80d vs 7d Mark II

[chief54]

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.

[RexGig]

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. 

Spoiler

[RobertTheFat]

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@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.

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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."

[Waddizzle]

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@chief54 wrote:

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

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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.

[ebiggs1]

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. 

[Waddizzle]

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@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. 

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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.