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So, what camera for indoor basketball?

  • Canon 6D

    Votes: 1 4.3%
  • Canon 5D Mark II

    Votes: 2 8.7%
  • Canon 1D Mark III

    Votes: 7 30.4%
  • Canon 7D

    Votes: 13 56.5%
  • Other - post in comments :)

    Votes: 3 13.0%

  • Total voters
    23

mrcowdude20

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 11, 2011
173
0
Philadelphia, PA
Hi,

WHAT I SHOOT
I currently shoot and will continue to shoot indoor basketball. I also shoot family get togethers with a flash.

WHAT I HAVE
- 70-200 2.8
- 50 1.4
- T3

WHAT I AM CONSIDERING
I am considering the 6D, 7D, 1D Mk. 3, 5D Mk. 2

WHAT I NEED
- Better ISO performance (right now I dislike to shoot at 1600 ISO on the T3.
- Better frame rate then the 3 FPS from the T3

ANYTHING ELSE?
What camera should I invest in? I will be buying used, and the 5D Mk. 3 is just out of my budget. I love the 1D's bigger body and frame rate, but I am unsure about how 3200 ISO will hold up. I like the 6D's megapixel's and ISO, but I don't like the 4.5 FPS. The 7D is also a consideration, although I don't really know why other then it is in my budget ($1,100 used). The 5D Mk. 2 is a good camera, but unsure about 3200 ISO, and the FPS.

Thanks,
Bryce
 

MCAsan

macrumors 601
Jul 9, 2012
4,587
442
Atlanta
You need high ISO handling and high FPS to shoot action indoors. The obvious choices are 1DX, 5DIII, followed by 7D.
 

mrcowdude20

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 11, 2011
173
0
Philadelphia, PA
You need high ISO handling and high FPS to shoot action indoors. The obvious choices are 1DX, 5DIII, followed by 7D.

Not trying to be an a**, but the 1DX, 5D Mk. III are not listed in the poll. I would certainly hope that you looked at my post to help me decide. I realize that some people can buy whatever, but I like to take my time and decide what is best.

I know that I need high ISO and high FPS. I get that. I said that in my first post. That proves to me that you did not read the post.

Perhaps instead of listing $7,000 bodies, you could actually support why you think the 7D is right for me.

I hope one day I can be as smart as you.
 

Bear

macrumors G3
Jul 23, 2002
8,088
5
Sol III - Terra
...
WHAT I NEED
- Better ISO performance (right now I dislike to shoot at 1600 ISO on the T3.
- Better frame rate then the 3 FPS from the T3
...
Based on that, the 7D seems like the best choice.

One of the things you should also consider is how many frames continuous you can shoot before the buffer fills up, especially if you are shooting raw.
 

Designer Dale

macrumors 68040
Mar 25, 2009
3,950
100
Folding space
Not trying to be an a**, but the 1DX, 5D Mk. III are not listed in the poll. I would certainly hope that you looked at my post to help me decide. I realize that some people can buy whatever, but I like to take my time and decide what is best.

I know that I need high ISO and high FPS. I get that. I said that in my first post. That proves to me that you did not read the post.

Perhaps instead of listing $7,000 bodies, you could actually support why you think the 7D is right for me.

I hope one day I can be as smart as you.

Expect off topic responses, it's the Internet. Talk like this won't get you much help. I say sell all your stuff and get season Lakers tickets.

Dale
 

OreoCookie

macrumors 68030
Apr 14, 2001
2,727
90
Sendai, Japan
One thing you're missing is good AF performance which immediately excludes the 5D Mark II. I reckon the best bets are either the 70D or the 7D. Even the 70D shoots at 7 frames per second and features a sophisticated AF with 19 cross-type AF points. It also has a much more modern sensor than the 7D. Seeing as you shoot sports, using a crop sensor is actually an advantage, so also for that reason I'd use the money you save for something else (instead of buying a body with a full frame sensor).
 

mrcowdude20

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 11, 2011
173
0
Philadelphia, PA
Expect off topic responses, it's the Internet. Talk like this won't get you much help. I say sell all your stuff and get season Lakers tickets.

Dale

And I realize this. I guess I thought that people would actually read the post and find that I have a $1,100 budget - excluding the 1DX. I further go on and say that I cannot afford the 5D3 although I would love it.

