Review Canon EOS 7D

Enough Bells and Whistles to Put the 5D Mark II to Shame But How Is Image Quality?

Review Canon EOS 7D (March 2011)

Do you tend to wait for 6 months to a year before jumping into buying a new DSLR after it has been released? I do most of the time. This allows ample time for the "dust to settle" and for any alterations and necessary firmware updates to be implemented. I waited just over a year before buying the Canon EOS 7D and here are my findings so far…

With the wedding season coming up, I thought it time to finally resign my old Canon EOS 5D to the back-ups "back up" shelf in my office. It has served me extremely well but it is time to move on.

Rather than shelling out for another 5D Mark II, my main camera of choice for weddings et al, I read as many reviews on the Canon EOS 7D as I could before finally making the decision to buy it. Buy it I did.

The reviews seemed favourable from what I could see. Coming from a long line of reliable Canon cameras that I have owned in the past (10D, 20D, 1D Mark II/III) I looked forward to receiving my new toy. I chose the 7D purposely for the cropped sensor. Something I never thought I would do after using full frame. I will primarily use it for stealth/reportage shots at weddings with the Canon EF 70-200L 2.8 IS and the odd bit of video (quite a lot actually).

First impressions

So, I bought the camera through Amazon for what I think is a great price compared to the price on its release. I waited a whopping 2 days for it to arrive. Here are my first impressions immediately after taking the Canon EOS 7D out of the box when it arrived.

Before we dive in, here are the:

Main features of the Canon EOS 7D

Ok, I am not going to list all the functions, features, specs, operations, button functions of the DSLR etc. I will leave that to other people who have more time than me : )

What I will do is give you my impressions, thoughts, results and overall conclusion after using the camera from a professional photographers' point of view. Not a reviewer.

Review Canon EOS 7D: Body

As I said before, there was a noticeable difference, and improvement IMO to the feel and shape of this camera. Something I can't quite explain but would recommend you get one in your hands if you can.

If you are a Canon shooter, you will hopefully see what I mean. Canon have improved the weather sealing and are comparing it to the equivalent of the sturdy Canon EOS 1N launched way back in 1994.

 I will only test this out only when fully necessary but I was in light rain photographing my son's football match at the weekend with no bother.

As well as the weather sealing, it has new toughened seams on the magnesium body. All round, very good indeed!

Buttons and Layout

Let's start with the top.

All pre-defined (and in my opinion, totally useless) settings such as "sports, close up, landscape, portrait" have been removed from the top left settings dial. All you have now are the main favourites:

I must admit, the "little green square" (full auto) is still there which some people may find useful. Mostly for "getting out of dodge" when you simply can't think quickly enough. It's on the 5D Mark II as well so was to be expected.

ON-OFF

Just to the rear of this dial is the new ON/OFF button. This is large, solid and not easily moved by mistake (great for using the camera with gloves on). Even though it is solid, it still has a fluid and reassuring feel when you use it. Great placement and a big improvement in my opinion (and there are a lot of those on this page).

Hot-shoe and eye dioptre in the same place.

M-Fn

One difference to most other Canon cameras on the top plate is the addition of a multi-function (M-Fn) button. This is customisable like most other buttons. However, the default setting is used for selecting the focus points (also becomes FEL – flash exposure lock – button when flash attached).

You press the usual AF focus selector point with your thumb on the to-right-rear of the camera and use the M-Fn button to switch between focus points and AF area (spot, single point, point expansion, etc). Very useful and quick to locate once you have used it a few times. Now the rear of the camera.

RAW/JPEG

As I said earlier, the old "direct print" button still has that capability but the default use is now a RAW/JPEG button. When pressed, both RAW and JPEG flash on the top LCD screen. This alerts you that you are about to take one of each.

For example, if you are shooting in just RAW or JPEG but for just one shot you wish to shoot both, press this button. The next, single shot will be recorded in both formats. Excellent addition and again, just in the right place and so much more useful than the DP button on older EOS models.

Quick Menu (Q)

Just to the left of the RAW/JPEG button is another new addition, the quick menu (Q) button. This simply switches the rear screen to quick menu where you navigate using the joystick. You can make adjustments to ISO, shooting mode, frame rate etc using the control dials with your forefinger and thumb.

Movie/Stills

Another great addition and in a really handy place just above the jog/toggle button is the dedicated video/stills button. This both enables you to switch between modes and also start/stop the video recording all with the thumb. You can do this even with gloves on and it is in one place making switching quick and very handy.

That is about it when it comes to major differences between this and, say, the Canon 5D Mark II.

…Ooh, no, one more thing I noticed.

CF Card Door

The CF card door now has a much easier mechanism. I always thought the door on the 5D's was pathetic when you consider what you spend on these cameras. The CF card door on the Canon EOS 7D however, is spring loaded. Pull it towards you and let go and it springs open wider than other models for easy access. Again, a very reassuring feel to it.

