Canon EOS 7D Digital SLR
The new Canon EOS 7D digital SLR has just been announced! The feature list includes an 18 megapixel CMOS sensor, 8 frames per second continuous shooting and plenty more goodies. Join us in a detailed overview of the Canon 7D’s features and a handy EOS 7D v 50D v 5D Mark II comparison…
The new Canon EOS 7D digital SLR
Canon EOS 7D: What’s new?
The Canon EOS 7D isn’t a minor upgrade and re-badge job, it’s a serious redevelopment based on consultation with over 5,000 photographers worldwide. The result is a new high-end EOS digital SLR that offers you the speed, accuracy and functionality to capture images as you see them.
EOS 7D: Back to the drawing board
New 18 Megapixel Sensor
At the heart of the Canon 7D is a new APS-C sized 18 megapixel CMOS sensor, providing a 1.6x focal length multiplier like the EOS 50D, which is good news for wildlife and sports photography enthusiasts.
The sensor incorporates a relatively new photodiode and gapless microlens design (debuted on the EOS 50D) to improve the signal to noise ratio, the end-result being cleaner low and high ISO images. The EOS 7D has a standard ISO range of 100 – 6400 which can be extended to ISO 12,800.
Fast 19-point Autofocus System
The entire Canon 7D autofocus system uses cross-type AF points, which are ideal for tracking subjects, faster focus acquisition, and superior accuracy compared to standard single-strip AF points. If you need high-performance autofocus then the Canon 7D’s 19-point AF system is an attractive option in-between the 9 AF points on the EOS 50D & 5D Mark II and the 45 AF points on the latest 1-series (albeit only 19 are cross-type).
The autofocus system on Canon 7D has a clever trick up its sleeve: You can set the autofocus point or zone to change automatically as you flip the camera’s orientation from landscape to portrait. This tremendously practical feature could really speed up scenarios such as switching from a group photo to an individual portrait at a fast-paced event.
100% Viewfinder
The 7D features a 100% viewfinder which enables you to see the entire frame prior to releasing the shutter. The 100% coverage is valuable for accurate composition, allowing you to exclude any distracting objects at the edge of the frame rather than cropping later and losing resolution.
The magnification of the viewfinder is 1.0x and whilst the final size doesn’t match a full-frame DSLR, it isn’t a tiny tunnel-vision viewfinder that plagues many digital SLRs with an APS-C size sensor. The 7D’s viewfinder is larger than any previous EOS digital SLR with an APS-C size sensor, which means easier composition and less eye-strain during extended photo shoots!
The 7D's CMOS sensor (left), viewfinder prism (center) and autofocus sensor (right)
Blistering 8 Frames per Second
The EOS 7D is capable of capturing images at 8 frames per second, in a continuous burst of up to 126 JPEG or 15 RAW images (with a UDMA compact flash card). This is quite a feat considering the hefty 18 megapixel images, especially when you compare the 7D to the pro 1D Mark III which can capture a 10 fps burst of 110 JPEGs at 10 megapixel resolution. How does the EOS 7D manage this huge amount of data? Dual DIGIC 4 processors!
Integrated Speedlite Transmitter
The EOS 7D has wireless Speedlite control built-in via the pop-up flash, allowing you to trigger multiple Speedlites from the camera, whilst maintaining full E-TTL II metering.
The EOS 7D's pop-up flash can wirelessly trigger Speedlites
The integrated Speedlite transmitter is a real win for Canon users, up till now Canon EOS owners have had to use a Canon ST-E2 Speedlite Transmitter to wirelessly control their Speedlite flashguns. This move puts EOS system on par with Nikon’s Creative Light System (CLS) which has included an on-camera trigger on pro-models since the D200.
Sophisticated iFCL Metering System
The Canon EOS 7D debuts a new 63-zone metering system that uses Focus, Colour and Luminance data (hence it’s named iFCL) to ensure accurately exposed shots. The new iFCL system is based around a new dual layer metering sensor.