And to the Lakers tickets, I think I'll pass. :p

Now I have an honest question for you - Was it really necessary to comment what you said?

----------

One thing you're missing is good AF performance which immediately excludes the 5D Mark II. I reckon the best bets are either the 70D or the 7D. Even the 70D shoots at 7 frames per second and features a sophisticated AF with 19 cross-type AF points. It also has a much more modern sensor than the 7D. Seeing as you shoot sports, using a crop sensor is actually an advantage, so also for that reason I'd use the money you save for something else (instead of buying a body with a full frame sensor).

I agree that the 5D2 should be excluded. I like the 7D, it is just that I've heard some bad things about it.

Thanks for your post!
 

MCAsan

macrumors 601
Jul 9, 2012
4,587
442
Atlanta
Not trying to be an a**, but the 1DX, 5D Mk. III are not listed in the poll.

I never said they were.

I would certainly hope that you looked at my post to help me decide.
I certainly did otherwise I would not have made comments.

I realize that some people can buy whatever, but I like to take my time and decide what is best.
I wish I were one of them. I am dang lucky to have 7D and 5D3.


I know that I need high ISO and high FPS. I get that. I said that in my first post. That proves to me that you did not read the post.

On the contrary, it is the basis for recommending 7D as it is the 3rd best Canon body for your task...and the only one you listed.

Perhaps instead of listing $7,000 bodies, you could actually support why you think the 7D is right for me.

As I stated...you need high ISO handling and high FPS. Only 1DX, 5DIII, and 7D fulfill those requirements.

I hope one day I can be as smart as you.
I am just a foolish old retiree who tried to share an opinion, and obviously failed. My bad.
 

ocabj

macrumors 6502a
Jul 2, 2009
548
202
7D. Really fast AF (see zone AF) plus crop factor.

Tolerate the high ISO noise with minor post-processing (noise reduction).
 

puckhead193

macrumors G3
May 25, 2004
9,570
852
NY
what is your intended purpose of these photos that your taking? Are they going in the local paper? Sports Illustrated? School paper? Is this high school level? NBA? College?

I can't really comment on Canon as I shoot Nikon, but high ISO performance will come into play.
 

ChrisA

macrumors G5
Jan 5, 2006
12,560
1,671
Redondo Beach, California
I know that I need high ISO and high FPS. I get that. I said that in my first post. That proves to me that you did not read the post.

So basically you want something but don't want to pay for it and want all of us to say the cheap option works fine when it doesn't.

Actually the cheap options works fine. For proof go look at back issues of Sport Illustrated. It does not matter how far back you go. Even into the 1980's vintage issues when they were using film, the images are still good.

When you find yourself saying "if only I have better gear,..."
 

mrcowdude20

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 11, 2011
173
0
Philadelphia, PA
I never said they were.


I certainly did otherwise I would not have made comments.


I wish I were one of them. I am dang lucky to have 7D and 5D3.




On the contrary, it is the basis for recommending 7D as it is the 3rd best Canon body for your task...and the only one you listed.



As I stated...you need high ISO handling and high FPS. Only 1DX, 5DIII, and 7D fulfill those requirements.


I am just a foolish old retiree who tried to share an opinion, and obviously failed. My bad.

No, no. I agree with everything you said. I guess in the first post it seemed like you restated what I said and did not fully explain what the 1Dx, 5D3 and 7D stood for.

I do not like to argue, expecially with the Holidays around. I thank you for your post and your time to comment. I sure hope you do not hate me, as I do not hate you.

BTW, congrats on being retired. It takes a lot of work to get there :).

Thanks again,
Bryce

----------

what is your intended purpose of these photos that your taking? Are they going in the local paper? Sports Illustrated? School paper? Is this high school level? NBA? College?

I can't really comment on Canon as I shoot Nikon, but high ISO performance will come into play.

Thanks for your comment. I am just posting them online and will start printing them and selling them to parents. This is high school right now.

So basically you want something but don't want to pay for it and want all of us to say the cheap option works fine when it doesn't.
When you find yourself saying "if only I have better gear,..."

I'd rather spend $50,000 for a reliable car then spend $30,000 every year on a piece of junk car.