Review Canon EOS 7D: Features

18 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor

For me? Too many pixels crammed onto an APS-C sensor at full RAW (5184×3456). I would have preferred 12-14mp. In some shots I actually prefer the MRAW files (3888×2592) so will probably use that for weddings. Still, files are pretty good quality all round but more on image quality later.

8fps shooting

The Canon EOS 7D shoots 18MP 14-bit images at 8 fps as standard in a burst of up to 126 large JPEGs. A very cool feature and one I first experienced on the Canon EOS 1D Mark II. Eight fps is very fast and great for sports/nature shooters. The Digic IV processor does wonders at this speed so you are unlikely to miss a trick.

ISO range up to 12,800

You are unlikely to get useable shots (for example at weddings) from the 7D at 12,800 ISO. I have used ISO 3200 and was pretty impressed and would be happy shooting weddings at that level. Although, I would probably stick to ISO 1600 and lower.

If you are coming from a 5D or 5D Mark II, prepare yourself. The files are no way as clean as these two cameras but still very good.

Focussing

I am impressed. What with all the issues in the past with the 1D Mark III (which I never experienced in my version by the way), Canon have got this right finally. The focussing system on the 5D Mark II is quite antiquated now and the 7D's 19 cross-type AF point system blows it away.

There are a number of useful modes to be utilised with my particular favourite (so far) being AF Point Expansion (central focus point with emphasis on surrounding points, only seen in 1D series prior to the 7D). You can read more on the focus modes of the Canon EOS 7D at Canon.

HOWEVER…please read the section on Image Quality at the end to find out how the camera was when I first got it. This could save you a lot of time and headaches. Set your camera up before shooting anything seriously!

Metering

The new "iFCL" dual layer metering system (Focus Colour Luminance) measures focus, colour and luminance across 63 zones.

Overall, the metering does the job. In my opinion though, it overexposes the scene too many times for my liking. My advice is to use either of the "Faithful" or "Neutral" shooting Picture Styles and also shoot RAW. This will give you more control over the contrast in RAW processing. I also underexpose a third of a stop or two in bright conditions...needs more testing I think.

Of course, the usual metering modes are all there…spot, evaluative, centre-weighted etc.

Dual "DIGIC 4" processors

These new, powerful processors are more than enough to handle shooting RAW files at high resolution at 8fps as well as shooting High Definition video at 1080p. The whole camera seems lightning fast and super responsive...a pleasure to use.

Full HD movie mode with variable frame rates and manual control

Like the latest (and very much needed) firmware update in the Canon EOS 5D Mark II in 2010, the Canon EOS 7D gives you full manual control over the shutter speed and aperture. This is absolutely necessary for good film-making in my opinion.

It shoots with resolutions and speeds of 1080p HD at 30fps (NTSC), 25 fps (PAL) or 24 frames per second. In 720p mode you have either 60 fps (NTSC) or 50 (PAL) fps. This allows you to slow down the replay during post processing to give a nice, smooth slow motion playback.

You also have the ability to crop your footage (at the beginning and end by 1 second increments) in camera.

See the short video reel below for sample footage taken with the Canon EOS 7D:

Review Canon EOS 7D: Sample Video Clips

Integrated Speedlite Transmitter

This is a tasty little feature that allows you to fire a series of up to 3 groups of four Canon Speedlights. All from the camera without the use of additional, wireless transmitters. Before you go throwing your Pocket Wizards on the bonfire, there are limitations with the 7D with the usable distance being one of them.

I have used this on a couple of occasions with a 580 EX and a 580 EX II on stands with brollies. The system seems to work pretty well. I will be using this set up at the next wedding I shoot no doubt. Very handy and the less kit I carry to a wedding, the better!

See the catch-lights in the eyes here showing both brollies (click images for larger version):

3" Clear View II LCD screen at 920,000 dots

If you are coming from an older Canon DSLR, this screen will blow you away with its clarity and brightness with detail that will tell you if you have nailed the focus or not.

If coming from a similar screened Canon DSLR, you will think it is smaller. That is just because they have reduced the size of the outer rim that included the "Canon" logo (lettering). This is now beneath the screen.

Magnesium alloy body with environmental protection

As soon as you pick this camera up you know it is solid and reliable. As I mentioned before, I have already used this in light rain with no worries. Very nice design all round.

Other Noticeable Improvements

One thing that bothers me with the Canon EOS 5D Mark II is this. When shooting in manual, the Auto ISO is fixed at 400. When shooting in manual on the Canon EOS 7D, the Auto ISO works all the way from ISO 100 to 3200 so why is this useful?

In some situations when shooting manually, I like to be in control but with a "safety" zone knowing that my exposures are going to be ok.

For example. Say I am shooting a wedding outdoors and clouds intermittently pass in front of the sun. BTW, I also like to set the camera to around 250th/sec shutter speed to capture movement with the 70-200. I also want to use f5.6 to ensure a nice, shallow depth of field at 200mm.

