Canon EOS 7D 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-inch LCD
- 18.0-megapixel CMOS Sensor and Dual DIGIC 4 Image Processors for high image quality and speed
- Body only; lenses sold separately
- Advanced HD movie mode with manual exposure control and selectable frame rates
- Intelligent Viewfinder with 100 percent field of view; 19-point, all cross-type AF system equipped with dual diagonal cross-type sensors
- Capture images to CF Card Type I and II, UDMA-compliant CF cards (not included)
Product Description
With a host of features designed to enhance every facet of the photographic process, from still images to video, the EOS 7D represents a whole new class of camera.Made to be the tool of choice for serious photographers and semi-professionals, the EOS 7D features an 18.0 megapixels APS-C size CMOS sensor and dual DIGIC 4 image processors, capturing tremendous images at up to ISO 12800 and speeds of up to 8 fps. The EOS 7D has a cross-type 19-point AF system with impr… More >>
Canon EOS 7D 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-inch LCD
Ordered from Amazon. Lens used is Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L.
Compared to my Canon 40D, the 7D has the new 19-point AF System, but it does NOT work.
Most all my pictures are not as sharp as my 40D unless I manually focus regardless of AF mode or micro-adjustment.
The images are out of focus and it is not consistent behavior one could associate with typical back/front focus issue.
Most reviews heaped praises on the new AF system, perhaps I got an early production (defective) unit.
Not worth upgrading from a 40D if the pictures are not sharp. I may try exchanging or wait for Canon to work out the issues.
I did update the firmware. Video quality seems on par with other Canon HD Video.
Overall, I’m disappointed in the 7D since expectations were very high.
10-30-09 — Sent back to Amazon. Waiting on new body.
Rating: 1 / 5
I paid over $1,800 for the body and the RAW file takes 25M bytes, which is more than twice the size than my previous camera. So, I assumed that the picture quality should be good. Yes, the picture quality is indeed good, ONLY IF you resize the 25Mbytes of RAW file into something like 1024 pixels width, at ISO 400 and above. You buy a cheap point and shoot camera, and it’s image quality will be incredible in low ISO and when there is enough light. We pay more and spend more memory (and pay extra for that) for DSLR to get more descent ISO performance when there isn’t enough light. If you willing to resize to 1024 pixel width, there is no problem in high ISO – but then why would you spend 25Mbytes for the RAW ? And why would you pay $1,800 for the body ?
I took about 40 pictures in a gathering. It was in the evening and light was more than enough to read books very comfortably. So, at least the light was enough not to create bad quality pictures. However, I used high ISO (1600 and 3200) so that I don’t have any blurred pictures. Besides, I read so many praises by 7d fanatics about how good 7D’s ISO performance was. Somehow, I trusted them. But I was very surprised to see so many white dots/pixels in the dark area when viewed in 100%, as I showed in the uploaded picture. Indeed, there is no problem if you down-sample (resize) to 1024 pixel width. You won’t be able to see them.
I asked around about this problem and there were two types of responses. One is that it is the expected behavior of 7D, which has so many pixels in a small sensor. And I need to remap those white pixels using software. Indeed, LightRoom does it automatically. But not DPP (Raw processing software from Canon). And LightRoom is not ready for 7D as of now. The other response is that 7D is so good in high ISO performance, and I must have gotten a lemon. I hesitated what to do. And I just decided to return it and try an another 7D, only finding that this was a disaster. The new one showed the exactly the same behavior. In addition, the new one has hot pixels that appear even in ISO100. In fact, there are five such dead pixels. I know that this is OK, only if they are spread around. Unfortunately, all those five pixels are adjacent together and the whole white dead spot area is quite visible in every picture.
So, I don’t know at this moment what to do. I will definitely return this 7D that has the dead pixels. But unfortunately I can only exchange. Would I just exchange to another 7D and live with those white dots in high ISO, and be satisfied with down-sample’ed pictures ? Or would I exchange to other Canon camera or even Nikon… Anyway, my opinion is that this camera should not be this expensive and waste 25Mbytes for the RAW file just to create this kind of bad images in mid to high ISO. And for my horrible experiences, I can only give one star. But YMMV.
