Looking for crop camera Canon 7D2 or Sony A77II

[Scotty-S]

Hi,

I am in the market for a crop body to compliment my Pentax 645z MF system.

Looking to get a 100-400 or 70-400 to go with it, so its either the Canon 7DmkII or the Sony A77mkII.  I am not interesting in Nikon.  I have looked at the Pentax but the AF is not enough for the purpose and the lens isnt there.

I have downloaded the DPreview test charts for the A77II and the 7DII and there aint much in it, with both ISO100 and ISO6400 files pushed up to 1 stop and some shadow recovery, both files seem to be very similar.  I am not sure why DXOmark gave the 7dII a low score.

I have tried both systems and AF speed seems similar on both as well.  I do love the EVF on the Sony BTW.

Is there anything I am missing?

Thanks, Scott

[peterottaway]

Whichever camera you are most comfortable using for your style of photography. The Sony is cheaper but if you use only Sony lenses then total cost wouldn't be that different.

In the past Minolta and Sony have coped criticism from reviewers - usually dyed in the wool Canon or Nikon users who considered the controls and menus as being funny and non-intuitive.They were neither taking the time or inclined to learn the differences. But as I said whatever you are comfortable with.

[stever]

if the 100-400 is important, you want the 7d2 with 100-400ii

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi,

DxO-s low rating is coming from the DR part of their testing. If you shoot high ISO, you can safely ignore it.

It is about pulling detail in the darkest part of the images at low ISO-s and that happens to be an area that Canon's camera electronics are not so good at.

Best regards
Erik

Hi,

I am in the market for a crop body to compliment my Pentax 645z MF system.

Looking to get a 100-400 or 70-400 to go with it, so its either the Canon 7DmkII or the Sony A77mkII.  I am not interesting in Nikon.  I have looked at the Pentax but the AF is not enough for the purpose and the lens isnt there.

I have downloaded the DPreview test charts for the A77II and the 7DII and there aint much in it, with both ISO100 and ISO6400 files pushed up to 1 stop and some shadow recovery, both files seem to be very similar.  I am not sure why DXOmark gave the 7dII a low score.

I have tried both systems and AF speed seems similar on both as well.  I do love the EVF on the Sony BTW.

Is there anything I am missing?

Thanks, Scott

[dwswager]

Hi,

I am in the market for a crop body to compliment my Pentax 645z MF system.

Looking to get a 100-400 or 70-400 to go with it, so its either the Canon 7DmkII or the Sony A77mkII.  I am not interesting in Nikon.  I have looked at the Pentax but the AF is not enough for the purpose and the lens isnt there.

I have downloaded the DPreview test charts for the A77II and the 7DII and there aint much in it, with both ISO100 and ISO6400 files pushed up to 1 stop and some shadow recovery, both files seem to be very similar.  I am not sure why DXOmark gave the 7dII a low score.

I have tried both systems and AF speed seems similar on both as well.  I do love the EVF on the Sony BTW.

Is there anything I am missing?

Thanks, Scott

Full Disclosure:  I'm a 25 year Nikon Shooter have previously shot Canon.

The low DxOMark score on the Canon 7DmkII is because the sensor system performance is pretty much that of the original 5 year old 7D with a little better high ISO performance.  Looks like they reworked the gain strategy and electronics some to help it along.

Personally, I would opt for the Sony of the 2 cameras you mentioned, however, you would be remiss in not looking at the Nikon D7100.  If you can live with the 6fps, it is a spectacular value at $1200 (being sold at $949 recently).  At 24MP, no OLP filter and the best sensor performance of all 3, it performs exceptionally well and is extremely sharp.  I've had the D7100 18 months and it really is the poor man's D810.  BTW, I own a D810 too.

DXOMARK Comparison Canon 7DmkII, Sony A77 II, Nikon D7100]

Click on the measurement tabs and look at the data.  The D7100 outperforms the 7DmkII all the way out to ISO 6400 and is it's equal from there.  For $599 over the D7100, the only thing the 7D brings to the party is 4 more fps, a better buffer and CF.  And if you really need the high speed, then the Sony is probably the way to go.

