With all the talks about the 7D, it might be a good time to step back and look at one of the most useful feature of the 5D Mark II: its high megapixel count. While the 7D is very close to the 5D in terms of pixels, the 5D still has about 20% more and, for someone like me, it matters.
Most people will tell you megapixel are just a marketing trick to lure less knowledgeable photographers toward “newer camera models”. While this claim is true for Joe Average trying to buy a new camera, for the serious photographer, megapixels are important. Even if you are not planning to print anything larger than 8×12, the more you have, the more comfortable you will be in your edit.
Expert will tell you also that more megapixel means smaller pixels which means more noise in low light. While this is relatively true, this noise is also easier to fix in post production since you have more pixels to work with. The more pixels you have, the more details you can capture and the better the post processing will be. All of this sounds interesting but that is not what I want to talk about today. I want to talk about the creative flexibility offered by having (too) many pixels.
My friend has a D3, a great camera but with only 12mp. Every time he takes a shot at a wedding, he has to figure out if the picture has to be in landscape or portrait format. With the 5DMrk II, I just have to take a shot and figure out in post which one works best and I will have the same resolution image in the end as his D3 (or more if I keep the original format).
This is a killer feature for event photographers when you cant ask the subjects to stand still. The added megapixels also allow you to do creative cropping, numeric zooming, etc… While in a perfect world you should get the perfect image in camera, it rarely happen this way.
Here is an example of one picture with a very different variations. Some of these variations might seem small, like the first and last two, but they are quite obvious once you look at the picture in full resolution.
The moral of this? None, really, I was just trying to find something positive to say about the 5DMrkII vs the 7D…
Excellent comments, and I think your points will be even more valid when people get their hands on the 7D and the “feature-wow” wears off, especially if Canon does a bios upgrade to the 5D to add some of those 7D features!
The other obvious point is of course sensor size. Despite the higher pixel count, the bigger sensor means less noise AND shallower DoF.
With everyone salivating about what a ‘breakthrough’ the 7D is, it is nice to step back and appreciate our amazing cameras. I’ve been doing some serious cropping on some of my photos, as well. Now, if Canon could just enable 24p for us in video mode, I’d stop thinking about the 7D entirely.
I am new to the SLR world with getting this new 7D. I’m also coming from a videographer/cinematographer stand point so its good to get my facts straight about what I’m really getting. Definitely really excited for my 7D but also thinking sometime later it might be a worthy investment to get a 5D MKII.
Very nice post indeed.
When I do weeding I always bless my 5D2 because of craping capabilities.
I concur what you said on every point.
I loooove my 5D…
Although… the 7D is already 18M which is a lot too. Damm this camera looks nice.
I have a Canon 5D Mark II and i love it as a camera, the megapixels the low light.. everything about it and why are we crying with 24p when canon gave us manual control, vincent still show video and got wow reviews with auto controls nothing stopped him.. Tom @ timescpaes shot amazing Timelapse videos.. and i can’t even shoot 1% of what he has done.. so.. all you 5D Mark II Onwers.. Love your baby! and u can always by a 7D its not that expansive anyway.. there are always Easy monthly payment on credit cards…
I think if you look at the primary purpose, design, and heritage of the 5D as a still camera, then there is no comparison. The 7D may give you some added features, like faster shooting and marginally more advanced metering, but in the hands of a professional these are largely irrelevant. Nice to have, but not needed. What IS needed is a sensor designed to give the best possible quality and options in the final print, and this is where the 7D will almost never compete with the 5D, as was pointed out in this post. So, if I had just plunked down $7K for a 1D just before the 5D Mark 2 was announced, then I might be sobbing into my beer. But with the 7D, not so much
However, when you look at the video capturing capabilities, then I think the argument is more compelling, but only to the segment of the market that was seriously considering the 5D primarily for its video capabilities. And if that was my primary purpose for buying the 5D, then I might be pulling my hair out over the 7D. But then, if Canon does a bios upgrade to fix some of those features, then not so much here, either. And, if not, the price difference between the 5D and 7D is not so much different to be really worth crying about – certainly not like the 1D/5D comparison.
So, as someone who just purchased a 5D, I can go out on a shoot with the knowledge that I have in my hands a camera that was designed specifically to providing the best quality still shots available in its category. The 7D is nice, but given that purpose, I would still choose the 5D, hands down!
Guys / Girls it always happen’s and it will carry on for years where one model will have better features than the other a month or two later, i felft so bad for my Canon 1ds Mark 11 when the 5D mark 11 rocks up and because they are in the marketing business and sales is priority to them not our moans and groans.
I just took delivery of my 7D and as a full flex pro that makes my income from photogrsphy i concentrate on my month end and not what offers better i just return from a shoot and you know what i forgot to use the Video and live shoot feature as my end results must be good quality raw pictures that needs to go onto posters and big walls,
My client is not the least interest in what the 7D 5D and 1ds mark11 can do.
they looking for the pictures.
Next week there will be a full frame 8D and then we fight again about pixels.
I made the most money with a 10D and established my business as i concentraded on why did i purchase the camera and not to for social fencing.
enjoy your pics and stick to the core reasons why you purchased the equipment