Canon EOS 7d vs 5d mark II
Category: Photography Tips
Written on Mar 17, 2010 by Sandro Dzneladze
Aim of this article is to compare canon 7D to canon 5D mark II. In the comparison we will be considering ease of use, technology and image quality. We will concentrate on the benefits of the cameras, and let you make own decision about the merits of the two. This is a a follow up post on Full Frame vs Crop Sensor.
Benefits of 5D II over 7D
- Well, the first and the most significant advantage is a 1-2 stop advantage in noise performance over 7D (it _does_ have a larger sensor…) Images will have less noise but also better contrast especially at higher sensitivities. The images will have a cleaner outlook in general. The difference is most visible at ISO’s of 1600 and higher, where you will also have more detail in the images. I guess this is usually the most important factor for people choosing to use a 35mm sensor camera (it is for me). However, the difference in noise and image quality will only be visible at higher ISO’s and comparatively large magnifications or in very large prints or if you need to severely crop the image.
- If you need large aperture lenses for wide angle photography, you need a 35mm sensor camera. This means approximately 35mm equivalent focal lengths of 24-35 at apertures of f/1.4 to f/2. If can manage with f/2.8, you’re covered with an APS-C, if you need larger apertures, you need the 35mm sensor. The lenses that can be used to achieve the combination of wide angle and large aperture would be the 24mm f/1.4L, 28/1.8 and 35/1.4L.
- If you need the widest possible focal length, there is a 12-24mm solution for 35mm, the Sigma 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6 (it’s not _sharp_ in the corners, but it get’s the corners). You can’t get an angle of view this wide on the APS-C, except with a fisheye. Nikon has a full frame lens 14-24, which is also wider than the crop sensor lenses that start from 10mm.
- Also, TS-E lenses are usually most useable on a 35mm camera (TS-E 17mm f/4L, TS-E 24mm f/3.5L, TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II, TS-E 45mm f/2.8,TS-E 90mm f/2.8).
- You can achieve a bit more shallow DOF shooting middle distances (but in close up photography may be limited by closest focusing distance). A more shallow DOF is often an advantage in portrait photography in available light.
- Interchangeable (matte) focusing screens. These come in handy when you use manual focus lenses and need to determine point of focus (this includes for example Zeiss and Voigltänder lenses with a Canon mount, TS-E lenses and the Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro). You can’t change the focus screen on the 7D (but can change it on x0D series cameras).
- You have more options of general purpose wide angle zoom lenses on a 35mm sensor camera that are weather sealed – 24-70/2.8L, 28-70/2.8L and 24-105/4L IS. Of course you can use these on an APS-C sensor camera, of which the 7D is the only one that is weather sealed, but you will lose the wide angle and thus the general purpose nature with the 1.6x crop. EF -S lenses don’t come weather sealed. The only weather proof option for this purpose on 7D would be the 17-40/4L (translating to a 27-64mm f/4 lens after the 1.6x multiplier).
Benefits of 7D over 5DII
- 7D has improved focusing system, 19 cross type focusing points and wider coverage of AF points through the image area (vs 5DII with one cross type sensor and the rest of the points are inconveniently more clustered around the center area).
- AI Servo AF can be fine tuned (and probably _has to_ be fine tuned to serve individual preferences).
- 7D has several AF point grouping methods and spot focus possibility.
- 7D can control external speedlites with the buil-in flash.
- 7D has dual axis electronic level, convenient for architectural photography, ultrawide and fishey photography (and shooting test targets…).
- 7D has custom button functions.
- 7D can shoot 8 frames per second, while with the 5DII it is 3.9 fps.
Which one to buy?
This my friend isn’t my decision to make, it’s all up to you. Think what you shoot the most, is FPS important to you? or you shoot High ISO more? Understand your needs, and answer to the question will be obvious.
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There are 88 comments on this post.
Trackback URL | Comments RSS FeedHi Sandro,
I found your site via the network blogs on facebook. Your site looks pretty good. I also learned a thing or two about the 5DII vs the 7D. I am only in the beginning stages of photography so it was even a stretch for me to get the 7D. For my needs the full frame 5D would have been better (I do a lot of indoor, low-light photography), but since I’m not rich the 7D will do nicely for now. I’m also learning about how to use the video features. It certainly looks like digital SLRs are the wave of the near future.
