Doug625,
I upgraded from a T7 to a 90D in late December. It was an appropriate “step up” for me.
The T7 did a really nice job for me, but I had been keeping my eyes open for an upgrade opportunity if it made sense for me whether it was for a 90D or mirrorless option. I found a deal that I could not pass up on a 90D demo body and decided to go for it. I doubt I would have upgraded at that time had I not found the deal on that 90D demo body.
What I wanted in an upgrade was a camera with better high ISO performance, more focus points/more sophisticated focusing system, better subject tracking in AI Servo mode, a more sophisticated Digic processor and a faster continuous shooting rate among other features and benefits. However, I was reasonably satisfied with the T7 and my photos because I used it more or less like I had used my EOS film camera decades ago while exploiting some of the T7's advancements and DSLR features, etc.
I don't do focus stacking and haven't done much shooting lately due to a heath challenge, but I am enjoying the 90D and still very much learning the camera. It's larger, heavier and significantly more advanced (smarter) than the T7 and I think I've had an opportunity go beyond just scratching the surface on learning the 90D and gotten some nice results including results that I probably wouldn’t have gotten with the T7. I briefly “played” with the video features of the 90D and there’s a huge upgrade in the features of the 90D vs. the T7. Flash performance (fill flash, etc.) using the pop-up flash or an external speedlight is also better with the 90D. Again, this probably relates to the more advanced processor in the camera.
As for some other items that come to mind, the articulated touch screen on the 90D is a game changer vs. the fixed back screen on the T7. It really speeds up the process of changing settings and when used it live mode (touch to focus, etc.) the 90D pretty much functions similar to a mirrorless camera.
Also, as you would expect, focusing speed, Multiple AF area selection, AI Servo performance, exposure algorithms, high ISO performance, fps (10fps vs. 3fps), ability to more or less reprogram most of the buttons on the camera and the many other features and enhancements of 90D vs. the T7 is very handy. In summary, it’s just a much faster, smarter and feature-laden camera vs. the T7.
Finally, this is solely judgmental, but I think that I get slightly better results from some of my EF-S lenses (I have 4 of them) particularly the 18-55 IS II that came with my T7 kit. Perhaps it’s due to the advancements in the Digic 8 processor vs. the Digic 4 or the focusing system in the 90D, but some similar shots look better exposed and sharper. Again, that’s totally judgmental. Given my situation, the ability to use all of my lenses including the EF-S lenses without an adapter was definitely a significant benefit.
I cannot advise you as to choosing a 90D vs. a mirrorless body because I don’t have or use a mirrorless body, but that path is obviously more future-proof than choosing a DSLR.
Good luck!
LZ
