topic Re: 80d vs 7d Mark II in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

80d vs 7d Mark II

chief54 — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 00:59:12 GMT

Thinking of switching from 80d to 7d Mll. I am an avid bird in flight photographer and like the 7d Mll with 10 fps, 65 focus points, dual card slots and weather seal. The 80d has 7fps 45 and no weather seal. Would really like a 1dx but that is out of my paygrade, was ready to pull trigger on a used 1d MlV at around $1000 but for $300 more I can get a new 7d with up to date system and the controls seem to work same as my 80d and 6d Mll. Really like the 80d but do not see any downside to an older camera. Any thoughts.

Re: 80d vs 7d Mark II

Waddizzle — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 07:59:56 GMT

If you are thinking of switching from the 80D to a 7D2, then save your money. The biggest difference between the bodies is build quality. For most users, the difference in build quality is insignificant. For some, it is a deal breaker. Advantage, 7D2.

When it comes to image quality, I think the 80D has less noise than the 7D2 at higher ISO settings. The 7D2 begins to get noisy at ISO 800. The 80D does not show as much noise until ISO 1600, one full stop better. This is a subjective opinion on my part, but most test reports seem to bear this out. Advantage, 80D.

When it comes to the number of AF points and AF tracking, the two bodies are fairly close. They are too close to justify jumping ship from the 80D to the 7D2. While the 7D2 has more AF points, the 80D has the next generation AF system compared to the 7D2. The 7D2 only has one AF point capable f/8, while the 80D has 27 f/8 AF points. Advantage, 80D.

The 1D Mark IV is a very good body, too. I would liken it to being a precursor to the 7D2. The 1D4 has a very good AF system. The 7D2 has a next generation AF system compared to the 1D4. Advantage, 7D2 for the higher resolution.

The 6D2 uses the same generation AF system as the 80D, literally. Like the 80D, it tracks moving subjects very well. I have used all of these bodies photographing “Friday Night Lights”, and the 6D2 runs circles around the 1D4 and 7D2. The 6D2 produces acceptable images at ISO 12800 with modest Noise Reduction. Both the 7D2 and 1D4 need significantly more Noise Reduction applied to their images at ISO 12800. Advantage 80D, for the 1.6 crop factor. Advantage 6D2, for the lower noise.

So, why do you want to switch bodies? If your 80D had died, then i could understand considering a different body. But, you already have one of the best buys in the Canon DSLR lineup. It is a great all-around camera body. The more expensive bodies may have better performance in one category or another, but in most cases the differences will only matter seasoned professionals.

Re: 80d vs 7d Mark II

ebiggs1 — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 15:31:04 GMT

Everybody likes to upgrade or just buy a new camera from time to time. I fully understand. However, you have selected three of my most favorite bodies. I could be happy with any of them. I think you might look at it this way. How professional body do you want? 1D Mk IV full on pro, it don't get any better, or 7D Mk II, almost but not quite professional. 80D best prosummer camera made today.

I might add, I use dual card slots, a lot, and maybe that would make the decision.

Re: 80d vs 7d Mark II

gossamer88 — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 12:24:08 GMT

The OP mentions fps, weather seal and dual card slots. That should be reason enough. Also the AF Cases can be a great reason as well.

Re: 80d vs 7d Mark II

chief54 — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 13:54:27 GMT

I want to switch because of faster shutter spped, 2 card slots and weather sealed

Re: 80d vs 7d Mark II

ebiggs1 — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 14:11:32 GMT

"... 2 card slots and weather sealed"

This rules out the 80D. The 1D4 is better weather sealed than the 7D2. Also the 1D4 still has the favorable crop factor of 1.3x. A little less than the cropper 80D. A plus for tele work maybe a slight disadvantage for WA stuff.

Re: 80d vs 7d Mark II

ebiggs1 — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 15:00:25 GMT

Do you want to do this?

I don't venture out in wet weather often but sometimes you just get caught out unexpectedly. We 'were' having an extreme drought here. Guess that's over. The super fantastic Canon 1DX.