Best wishes to you. I’ll try to stop by every once in a while.
Peace,
Pete
7d is far more suited to action photography than the 5dmkii, I would say the 5d performs better in the studio and for reportage styles of photography.
Where the 7d would be good for sport, fast moving stuff. I use both and that how I would set them apart.
Paul,
I had a chance to use 5D MKII shooting Lamborghini SV on the track. It’s not an action camera, but despite this, handles pretty good in action photography.
I myself tested 5D II & 7D with same lens & all the same default settings.The 7D completely loses over image detail at all ISO settings.Even worse the 7D has magenta croma noise which is difficult to get rid of.
I have an eos 5d mk 1 and have decided to wait for the 5d mk3 before I upgrade, due to the dated 9 point focus layout of the 5d mk11. To get my tech fix, I have purchased the eos 7d as my second camera which should keep me going in the meantime. Canon – please upgrade the old 9 point focus system on the 5d mk2 and I’ll buy one at once… honest!
@jenkins
Hey there… 7d is an awesome camera, I’m contemplating it myself. But 5d mkII ain’t slouch either, I’ve used it for car photography, and focus was perfect every time… even better than my 50D!
Just bought the 7D and I love it. I guess it’s the versatility. more than anything – still reading the manual I had to shoot a parade on the island of lombok east Indonesia in overcast conditions – superb sharp images – fantastic color nice to have the fill flash on top of the cam . I then had to shoot hotel rooms – making average looking rooms seem luxurious – SHARP! Easy to do! Those focusing points and live view worked a treat. And I fgot to use my 17 -40 L lense still had on 18 – 200 IS I had used for the parade shoot).Client was impressed. So was I.
@Tim
Hey! Congratulations with a new toy
I can imagine how you feel having that awesome tool in your hands. BTW, what did you upgrade from? I shoot with 7d at work, and I’ve 50D myself – and I didn’t find it that much of a step-up for what I do.
I went from a 40D (an awesome camera that has served me well rain hail and shine) to the 7D and to be honest it was working with the better live view and multi focusing points that helped me most iI think… esp moving subjects. Next has to be the 70 -200 F4 IS – though a 2.8 might be nicer (and more expensive).
Tim, please…
All this talk about 70-200 and 7d, made my upgrade bug to reappear. A while ago, I convinced myself I don’t need any of these!
But the truth is, I crave for 70-200… It is a beautiful piece of optics and I would buy it in a heartbeat if I had resources.
P.S. All versions of this lens are awesome. But there are some considerations, 2.8 IS version is heavy, big and quite hard to hand hold for long periods. I rented it once, and after few hours of panning (car photography) I got sick of it… I think f/4 IS is the most versatile, with balanced features, and the price will not require you to sell both kidneys.
Hello Sandro!
I really need your advice on this, I’m just beginning in the photograph environment, I specialize in video production, but I want to buy my own camera to start doing my own work and to rent it,sincerely I do not know much about all this so the technical vocabulary I do not understand so much,I just want to start learning, I want to do video but also still photograph, I’m planning to get a 7D what do you think? if this is a good option for me, I want to start buying tow lenses which ones would you recommend? anyway thanks very much!
Hey Diana!
Did u know ‘Dr. House’ season finale was filmed with Canon 5D Mark II?
In recent years ‘still cameras’ have grown quite capable in the video production area… Paired with great quality wide aperture lenses these cameras produce stunning videos. So, YES, 7d will be perfect for you.
Which lenses to get is a question that mostly depends on your budget. Let me know exactly how much you are planning to spend…
p.s. In your situation, I would get canon 50mm f/1.8 right away. It’s canon’s best value lens, costs less than 100$, and produces beautiful sharp images. And, wide aperture (f/1.8) will give your videos professional look that you are used to seeing on TV.
