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GC Montgomery
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Registered: Nov 28, 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 60
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Review Date: Dec 27, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,700.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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New 19-point AF system, bigger viewfinder (have to use it to appreciate it), build quality, speed, high ISO image quality
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Cons:
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Wish the AF points covered more of the frame (ala Nikon).
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When you buy this camera, ignore web reports of soft images because they screw with your head. For about a week, I swore my old 40D had more accurate autofocus and rendered sharper images. I finally had to rig both camera up on a tripod at my own test targets shooting my two best lenses.
After comparing JPEGs straight from the camera as well as RAW files converted in both ACR 5.6 and Canon's DPP 3.7, there is no question the 7D is worth the money. The additional resolution of the 7D is readily evident in 100% crops of the same scenes. This becomes even more evident if/when you enlarge the 40D images to match the size of those from the 7D. And the images are certainly sharper and more detailed than what comes out of my 40D.
The fact that Sony now offers a full-frame cameras in the same price range makes the cost of this camera a little hard to swallow. Still, I felt there was sufficient value to pay $1700 to own one and I don't regret it. This camera kept me from jumping ship to Nikon this time around. If Canon decides to make a full-frame version, I'll be sticking with them when I go full-frame too.
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 Dec 27, 2009
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Nezza
Offline
Buy and Sell: On
Registered: Nov 24, 2005
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 470
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Review Date: Dec 23, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharpness, Build, Speed
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Cons:
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Nothing yet
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This has restored my faith in crop sensor cameras. I have had a 40D for a while and always been vaguely disappointed with it. I found it a little soft and noisy and as it was my main camera for telephoto shots with the 70-200mm F2.8 I was not 100% happy with that either. This camera has changed all that. It is fast, razor sharp and has shown me what a great lens the 70-200mm really is. At very high ISO it is still a little noisy, but I can forgive that for deadly accurate focusing and sharpness.
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Dec 23, 2009
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paknip
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Registered: Dec 28, 2005
Location: Malaysia
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Dec 23, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Fast & accurate AF, battery life, superb build quality & weather sealing, 100% viewfinder, wireless flash trigger... a great camera indeed!
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Cons:
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None found so far...
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Dec 23, 2009
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tom guffey
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Registered: Jun 17, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 574
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Review Date: Dec 12, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,600.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Small chassic, great for sports, the tracking and focus work extremely well with the 200 F/2.0 and the 500 F/4
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Cons:
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None so far
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Looking for a lower cost alternative to the 1DS series for sports only, and this is the ticket!! Also works very well with both of the extenders. The new focus and tracking features work extremely well.
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Dec 12, 2009
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PatrickSweeney
Offline
Buy and Sell: On
Registered: Oct 12, 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 235
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Review Date: Nov 27, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Wicked fast, solid build
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Cons:
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Haven't foudn one yet
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I went to the 7D from a 40D. While the 40D was a big jump up from my earlier Canon DSLR, there were things I didn't like:the rear screen was so grainy I had to zoom to check focus. It over-reported over-exposure highlights. It would hunt for focus in low light.
The 7D screen in triple the dots, and I can instantly tell if focus is on. The focus is fast, with none of the hunting I had with the 40D. Battery life is superior. So much so I'm using the 7D without a dual-battery grip, which I had considered essential on earlier bodies. It is better weather-sealed. So far I haven't had it fog up, a problem I'd encountered several times with the 40D.
What Canon basically did is put a whole lot of 1D features into a 1.6 crop body, and sold it for the price step above the Rebel line.
Noise? OK, there's noise, but remember, we're shooting 18mP at ISO 6400. For that, I'll be happy to wait for raw converters and noise ninja to catch up.
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Nov 27, 2009
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wolfhound_2000
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Registered: Nov 25, 2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Nov 25, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Build - feels like the 5DMkII
Autofocus - haven't even scratched the surface of is capabilities and I'm impressed
Ability to handle so many situations.
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Cons:
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Time will tell if there are too many pixels on the APS-C sensor. Waiting for ACR to be released. I'm optimistic though.
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I upgraded from a 450D and what a difference! I know I'm not a professional but I just get the feeling any bad shots will be my fault alone - I cannot blame the camera any more. It feels great and using it is exciting.
My first outing was a late dusk to night shoot in Hyde Park. The 7D handled the low light, with extraneous light from the City, brilliantly with plenty of colour extracted from the scenes. Every photo was a keeper.
