Canon 7D vs 60D for portraits and candid family photos
Asked 8/22/2011
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I'm upgrading from a Canon Rebel and choosing between the Canon 60D and 7D. I mainly shoot portraits in a home studio with lights and backdrops, plus some candid photos of my kids. I don't care much about video, and I'm willing to pay more for the 7D if it offers real benefits for this kind of shooting. Which camera is the better choice, and what practical differences matter most for portraits and candids?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
18
The 7D is certainly worth it over the 60D, although you may not notice it much while doing portraits:
- The 7D has a 100% coverage viewfinder. It is liberating to use it and that along is worth the price difference. That means you won't have to crop unwanted elements from your photos, which is most likely to occur outside where you cannot control the environment.
- The 7D is weather-sealed. You can take portraits of the kids playing in the rain and snow. You can shoot candids on the street in any weather.
- The 7D burst rate is higher. You are more likely to catch the exact moment between blinks.
- The 7D allows autofocus finetuning. This will depend on which lens you have but will ensure critical focus is possible.
Originally by user1620. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1620
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For portrait work, the 7D and 60D deliver very similar image quality because they use the same sensor. That means the 7D’s extra cost is mostly for body features rather than better portrait image quality.
The 7D gives you a tougher, weather-sealed magnesium body, a 100% viewfinder, faster burst shooting, more advanced autofocus, and AF microadjustment. Those are most useful for action, outdoor use, and candid shots of moving kids.
The 60D is lighter, smaller, uses SD cards, and has a vari-angle screen that can be very handy for Live View shooting from awkward angles. For controlled studio portraits, it will do the job just as well.
If portraits are your main priority, the 60D is usually the better value, and the money saved may be better spent on a stronger portrait lens. Lens quality matters a lot with these high-resolution APS-C sensors.
Choose the 7D if you want the better viewfinder, tougher build, more advanced AF, and extra speed for candids. Choose the 60D if you mainly shoot posed portraits and want to maximize value.
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