Let me know,
I am a professional photographer who doubles as the secretary general of the Gambia professional photographers’ society.I have found your web site very educative and interesting because it talks about how to become a professional photographer,maintain the camera and how to use it etc.
Am encouraging you keep it up as most people in the developing world are still using manual and automatic cameras but now people are using digital cameras and that makes your site very educative.
Dawda Bayo » thanks!
Hi Sandro!
Thanks for all the information on the 7D. I will be using it for still photography, not video. Would you still recommend the 50mm f/1.8 lens? I shoot street photography in NYC, people and buildings, so I’d want a reasonably lightweight lens, with auto-focus, some zoom (enough that I can get water towers across rooftops), wide angle (not a MUST, but would be nice- it’s on my Powershot after all), and stabilization. If there’s a better all-purpose-ish first lens for this kind of “action” photography, could you recommend it? Don’t want to break the bank.
Michelle » Hello!
Well, it seems you are looking for a versatile zoom so forget about 50mm f/1.8.
Did you see 7d’s kit lens? (Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM) It ain’t bad at all! It is of a decent quality but also affordable, perfect for walking around. The 28-135 has image stabilization, great focal range and a low price.
Thanks for this! I have both and love both, you hit the nail on the head with the advantages and disadvantages of both.
Hello! i want to buy new camera, but i can’t choose which one better for party, the place party that like dark and big place, which one is better for big party Canon 5D mKII or 7D? Thanks in advance.
Milad
Milad » For ‘party’ / nightclub photography I would go for 5d mkII – obvious reason is better ISO performance. In addition 5d is full frame and there is no crop factor, meaning wide angle lenses will be really wide (and useful when crowd will be blocking your movement).
you are True, Thank you very much!!!!!! i will share your website to Facebook
Do you have page facebook?
Milad » I’m happy to help
FB page is here: http://www.facebook.com/sandrophoto
Thanks!
I have recently bought the Canon 5D Mk II and am very, very happy with it. However, I covered an amateur football game yesterday next to a photographer with the 7D, and his higher frame-rate and quicker (better?) focusing meant his pics of the few key moments were that much better than my own. In fact, for one of the goals scored, we compared results, and he got 2 pics in the time it took my camera to reload….those 2 pics were crucial (with mine, I got the goal-scorer just before he struck the ball, and with the next pic the ball was already out of frame, meaning I had no pic of the split-second after the ball was kicked – in addition to the same two pics I got, the other photographer also had the ball coming off his foot and another with the ball still in frame).
So the frames-per-second is my only complaint so far with the 5D Mk II……..
Rob Clayton » Great comment, thanks for sharing this with me. I tried 5DmkII shooting sports cars and didn’t find low FPS limiting… but I’m sure with ball games it’s a different story as interesting moments develop much faster.
hey there sandro! your advice and tips on this beautiful thing called photography will go a long way in helping keen young photographers like myself! keep up the good work!
i have a question to ask/ advice .. because am very very new to the professional photography scene and are particularly focusing on club photography, i wanted to ask advice on choosing a camera which will enable me to capture the movement and strobe light effect that the club exudes.. please advice me a camera that will be able to do so.
thanks a lot!
Kandy » I’m always glad to help! thanks
You can achieve those effects with any Dslr. But yes 5D mk II is the best for club shots – cause you get all full frame goodness: unbeatable high ISO performance, and the fact that wide angles are super wide on FF.
You will also want to get a powerful flash… and the rest is just practice!
good luck
hi… thanks for your lesson on photo edition and i think you still do more about photo edit,photo framing, photo designing and photo resizing with photo compression.
great! thank you for the advice. also will the 5d mk2 work well in day light,just for normal day to day settings? i suppose with a 21 mega pixels it could right?
now i just need to get my dad to approve of the cost and ill be good to go!
Kandy » It will work even better in daylight
Hello Sandro and Everyone,
Let me first give some context for my questions. I’m a 5-year amateur photographer. I currently use a digital rebel xsi. I’m contemplating the 7D or 5DMarkII. I’ve invested quite a bit into both the Canon 1.6 crop sensor family (a EF-S 17-55mm IS f2.8 for general purpose shooting) and some full-frame lenses (an EF 100-400 4.5-5.6L IS for birds, and 100mm EF f2.8 for macro). I shoot mostly landscape/nature and some portrait stuff. Sometimes I shoot faster action (soccer/baseball games).
Obviously, if I get the 7D I can keep using my EF-S lenses, but I plan on getting more EF lenses; a 70-200 f2.8L IS, a 50mm 1.4 and a 16-35L f2.8L (if I get the 5DMarkII).
From what I’ve read the 7D advantage is in the burst speed and more AF points, but the 5DMarkII exceeds in the detail captured (assuming because of the full frame sensor). Also the 5DMarkII beats the 7D in low-light capture quality, important for some low light nature shots. The 5DMarkII is also weather sealed where the 7D is not, important for being out in nature.
So my questions are:
If I want more detail in my images…should I just go for the full frame sensor or get the 7D and just keep buying better glass? I feel like I’m not getting enough detail/sharpness/quality with my Rebel and EF-S lenses (or EF L lens on the Rebel for that matter).
The burst speed on the 7D is basically 2x that of the 5DMII. How important is that for the kind of shooting I do?
Could Canon ever create faster glass than f2.8 in the EF-S family?
Thanks in advance everyone for your time and thoughts….
Best,
C
Hi Sandro and eveyone
I am an amator as well.
I have now 500D, now planning to upgrade to 7D or 5D MarkII
.
I am shooting generally food shots. I will get a 60 and 100 mm Macro Canon lenses.
So my question is
what will be differences between two food photos both taken with the same lenses (100 mm macro lense) by two different cameras 7D and 5D Mark II ?
Will it make big difference as the price (5D Mark I id more then double of 7D)
Many thanks in advance for your help
Cheers
Yusuf
Hello Sandro!
I am needing some advice. I do portrait photography but on location (rarely I use studio) and I want to start to shoot weddindgs as well. I need to upgrade to a new camera and I would like to know which is better for what I do: 7d or 5dmk2?
It seems (from what I’ve read) that the 7d is faster in auto-focusing which for me is very precious as anything can happen when you’re working on location:)
Many thanks,
Ana Isabel
PS: in terms of video I am not really interested in which one is better, as what I do is photography. The video is just a bonus for me.
Hello Ricardo,
Both 7d and 5dmkII will yield considerable advantage in terms of quality over your Rebel. So, in your shoes I would more worry about field of view differences. 5d will make your lenses shorter, so if you want to keep on shooting birds in flight with 100-400 you might want to stick to cropper.
EF-S 17-55mm IS f2.8 – this is arguably canon’s best EF-S lens, with almost no competition on the full frame side!… Keep this in mind.
Besides, both 5DmkII and 7D are weather-sealed.
Hey, Yusuf
Most obvious difference will be due to crop factor.
On 7D, 100mm lens will look like 160mm lens on 5D. To get same shot with 7D+100mm you will have to move further away. Not a problem if you have space in the studio.
Hey Ana
It’s true, anything can happen on location, but nothing that 5DmkII AF cannot handle… unless you are shooting sports / racing / birds in flight etc…
THANK YOU SANDRO! You have knack for giving good advice. Your response is very thoughtful and gives me a lot to think about. I am very thankful for your site!
I’m happy to help… Ricardo, if you have more questions let me know
My second report on the 5D mk II….I took it to photograph some dogs over the weekend, with very mixed results.
For the still portrait shots, the camera worked beautifully and the images were particularly sharp and sumptuous.
However, when it came to doing a few action shots of the dogs running, the quality was very poor indeed, with the vast majority of images blurred and completely unusable. Of about 100 shots taken, only 3 or 4 are keepers!
The lighting conditions were fine, I was using al-servo, shutter speed approx 1/400, and using the central focus button in my viewfinder to achieve precise focus. Even when I got the focus right on the face of the dogs (indicated by the red light when reviewing pics on the lcd), the pics were still out of focus.
Obviously, this has caused me considerable concern, so I went looking through reviews of the camera on the Internet (a dangerous thing to do, I know) and it seems that others have also suffered from very poor/inconsistent al-servo functioning.