[rgs]

I don't know anything about the Sony, but I can say that I like my Canon 7dII very much. The AF system is VERY fast and precise with many user options available. Although it will feel different than your Pentax, put one in your hands and see how well it is set up. There are LOTS of customizations available so you can make it fit your working style and needs. As has already been said, the DxO ratings are a result of the DR figures. The IQ of the 7D II is excellent and it is NOT just a reworked 7D. This camera is new (so is the sensor) and big improvement.

[Scotty-S]

Thanks for all the advice.

The system will be a backup for my 645z, for telephoto and wide angle.  I have been wondering if I should look into a discounted A99 and the 70-400, that way I can use it in crop mode for further tele reach, but still put on a wide angle lens if required as well.

My local Sony store has them right now for $1650 AUD, heavily discounted.  I think they might know something about a replacement coming to sell them for that price.

Anyway, I digress.  I keep coming back to Sony because I have a Nex6 and love working with the EVF.  I tried the A77II in store with a 24-70 and the 300mm f/2.8 and boy was the AF quick.  Same goes for the 7d2 with 70-200 f/2.8 that I tried.

Dynamic range is very important to me as this will be used for tele landscape that the 645z does not have.

More time to think.....

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi,

The A77 has smaller pixels so you get "more pixels on target" with the A77II than  the cropped mode A99 (with the A99 you get 10 MP in cropped mode, while the A77 gives you 24 MP).

The 70-400/4-5.6 is a pretty good lens, but right now I feel that the A77 takes it to the beyond the limit. The lens I use most with A77 is the 16-80/3.5-4.5 lens. Need to make more tests on that lens.

Some samples here: http://echophoto.smugmug.com/organize/Technical/70400456G

Best regards
Erik

Thanks for all the advice.

The system will be a backup for my 645z, for telephoto and wide angle.  I have been wondering if I should look into a discounted A99 and the 70-400, that way I can use it in crop mode for further tele reach, but still put on a wide angle lens if required as well.

My local Sony store has them right now for $1650 AUD, heavily discounted.  I think they might know something about a replacement coming to sell them for that price.

Anyway, I digress.  I keep coming back to Sony because I have a Nex6 and love working with the EVF.  I tried the A77II in store with a 24-70 and the 300mm f/2.8 and boy was the AF quick.  Same goes for the 7d2 with 70-200 f/2.8 that I tried.

Dynamic range is very important to me as this will be used for tele landscape that the 645z does not have.

More time to think.....

[XE11]

i had a77 with 70-400mm. it is a very special lens. it might not be the sharpnest from a measurable point of view, but the G coating gives it that 3D feel that i rarely see from other lens. i got a feeling the 100-400mm can probably do the same thing tho, since even the 70-400mmG mk2 is updated not long ago, the optical formula hasn't changed.

[John Koerner]

Here's a preliminary, and midway, review of the 7D II in some pretty demanding field conditions:


https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=965086400186418&set=pcb.965086850186373&type=1&theater

"Greetings from the Falklands...
I have been using the 7D II with grip for the past 4 days in all kinds of lighting conditions. The AF is amazing, ISO good to 1600 with noise reduction applied. The camera requires a different degree of NR and Sharpening than the 1DX and 5D3. I never owned a 7D for comparison. Images sharpen up very well. Buffer takes a while to fill at 10 frames per sec. I have not found the buffer to an issue, but I am not trigger happy. 3 1/2 weeks to go.
Here are a few pics made with the 7D II...
More info and pics to come.

"After shooting hundreds of flight images yesterday the AF continues to be impressive. Af is fast, decisive, and accurate, even in low light. The cross point AF sensors allow for a higher degree of accuracy and acquisition speed with off center subjects. IS0 800 is a non-issue, clean, beautiful. The slight noise at ISO 1600 is Easily taken care of, but it is not a 1DX...nor, did I expect it to be at less than 2/3 the price. The 7D II IQ, AF, Video, image color accuracy, and outstanding feature set make this a wonderful camera overall, and highly capable of producing professional quality images. I will post additional images when I get improved bandwidth. The detail will surely impress. The 7D II IQ is an ideal upgrade from the ID IV, especially for those looking for a camera with a crop factor."


