Canon 7d Mk 2 or Nikon ?? (1 Viewer)

Hi all,

I am a Canon user and am thinking about upgrading my 7D body and changing my main birding lens to the Tamron or Sigma 150-600.

It occurred to me that if I do that I COULD actually go for Nikon instead, and I have to say I have generally preferred the Tamron shots that I have seen taken on Nikon bodies.

So I know nothing will quite match the speed of the 7D mk 2, nor probably the AF capabilities, but since I know nothing about Nikon I thought I'd ask the question. What's the best Nikon for birds (particularly small BIF) up to about £1500?

Thanks
Sean

If you want a crop factor body, then the D7100 is the way to go, for FX, the D750 is your best bet.

Before changing, I really would try out both Canon and Nikon systems, as they handle very differently.

Thanks for that. Are they decent and AF for birds in flight? What are the differences in handling? Is it more than just learning new menus?

Sean

I'm not overly impressed by the D7100 for BIF, and prefer an old FX D700.

It's fair bet the D750 with its new AF module will be quite capable.

As said, best to try before putting down the hard earned £.

I am super happy with my D750 after about three weeks trying it out.

AF seems very solid on BiF, cars in motion… high ISO, low shutter speed.

Sean,

I'd be a bit careful about this decision - as a Nikon user I have been considering jumping the other way, because:
1) Canon have committed to a cropped sensor high performance camera in the 7D MkII. Nikon by comparison have offered no "D400" or equivalent.
2) I think a lot of the negative info on the Tamron 150-600 & Canon combo stem from the fact that there was an early firmware issue that seems to have been resolved in later batches of the lens
3) I'm not clear if shooting the Tamron @ 400mm offers the quality of image that will allow you to crop as much as the Canon 400mm f5.6 prime (I would like to see some test shots)
4) The new Canon 100-400mm Mk II has been announced and it will be interesting to see how it performs against the Tamron/Sigma. One long-term issue might be that the Canon is supposed to be "weather sealed", whilst the Tamron makes no such claim, and the Sigma "Contemporary" seems to have only a weather sealed mount (note that I have eliminated the Sigma "Sports" on the grounds of its massive weight...the weight of the "Contemporary has not been announced but seems likely to be comparable to the Tamron).
5) As somebody who wants a genuine "walk about" set up, weight remains an issue that I have yet to be convinced on. The Tamron weighs 1.95kg, the Canon 400mm f5.6 weighs just 1.25kg (so as a percentage that is quite a big difference, especially at the end of a long day in the field), the Canon 100-400 MkII weighs 1.5kg...zoom flexibility comes at the price of weight, it seems.

The cheapest option for me would be simply to buy the Tamron, and this is probably what I will do, but if I were a Canon user I would have more options (I think the Nikon 80-400mm is a non-starter and there is no Nikon 400mm f5.6 option).

Best wishes,

Dave

Thanks Dave. I'm finding it difficult to decide. I only have a couple of Canon lenses so I am not hugely invested in the system. To me, Nikon sensors seem to create photos with a certain light and colour quality which I find more appealing on balance than Canon - maybe it's the better dynamic range. The d750 also has better low light ISO than the 7d ii, but then again the crop factor is lost and the buffer is smaller. I'm not impressed with the amount of people complaining about soft 7d ii shots.

Decisions decisions... trouble is I have to decide before I buy the Tamron!

Sean

EDIT: 7d ii battery seems a bit rubbish too!

while nikon sensors are better to me as well the 7d mkii is the best birding camera. If you go to nikon then you need either the d7100 or the d810 . I have the d750 and while I think its a great camera, it wouldn't be my choice for the reasons I gave in the tamron 150-600 thread.

I think this is really difficult to decide in theory, you have to get hands on with the gear. Feel the grip and the weight of the different combinations.
If you really want to upgrade IQ-wise, go for a FF-cam.

Hi Sean
Am not really sure why you would want to change to Nikon.
I suppose ultimately it is up to you and how heavily you have invested in Canon mount glass.

I have been shooting Canon for over 20 years and currently have 7 lenses so changing would not really be an option.

The Canon 7DmkII looks a good choice as does the Sigma 150-600.

I couldnt give you an expert opinion as I do not have any experience with Nikon.
The Main reason I first Chose Canon was that at the time their autofocus system was said to be better.

this is why I like FF.

Nice but a crop camera would get around that size image without the enlarging and would have millions more pixels on the bird!

If it was the old 7d it wouldn't matter how many !

capdegat said:

If it was the old 7d it wouldn't matter how many !

Click to expand...

Lol

hi Gandytron,

'Nikon 80-400 a non starter'

I've had very positive experiences with this lens(aside from internal dust!)
Very high image quality In my opinion.
Check my gallery-last 24 shots all shot with D7100 and this lens-except
for Cresties and Ptarmigan. Most shots wide open and quite heavily cropped.


Cheers,
Mark