Now, with the Canon EOS 7D, I can set those parameters knowing that only the ISO will fluctuate with the changing light conditions. This meant all my images at that location will have the same look and feel to them with regards to sharpness and depth of field!

Lovely.

HDMI Out

There is a HDMI connection (mini HDMI cable not supplied…I bought a connector to use with my current array of HDMI cables). This connection allows you to view and HD footage and images on your HD TV.

You do get a stereo video cable though…

Audio

There is a small "microphone" on the body for video. However, if you intend to shoot a bit of video and the audio is important to you, please buy a decent, external stereo microphone. One like this or this from RODE. The difference in quality is huge!

Digital Level Gauge

How cool?

This is a funky, gimmicky, gyro-operated addition to the rear screen. One that allows you to perfectly align those horizons and edges when shooting landscapes or architecture. It looks and works like an airplane cockpit pitch and roll monitor and is simple to use with green lights giving the go ahead when straight and upright.

It is also viewable in the viewfinder by using the focus points to level the shot.

Image Quality

There has been talk on the internet of some occasional focus issues. These included a couple of 'false positives' where the camera insists that it's in focus and quite clearly is not. This is very rare but most certainly worth mentioning.

Also, when I first got the camera, I was over the moon with the overall quality, handling and features. I was itching to get shooting. However, my initial impression of the image quality after firing off quite a few shots was poor. Not wanting to give up, and seeing that I had been using a superior Canon EOS 5D Mark II for a long time, I figured I would sleep on it and try again tomorrow.

Try again I did and could not for the life of me, get decent quality shots.

Micro Adjustments

After a lot of testing and shooting with various lenses, I established that the focus was way out on the lenses I was using. Now, this is the first time I have ever come across this with any of the many Canon EOS cameras that I have owned. Therefore I had to go through a bit of a learning curve myself.

I had to use the micro-adjustment feature in the menu system to methodically set up each lens to the Canon EOS 7D. The 50mm 1.4 needed +17 in adjustments which is nearing its limit. The 70-200 was around -7 but the 105mm macro and 24-70 seemed fine.

The adjustments were made by setting the camera up on a tripod at an angle to a predetermined object. I focussed on this and took a series of shots at the widest aperture to give the shallowest depth of field. These were then loaded into Photoshop to check focus.

If focus was out (behind or in front of the object) I would adjust accordingly. I would then take some more shots until the focus was nailed for each lens.

Camera Setup

Once focusing was consistently accurate, I made further adjustments "in camera". I turned all the gimmicky features off such as long exposure noise reduction, auto lighting optimiser and anything else that allowed the camera to make alterations to my images.

I used the "neutral" setting in picture styles that would give me a flat, base image from which to work my RAW magic. Then I checked the results and bingo! The images that were now coming from my Canon EOS 7D were spot on.

The focusing was amazing, fast and intuitive. Sharpness and detail was all there but still, and quite obviously, the quality didn't match that of the 5D Mark II. I was more than happy nonetheless!

I recommend that if you buy this camera, you spend some time tweaking your version and ensuring that all lenses are set up correctly. You won't be disappointed and you will save yourself a lot of time and heartache.

Conclusion

Having come from a long line of Canon EOS camera bodies (10D, 20D, 5D, 5D Mark II, 1D Mark II, 1D Mark III), I was very much looking forward to checking out the 7D. Its features and additional functionality are quite cutting edge.

The feel of the camera in my hands is actually, to me, one of the nicest bodies they have released. I got fed up with the heavy bulk of the 1-series cameras and the 5D I/II are both excellent cameras. However, I felt they were desperately in need of modernising.

The Canon EOS 7D has done just that. It is a great feeling camera that I would be happy to shoot with on long wedding days. The grips and rubberised, weather-sealed housing gives you confidence and the button layout is superb and very user-friendly.

Breaking in

Coming from a full frame EOS body such as the 5D Mark I or II or the 1Ds series? I am sure you will feel a little "out of sorts" at first. The image quality is lacking in comparison and reverting to a crop sensor will throw you for a while. That is while you get used to your lenses receiving the 1.6 crop effect.

Everything else is a huge improvement IMHO.

If you are coming from any other Canon EOS body, I am sure that you will be in DSLR heaven. You will love the additional features and functionality. Images can be a touch noisy at ISO's above 400 but still good up to ISO 1600 and highly useable. I am looking at this from a spotless stock photography point of view.

Images when using additional light such as bounced flash or studio lights are amazingly clear and crisp.

My final word is if you have the budget, I would probably wait to see what the Canon EOS 5D Mark III or replacement offers. If it is a mix of the 7D and 5D Mark II, we are in for a serious treat. However, at the price the EOS 7D is currently selling for, go for it. It would be a welcome addition, main camera or back up, for any serious photographer!

Canon EOS 7D Gallery

Here is a selection of images I have taken after making all the adjustments mentioned in this review. Best viewed on a PC or tablet. There are shots taken with: