T3i vs. 7D Compare Image Quality

[Paul Cascio]

I'm thinking of picking up a T3i, either as a backup to my 7D, or as a replacement. What would I miss from the 7D?

Thanks

[Ger Griffin]

strictly in terms of IQ, the noise is more stormy/violent at higher isos on the t3i than on the 7d. but this is at very high iso values which one really shouldn't be up at anyway.
So at the correct settings the iq of any of the canon crops are so similar you wouldnt know which it was shot with by looking at the footage only.
The same cannot be said though for dynamic range of RAW stills. The 7d is slightly better with this on paper, and in practise/my experience much better.

All that being said, if you bring magic lantern on the t3i into the equation it basically beats the crap out of the 7d. So many good useable features. Auto restart, magic zoom (an enlargement of the lcd in a little box to aid with focus)etc.
The newest and greatest feature for me now is setting the lcd to turn off automatically when not recording after 3 seconds of being idle. Its a lifesaver that all video cameras should have. It eliminates the chance of thinking you are recording when you arent. When the screen goes in powersave after 3 seconds , its clear you arent recording. The nearest to that with the 7d is auto turn off after 30 seconds.

In terms of video, I really cant see you missing anything from the 7d

[Jon Onstot]

I echo Ger Griffin's comments. I bought a 7d to replace my T2i and thought I'd sell the T2i - before I loaded Magic Lantern onto it. Boy, what a difference that made! I can guarantee that you'll relegate your 7d to stills only, once you see the added features Magic Lantern "magically" adds to the T2i.

[James Donnelly]

Originally Posted by Jon Onstot

I echo Ger Griffin's comments. I bought a 7d to replace my T2i and thought I'd sell the T2i - before I loaded Magic Lantern onto it. Boy, what a difference that made! I can guarantee that you'll relegate your 7d to stills only, once you see the added features Magic Lantern "magically" adds to the T2i.

Originally Posted by Ger Griffin

strictly in terms of IQ, the noise is more stormy/violent at higher isos on the t3i than on the 7d. but this is at very high iso values which one really shouldn't be up at anyway.
So at the correct settings the iq of any of the canon crops are so similar you wouldnt know which it was shot with by looking at the footage only.
The same cannot be said though for dynamic range of RAW stills. The 7d is slightly better with this on paper, and in practise/my experience much better.

All that being said, if you bring magic lantern on the t3i into the equation it basically beats the crap out of the 7d. So many good useable features. Auto restart, magic zoom (an enlargement of the lcd in a little box to aid with focus)etc.
The newest and greatest feature for me now is setting the lcd to turn off automatically when not recording after 3 seconds of being idle. Its a lifesaver that all video cameras should have. It eliminates the chance of thinking you are recording when you arent. When the screen goes in powersave after 3 seconds , its clear you arent recording. The nearest to that with the 7d is auto turn off after 30 seconds.

In terms of video, I really cant see you missing anything from the 7d

A quick check of test results at DxOMark seems to correlate with your statements:

DxOMark - Compare cameras side by side

What I don't understand is, what are the factors involved? Don't these (and the 550d) cameras have the same sensor and DIGIC? I know the 7d has two DIGICs, but I don't see how that would impact sensor performance.

[Kin Lau]

I wonder if the high-iso noise might be due to the T3i having different noise-reduction, sharpening and colour saturation defaults. The Rebel series has always had different default settings from the xxD/prosumer models, to reflect the intended audience.

[Ger Griffin]

I honestly dont know why. Maybe you are right Kin but to me it doesnt seem to be anything related to settings, but much more deep rooted in the sensor quality. I do know what I know from using both cameras on a regular basis. I often wondered how and why there is such a difference, particularly with dynamic range on RAW stills. And its strange because it has never really been used as a selling point for the 7d over the others.

The assumption is that they are all the same & those higher figures on dynamic range may seem slight, but I can honestly say they are very noticeable when translated to real world use.

[Ger Griffin]

double post