–edit—
OK, I decided to get the replacement of 7D – this is the 3rd one. This time, I was tired. Whatever it is, I would just take it. I’ll live with white dots or some dead pixels or whatever. Let it be my destiny… So, I did not go through mid-to-high ISO testing, and I don’t know what it would be this time – and I would not care any more. But then when I took some pictures, I found that they were so soft. I investigated, and saw that 7D is not focusing correctly. The lenses required AF micro-adjustments. At least the previous two 7Ds did not have this AF problem and need not AF microadjustments, as the manual says. They were focusing correctly. Since the 3rd 7D is not, I went through AF micro-adjustments. However, I also found out that the AF microadjustment at particular distance and aperture is not global within one lens adjustment. For example, if I set the microadjustment correctly at F2.8 from 1 foot (this was +15), AF at F 5.6 from 7 feet was very fuzzy. So, I set the AF microadjustment from the setting, and the value was – 20, but then the pictures are fuzzy at F2.8 from 1 foot distance. I tried to find the middle value which would work in all cases, but once I found a AF miroadjustment for particular distance and aperture, it wasn’t working for other aperture and distance. So, there is no global setting for one lens. It varies depending on the distance and aperture within one lens adjustment. What a bummer… I think that a lot of people who are complaining about 7D’s AF problems have 7Ds like the one that I have now. BUT if you take picture at F8.0 or higher, AF will look OK – not because 7D works correctly, but because at this aperture the depth of field is deeper.
So, for all the people who praise Cannon 7D, either you are extremely lucky people, or you just don’t care/know about the details.
Or I am the extremely unlucky person …
Rating: 1 / 5
I was thinking of buying a 7D so I did my usually comparison between all the Canon cameras
up to the latest models and here is what I found…
Unless you are going to make very large prints (above 11×14) then the extra resolution doesn’t matter.
What I didn’t expect though was just how close the 20D still is to these cameras.
The only one that really stood out, interestingly enough, was the original 5D. The 5D is the sharpest
camera Canon has made to date. (The original 5D looks better than anything Canon has to date.)
The bottom line when it comes to pure image quality, the lens make a much bigger difference.
Using the same lens the 20D can be made to look almost exactly like the 7D with a little post processing.
So what would I gain by buying a 7D…
1. A bigger better LCD screen.
2. Better auto focus.
3. Video.
Image quality now is more a function of taking a good photo to begin with and then processing it properly
rather than the camera itself. Canon has not been able to make any significant improvements from the 20D
in this regard so far…
IF you are really serious about taking great photographs get a used 20D or 40D and some good lens
then focus on taking photographs instead of all of this technical BS
PS This review was based on a friend’s 7D and as you will note I did give it 5 stars.
There are two types of photographers I have come to find. Those that focus on the means and those
that focus on results. I use to be one of the former… Its far easier to buy expensive equipment than
to learn how to really use it. This camera is more camera than 90% of people will ever need, including myself.
But hey, if you have the money…knock yourself out. But get some good glass too, I can highly recommend
the 17-55 f2.8 lens.
Rating: 5 / 5
Hey everyone,
I pre-ordered this Camera a few weeks ago, they kept moving back the estimated stock date. Then I checked it today and it says estimated delivery tomorrow.
They’ve since started selling from an alternate Amazon vendor at $200 more than MSRP. I thought that a bit strange, seeing as how I had not received a shipping notice, and they were already selling it from an alternate source.
I contacted Amazon customer service directly and was told “Their vendor had not filled amazons order yet, and they had not had the chance to update the availability listed on the item’s page.”
Might have been nice if they had alerted me to this “minor fact” instead of BSing me so they could keep their high ticket sale.
Do your selves a favor; If you live in any state besides NY order from B and H photo. No sales tax, they have great customer service, and reasonable prices. (In this case: MSRP. Imagine that.)
I use Amazon constantly, and rarely have problems but this is a pretty screw up. If I had not looked into this issue, It could have cost my company thousands of dollars in lost revenue as I needed this Camera today. I figured others may find this information useful.
I rated 5 Stars with the intention of revising it in the future, because I have no doubts about the performance vs price ratio on this Camera. It gives Prosumer a whole new meaning. I will update my review in a few weeks if I’m wrong.
Take care everyone.
_Brad
Rating: 5 / 5
An amazing camera with very fast auto focus. It works great in low light high ISO. The build quality is very good. The video quality is ok. I have an HD camcorder and the 7D’s video quality is in line with it. The ability to reuse my “L” series lens will give me more video options. Very Fast!
Rating: 5 / 5