Why is Canon 7D better than 60D?

[atcNick]

I'm looking to get a new camera for my wife for Christmas and I've narrowed my search down to the Canon 60D and the 7D. Everything I have read online and questions I have posted on non photography related forums suggests the 7D is the better choice. Maybe I'm over looking it but from my comparison on dpreview.com, but I dont see what's so much better about the 7D and what justifies the $600+ higher price tag over the 60D.

Any input would be appreciated to help me make a better choice.

A little background:
My wife has a Canon XS, that I'm going to take over when she gets her new camera. 95% of the pictures she takes is of our two kids, 18 month old and 3 year old. Mainly outdoors but also some indoor. I have also narrowed my lens search down to the Canon 24-70mm f2.8 L series.

Thanks in advance,

Nick

 

[Big Mike]

Welcome to the forum.

Choosing a camera body can be largely a personal choice...it may be best to let your wife choose between the two. I know, that would ruin the surprise...but it would be worse if she ends up not liking the one you picked.

I mention that because one of the biggest differences between the 60D & the 7D (and also how they are both different from her XS) is the size, weight and ergonomics of the body. The XS, is a rather small & light DSLR body. The 60D is larger with a somewhat different layout of controls, the 7D is bigger yet. The 7D has more metal alloy parts for the body/frame, where the other two use more plastic. Probably not an issue either way, but it's one reason why the 7D is more expensive.

The 7D has a very advanced AF system...the best you can get in a Canon camera unless you can spend $4000+. That may or may not be useful for the type of shooting she does. Well, it would be useful, but maybe not worth the extra money.

The 60D has an articulating screen...some like that, some don't.

Going back to the size & layout...your wife may be more comfortable with a smaller body. So she might prefer the 60D over the 7D. Heck, she might prefer a Rebel (T3i for example) over the 60D. Also, the 24-70mm F2.8 L lens, is very big and very heavy. It's nickname is 'The Brick'. That may not be an ideal choice for just taking photos of the kids.

 

[MLeeK]

What Mike said... plus: The 7D shoots faster fps. May or may not matter, but if you are thinking sports? it matters.Dual Processors in the 7d-which is what allows the faster FPS. Weather sealing on the 7D is better-which matters for outdoor shooters.
The viewfinder is 100% of the shot in the 7D as opposed to 95% in the 60d. Not really a big deal in 99.9% of situations.

 

[atcNick]

Thanks for the response guys.

Bigmike, why do you think that lens is the best choice? Is it the weight or other reasons?

Thanks,
Nick

 

[TheBiles]

The 7D has much better AF, a fantastic viewfinder, magnesium-alloy body that is partially weather sealed, and shoots much faster. I couldn't believe the jump in build quality from the plastic 60D to the wonderful 7D. Honestly, I'd get the 50D over the 60D if I wanted to save a few bucks.


--
Sent from my Droid Bionic.

 

[swampmonkey]

try this Canon 60D vs 7D

 

[Big Mike]

Thanks for the response guys.

Bigmike, why do you think that lens is the best choice? Is it the weight or other reasons?

Thanks,
Nick

Good to see that some others picked up a few of the points that I missed.

As for the lens, I would be hesitant to say that the 24-70mm F2.8 is the best choice. It is (can be) a great lens, certainly the workhorse for many pros, but I just think that if she (& you) are mainly shooting the kids...you may not want to grab a 4 lb camera & lens every time.

Also, I personally think that 24-70mm is an odd focal length range of these cameras. It's just not wide enough. For this type of camera (APS-C sensor) I prefer something in the 17-50mm range. Canon has a great 17-55mm F2.8 IS and there are also some good (& cheaper) options from Sigma & Tamron.

Even if you want the longer 24-70mm range, you might look at the Tamron 28-75mm F2.8. It's a well regarded lens, it's less than half the price of the 24-70mm Canon and it's about half the size & weight. Probably not 100% as good as the Canon...but pretty good, considering the price difference.

Again, since this (as you said) is for your wife...it should be for her to decide if the size & wight of a camera & lens are suitable for her.

 

[analog.universe]

I'll second the 17-55 f/2.8 IS recommendation. High quality optics and as mentioned, a much nicer range on an APS-C body, and it's stabilized (which isn't a necessity, but it's certainly nice to have).

I'll agree that ergonomics are very important as well, and she should probably play with the different options before you actually decide to buy something...

 

[Nikon_Josh]

All I can say is from a Nikon owners point of view, a 7D would make me consider a switch to Canon, a 60D wouldn't. The 7D really has so much to offer from the incredible build quality to the FPS. It was Canon's attempt at attacking the Nikon D300 and I think they did a pretty decent job, putting in a AF system that makes the 5D Mark II's autofocus system look like a complete joke. I'm pretty sure it doesn't have the shadow banding at low ISO that the 5D2 possesses aswell!