Re: 80d vs 7d Mark II

TCampbell — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 14:02:34 GMT

@Waddizzle wrote:

When it comes to image quality, I think the 80D has less noise than the 7D2 at higher ISO settings. The 7D2 begins to get noisy at ISO 800. The 80D does not show as much noise until ISO 1600, one full stop better. This is a subjective opinion on my part, but most test reports seem to bear this out. Advantage, 80D.

I'm staring at the test images on DPReview

https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canon-eos-7d-mark-ii/11

It looks to be the other way around... the 7D II is less noisy than the 80D ... the 7D II seems to beat the 80D by a little more than 1 stop (maybe 1.5).

If you use the link, leave the 7D II selected as one camera, set the 80D as the other, swtich to RAW views (it defaults to JPEG) and play with the ISO. As you get to higher ISOs the difference becomes apparent.

Re: 80d vs 7d Mark II

Waddizzle — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 17:48:55 GMT

@TCampbell wrote:
@Waddizzle wrote:

When it comes to image quality, I think the 80D has less noise than the 7D2 at higher ISO settings. The 7D2 begins to get noisy at ISO 800. The 80D does not show as much noise until ISO 1600, one full stop better. This is a subjective opinion on my part, but most test reports seem to bear this out. Advantage, 80D.

I'm staring at the test images on DPReview

https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canon-eos-7d-mark-ii/11

It looks to be the other way around... the 7D II is less noisy than the 80D ... the 7D II seems to beat the 80D by a little more than 1 stop (maybe 1.5).

I would have to agree with you for those test images. The images are a little hard to compare because of their resolution differences. Here is another comparison link.

https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canon-eos-80d-review/13

I cannot remember which site, because I really do not look at them, one of them "rates" the highest effective ISO that the camera body is useful. The 80D had rated slightly higher than the 7D2. I recall that you had posted the link.

I also downloaded the RAW images from your link, and resized them to same resolution 6000x4000, and the 80D seems cleaner to me.

7D Mark II , ISO 6400

80D, ISO 6400

I had both cameras for a couple of months, and found the 80D seemed to have cleaner shots with more Dynamic Range, especially under low light conditions. But, the 7D2 did seem to have cleaner in-camera JPEGs.

Re: 80d vs 7d Mark II

Waddizzle — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 18:00:02 GMT

Here is a side by side comparison by DP Review

https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canon-eos-80d-review/14

You have dial in the second camera.

The above screen shot is the result. Yellow bar is the 80D and the white bar is the 7D2. While I have not done any tests, just subjective evaluation of RAW images from both bodies, I prefer the images coming from the 80D. The above comparison would seem to agree.

The FPS speed differences are almost moot, IMIHO. The lens will ultimately determine the FPS when yoiu set Image Priority to full Focus Priority.

Re: 80d vs 7d Mark II

RexGig — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 23:39:45 GMT

Birds move very quickly, so 10 fps can help get the right micro-moment for a best image. This does not mean shooting long bursts, but getting more frames per short burst.

I have never used an 80D, so cannot say whether a 7D II is worth the trouble to upgrade. I started serious shooting with a 40D, then added a 7D, then soon, a second 7D, so I would have a pair of cameras to use at work, with identical controls and identical WB settings, with an EF 100/2.8L Macro IS on one body, and a zoom lens on the other. (Evidentiary/forensic/crime scene photography.) I upgraded to a pair of 7D II cameras soon after introduction. The differing buttons on the cameras’ top right “shoulder” kept me from liking the 60D/70D/80D/6D cameras.

The 1D-/1Ds-series cameras are wonderful. I have no experience with the 1D IV, but very nearly bought one, pre-owned, and do have a 1Ds Mark III. I love these solid, pro-level cameras (These have buttons that differ from the 7D-series, but the 1D/1Ds, from the Mark III onward, have the all-important ISO button in the equivalent position as on the 7D-series.)

Google Grant Atkinson; he is a photographer in Africa who has posted a good comparison of the 7D II and 1D IV.

The weather-sealing of the 7D II and the 1D-series is reassuring, if caught in a sudden downpour. (While on duty, I had to keep shooting, sometimes, in the rain.)

This is just my $0.02; not an attempt to make a specific recommendation.

