@Jared16 wrote:
I would like some input on what I should upgrade to from a Canon t6. I've had it for about a year and it is a great entry level camera that helped me learn a lot. Now, I think it may be holding me back though. I mostly photograph a wide variety of wildlife in all sorts of lighting conditions. But lately, I've been becoming increasingly interested in astrophotography. So I'm looking for a camera body that would be good for both wildlife and astro photography. I'm currently thinking about the T7i, 77D, and 80D.
The lenses I have are:
Sigma 100-400 telephoto,
Tokina 11-16 wide angle,
Canon 35 macro, and
Canon kit 18-55
I would be very interested in seeing a sample of one your wildlife photos. When you say astrophotography, do you mean landscape shots of the Milky Way, or more detailed shots of galaxies and nebulae?
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I understand your pain with the T6. The T6 can be quickly outgrown by a true photo enthusiast. I think you would want to move from entry level camera to a true photo enthusiast camera. The 80D meets that description. While the T7i and 77D are very good cameras, but they are still entry level cameras. I suspect that you would outgrow them within a year, too.
I would suggest the 80D, or the newly released 90D. Both camera bodies are compatible with all of your current lenses. The 7D Mark II is still a great camera for wildlife. But I think the 80D and 90D are better choices because they have better high ISO performance. They also include updated versions of Canon's Dual Pixel AF, 2nd and 3rd generation respectively.
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If you are interested in astrophotography, then I strongly suggest that you buy the BEST tripod that you can buy. It could last a lifetime. You would want to use the most sturdy platform you can find for astrophotography. You need something that will not shake in the wind when you take a long exposure.
I have purchased all of my tripods online from B&H in NYC. I like Benro and Induro tripods. They both share the same parent company. B&H has introduced a new house brand called Robus, whose tripods are getting rave reviews. I think the Benro and Induro tripods may still have the edge, due in large part to the high quality, padded cases that come with their tripods. The bags are large enough to allow a video head to remain mounted in the bag, which is not true for the Robus bags. Solution: buy a bugger bag.
None of my tripods have center center columns, although I did purchase an optional center column for one of them. A raised center column only adds instability by making a tripod top heavy. A raised center column can also resonate and shake in the wind like a tuning fork.
I have found having a very robust tripod is good for wildlife photography, too. When you have a very long lens, having a stable platform to shoot from is essential. Many professionals can hand hold big heavy super telephoto lenses. The rest of us are better off with a tripod or a monopod to give our arms a rest.
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