And that is exactly why I came here - I want to know if something cheap will break or will fail to meet my expectations. I'd rather buy a camera that will work then one that will work. Wouldn't you?

Again, I am only asking because I don't want to be saying that - I want to get the best equipment for my needs, so I do not loose money buy selling and buying again.
 

AlaskaMoose

macrumors 68040
Apr 26, 2008
3,503
13,361
Alaska
Hi,

WHAT I SHOOT
I currently shoot and will continue to shoot indoor basketball. I also shoot family get togethers with a flash.

WHAT I HAVE
- 70-200 2.8
- 50 1.4
- T3

WHAT I AM CONSIDERING
I am considering the 6D, 7D, 1D Mk. 3, 5D Mk. 2

WHAT I NEED
- Better ISO performance (right now I dislike to shoot at 1600 ISO on the T3.
- Better frame rate then the 3 FPS from the T3

ANYTHING ELSE?
What camera should I invest in? I will be buying used, and the 5D Mk. 3 is just out of my budget. I love the 1D's bigger body and frame rate, but I am unsure about how 3200 ISO will hold up. I like the 6D's megapixel's and ISO, but I don't like the 4.5 FPS. The 7D is also a consideration, although I don't really know why other then it is in my budget ($1,100 used). The 5D Mk. 2 is a good camera, but unsure about 3200 ISO, and the FPS.

Thanks,
Bryce

While the 7D has quite a good focusing system, it can't compare to the 5DIII relating to high ISO/low noise photography. But you may need a longer and faster lens for it.

I have a 7D and 5DII, but vote on this poll is for the 5DIII.
 

rebby

macrumors 6502
Nov 19, 2008
311
1
MN
Based on your poll options, I'd go w/either 1d Mk III or the 7d. When shooting sports, I want 4 things; a high frame rate (8+ fps), good/great AF performance, ability to shoot at high ISO (ideally 6400+, at least 3200), and fast settings adjustment (especially focus points).

I own a 5d II and although the high ISO performance is pretty good, the AF performance and the frame rate is lacking. For that reason, I never use the 5d II when I go to the gym (or even the ball field).

The 6d, although a great camera, does not have the "joystick" multi-controller. I've become so accustomed to having this control that the lack of it has become a complete deal breaker for me. I love being able to use the multi-controller to change focus points on the fly and would be totally lost without it. For this reason alone the x0d series (ie; 70d) and 6d have never made the cut when I've been buying camera bodies.

The 7d is a great camera body and, actually, is usually my go-to sports body. I've owned a 7d since they were first released and the only complaint that I've ever had with it is the high ISO performance. Out of the camera, when shooting at ISO 6400, the camera does exhibit noticeable noise. Nik Dfine and the Photoshop CS6 RAW converter (noise reduction component) have become my greatest alley in these situations. If I can, I try to keep ISO at 3200 when shooting w/the 7d but some gyms just don't allow this (FWIW, I step my ISO in full stops... I don't like my camera body pushing exposure one way or another to produce the fractional ISO stops. I can do this in Aperture and/or PS). The 8fps of the 7d is awesome (I use a Lexar Pro 1000x UDMA7 card and it keeps up nicely) and the AI SERVO focus system works great as well. Overall this body has served me well.

I think that the 1d Mk III would be an excellent choice as well. If I only had one camera body and it was between the 1d Mk III and the 7d, I might lean toward the Mk III. The Mk III has a 1.3x sensor as opposed to the 1.6x that you'll find in the 7d. This would be an advantage for me as the 1.6x is a little "long" for my 70-200 2.8 IS II lens in small gyms. I would also expect the Mk III to exhibit less noise since your individual pixels on the sensor are quite a bit larger (10.1mp on a 1.3x vs 18mp on a 1.6x). You can also push the ISO to 6400 with expansion so you'd be at least on par w/the 7d here (although the 7d will go to 12800 w/expansion it gets really noisy so I seldom use it). The Mk III will also fire 10fps and has dual memory slots (a big perk if you ask me). On the other hand the Mk III sports dual Digic III processors vs the dual Digic IV on the 7d which might give a slight speed advantage to the 7d. Without having the two bodies side by side though, I don't know if this would be perceivable or not.