Re: 80d vs 7d Mark II

RobertTheFat — Sat, 15 Sep 2018 06:12:05 GMT

@RexGig wrote:
Birds move very quickly, so 10 fps can help get the right micro-moment for a best image. This does not mean shooting long bursts, but getting more frames per short burst.

I have never used an 80D, so cannot say whether a 7D II is worth the trouble to upgrade. I started serious shooting with a 40D, then added a 7D, then soon, a second 7D, so I would have a pair of cameras to use at work, with identical controls and identical WB settings, with an EF 100/2.8L Macro IS on one body, and a zoom lens on the other. (Evidentiary/forensic/crime scene photography.) I upgraded to a pair of 7D II cameras soon after introduction. The differing buttons on the cameras’ top right “shoulder” kept me from liking the 60D/70D/80D/6D cameras.

The 1D-/1Ds-series cameras are wonderful. I have no experience with the 1D IV, but very nearly bought one, pre-owned, and do have a 1Ds Mark III. I love these solid, pro-level cameras (These have buttons that differ from the 7D-series, but the 1D/1Ds, from the Mark III onward, have the all-important ISO button in the equivalent position as on the 7D-series.)

Google Grant Atkinson; he is a photographer in Africa who has posted a good comparison of the 7D II and 1D IV.

The weather-sealing of the 7D II and the 1D-series is reassuring, if caught in a sudden downpour. (While on duty, I had to keep shooting, sometimes, in the rain.)

This is just my $0.02; not an attempt to make a specific recommendation.

You might like this quote (about one of the 1D-series cameras) that I attribute to Ernie Biggs. I'm not sure he originated it, but I'm pretty sure he's the one who told it to us: "It's so tough that you could bash somebody's head in with it and still use it to take the crime scene pictures."

Re: 80d vs 7d Mark II

Waddizzle — Sat, 15 Sep 2018 13:20:20 GMT

@chief54 wrote:
I want to switch because of faster shutter spped, 2 card slots and weather sealed

If build quality is your priority, then by all means go for it.

Like I posted earlier, the 7D2 definitely has the edge when it comes to body build. Do not expect any improvement in IQ or AF performance. The two bodies are too close to justify those parameters as reason to switch, not unless you just want two camera bodies. They both scored an 84%.

The 80D may have fewer AF points, but it has the next generation Dual Pixel AF. The 80D gives you 27 AF points capable of focusing at f/8. The 7D2 has only one AF point capable of focusing at f/8, the center AF point.

I like to use EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM with EF 1.4x III extender. The 7D2 will gI’ve you only one AF point with this combination. The 80D will give 27 AF points with that lens setup.

The 7D2 AF cases settings are nothing more than presets for 3 AF settings, which alter the AF tracking behavior. The same settings are in the 80D. You just do not have presets. The default AF settings are the same as Case 1. You could create your own AF presets by saving your current camera settings as a custom shooting mode, if you wanted.

The 7D2 wins the body build category, hands down. I would give the 80D the nod in nearly every other category, though. You would have to do some serious pixel peeping to see the differences in ISO and IQ.

I find it weird that one body could be rated with better ISO, while the other is rated to have better IQ. Seems to me they should go hand in hand. My preference is for the IQ of the 80D, which has roughly 25% higher resolution.

Re: 80d vs 7d Mark II

ebiggs1 — Sat, 15 Sep 2018 22:05:36 GMT

I did not originally say this, ""It's so tough that you ~~could bash somebody's head in~~ beat somebody to death with it and still use it to take the crime scene pictures.""

I have heard that for 20 years give or take a few. I wish I had said it, though.

A word about all the bickering about this one is best at xxx and the other one is best at xxx, is mostly baloney. It is good fodder for the laboratory but not outdoors in the real world. If you intend to take photos of a lab I guess you better heed it but otherwise pick the one you like.

Let me say if you can't get a shot of a BIF with a 7 or 8 fps camera a 10 fps camera won't get it either.

Re: 80d vs 7d Mark II

Waddizzle — Sat, 15 Sep 2018 22:09:33 GMT

@ebiggs1 wrote:

Let me say if you can't get a shot of a BIF with a 7 or 8 fps camera a 10 fps camera won't get it either.

Exactly my original point. If you already have an 80D, then a 7D2 is not a good investment. Unless you just want a 2nd camera.