You know what the problem is shooting a sport you like, specially a team you like? You get drawn into the game, rather than shooting the game. I’ve been doing well though, in the start I averaged about 200 shots for an entire game. Last night at the Stony Brook vs. Hofstra game I shot just over 1000 images. You knew there was a but coming right? Yeah, I missed the a fumble in the end zone that would have tied the game with less than 5 minutes to go. The referee was also busy with butterfly or something because he missed the call too, as it should have been a touch down.
It was a good game, but I can say that my feet hurt afterwards. The extra 20 lbs bag on my back also didn’t help, I should have packed less. Backuup bodies, lenses, extra water, everything you could think of was in there.
The answer at this point (without actually touching the new body) is a “Yes”.
- 8+ FPS – This is the same as the 1D Mark II, and 1D Mark IIN pro bodies.
- Very Fast AF – 7D has a dedicated chip for AF, again same as all 1D pro bodies.
- Cost: $1699 List Price, vs. Who know how much for the 1D Mark IV. (5D Mark II is selling for more than $2700, figure we’re looking at $4000 easily for the new 1D)
What it is lacking:
- 45 Point AF System – we only have 19 AF points. But is this a big deal? Not really. 95% of the time you’re using the Center AF point because that’s the only one that is tack sharp. The rest are still sharp, but relatively to the center point, not as much.
- Sealed Body – Oh this is a life saver at times, but then again that’s because I’m too lazy to pull out the Hyperphoic protection from thinktank.
- Battery – Ok this is almost a deal breaker. On a 1D Mark II battery (a generation old) I can go with over 7000 shots without even looking at the battery charge. Yes, that’s not even the max, I don’t think I’ve ever run any of my batteries down 100% on any single shoot. I’ve actually covered 3 games in a row over 4000 shots with the battery only 50% used. I also use Lens IS 99% of the time in sports, (Mode 2). So, what is the power run of the 7D? No idea, but a grip is going to be needed (Most sports are shot in vertical anyway, so need the button). We’ll have to wait and see. Anyone remember the 5D Mark II Battery fiasco?