Camera geeks - talkin' to yous

[Ruffy]

My dad's 65th birthday is coming up and he asked me for a Canon 70D. He wore out whatever Rebel model he has. So, I was looking at getting him a 7D mkii instead. Full frames are out because he has some EF-S lenses. The question is whether he would benefit more from the durability of the 7D or the newness of the 80D (ADD...HA!) or just get him what he asked for.

[TripleBlack]

Originally Posted by Ruffy

My dad's 65th birthday is coming up and he asked me for a Canon 70D. He wore out whatever Rebel model he has. So, I was looking at getting him a 7D mkii instead. Full frames are out because he has some EF-S lenses. The question is whether he would benefit more from the durability of the 7D or the newness of the 80D (ADD...HA!) or just get him what he asked for.

A friend of mine just replaced his 7D with the 7Dii and loves it. It has the same excellent focusing systme of the 5D3 which is what I replaced my 7D with. Killer focusing. The 7D and 7Dii are both "prosumer" models and have weather protection that I don't think the 70D and 80D have (think that's right but check online). I believe the 6D is also weather proof.

The EF-S lenses could be sold/traded if you went with a full frame 6D which I think is about the same as the 7Dii price wise. Same ball park anyway. The 6D doesn't have the fast, modern focus the 7Dii and 5D3 have. 6D is great for landscape/astrophtograpy - not so much for action stuff.

7Dii is great for sports/action with the fast focus and crop sensor which effectively multiplies the focal length of your lenses by 1.6.

Others will hopefully contribute some thoughts.

[Ruffy]

Per my mother/his wife, he's not allowed to get any more camera equipment so trading in the EF-S lenses aren't really an option. He has some pretty good ones. I think he spent a little too much on lenses in the last few years for her taste.

He mostly shoots landscapes and macro. He mostly just wants nicer than what he has now. I'm leaning towards the 7dmkii. Of course, then I will have to buy one for myself, too

[Thunder22]

Get him what he asked for. Camera equipment is very personal.

[TripleBlack]

Originally Posted by Ruffy

Per my mother/his wife, he's not allowed to get any more camera equipment so trading in the EF-S lenses aren't really an option. He has some pretty good ones. I think he spent a little too much on lenses in the last few years for her taste.

He mostly shoots landscapes and macro. He mostly just wants nicer than what he has now. I'm leaning towards the 7dmkii. Of course, then I will have to buy one for myself, too

I did a lot of landscape stuff with my 7D and it did fine. My friend's 7Dii produces some great photos. The 6D might have an edge for landscapes but given the lens constraints, the 7Dii will be great.

Originally Posted by Thunder22

Get him what he asked for. Camera equipment is very personal.

Very good advice.

[Giraffe (He/Him)]

Whelp, I'm gonna suggest the 70D and here's why. "He mostly shoots landscapes and macro" would mean he doesn't need the sophisticated focusing system of the 7D MK II. For macro work I use live preview anyway, and for landscapes, focus lock and recompose.

He also probably doesn't need the 10 FPS of the MK II. Let's face it - landscape doesn't really move that quickly.

And the 70D is $600.00 cheaper. That's a very good macro lens right there.

My vote; 70D and this lens. I've got it and it's phenominal.

[mrvette]

Eh use a modern cphone, held sideways, FAR better pix than needed, really....years ago wife used a silly 4.1 megapixel cam to take a scene at San Antonio riverwalk.....We had it enlarged to 2' wide and 18" high, not one pix shows, clean print done by an old book keeping client of hers....

SO if we can get pix like that and her cphone is better than that even....

get real.....all that camera and lens crap is out the window.....

[Giraffe (He/Him)]

Originally Posted by mrvette

get real.....all that camera and lens crap is out the window.....

[mrvette]

Originally Posted by Thomas

Laugh all you want, proof is on the wall man....and how many pix do you ever enlarge to that size??

you show them on a TV screen if that.....most on a computer monitor.....

[Giraffe (He/Him)]

Originally Posted by mrvette

Laugh all you want, proof is on the wall man....and how many pix do you ever enlarge to that size??

you show them on a TV screen if that.....most on a computer monitor.....

You've got a point albeit a very small one.

[Fastguy]

Originally Posted by mrvette

Eh use a modern cphone, held sideways, FAR better pix than needed, really....years ago wife used a silly 4.1 megapixel cam to take a scene at San Antonio riverwalk.....We had it enlarged to 2' wide and 18" high, not one pix shows, clean print done by an old book keeping client of hers....

SO if we can get pix like that and her cphone is better than that even....

get real.....all that camera and lens crap is out the window.....

...and there you have it, just get him a cell phone.

[ApexOversteer]

70 is the year they changed from the first generation body-style to the second generation body-style. It was also a year that Chevrolet suffered through an auto-worker's strike that really curtailed production for the 1970 model year. This makes '70 Cameras rarer than later examples in the second generation. You may find it easier to locate a serviceable '72 or '72 or '73. You'll pay extra for the desirable variations; split bumper, Z/28, SS, etc... so watch out for "clones" or "tributes", which are cars that started life as lesser equipped models and have been restored to appear as a high-option variant. The important thing is to look at as many as you can, and buy the best you can afford, restored if possible, because you don't want to be the guy actually doing the restoration, because you can end up underwater on such a prospect and many Cameras languish incomplete in garages around the country, victims of that "someday" syndrome so common in the classic car enthusiast community.

Hope this helps.

[Giraffe (He/Him)]

Personally? I wouldn't have that heap of shit Millennium Falcon in my hanger. Probably leaks flight fluid and I bet it's got a rickety hypermodular encabulator.

[ApexOversteer]

Originally Posted by Thomas

Personally? I wouldn't have that heap of shit Millennium Falcon in my hanger. Probably leaks flight fluid and I bet it's got a rickety hypermodular encabulator.

She might not look like much, but she's got it where it counts.

[Giraffe (He/Him)]

Originally Posted by ApexOversteer

She might not look like much, but she's got it where it counts.

I don't care. I like shiny paint.

[ApexOversteer]

Originally Posted by Thomas

I don't care. I like shiny paint.

I bet you do. I bet you like mouth-slots and restraining bolts too, doncha ya nasty Jawa...

[Ruffy]

Ok. I'm convinced. I'll get him the 70D, battery grip and accessories

[99 pewtercoupe]

Originally Posted by ApexOversteer

She might not look like much, but she's got it where it counts.

That's what Thomas says about his sexploits with Killery

[Thunder22]

Originally Posted by Ruffy

Ok. I'm convinced. I'll get him the 70D, battery grip and accessories

Check b&h for prices.

[TripleBlack]

Originally Posted by Thunder22

Check b&h for prices.

Second this. I've also had good luck with Adorama. Both sites have some good tutorials online as well.