What really confuses me is that, for the most part, it has been fine when taking pics at football, so I’m really at a loss as to what caused the very poor performance with the dogs…..any ideas??
(ps My 50D never once failed me!!)
Thanks Sandro
So should I buy 7D or 5D Mark II , to shoot food ?
thanks mate
Yusuf
Honestly, you will be fine with either of them. Let your budget rule the decision…
5DmkII is awesome, but 7D + few additional lenses for the same price is better in my books!
Thanks Sandro
My last 2 questions
1-You think I can get the same result of the photos taken with 500D with 7D (with the same good macro lenses)?
2-I have budget for both 5D Mark II and 7D. Which one would you buy if you were me (being an average amator)
Thanks so much
Yusuf
Yusuf
1. No, 7D will outperform 500D in every possible way. You will have higher resolution better quality images with 7D.
2. 5dmkII is the best option for still-food photography niche.
Hello Rob,
Thanks for the update, I’m following your case… I’m curious because I cannot believe 5d is lagging so much behind in action photography. 3 in 100 keeper is a saddening ratio!
I’m not an expert of AI-servo mode by any means, but I’ve read somewhere that modern cameras calculate distance and hence focus perfectly on subjects that move linearly – for example dog running towards you, or away from you, but if dog changes direction suddenly hops around etc. it might be much harder for the camera to keep it up.
Difference with football game might be the fact that dogs are smaller in size than average football player, thus smaller in the viewfinder and focus points are less sensitive… color of the dog and the contrast with background might also play against you, as camera struggles to differentiate.
I don’t have 5dmkII at the moment to test it thoroughly, but whenever I’ve a chance I will try it again in sports!
sandro
I JUST found your website today, as I too am looking into either the 7D or 5DMII, and I must commend you on your observations and quick responses.
I am currently transitioning from avid amateur to full time professional with a range of equipment needs.
First and foremost, I am a pet photographer. Pets of all kinds and any location imaginable.
There are times when I may have a client with a puppy who wants all the cuteness of their puppy activity captured…thus I am ground level chasing the puppy with my lens. Some clients with beautiful birds who want all the feathery detail captured, of course these shoots are primarily indoors with less than optimal lighting.
So after all of my research, your site has been the most helpful and I am leaning towards the 7D.
I do have a question regarding lenses…
-For the low light, detail photography, do you have any recommendations?
I prefer my wide angle but I have found that no matter the setting, it simply does not produce well in low light situations.
-What is your opinion on the Sigma 50-500mm f/4.5-6.3 HSM OS vs the Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS?
Thank you everything!
Hi Sandro
Yesterday I grabbed the 7D of a friend of mine and I tried some shots.
I tried to use custom WB with shooting both a white paper and a gray card, but the photos looks blueish.
I have to say I used to have the same problem with 500D as well.
What can you say about WB .
In you shots do you use custom WB ?
Cheers
Yusuf
Hi Shannon,
- For the low light, I’d recommend a nice lightning kit
a flash few cheap triggers and an umbrella will improve your indoor shots more than any lens will ever do…
- I think Canon 100-400mm is better in many ways, it has IS, it’s lighter than sigma, produces better quality images, and it’s faster (f5.6) at the wide end! Only problem is that it costs considerably more…
Hope this helps, if not ask more questions
Sandro
Yusuf,
Shots look bluish on the camera screen or on the monitor? Is there any picture style active?
Hi dear Sandro ,
Thanx for the nice website and good comments its really helpful
My friend I would like to buy a camera but Im not a professional photographer but i want to learn and start to become a professional
I will use the camera to take pictures of my family in party hall and home and out door as well and when I travel as tourist take pictures for every thing like natural , animals and hotels rooms … etc , so I don’t know what you can advice me to buy I hope you can help me choose the best camera with the good lenses for my use.
Thanx again and wish u all the best always
Best regards
Mohamed
Hi Sandro
It looks blueish on both with camera screen and on the monitor.
I didnt understand, neither my friend, as he always uses at auto white balance.
Picture style was standard
What do you think the problem be ?
