Canon 5D MK3 vs Canon 7D MK2

A lot of people have been asking me about the differences between Canon 5D Mark 3 and 7D Mark 2. I have recently bought the 7D2 and been testing and comparing it to my 5DM3. And so far, I’m not very impressed, despite of all the praise.

There’s a reason why full frame is so much more expensive. The saying ‘you get what you pay for’ really holds true for photography. The 7D2 costs only half of 5D3. But you also get half the image quality. Without getting into all the technical jibber jabber, let me try to break it down for those who are asking the question: which one is better?

Both Cameras:

• Great for wildlife / fast action photography
• Great image quality/sharpness when shot in great light and close-up
• Excellent focusing power

5D3:

• Great image quality / sharpness
• Great low light camera, high ISO still produces great images
• ISO 2500 or more still gives you a great image
• Full frame quality and enough pixels to crop down a bird photo taken from far away and still get a decent image
• Best camera there is next to 1DX (in Canon lines, that is)
• Vibrant colors

7D2:

• Poor low light camera, high ISO produces soft and grainy images
• ISO 2500 or more will give you a noisy image
• Image Quality drops significantly
• Quick focusing speed and high frame rate lets you capture more of action, though it seems when you press the shutter, for every 2 or 3 sounds it’s only ONE image taken. I’m not sure what the calculation is on that but the amount of clicks you hear isn’t the same amount of images it takes.
• Crop sensor = soft images. Even if it gives you more reach, what’s the point if the image isn’t sharp?
• If shooting a bird from far away and trying to crop in post, GOOD LUCK! Won’t get a decent image like 5D3.
• Colors not as vibrant

I haven’t been extremely impressed with 7D2. But I’m keeping it just because I need a backup body when I shoot portraits for clients. I’m now making a point to only use 7D2 for wildlife when I’m out during the day with great lighting conditions. Otherwise, if it’s an overcast day, or if I’m expecting to shoot birds from afar, or into dark places, I’ll use 5D3.

The bottom line – save a little more money and go with 5D3. I swear by this camera. You cannot go wrong. 🙂