Upgrading camera

Aapoll · Oct 18, 2013

I have been using canon rebel T1I for about 4 years now give or take. I like the camera but I'm really starting to see its limitations. My biggest issue at the moment is only being able to take continuous shots for about 6-8 shots and then my camera says busy. I am missing what I think would be a great shot because of this. I press the button and nothing and then I pray it will work again before I miss the shot... Most times it doesn't. I don't get 6-8 continuous shots again for hours it's 1 or 2 then busy again. I feel like it's getting worst.

I was looking at upgrading and I was looking at the 7d. My question is, does this problem resolve with the higher end cameras or is there another accessory I should be looking for.

Juga · Oct 18, 2013

Can't speak to the 7D but I had that issue with my T4i. My 6D does not have that issue. I can shoot 4.5 continuously for about 15 full RAW files before it slows down and about 30 jpegs

The_Traveler · Oct 18, 2013

If you are heavily invested in glass, then an upgrade will make your life easier.

If you have only one or two crop-frame lenses and see more involvement in the future for you, try out the smaller bodies like m4/3. The path is much less expensive and the quality is terrific. (I shoot 8 or 9 frs on my Olympus OMD and love the form factor.)

Aapoll · Oct 18, 2013

Hmmm...I didn't even know the m4/3's even existed. Well I kinda did but never considered it. I live rural so a lot of things are over my head lol. Now I have more research to do, who doesn't like less expensive?! I am glad the 6d doesn't have that issue, so that gives me hope. I have been researching and researching for months. It's hard trying to decided on things to suit your needs. I also would like to purchase a studio setup eventually....It's never ending is it?

Juga · Oct 18, 2013

Addicting

D-B-J · Oct 18, 2013

Higher end camera's have bigger and faster buffers, as well as faster computing/writing speeds. The Nikon d4 can shoot something like 100 raw photos at 9 or 10 fps before it gets backed up. I don't know any of the abilities of the canon side, but I imagine it's the same.

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texkam · Oct 18, 2013

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you want a fast in-camera processor and a fast SD card. The 7D is now an older model and won't have Canon's fastest processor. Check your card's rating as well.

Juga · Oct 18, 2013

texkam said:
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you want a fast in-camera processor and a fast SD card. The 7D is now an older model and won't have Canon's fastest processor. Check your card's rating as well.

You're spot on Texkam. I literally just tested a 70D that I rented for a wedding tomorrow and it got to about 10 full raw before bogging down and about 40 jpegs.

Aapoll · Oct 18, 2013

I'm not sure what you wanna call it but that sounds about right. I want for my camera to not say BUSY at the exact moment I need to take a shot.

Aapoll · Oct 18, 2013

So what you're saying is I should look at buying one of the new models? Wouldn't the T4I have qualified as a newer model, or does it only apply to the higher end and not the entry level DSLR

lambertpix · Oct 18, 2013

Make sure you have a fast card, too. Your camera has some buffer memory that's always fast enough to store shots as fast as they're coming out of the camera. On the other end of that buffer, the camera is writing to your CF / SD card as fast as the card will allow. If your card is slow, the camera is filling up the buffer a lot faster than it's emptying it out. A faster card, though, will make the buffer appear to stretch further by emptying it more quickly.

An upgraded camera *may* also have a larger buffer, which also helps give you more continuous shots. Remember, though, with a slow card, you're going to be writing photos to the card for several seconds after you stop shooting, so your buffer won't really be empty for a while.

Finally, consider changing your continuous shooting technique. I've found my shooting changed from "spray and pray" to something more like a sequence of short bursts. Incidentally, this had more to do with not wanting to sort through three dozen identical pictures than it did buffer capacity issues. These days, I very rarely fill up my buffer. The last time I can remember actually running out of buffer and wanting more was this sequence, where I followed the wreck all the way down the front straight:

texkam · Oct 18, 2013

Look for the latest generation Digimarc processor. The T4i may have the same processor as the T5i. I think Canon's higher end camera models may be engineered for more speed than the Rebel line. Not sure without doing research. Look for a CAT10 SD card. I think they now list additional marketing specs regarding transfer speed.

Aapoll · Oct 18, 2013

Ok so this might be a silly question, but... how do you tell how fast your SD card is? and can older cards "slow" down? I like to take shots in bursts of about 5-6 shots when things are good just in case someone blinks or moves. If I try and do that say twice in a row with about 30 seconds in between the I have to wait a bit. So if someone does something cute or funny in that time I am SOL... plus the wait time in between every shot there after is insane. If it can be resolved some by a new SD card that would be awesome since I now have lots more research to do!

Bulb · Oct 18, 2013

It helps to think of digital pictures like water.

You can't grab water with your hands.
So you put water in a bucket (camera's buffer). The bucket is designed to be quick and convenient, but it can't hold much water.
This is what a water tower (SD card) is for. The water tower can hold an incredibly large amount of water
The water tower has a pump (the SD card's speed) which is used to pump water from the bucket to the tower.

So there are a few potential solutions to the problem:
1. Get a camera with a bigger buffer. It will take longer to fill your buffer, but it will also take longer for images to be moved to your SD card.
2. Get a faster SD card. Your buffer will still hold the same number of pictures, but they will be saved to the SD card even faster. A fast enough card could take images out of the buffer almost as fast as you put them in.
3. Change your shooting style or image quality setting. Probably the most inconvenient solution.

Unfortunately, there is one more variable to take into account: different cameras support different SD card speeds. The most important characteristic is its 'write speed' rated in MB/s. You can look up the maximum supported speed online or in the manual. A few online sources are saying that 6MB/s (class 6) is the maximum supported speed for the T1i. You can find out the speed of your card by looking on the front for a small circle with a number in it. That is the card's class which corresponds to a certain speed.