200 f/2.8 SIGMA

No I was shooting a wedding last week and a couple of the photographs I took were a little on the dark side. I shoot in raw all the time so when I got home I simply upped the exposure and done some minor tweaking to fix the problem but I would have been happier if i didnt have to do the tweaking in the first place. Was the shot to dark because of my camera sensor not being up to the job or was it because my lens was not up to it. I was using the 24-70 at the time and i had the ISO up dangerously close to idiotic.

I have been saving up some money to buy a 7D but after reading YET AGAIN that i should buy an L lens instead of buying a new 7d i yet again am struggling with my decision.

Do I buy a 7d or do I buy a new 24-70 L lens?

Will the 7d improve dark shots? will the L Lens be any better than the f/2.8 lens I have just now? I have read comparative reviews and the sigma lens fares just as well as the canon one.

here is what ive been reading

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Sigma-24-70mm-f-2.8-EX-DG-Lens-Review.aspx

advice would be good but good advice would be better.
 
7d is amazing in low light (cos it makes an ok image AND nails focus) and the af will blow you away

in good light there is noise and the IQ is just a bit pap
 
I'm saying think about whether the 7d does what you want.

never used either lens so I dunno

considering the siggy 24-70 cos its cheaper than the canon and I have primes for IQ
 
Probably need to see the photos to be honest. You've got f2.8 lenses so apart from lowering the noise slightly at high ISO's I can't see what either upgrade will give you specifically. If the light isn't there then you create some i.e. using flash's or another light source.

Weddings are difficult to expose right anyway because usually you've got the bride in white and the groom in black, so both ends of the histogram to get right.
 
Byker28i said:
Probably need to see the photos to be honest. You've got f2.8 lenses so apart from lowering the noise slightly at high ISO's I can't see what either upgrade will give you specifically. If the light isn't there then you create some i.e. using flash's or another light source.

Weddings are difficult to expose right anyway because usually you've got the bride in white and the groom in black, so both ends of the histogram to get right.
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true

I really like my 40d and according to reviews ive read all over the net upgrading to a 50d is totally pointless so i was thinking next best thing 7d but even then as you say just use a flash gun to up the light situation. got another wedding next Saturday (or is it next but next) and its outside so light wont be an issue there then the reception venue is pretty well lit too so also no issues for there too...

Maybe im just trying to upgrade for the sake of getting some new gear...
 
I'm waiting to see what the 60D brings to the table, and how the price compares to the 7D (once it's stabilised)
 
Surely shots end up dark because of the exposure and I don't know how much either a new body or a new lens will help you there. I assume that you were using some sort of exposure metering rather than guessing so surely the best way forward is to dial in some exposure compensation or set your aperture and shutter manually for the best effect?

I would have thought that you're flirting with noise a little too much if you end up with a dark shot and boost the brightness post capture and I suspect that with a 7D the results will if anything look worse if you do that, it being a high mp count APS-C. I think it'd be better to try and get a better exposure with your current kit and try to expose to the right if at all possible and then back it off a bit post capture to get the best dynamic range possible at higher ISO's and hide the noise.
 
How about a 5dII? You'll be even better set for higher ISOs then.

I can't see new lenses making a whole lot of benefit as the aperture won't change. Either that or lighting (flashes etc).

I've just got a 7D and it's ace, but whether it's a wedding camera over the 5D, I'm not sure.
 
not being a canon user I am probably not the best to comment however I will do so.

I understand that L lenses are the dogs danglies and having tried Slimberts 70-200 out (briefly) I can see the difference in sharpness / colour etc

however

a) 24-70 f/2.8 SIGMA EX DG
b) 24-70 L f2.8

is still f 2.8? So won't they let the same amount of light in at the same aperture?????
 
What ISO level, shutter speed and were you using f/2.8?
I am also getting the feeling that if as you say the photos were dark, they were under exposed.

If I were in your shoes and happy without IS then I would firstly opt for the Canon 24-70mm f2.8L USM.
I would also consider get a Canon 70-200L f/.28 as well.
Again, if you are not bothered about IS then the non IS version is a lot cheaper.
Later on I would then invest in a 7D but the lenses would be worth buying before the body.
 
Tgr141291 said:
Gotta be the 7D

The lens have the same max apperture so there is little benefit other than better optics - but that wont help the light issue.

7D performs much better at the High isos than the 7D + has a higher iso range
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Fair point if he is only taking photos indoors in low light situations.
 
5D mk2 used can be very close in price. I would definitely go for 5D if that was an option. IQ from FF body is miles ahead of any crop (I have both).