Conventional metering sensors are most sensitive to red light, which can lead to overexposure. The new dual layer sensor for iFCL captures red & green light in one layer, and blue & green light in the second. Capturing more light information than a conventional metering sensor allows iFCL algorithms to make more accurate metering decisions, which means you get perfectly exposed images, even in challenging light conditions.
Best of the Rest
The 7D feature list is so good we’re just going to summarise the rest so you can dive into the 7D vs 5D vs 50D comparison! Additional stand-out specs include:
- 3 inch LCD screen with 920k pixel resolution & 160 degree viewing angle
- 1080p HD video recording at 30, 25, or 24 frames per second
- 720p HD video recording at higher 60 and 50 frames per second
- 3.5mm external microphone jack and in-movie autofocus (like the 5D Mark II)
- Pop-up flash with manual power control and 15mm wide-angle coverage
- Dual-Axis Electronic Level which provides pitch & roll information in the viewfinder or on the LCD screen (useful for level horizons)
Back of the EOS 7D, featuring the high resolution 3 inch LCD screen
Canon EOS 7D vs 50D vs 5D
How does the EOS 7D stack-up in comparison to the 50D and 5D Mark II?
| EOS 50D | EOS 7D | EOS 5D Mark II | |
| Megapixels | 15.1 | 18.0 | 21.1 |
| Sensor | APS-C CMOS | APS-C CMOS | Full-frame CMOS |
| Viewfinder | 95% @ 0.95x magnification | 100% @ 1.0x magnification | 95% @ 0.71x magnification |
| Autofocus | 9-point | 19-point | 9-point |
| Metering | 35-zone SPC | 63-zone iFCL | 35-zone SPC |
| Frames per Second | 6.3 | 8.0 | 3.9 |
| Buffer Depth | 90 JPEG* / 16 RAW | 126 JPEG* / 15 RAW | 310 JPEG* / 13 RAW |
| ISO Range (full) | 100 – 12,800 | 100 – 12,800 | 50 – 25,600 |
| LCD Screen | 3.0″ @ 920k pixels | 3.0″ @ 920k pixels | 3.0″ @ 920k pixels |
| Video | No | 1080p / 720p | 1080p |
| Dimensions | 146 x 108 x 74mm | 148 x 111 x 74mm | 152 x 114 x 75mm |
| Weight | 730g | 820g | 810g |
* Only available with a UDMA-enabled card
Looks like the EOS 7D is very strong indeed. The 5D Mark II is powerhouse in its own right (as Hamish Brown discovers in our 5D Mark II review), the EOS 50D is a great blend of performance and value, but 7D is positioned perfectly as a bridge between the two. The 7D feature set is a powerful blend for many types of photography; including nature, sports (possibly as a 2nd body for 1D Mk III owners), fast-paced weddings and photojournalism.
Canon EOS 7D vs Nikon D300s
Everything about the Canon EOS 7D feels very similar to the Nikon D300s: both cameras have APS-C size sensors, fast frame rates, quick autofocus, and a 100% viewfinder. However on paper the EOS 7D looks like a bit of D300s killer:
| Canon EOS 7D | Nikon D300s | |
| Megapixels | 18.0 | 12.3 |
| Sensor | APS-C CMOS | APS-C CMOS |
| Viewfinder | 100% @ 1.0x magnification | 100% @ 0.94x magnification |
| Autofocus | 19-point | 51-point |
| Metering | 63-zone iFCL | 1005-pixel 3D Matrix II |
| Frames per Second | 8.0 | 7.0 (8 with MB-D10 & EN-EL4a) |
| Buffer Depth | 126 JPEG* / 15 RAW | Unavailable |
| ISO Range (full) | 100 – 12,800 | 100 – 6,400 |
| LCD Screen | 3.0″ @ 920k pixels | 3.0″ @ 920k pixels |
| Video | 1080p / 720p | 720p |
| Dimensions | 148 x 111 x 74mm | 147 x 114 x 74mm |
| Weight | 820g | 840g |
| RRP | £1699 | £1495 |
Many photographers are locked into a system, with a big investment in lenses, flashguns, and other accessories. Nikon photographers will be happy with the D300s, and Canon photographers will be happy with the EOS 7D.