I think that the biggest reason that I own a 7d instead of a 1d or 1ds is that I also own a 5d II and 5d III (and XSi). Being able to share batteries has been a big advantage for me and the 3 bodies actually compliment one another very well. The 5d III has proven to be a great sports performer as well. The FF sensor and super high ISO performance of the 5d III has more than justified the slower frame rate (compared to the 7d) in quite a few situations (the aforementioned small dark gyms especially). However the 5d III is significantly more expensive so, unfortunately, not an option for you at this time (although it will be well worth it to keep an eye on the used market, in a year or twos time, who knows?). I've strongly considered swapping on my 7d/5d III combo for a 1d X but doing so would bring another battery type into the equation which is something that I want to avoid (when we go hiking my wife will carry the 5d II so the LP-E6 is here to stay even if I upgrade my bodies).

Anyway, in your situation I think that you'd be more than satisfied with either the 7d or the 1d III. Based on your lenses however, the 1.3x sensor in the 1d III may prove to be a great advantage in small gyms (although conversely a disadvantage on a large field, which you didn't mention that you do). The 1.3x will also be an advantage for family shots when you tend to want to shoot wider. On the used market, the 1d series bodies are NEVER a bad buy either. In the end, I guess that I'd lean towards the 1d III. Find one that has been taken care of and has a decent shutter count (<150k) and you should be good to go. I bet that if you scour POTN for a few weeks, you'll have no issue finding one that will be exactly what you're looking for.
 

Designer Dale

macrumors 68040
Mar 25, 2009
3,950
100
Folding space
I don't shoot sports, but I do shoot wildlife and auto racing and the demands are similar. I have the 7D and it does a fine job. The autofocus is crisp and fast and it can handle low light situations very well. I was able to move the ISO up to 600-800 without too much compromise. The crop factor on the body gives you extra reach on lenses, and that's a nice thing. I shot drag races last Summer and was able to leave my 120-400 at home and use my 100 with good results from the stands. All in all, I think it's the best all around camera canon has on the market today. I thought about full frame cameras when I did my upgrade, but they just didn't make sense for what I use a camera for.

Dale
 

TheReef

macrumors 68000
Sep 30, 2007
1,888
167
NSW, Australia.
As recommended by the others, the 7D seems to be the most suitable option for your situation.

Despite it's age, the AF and speed of my 40D is, to me, extremely quick.
The 7D (imo the successor to the 50D) would be an improvement on this with better IQ and even higher fps.
Focus locks almost instantly with either a 200 or 400 prime on my 40D, I'd imagine your 70-200 to be of similar performance.

As mentioned, I'd discount the 5D II.
I once compared one to my 40D and the difference was significant in use, a lot of hunting in lower contrast situations. For indoor basketball I think the 5D II will struggle.
 

someoldguy

macrumors 68030
Aug 2, 2009
2,741
13,229
usa
Given your criteria , the 7D seems like the best of your choices . Don't think you'll find a good 6D in your price range , same with the 5D2 , which has a pretty slow frame rate for sports . The 1D3 is older than the others , has less resolution than what you've got now , lower native top ISO (3200) only thing it's got going for it is the 10fps . It's also a pro body which increases the likelihood of it''s being beat up on .
Just out of curiosity , Why not a 70D ? I know it's not on your list but it's got the frame rate of the 7D ,newer electronics , and if you look around , you might be able to pick one up new , as a bare body , for under your limit .
 

compuwar

macrumors 601
Oct 5, 2006
4,717
2
Northern/Central VA

mrcowdude20

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 11, 2011
173
0
Philadelphia, PA

Noctilux.95

macrumors 6502a
Jan 20, 2010
556
354
LA
No, I do not want to nor am I allowed to use strobes.

Currently I shoot with two 5D-3s, 1DX, and a 6D, with previous ownership of multiple 5D-2's, 7D, plus many other Canon DSLR's.
For your budget the 1D3 would be without a doubt the best camera for low light action and can do better AF in low light (including servo), and better high ISO than the 7D.
You can find excellent condition ones under $1,000.
 

mtbdudex

macrumors 68030
Aug 28, 2007
2,669
4,113
SE Michigan
since a 4 month old thread was brought "back", which body did you end up getting?
fwiw I voted 7d and "other", namely 70D as a consideration.....
 
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