EOS Rebel T5i upgrade?

[ibskiing]

Hello,

I have had my Rebel now for almost 6 years, it is starting to act up, and has some auto focus issues.  I have had it worked on a few times.  So now I am wondering if it is time to upgrade.

My passion is nature pics, animals and birds (took some great Bald Eagle pics yesterday).  I also occasionally photograph planets through my telescope.

Primary Lense: Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 L IS USM Zoom Lens (purchased about 3/4 years ago).

So I think my lense is probably way better than my body.

What would everyone recommend for an upgrade?  I know you will ask my budget, but I am not sure yet, I know you can spend thousands.  So for starters lets keep it to $1,000 to $3,000.  And let me know what I will gain

Thanks in advance for any advise you have.  James

[Waddizzle]

“My passion is nature pics, animals and birds (took some great Bald Eagle pics yesterday).  I also occasionally photograph planets through my telescope.”

You have set a pretty wide budget range for a camera body.  For $3000 you could get a new body and a longer lens.  The Sigma and Tamron 150-600mm lenses are very popular with bird photographers.  I would recommend either the Sigma 150-600mm “C” or the Tamron 150-600mm G2.

As far as a body goes, the 7D2 has been a popular camera for several years among wildlife photographers.  It was introduced with Canon’s most advanced AF system, and it is still one of the best out there.  It also has a high 10 fps frame rate,  The 7D2 is also built like a tank, with a magnesium alloy chassis, and dust and moisture sealing.

Another choice is the 80D, which is not as expensive as the 7D2, nor as rugged.  It has some dust and moisture sealing, and lacks the full alloy chassis.  But, it does have a next generation AF sensor, but not as many AF points as the 7D2, 45 vs 61.  

The AF system in the 80D has been around for couple of years, too.  It is likely that both the 80D and 7D2 may see replacements introduced later this year.  People were saying that last year, too, but I think it will happen with the 7D2 for certain.

[Tronhard]

Hi James and welcome to the forum!

I do quite a lot of wildlife shooting myself and indeed I have amongst my stuff the same lens as you - it is a great lens.

Given that your passion is one that tends towards the telephoto end of the spectrum I would suggest sticking with an APS-C body for the narrower Field of View it gives (some people call it the "telephoto effect" of crop sensors). Either of these bodies would give you the same FoV as your current unit.

Right now, like Waddizzle, I would suggest one of two bodies, the EOS 80D or the 7DMkII.  The 7DII is regarded as the pro-crop sensor unit and boasts imrproved weather sealing, but it is older than the 80D.  I have both bodies and I would say either would be suitable.  The 80D is smaller and lighter, and that lends itself to the compact 70-300 lens.

I would suggest doing some reading from sites like DPREVIEW.COM to look at the reviews and compare the performance of the two units for your purposes.

[ibskiing]

Thanks both of you for the info and recommendations.  I am leaning toward the 80D as the price has dropped below $1,000 for the body.  I think the 45 pt AF will be much better than the 9 pt in my Rebel.  Plus there appear to be a lot other upgrades over my current body.  I am a little anxious about the rumors of the 90D, but no one really seems to know if and or when Canon will release this camera.  I think I may just roll the dice and pick up the 80D.  

Thanks again,

[Tronhard]

One can play the waiting game forever!

The 80D is a great camera in its own right and I think that based on you needs it will serve you well.  Good luck with your shooting and do share some images with us on the forum some time!

[ibskiing]

I took some beautiful Eagle pics this Saturday, is there a forum for sharing pics?

Sorry, all I had to do was back out and look.  I will share some of my weekend pics tonight.

[ibskiing]

I saw I can save $200 by buying a refurb from Canon.  Anyone have any experience with that?

[John_]

I purchased a refurb SX50HS from Canon about 3 or so years ago, saved money, the camera still works perfectly. Relatively small investment but I did also get the extended warranty just in case but never needed it. In your case with such an expensive investment, I would suggest insurance too. I would not hesitate to buy a refurb from Canon or any Authorized Canon dealer.

[John_]

I did notice too that the refurbs from Canon go fast 

[Waddizzle]

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@ibskiing wrote:

I saw I can save $200 by buying a refurb from Canon.  Anyone have any experience with that?

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Get them while they are hot!  They can sell out quickly, most especially when they 80D is discounted.  The best buy is with the EF-S 18-55mm STM lens.  They practically give the lens away for free.  And, it is a pretty decent lens, much better than its’ predecessors.