Seems he rates the 7D II above the Canon 1D IV, but not at the level of a 1Dx. Interesting.

Jack

[stever]

I'm not sure about your intended use of the camera/lens.  If you need more than 400mm effective for sports or wildlife with high frame rates and without very heavy and expensive lenses, then crop frame is a good choice (and I still think a 7dii and 100-400ii the best choice if you're interested in printing larger than 13x19).

A crop frame camera is a poor choice for wide angle if your seriously interested in image quality - there just aren't any very good wide angle lenses for crop frame. 

If you can live with 400mm on the long end then a full frame camera is the all-round better choice (and at least with the 5d3 and 100-400ii the possibility of using a 1.4 extender since AF works at f8 and it has at least 1 stop better high ISO noise than crop-frame).

[Hezu]

The system will be a backup for my 645z, for telephoto and wide angle.  I have been wondering if I should look into a discounted A99 and the 70-400, that way I can use it in crop mode for further tele reach, but still put on a wide angle lens if required as well.

A99 sure has some advantages over A77 II: larger sensor, dual memory card slots, GPS. And also disadvantages: fewer AF points and slightly slower AF in general, no WiFi, no built-in flash and less resolution in APS-C mode.

[TyDillon]

If you love the Sony evf, go for the a77ii. The cameras are nearly identical. The a77ii is almost $500US cheaper. Get the 16-50/2.8 lens. Its excellent. The 70-400g/2 is as good as any long zoom out there, and the 100-400ii is still not for sale.

As long as 15-16.5mm wide on full frame is enough for you, there is noting wrong with the APS-C sensor. The Sigma 10-20mm or Tokina 11-16mm are both excellent.

[John Koerner]

7D II, 200-400, 1/2000 @ f/6.3, ISO 800  |  7D II, 200-400 W/1.4X, 1/6000 F f/8, ISO 800

"The 7D II AF performance continues to amaze me. The AF locks extremely fast and precise with both the 200-400 and 70-200. Even with the 1.4x engaged on the 200-400 f/5.6 max aperture the camera locks without issue. I do not have my 500/600 lenses with me, but I am sure the 7D II AF will exceed my expectations with the Canon super telephotos, and most likely with converter use as well. Of course one would expect the camera AF to slow a bit with the 1.4x, and more so with the 2x. The AF zones work as expected. I used AF expansion when photographing the bird in flight below. Once locked the AF does not easily jump to the background, provided you keep one of the AF points on the subject. The AF Cases work similarly to the 1DX and 5D3. I used spot AF on a Silvery Grebe chick this afternoon, with the camera locking on a head the size of a cotton ball. Case 5 with AF expansion was used for penguins flying out of the the surf at rocket speed, and the attached cormorant image.. Almost all were to my surprise rendered tack sharp. I must admit I was hesitant about purchasing the 7D II, as I have only ever owned the high-end pro body cameras. However, the more I use the 7D II the more I like it. In my humble opinion the camera is indeed capable of producing hi quality pro imagery. As with other cameras learning how to you use the tool to best advantage is key.

"I have not seen this mentioned on the web or in Canon literature, but to me this is a big plus…..Much like airplane instrument panels I am very happy to report the Canon 7D II LCD can be viewed horizontally with polarized sunglasses without issue. Many photographers hate taking photographs when wearing glasses, but for many of us it is not optional. I wear glasses all the time and have gone to transition lenses when using a camera outdoors, as polarized sunglass lenses cause the camera LCD to go dark when viewing horizontally obscuring the image, histogram, etc. Orienting the camera vertically will alleviate the problem, but having to do so is a PIA. Thank you Canon, from eyeglasses wearers world wide.

"Chas in the Falklands"

[dwswager]

"The 7D II AF performance continues to amaze me. The AF locks extremely fast and precise with both the 200-400 and 70-200. Even with the 1.4x engaged on the 200-400 f/5.6 max aperture the camera locks without issue.

Nice images.

The 65, all cross type, sensors do make the 7DmkII a sharp shooter.