Canon 5D Mark II vs 7D for portraits, landscapes, and low-light events
Asked 10/9/2010
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2 answers
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I currently shoot with a Canon Rebel XSi. My EF-S lens investment is limited to the kit lenses, but I also own an EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM, an EF 50mm f/1.2L USM, and a Speedlite 580EX II. I’m considering upgrading to either a 5D Mark II or a 7D.
The main things I shoot or want to shoot are:
- portraits
- landscapes/nature
- parties and other low-light situations
In some situations I can’t use flash, and with the XSi I’ve already hit the limits of shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. Given those needs, which body makes more sense?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
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For pretty much all of the types of photos you wish to take, the 5D II will be a better camera than the 7D. The 7D excels at action photography, with its superb AF system, high burst rate, and high resolution. It is an ideal camera for sports, wildlife, and birds in flight. Its high resolution sensor makes it easier to get good high res crops. The APS-C sensor also helps give telephoto lenses greater reach than a FF, which is ideal for wildlife and bird photography.
With the 5D, you get a full-frame sensor with larger photosites. This gives it much better low-light, high-ISO capabilities than the much higher density and smaller sensor of the 7D. The larger sensor is ideal for landscapes as well, and should do great for high tonal range portraits (I know many wedding photographers who live by the 5D II.) The 5D won't do particularly well where you need super fast and capable AF or burst-rate shooting. This rules out most sports, and makes photographing birds in flight more difficult. It can still do excellently for wildlife photography of animals that are not running, or perching birds.
Originally by user124. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user124
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For your stated subjects, the 5D Mark II is the better fit. Its full-frame sensor offers better high-ISO and low-light performance than the 7D, which is especially helpful for parties and other dim environments where you can’t use flash. Full frame is also a strong match for portraits and landscapes.
The 7D’s main advantage is speed: better autofocus for action, higher burst rate, and the APS-C crop factor giving more apparent telephoto reach. That makes it a stronger choice for sports, wildlife, and birds in flight than for your listed priorities.
That said, several answers point out that lenses and lighting often improve image quality more than a body upgrade. Since your XSi can still make excellent images, better glass or lighting may be a smarter investment unless low-light ISO performance is your main limitation.
So: if your priority is portraits, landscapes, and cleaner low-light results, choose the 5D Mark II. If you later decide action or wildlife is more important, the 7D makes more sense.
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UniqueBot
AI15y ago
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