I would definitely replace Sigma with Canon 24-70mm as the difference is simply staggering (awful to wonderful in my experience). However, 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS should be released at some point in the future and that will be a killer lens.
 
david1701 said:
7d is amazing in low light (cos it makes an ok image AND nails focus) and the af will blow you away

in good light there is noise and the IQ is just a bit pap
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really?

*looks at this photo taken in good light, checks the IQ and noise*

4292263781_da47d0d6d0_o.jpg


Hmmm, I must have a broken 7d I guess :suspect:
 
I must be missing something here...

The OP gets dark shots and has to boost them post capture and people recommend a new lens / 7D / 5D?

If shots are dark surely the first thing to do is get the exposure right not run out and buy new gear?

Like I said, I must be missing something.
 
woof woof said:
I must be missing something here...

The OP gets dark shots and has to boost them post capture and people recommend a new lens / 7D / 5D?

If shots are dark surely the first thing to do is get the exposure right not run out and buy new gear?

Like I said, I must be missing something.
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I agree, I said the same in the start of my post.
I mentioned lenses because he asked about body or lenses.
 
The 17-55 is maybe a better lens with a cropper for weddings, for L glass grade optics and the I.s for better low light handling of any camera shake when shooting hand held, keep the lens on instead of changing out for wider work too. I would personally go 17-55 then later upgrade the body is staying crop or 5d Ii and keep the siggy until you can afford the 24-70l
 
If your shots are dark its down to you not the body or lens.Whatever you are tweaking in post just apply to camera settings,ie up the exposure.
 
barry100 said:
true

I really like my 40d and according to reviews ive read all over the net upgrading to a 50d is totally pointless so i was thinking next best thing 7d but even then as you say just use a flash gun to up the light situation. got another wedding next Saturday (or is it next but next) and its outside so light wont be an issue there then the reception venue is pretty well lit too so also no issues for there too...

Maybe im just trying to upgrade for the sake of getting some new gear...
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Depends on why you are upgrading to the 50D from the 40D. An upgrade is only pointless if you don't need those features. For me as I shoot sports, it gave me higher ISO at the same noise (ignore those reports that it's worse), 15mp so I could crop harder, faster writing to flash...

Outside shots can still need a flash for fill in, especially at weddings with hats darkening the faces, overhanging trees providing shade etc

If you're shooting weddings/portraits then a 5D mk2 would be brilliant. The crispness of the image is fantastic.
 
david1701 said:
at web res, maybe the one I played with was bust but it was flogged for a 1d3
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ahh, ok better check this one at a 100% crop then to make sure it isn't broken and that the IQ is indeed pap and there is lots of noise

4591510540_4420e4c8df_o.jpg


100% crop on the eye

4591509990_9b24391085_o.jpg


Darn, still broken I guess :(

turbotoes, you still want it?
 
Joe - you seem to be confusing another thread with 7D worship. That's not really what this thread is about...

As others have said, dark pictures come from wrong exposure. New camera or new lens won't help that. If they are dark because you couldn't drop the shutter speed any lower without blur, up the ISO without unacceptable noise or increase the aperture because you have run out, then it is potentially a kit issue. But at that point, I'd recommend a wide aperture prime rather than a change of body or "L series" zoom. a 50/1.4 would give you 2 more stops of light, albeit at the expense of DoF.

What worries me is that it sounds like the OP is shooting commercially. If that is the case, then surely basic exposure should be understood before charging people.
 
grumpybadger said:
Joe - you seem to be confusing another thread with 7D worship. That's not really what this thread is about...
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lol, not exactly, The OP is asking whether or not to upgrade his camera to a 7d or buy a new lens. David is claiming the 7d has lots of noise and pap IQ in good light and I'm balancing this argument by showing proof that he's wrong :)
 
If they were a bit dark surely you just got the exposure wrong and did not meter correctly,why would changing the camera or lenses make any difference to that when you already have high quality kit
 
joescrivens said:
lol, not exactly, The OP is asking whether or not to upgrade his camera to a 7d or buy a new lens. David is claiming the 7d has lots of noise and pap IQ in good light and I'm balancing this argument by showing proof that he's wrong :)
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and I bow to the 7d I was using being bust, and that a good number must be as I know others with the same issues.

Lovely shot btw
 
david1701 said:
and I bow to the 7d I was using being bust, and that a good number must be as I know others with the same issues.

Lovely shot btw
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thanks, yeah I think you might be right, does seem like a few people have those issues, one person I remember on here sent it for repair and got better results afterwards. I wonder if it was a poor batch or something?
 
potentially, my 5dII is lovely :p

having this discussion on dartmoor about canon doing on the run testing by releasing not finished stuff and how it puts people off :S
 
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