70D lost, replacement suggestions

[lhenry777]

Hi all! So once upon a time when my children were young, you would never see me without my camera in my hand. The last Canon I bought, and had not even used yet, was a 70D. My 70D has disappeared. Now, along come grandchildren. I'm wanting to replace my 70D. I don't have a ton of $$ to use to replace it. What I'm looking for, is fast shots (freeze a baseball) and the ability to blow up shots to poster size. I have a slew of EOS lenses. I can't afford to change that. So, what do you guys suggest? I've actually been looking at the 90D. Anything newer doesn't mean better. Plus my knowledge is limited to the older models. I have supposedly the best "camera phone" but it doesn't even come close to my 70D. So, again, suggestions that won't break the bank? I have to stay under $1,000. (Even that's a stretch) I do see newer Canons for less, but are they as good? I'm like a bit above amateur I'd say. 

Thanks.

[shadowsports]

Greetings,

Let's start this off.  Do you own any lenses?  If you are starting over, I'd invest in mirrorless. The DSLR ship has sailed. Unless your lenses have also gone missing, they will work on a mirrorless body as well.  While newer doesn't mean better, investing in a (now) dead end platform will force you to buy again sooner rather than later.  Your budget is the gating item.  A refurbished 90D fits your budget, but the body without the lens is not currently available.  A kit is above your price point.

Maybe take a look here:

Canon Refurbished EOS Interchangeable Cameras | Canon Online Store

I would consider mirrorless.  Factoring in what I did or didn't own now (lenses) and what my needs would be moving forward, also taking future-proofing into consideration.  While you might spend slightly more than what you were anticipating, your return on investment will be much higher in the long run.   

[lhenry777]

First, thank you for responding. I'm "older" now and the days of being at every event my children and their friends participate in are basically done. I've done a few paid shoots, but again, like 20+ yes ago. 

Lens wise, I have many lenses/filters to fit my 70d. I started with a T2i many eons ago and my last move was to the 70D. I went a long time rarely even touching my camera. My parents both passed in the same year and it kind of took that desire out of me. I have looked at comparisons online 70D (90D also) vs ..... and on paper, anything less than what a refurbished or used 70D would cost, appears to not do as good a job as the older cameras. I see plenty newer in the $500 range but they fall short, according to the comps I read, of the performance of the 70/90D. That's why I came to this forum. I feel I'd get a better idea from folks who have used both. 

So i guess a question is, do any of the newer, less expensive models equal the performance of a 70/90D? My future is softball/soccer/band concerts/ and the like, but again as a grandmother and not a mom. So I'll likely shoot much less than I once did. In the "old" days, they even used my photos for the football program for the local high school. I loved being anywhere my kids were.

[jrhoffman75]

https://cameradecision.com/compare/Canon-EOS-Rebel-T8i-vs-Canon-EOS-70D

Here’s a comparison of the latest Rebel series camera to your 70D. You can make your own judgement on whether that would meet your needs. If not, you would be looking at the 80D or better. Even though mirrorless is the future direction you are looking at a higher price point. 

[stevet1]

lhenry777

If you have a lot of EF or EF-S lenses, you might want to look at the T8i (the 850D). You can get one, body only, for $749.00.

I got one primarily for the weight. The 70D weighs 755g. The T81 weighs 515g. Holding a camera up to eye level for any length of time is an issue for me now.

I've been very happy with mine, and if I .lost it or it got damaged I would probably buy another.

Steve Thomas

[Tronhard]

Hi and welcome to the forum:

So, I shall recap the benefits you are looking for in a camera, as I understand them.

Budget: under $1,000
Subjects: some sport, band concerts (outside?) 
Environment: Will  you shoot in inclement weather - say a rainy football match?
Output: Digital plus poster-size images - how big a poster?
Ergonomics: familiar with Canon controls and menus

Given you have a selection of lenses: can you possibly list the lens models and versions (e.g. EF-S 18-135 IS STM) you would be likely to use most often please?  Getting a decent image is arguably more dependent on the glass than the body, but a great body with mediocre glass will not fill its potential and if your lenses are very old that could undermine your camera investment.  That might mean allowing some budget for newer lenses.

