Need Upgrade Advice

[inspired]

I need help! I'm upgrading from a Canon Rebel to ???? I am thinking a Canon 7D or 5D? Any suggestions!

 

[Dao]

You may need to determine why you want to upgrade first. In what way the current camera can't do what you want to do. Once you know those limitations, choose the camera that fit your need. To be honest with you, I do not think anyone can help you on this since we do not know what you need.

 

[inspired]

I started out a year ago and people are starting to recognize my work. I am a amateur portrait photographer. I've done several shoots already and have a couple scheduled. I've done additional research on upgrading and need to invest in a couple of lenses. However, at the same time, I think I need to upgrade the camera as well. I need the ability to shoot in lower light. I also need to be able to print large photos. Currently, I use a Rebel XS.

 

[tyler_h]

You've picked the standard couple people choose from next, 7D vs 5DII.

For portraiture, the 5DII would be the more logical choice to me.

That being said, I'd upgrade lenses before your body and you haven't mentioned what you have atm.
85 f/1.8 or f/1.2 or 70-200 f/2.8 (any variation; IS prob wouldnt be too important) - something along these lines probably comes first as fairly standard portrait lenses but that depends on your shooting style.

Any additional comments are dependent on what lenses you already have / what style you shoot in mainly...

 

[inspired]

I currently have 50mm f/1.8 and rent the 85 f/1.8. In the next couple of months, I am going to purchase the 85mm and the 20-74 f/2.8 thanks to my husband. The majority of my work is on location.

 

[Dao]

For portraiture, I will go with a full frame camera such as the 5D MKII instead of the 7D. One of the main reason is with the same framing, the out of focus blur type background looks more blur in larger sensor camera (or film). And the better noise handling in 5D MKII helps in some situations as well.

 

[Derrel]

People work is easier to shoot with a full-frame camera. And in my opinion, FF people work looks "better" and more professional. More traditional. Better selective focus, especially when you're forced to shoot in bright sunlight. Lenses perform as they were designed to do on FF; a 50mm is considered a very short telephoto (by Canon itself), and the 85mm 1.8 is also a telephoto. Take the 85mm lens for example: with a 1.6x Canon 7D, you must stand about 34 feet away in order to frame a six foot tall standing subject, and at that DISTANCE on the SMALL format camera, the depth of field is great enough that the background will compete for attention with the subject. With a 5D or 5D-II, the same 85mm lens will allow you to shoot the same six foot tall standing person, but from only 20 feet away! At that CLOSER range, with a 2.3x LARGER format, the depth of field behind the subject is significantly shallower.

The same situation exists indoors, using wide-angle focal lengths, only worse. You really want a FF camera for people work.

 

[tyler_h]

I currently have 50mm f/1.8 and rent the 85 f/1.8. In the next couple of months, I am going to purchase the 85mm and the 20-74 f/2.8 thanks to my husband. The majority of my work is on location.

Then since it seems you'll have the money I'd say go the 5DII. If you weren't going to be able to get some nice lenses shortly I'd say 7D so you invest in lenses.
On location says more varied to me. 24-70 f/2.8 might pair well with a 70-200 f/2.8 to have a bit more reach / shallower DoF and more perspective compression that seems to go hand in hand with portraiture. IS on the 70-200 won't be useful so you could get a used Mark I for a reasonable price.