What does the 7D offer that I can't get from the T3i?

[Skile]

T3i,7D

[cale_kat]

The 7D passes the tree test. The T3i doesn't. That's a start.

[Skirball]

The 7D has a much more sophisticated autofocus system and comes in a "professional body" - which is more rugged, weather sealed, rated to a higher shutter count, etc.  I don't doubt it's more durable, but I spent a year with a 450D (early predecessor to the T3i) smashed into a pack with my rockclimbing gear as I backpacked through humid South East Asia, and that camera is still working fine to this day.  It's got over 100,000 actuations on it, which is over twice it's labeled life.  My point is simply: don't read too much into it, people grossly overstate specs on cameras. 

If your intent is to spend a lot of time in the elements doing photography, then the 7D is absolutely the choice.  But a lot of casual photographers convince themselves they need these rugged bodies and the camera spends its life in a comfy camera bag only to come out for birthday parties.

Other specs worth noting:  THe 7D has a much faster burst rate (8 fps?), and a bigger and much better view finder.  The T3i on the other hand has the flipout LCD screen, and is smaller - something some people actually like.  The 7D uses compact flash, the t3i uses SD cards.  The 7D absolutely has more features and settings, but a camera with a bunch of settings you don't use isn't any better than a camera without those settings.  It all depends on how you intend to use it.

[Skile]

Thanks for such a detailed answer to my question. I currently have a T3i and was wondering if I would get much out of upgrading at this time. It sounds like I would do fine to stay with what I have for the time being. I am just a casual photographer with strong interest in getting much better. I can hone my skills and upgrade when the time is right.. Thanks again.

[cale_kat · Accepted solution]

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@Skile wrote:
Thanks for such a detailed answer to my question. I currently have a T3i and was wondering if I would get much out of upgrading at this time. It sounds like I would do fine to stay with what I have for the time being. I am just a casual photographer with strong interest in getting much better. I can hone my skills and upgrade when the time is right.. Thanks again.

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If you'd "get much out" really asks the question "What do you need?". 

If you're asking what could the 7D bring to your photography, I'd list things like the exceptionally bright and largeviewfinder which includes a pentaprism (rather than the pentamirror). I think the time that it takes to compose and shoot an image is determined in part by how easy it is to collect the information, using the photographer's sight, necessary to complete the process. The 7D's bright viewfinder ranks much higher in my opinion of important features than continuous shutter speed or exceptional low light performance, for example. I'm also of the belief that a magnesium alloy body is a strong benefit. I often take my camera when I ski and my antics on skis have included "close encounters" with trees. LOL 

The bottom line is that what is right for you is important to consider. If you're improving as a photographer, keep the camera you have until your photography demands an upgrade, then research to find which cameras can satisfy that need. Good luck.

[ScottyP]

Upgrade lenses first. The durability of your camera body is perhaps the last thing to worry about if you ski into a tree. The 7d is old and is discontinued, or technically will be in a month.mm. Other than the metal body which will endure in a landfill for Eons after the 7d is history, the 70d is a more advanced piece of equipment.

[cale_kat]

You're entitled to your opinion. Err... thanks for sharing. Have a happy day!

[RobertTheFat]

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@ScottyP wrote:
Upgrade lenses first. The durability of your camera body is perhaps the last thing to worry about if you ski into a tree. The 7d is old and is discontinued, or technically will be in a month.mm. Other than the metal body which will endure in a landfill for Eons after the 7d is history, the 70d is a more advanced piece of equipment.

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Since I've never even seen a 70D (and I own two 7D's), what I say should be viewed with caution. But it's hard to read this forum for more than a few weeks without concluding that there are more potentially serious issues with the 70D than there ever were with the 7D.

When the 70D first came out, I was all set to try to talk my wife into getting one. (She clings to her fine old T2i because of its smaller size and lighter weight.) But I've changed my mind. Now if I try to talk her into a larger camera, it will probably be one of my 7D's or the new 7D2.

[cale_kat]

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@Skirball wrote:

The 7D has a much more sophisticated autofocus system and comes in a "professional body" - which is more rugged, weather sealed, rated to a higher shutter count, etc.  I don't doubt it's more durable, but I spent a year with a 450D (early predecessor to the T3i) smashed into a pack with my rockclimbing gear as I backpacked through humid South East Asia, and that camera is still working fine to this day.  It's got over 100,000 actuations on it, which is over twice it's labeled life.  My point is simply: don't read too much into it, people grossly overstate specs on cameras. 

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Talk about delayed connections.... anyway, I was thinking about the point you were making above ^ after stumbling through a "spec" search and realizing that body construction was not a "reviewable" specification. Well, I thought that this supported what you had written and it seemed you were owed credit for this insight.

linky http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon-EOS-70D-vs-Canon_EOS_7D

[ScottyP]

What is your budget? What sort of things do you shoot? Unless you are shooting fast action/sports (and quite seriously), or you are using the camera while mountain-climbing or outdoor all-weather adventures, you probably would not see a huge difference.

A 70d might be a good solution. It has a better autofocus for sports than the T3i, but not as elaborate as the AF on a 7d2. It is actually the AF system from the 7d1 in fact. It is not as heavily weather sealed as the 7d2. It is situated between the T3i and the 7d2 in features, and also in price.

Consider getting the 70d and use the savings to buy good lenses if you don't already have some. You gain almost nothing having a good body if you put cheap lenses on it. They say good glass is more important than a good body.