You seem to have a preference for the 90D camera.
I have one and would list its features as:
Sensor - 32MP, so good for resolution, but more pixels sometimes comes at a cost of dynamic range.
Image stabilization: only via optical in lenses with that feature
Robustness: Some weather sealing but I would not go out with it in rain
Interface: standard and familiar interface, but the rear control wheel is much smaller than other XXD bodies, and I personally find that frustrating: I use a lot of cameras, and this seems to be one of Canon's experiments that they didn't pursue.
Overall quality: Some improvement over the 70D

Other cameras that you could consider would be an 80D (I have one of those too) which will be cheaper and has many of the features of the 90D, but not quite as big a sensor capacity, but as I mentioned that is not necessarily a drawback for dynamic range.  You can still make poster-size images with this camera, for example.   It will be cheaper on the refurbish site than the 90D, and that may allow you to look at some lens options.

This is a quirky suggestion, but a lot of people will be disposing of their 7DMkII bodies to get the new R7.  The 7DII was Canon's pro-level crop-sensor body: built like a tank, inside and out, weather sealed, best tracking (superior to the 90D, so good for sports), dual cards and with a very long shutter life.  You might be able to find one of those on the open market in good condition.  I have one and cherish it as one of the best APS-C DSLRs in the range.

There are new R-series Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Cameras (MILCs) available, and I can assure you that the ergonomic transition to mirrorless is not a traumatic one - the controls are very much the same.  What you do get with a MILC is the ability to see exactly what the sensor will record - which has advantages for exposure in particular.  Also, they have eye tracking to find and follow people.  At the lower end of the market you will not get in-body image stabilization, but they will work with your existing lenses via the adapter - I have a lot of EF glass and have never found an issue with them on my MILCs yet.

I would agree with John that your best bet is to look at the Canon Refurbish site: these are used cameras (may be shop demos or traded in from their upgrade program), they have been fully serviced and work as new, coming with a one-year warranty.

So, the cameras I would suggest would be the 7DMkII, 80D, 90D and possibly the Canon EOS RP.  There is an new MILC camera out to replace the 90D, the R7.  However, it is on massive backorder and will be at the premium price above your budget.  It does offer some great features over the 90D, such as In Body Image Stabilization (that works with your lens stabilization or on its own, so great for hand-held shooting) human, animal, people in cars tracking.  It has the same size sensor as the 90D, both in dimensions and pixel count and will take dual cards.

I have included a link to comparison of the specs for all of these cameras, plus the MILC RP and the Canon T8i (recommended by another post) for your review.
Camera Comparison Table 

[lhenry777]

I FOUND IT!!!!! I FOUND MY 70D!!! Thank you everyone SO much for responding. God is good! I didn't have the funds to get another but I wasn't going to miss shooting my granddaughters softball games! But I can ask this.. what lens would you guys use for softball? I have several lenses. They are scattered as well (long story short, I was in a bad wreck and folks came and moved stuff all over in my house so I could get around in my wheelchair. That's why everything is displaced.) But what is your go to for getting through chain link and freezing action? 

[Tronhard]

Well done on finding your camera!!! 😃  That must be a big relief.

As to the lens issue: a lot depends on your budget but my favourite lenses for this camera would be as follows:

Canon EF 70-300 IS USM.  On your camera it's field of capture would be equivalent to that of a 112-480mm lens on a full-frame unit.  It's not going to break the bank and is an excellent unit.  See my review, posted on this site, of all 70-300mm lenses At THIS LINK 

If you want more reach then the EF 100-400mm L lens is a step up in quality, reach and cost.  It's also heavier - which may not work for you.  Still it's an awesome lens.

Sigma and Tamron make the 150-600mm lens range.  I have the Sigma, and my esteemed colleague Ernie (ebiggs1) has had the Tamron unit.  It is big, but the Contemporary unit is not too heavy and has a reach of 240-960mm on your camera.

Given you may well be challenged with mobility, I would suggest the 70-300 lens: light and blazing fast to focus.