If you aren’t invested in a system then the EOS 7D vs D300s is a very difficult decision – control & handling preferences aside – the 7D looks like it’s slightly stronger. The extra 6 megapixels resolution, 8 frames per second (without a battery grip), 1080p video and greater ISO range are all key factors. Game on Canon vs Nikon….
View our Canon EOS 7D pre-order offer!
+ Read more about the EOS 7D at Canon.co.uk
+ View our Canon 7D sample images post
(11 votes, average: 4.73 out of 5)
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Why oh why oh why have Canon done this to me.
On the very verge of updating an old – oh so old – 350d for the stunning new 5d II – easy choice – 21m pixels – full frame so good viewfinder and extraordinary quality. Remarkable low-light performance which has to knock the old alternative of HP5 pushed
One the day the deed was to be done Canon announce the 7D. Ok on the surface no contest 5D II still the better camera – by far. Until you think about the crop factor that is. I mainly shoot wildlife and have yet to find an otter that comes so close I need to use a wide-angle. So the order of the day is a minimum of 400mm and a good crop (I do at least have good L-series glass to compensate for the rubbish 350D) Under these circumstances the 7D is equivalent to a 28m pixel sensor to me.
So now what – easy choice to impossible one !
Advice anyone ??
Readerhi Reader,
If you mainly shoot wildlife then the 7D might be the best bet. In addition to the crop factor, you also get 19 cross-type autofocus points, which will be better at tracking fast-moving subjects and acquiring focus lock quickly, before a moment disappears.
What lenses do you have? If you need a short and long focal length from one lens, just incase said otter pops up too close, then the Sigma 50-500mm might be a good option.
OliverOliver – Hi
Yes I know in my brain it has to be the 7d – assuming the noise is low enough – it is a lot of pixels to shoehorn onto a c sized sensor. As we said it’s equal to over 28m on 35mm equivalent. Of course a 5d II with the same quality and such a sensor would be the biscuit.
Main lens currently Canon 100-400 l series. Yes not long enough (same old story) and certainly not wide enough. But sadly the piggy bank won’t run to more exotic l series. Still with the crop that’s over 600. Approaching 900 with the Canon 1.4 converter. This requires manual focus though so I might be interested in the Sigma 200-500 f2.8 dg but someone in the pricing department seems to have mis-typed the price, there has to be one too many digits in there surely.
As an aside I wonder why we are so fixated on keeping the 35mm heritage in a digital world, and why therefore do I really hanker after the 5d II ? And don’t get me wrong I am the proud owner of several OM’s and brilliant cameras they were/are (why did they never do a digital back for these- guess I never prayed enough or to the right deity). Smaller sensor = endless benefits, not least of these are size/weight of associated lenses to achieve the same perspective. That’s the reason why 35mm was the choice over 6×6 (or in my days 2¼ square) where mobility was required, something bigger for more set-pieces of course.
Photographers will always want more light to play with, more resolution certainly, etc etc. But I would be interested to know if anyone has produced a side-by-side comparison with modern film, are approaching that yet ? Sadly my old 350d hasn’t !
Cheers
ReaderI still use my EOS3 and the film I use is Fuji Velvia and 160S with the help of four main Canon lenses. 20×35, 28×135, 100×400 and 100 Macro. I have been hesitating before buying the Canon 5d II and I have been disappointed with the reports on the Auto focus ability, not to mention the flash speed still only 200 and the frames per second, only 3.9. To cap it all, there is a new metering system on the D7!! Like the previous readers comments I am completely confused. Should I be obsessed with the full frame format?
roy hollewellMy interest are landscapes, Portraits (studio photography), Still Life, and Natural History.
