UKC

Hello! I've currently got a sony A57 which I'm kind of kicking myself for now as I've decided to get some pro glass for a trip to Australia in October but the Zeiss stuff is crazy expensive and not all weather sealed.

Apart from the trip to Oz I will be mainly using for climbing and mountain biking, so I'm after a weather proof body and a good selection of weather resistant lenses.

But do I go Canon 7d and the great range of L lenses or Nikon 7000 (cheaper) with a good selection of lenses but maybe not the same weather sealing, or the final nail in the coffin, a D7100 which is a bit out the budget?

In reply to madyarra:

This rating site gives it a tie:
http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon_EOS_7D-vs-Nikon_D7000

Not used either camera but you could consider hiring them to get a feel for which one you prefer, before you commit.

Id choose the Canon.

In reply to madyarra: Bear in mind none of the normal long L-lenses are designed for crop cameras which means lenses are much bigger and focal lengths aren't perfect. The 24-105 works pretty well on a crop but the wide angle is a bit lacking. A 6D would be better in many ways when paired up with the shorter L lenses.

If weather sealing the main priority then a pentax wouldn't be a bad idea to think about.

In reply to madyarra:

Are you really likely to MTB with a SLR? Good on ya.

In reply to madyarra: 7D is a good workhorse, and you can get a decent price on a second-hand one now. Crop factor as Hannes mentioned is worth bearing in mind, but I'm still perfectly happy using my L lenses on my 50D when I need to - you just need to bear the conversion in mind (and sometimes that extra reach will come in handy too). If you're buying L lenses then they'll outlive whatever body you go for anyway, and at least if you upgrade to full frame later on they'll work, rather than the other way round where their cropped (EF-S) lenses become useless (unless you REALLY like a vignette!). If you were thinking of paying full price for a new 7D, a second hand 5D2 might be worth a look as well - quite a few of those around at the moment now the mk3 has come out.

Have you looked at Pentax? Weather sealed bodies as standard and a good range of lenses to go with them.