Cheers
Yusuf
hm…
I need to look at the photos first. Did you shoot in low light? high ISO? underexposing?
Hi Sandro,
Thanks for providing so much helpful information. Your site is an awesome resource.
I’m going on an African safari in a few weeks and I’d like to upgrade my camera both for the trip and for the next few years. I love taking photos when I travel and, when at home, snapping pictures of my family, both outdoors and indoors. I’m hardly a professional but I’ve been shooting with my Canon 30D for the past 5 years — for my lenses, I’ve got a Canon EFS 17-85mm, a Canon EF 70-300mm, and a Sigma 10-20mm.
Like everyone else, I’m trying to decide between a 7D and the 5D mark II. The low light shots I’ve seen from the mark II are stunning, but I’m assuming if I get that camera I’ll also have to purchase an L series lens? Is there an all purpose lens that you’d recommend if I go with that camera, and would it be best to get that one if I go with the 7D?
For my safari trip, obviously I’m going to be taking some telephoto shots — would my current lenses hold up with the 7D and the 5D?
On the video side, I’d love to start capturing some HD — again, the depth of field examples I’ve seen from the 5D are stunning.
Which camera to get… such a tough call for me to make? Any tips?
Thanks,
Dan
@Dan In all honesty upgrading one or more of those lenses to L series or even Sigma EX will upgrade your safari shots more than changing your camera.
Now to my comment:
I’ve been debating with myself over the 1, 5ii and 7… It really seems to be “horses for courses” and I think I’m going to have to bite the bullet and buy a 7 and 5ii because I shoot in nearly every situation. That gives me a very high quality prime camera for any situation, and a seriously good backup to boot. That’s possibly the biggest strength of 5D / 7D – the price of both compared to a 1!
Unless anybody has tried a 1mkIV and can honestly tell me I’d be better off with that?
Mark » Yes, 5D + 7D is a lovely pair… go for that!
Hello Everyone:
I’m brand new to photography, and am quite able to follow Sandro’s string down this page. So my question is this: Why do some of you ask the same question over and over again??? JUST READ WHAT’S ABOVE!! Sandro is taking all this time to help all of us newbies out, so don’t stress him out
THANKS SANDRO, I’ll just keep reading. I know the answers I need will pop up 
Daniel, if you go 5d you will have to replace two lenses, sigma and 17-85EFS. Are you ready to do that? 5d already costs allot, and than replacing two lenses, will your budget hold up?
But in your shoes I would rather get 50D, and upgrade glass. 17-85 and 70-300 aren’t the best of the lenses out there
***
Guyz, it’s becoming hard to track questions in the comments box, for future discussions please use this site I’ve created not long ago: http://www.photography-answers.com/
The remote flash trigger function on 7D is a gimmick. If you believe the marketing hype, you’d be soon disappointed. Get PocketWizard FlexTT5, period.
I think the autofocus on 7D is great with 50mm and longer, as well as zooms, but I think it is terrible with 35mm and shorter prime lenses. For some reasons, I get a lot more inaccurate autofocus shots with 35mm and 24mm primes (f/2 and f/1.4) on 7D but not on 5D.
I think one strength of 7D is for small product photo. TS-E 90mm on 7D is great for small products like jewelry photography. You’d be shooting at f/32 with tilt and shift yet you want more DOF. 7D definitely magnifies any flaw of the lens, so you’d have to choose the lens carefully though. TS-E 90mm is truly an amazing lens that I wouldn’t hesitate to use on a 7D.
Hello Sandro, I’ve been shooting a lot with the Canon 10D and was thinking about getting a Canon 1Ds for full frame purpose. I’m worried about the lenses I used for the 10D will be able to hold up with the 1Ds. The lens I used are the Sigma 24-70mm Gold ring one and the 28-300mm Red ring one. Would both lens work for the 1Ds or will I have to invest on new lenses. Please help me out. Thank you.
Hello!
i would like to ask you about lens, which lens is good for party at night, i have camera 5D Mark ii
Thanks in advance.
Milad » you want something wide, oh and fisheye is cool for party shots