My upgrade to a 7D!!!!

[Homer]

Hey guys and girls!

My lovely wife let me upgrade yesterday from the 450D that I have had for a few years to the 7D!!

So can anyone share any tips that will help me with the transition? I am planning on keeping the 450D which was probably going to have the nifty fifty on it pretty much all the time, and I'll have the 70-250 on the 7D that came with the 450 when I bought it, until I purchase better lenses.... or would it be better to switch those lenses?

Anyways, any tips are greatly appreciated

[fjoe45]

As an owner of a 500D I cant offer any help. You must be pleased to be able to upgrade to the 7D, I bet you will enjoy using it.

Joe.

[Homer]

Yeah Joe I am very pleased my wife let me marry her lol! He he he

Am loving the camera, quite a steep learning curve though...

Swiped on my Gnex

[Karl]

Anyways, any tips are greatly appreciated

Yes - read the manual or buy one of the many 'How to use' books on the 7D - such as the Magic Lantern ones - to really understand the camera. I too upgraded from the 450D and it is a steep learning curve - and then practice, practice and more practice.

Karl

[Mark L]

The new camera will be to steep a learning curve for you. I suggest that you PM me so that we can organise swapping it with my 60D.
Enjoy your practice.

[Arg]

I don't know what budget your lovely wife let you put aside, but for $1600-$1700 (if you shop wisely using the official sponsor ads on this website) you can get the 7D with the Canon 15-85mm IS lens attached, as a kit. This is a pretty high grade lens and shuold get you pretty excited, photographically.

But my #1 equipment tip to anyone getting into dslr world, to make a big improvement to image quality, is to get a hotshoe flash with a swivel head. The Canon 430 is excellent and affordable, the Nissin equivalent is cheaper.

[Homer]

Karl, thanks for the tip, I have been looking at a few books and will decide which one soon.

Mark, ummmmmm....... no! lol hehe thanks mate

Arg, thanks for the tip regarding the kit, but I have it now anyways so I'll just have to save a bit more so I can upgrade from the 450D kit lenses. Regarding the flash, I purchased a Yongnuo 565EX a couple months ago and have been very happy with it sitting on the 450D. I used the combination the other night at my mum's 60th party and the images look pretty good. I am looking forward to trying out the flash wirelessly.

[rbat]

Very exciting news for you. I have a 450D and that is probably the way I will go in the future also. Have a great play and enjoy the new learning you are about to do.

[Lantern]

I've done the same upgrade this year. The biggest thing to learn is the focussing system. It is so far different from the 450d. I recommend putting a few thousand actuations through it to learn.

[agb]

First thing is to register the spot focus points, why they are not set up initially I don't know. Then I have used some of the recommendations given in this http://www.deepgreenphotography.com/...-new-canon-7d/ article.
I use back button focus set up on the AE lock button(*), and the only time I find this inconvenient is if I am trying to hold the camera and focus with one hand while holding a flash in the other, say for macro work, and then I put the focus back on the trigger.