Reader
Hi,
I used a canon 7D last week and on paper it’s a great camera better than the canon 5D mkii, but as the sensor is not full frame the dynamic range and noise levels cannot match the 5D mkii It may therefore be worth waiting for canon’s next full frame model with the improved autofocus and metering of the 7D.
Canon need to produce an alternative to the Nikon D700 / D3 full frame camera with the noise control that Nikon has achieved. The canon 7D competes with the Nikon D300, not the D700/ D3.
Matt
Matt BloncI use a 40D myself and find the speed of it to be very useful and for the moneys it’s not bad. The tragedy for me is the noise, at even 800iso. I too had my eye on the 5D mkii for this reason but, now am a little confused. I want less noise in whatever I buy and I want the speed. I would have to get new lenses for the 5Dmkii costing mega money and when I do I will loose the range I enjoy.
DavidThis means that for me the 7D should be the clear front runner. So what has hold of me about full frame? I hear things like better dynamic range and less noise. In our desperation for pixels we sometimes forget that. I am not a landscape photographer but I can imagine dynamic range being an issue, but, is it really that much?.
It seems to me that the 7D is my best bet I would only need the body, I get a lot less noise, I get speed I get super metering of moving targets. The 5Dmkii is a better camera but only in some ways and for me the price tag of the body and more lenses is massive.
One last thing, I really don’t like paying for video modes! clever stuff I’m sure but it would have been a lot cheaper without it and I would have bought one weeks ago.
I still do not understand why, when the Canon engineers find ways to improve the sensor technology and performance, they feel compelled to increase pixel density and reduce pitch, thereby reducing the optimal benefit that such advances in sensor technology would yield in final output performance. If Canon would have been smart enough and/or bold enough to make the 7D (with such advances in sensor technology) a 10mp or 12mp camera there would be absolutely no doubt that the 7D would be a SIGNIFICANTLY better performer than the D300s for low-light captures and extended dynamic range. ISO 6400 would have probably been rock solid and very usable for most purposes. Furthermore, on the rare occasions when a DSLR photographer feels the need to blow up an image beyond 16″ x 20″, there is software available to accomplish that very handily, especially with the clean noise free files provided by large photosite sensors. And as most professional photographers are aware, the most sensible way to shoot high quality, large size (greater than 20″ x 24″), images on a full-time regular basis is through the use of medium format digital cameras, eg. the new Leica S2 or PhaseOne/Leaf. If more photographers would come to realize how truly pathetic DSLR image quality is compared to DMF (by checking it out for themselves, as I have), then there could be more focus and attention on what the nimble DSLR does really well (fast fps, fast AF, potentially very high ISO, etc.) and stop racing for high pixel counts and pixel density. Neither Canon nor anyone else, is going to defy the laws of physics when it comes to the inherent benefit of larger photosites. Canon, and others, are taking advantage of the ignorance of some well-heeled prosumers when they produce a really promising camera like the 7D with too damn many megapixels, just so they can put a bigger megapixel number on their packaging for marketing purposes. There are so many good things about the 7D, that it really sucks that Canon would forego greatness with this particular camera by making the (marketing) decision for 18mp when 15mp on the 50D was already too many, and in most cases not needed! In fact, if the 7D were all that it could have been (as a 10mp – 12mp camera), it would have been likely that scads of Nikonians would have seriously considered dropping their allegiance to Nikon and would have invested in Canon. Unfortunately for Canon, I do not think the 7D offers enough low-light and dynamic range performance to promote such a migration. Yes, the performance is amazing for a 18pm APS-C sensor, but imagine what it would have been with a 10mp sensor: damn scary. I wish people would stop promoting high megapixel counts as an advantage when the real measure of image quality is related to PIXEL PITCH and high signal-to-noise ratios. (I would also not be surprised to see video performance also being significantly improved with larger photosites!)
JimGreat case for a sensible number of megapixels Jim!
OliverJim. Just hang in there for a 5D Mk 111. I’m sure it will have all the 7D’s features plus, but at a price.
JohnAnd what is wrong with the 350D? A good camera when it was brought out.
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