Railfan Technology > Up grade to an Canon Intermediate DSLR camera

Need input . I now have a Canon Rebel T1i . Looking to up grade to an Canon Intermediate DSLR camera . Need a good auto focusing and good continuous shooting. I now have a EF24-105 mm f/4L lens and buying a EF70-200mm or a EF 100-400 f4.5-5.6L lens. railfan) in yards and

I upgraded from a basic rebel to an EOS 70D - absolutely love it. 7 frames per second is great, reliable autofocus too. The 80D is very similar and slightly newer with even better focusing I think... I think I wouldn't be exaggerating to say I don't think I've missed a shot in the 3 years I've had it.
I really like the electronic level in the viewfinder also, so shots need minimal post-processing to get verticals vertical etc., a really good feature for me.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/10/18 07:39 by exhaustED.

Both the 70D and 80D are fine image makers. You can read the reviews at www.dpreview.com. The Canon Store frequently has good prices on "refurbs" that have the usual Canon warrantee. Those and other bargains can be found at www.cononpricewatch.com. The Canon Store will charge state sales tax, so that has to be figgered into the total price. Other prices from authorized dealers don't require sales tax to be paid.

I used the Canon 50D until I went full frame a few years ago with a 5DMkIII. I was very happy with the camera and I suspect the 70D or 80D are much improved over the 50D. I have all three lenses you mention. I use the 100-400 primarily for wildlife and aircraft. The 70-200 will act like a 112-320 because of the crop factor in the sensor. It might be all you need unless you are partial to really long telephoto shots. Keep in mind that the 100-400 is one and a half to two stops slower than the 70-200. In hot whether you also need to watch for heat waves radiating off the railhead causing distortion at the longest focal length in the 100-400. Both are tack sharp and weigh about the same. You won't go wrong with either.

Jim

Results here on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/28053622@N05/



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/10/18 13:03 by JayK.

I had the Rebel for a few years but upgraded to the 70D and have not had any regrets. Oh sure, I'd love to have a full frame camera but I don't shoot professional and can't justify the added cost. The low light performance is great and the autofocus is usually right on. I've missed a few shots due to focus but usually on a rapidly moving subject or occasionally looking directly into the headlights of an oncoming locomotive. For a cropped frame sensor, the noise level in low lighting situations is remarkably good. I have a 10-18mm wide angle, the standard 18-55mm, a 55-300mm, and recently I got a 150-600mm telephoto. You really have to be aware of heat waves with the telephotos.

I would recommend the 70D in your situation, or possibly the 80D. I have no experience with the 80D but I understand that it has several updates and upgrades.

John

My original Canon was a T3i I retired last year and bought a T6s. I'm very happy with it.I also shoot with a full frame 5D MkII. I've had very good results with both. One thing abut shooting a crop sensor camera is that it gives you the equivalent of a teleconverter without losing a couple of f stops. The conversion is 1.6 so if you shoot with your 100 - 400 mm lens, it gives you the equivalent of a 640 mm lens. Just my $0.02 worth...

James Nelson
Thornton, CO
www.flickr.com/mojaveflyer

mojaveflyer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My original Canon was a T3i I retired last year
> and bought a T6s. I'm very happy with it.I also
> shoot with a full frame 5D MkII. I've had very
> good results with both. One thing abut shooting a
> crop sensor camera is that it gives you the
> equivalent of a teleconverter without losing a
> couple of f stops. The conversion is 1.6 so if you
> shoot with your 100 - 400 mm lens, it gives you
> the equivalent of a 640 mm lens. Just my $0.02
> worth...

I'd second this viewpoint. For most railroad photography, depending on what exactly you photograph, the extra 'reach' from a APS-C/crop sensor will be much more useful than a bigger, bulkier full frame camera whose image quality is essentially no better than APS-C, unless you pixel-peep at high magnifications.

Before you spend your money, I'd suggest looking at the Canon 6D...I'm old-fashioned and like the full-frame, because I like wide angle lenses. The new 6D won't set you back as much as the 5DmkIII, and it's been a great camera for me...I started in digital with a 5D and it's now my backup.

I'm looking at the new 11-24 zoom to add to my arsenal, so I need that full-frame. I do, however, contemplate shooting more grandkid sports events, etc in the next few years and may buy one of the cropped-frame cameras as a second body to give some additional muscle to my telephotos.

Don't know where you live, but if you have a Canon Learning Center nearby, suggest you stop by and put your hands on everything they have before buying. Good, solid advice from experts there.

Here's a shot I did last fall of engineer Max Wipperman running the D&NE #28 on the North Shoer Scenic in Minnesota...17mm rectilinear wide angle zoom. Wide angles are great people lenses and handy to have as a "train riding lens..." Can't get rectilinear wide angle lenses for cropped-sensor cameras.

The second shot is with a 14mm while riding a dome car up the coast a few years back.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/18 15:36 by Alco251.

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