Can't wait to get involved in sports, BIF, macros. For once I feel I have a camera that can handle any situation.
I was going to upgrade to the 5D MkII next February but the specs and some of the images I saw on the 'net convinced me. Now that I have it I'm thrilled and as excited about photography as I was when I first started.
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Nov 25, 2009
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pobz
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Registered: Aug 13, 2008
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Nov 22, 2009
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Recommend? |
Price paid: Not Indicated
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Pros:
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Speed, software enhancement,
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Cons:
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See below...
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I was shooting in jpg at first for two weeks on the smaller size fora website and therefore didn't pay too much attention to the details of the image as they were going to be crushed to a smaller size. However, having now recently shot in RAW I see that the images are far from sharp and extremely soft. I just can't use it.
I have tried everything to try and get a sharp image and never once was I able to at 200mm f/5.6 or at 16mm f/5.6 or anywhere in between. It was slightly better at 30-70mm but nothing usable.
I tried sing the AF micro-adjustment to no avail and eventually gave up after trying to tweak other setting. I only own Canon L lenses and have no problems with these same lenses on my 5D2 and my two 40D's.
I have taken the camera back after two weeks of use and tested another camera in the shop with exactly the same problem. I am soooo disappointed in this as I really wanted this camera to work for me.
Canon have failed me once again and I am headed for a D700 to see what that may offer for a faster alternative to a 5D2 without spending silly money.
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Nov 22, 2009
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willis
Offline
Buy and Sell: On
Registered: Jul 23, 2005
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 459
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Review Date: Nov 21, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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A D300 for Canon shooters. 1.6 crop.
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Cons:
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Not quite a 1 series. 1.6 crop.
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The best 1.6 cropper available. Lots of resolution when you use the lenses and aperture to take advantage of it. Fast and responsive with great reach for wildlife. Nice build. Better IQ than I expected but some graininess at mid ISOs.
Diffraction is no more an issue than with any other camera. Yes you can see the effects of diffraction more easily but only because it resolves more. It's just as good for landscapes as any other 1.6 cropper.
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Nov 21, 2009
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racoll
Offline
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Registered: Dec 1, 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 2924
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Review Date: Nov 20, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,699.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Very accurate and very fast AF with many ways to configure it, superb build quality, excellent metering, much improved weather sealing, big viewfinder with all of the vital info, very customizable, wireless flash, beautiful image quality, dual processors!
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Cons:
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None, except that it took this long for it to become reality.
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What more is there to say that hasn't already been said? This is the camera I've been waiting for from Canon for several years; I don't need the FF of the 5DII or the extreme functionality of the 1-series. The speed of the 7D's performance is amazing and the new AF, the main reason I bought the camera, is simply superb. To get the most out of this camera you have to really take the time to learn it because there is a lot of potential built into it and numerous ways to set the camera up for your individual style. For those who think it's an update to the xxD bodies, it's not. It's another class of Canon camera and the performance is on a different level as well. It isn't comparable to the 5DII or the 1DIII; those are different cameras that people buy for different reasons. This is a superb camera, one of my absolute favorite Canon bodies ever. I'm confident that I can handle any photographic situation with the 7D.
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Nov 20, 2009
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JanPhoto
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Registered: Feb 27, 2006
Location: Canada
Posts: 17
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Review Date: Nov 17, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,699.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Canon did it Again ... Great camera for low budget ! Today I have purchased second one from B&H this time including Power Grip. First one for my nephew who is shooting with this 7D down in South America I think he is now somewhere in Nicaragua or place like that ... did not hear from him for few days ...
Anyhow. Before my nephew left for trip we test it very closely, again in studio and location and this 7D is very fine instrument. I like new design layout of body of camera plus new menus. Printed results where just excellent.
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Cons:
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NON (!)
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I do not want to repeat what order photographers already did say about this camera.
All I can point out is, that this camera is the best from all they, Canon did in line of 20/30/40/50 D models. Period !!!
As second body to 1Ds or even action photo-shoot the Canon 7D is fabulous.
Highly recommended.
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Nov 17, 2009
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micos
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Registered: Nov 16, 2009
Location: Canada
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Nov 16, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Excellent build quality, great controls layout, very good AF (improvement over 40/50D) a bunch of features, fantastic viewfinder, very fast and responsive, very good noise levels up to ISO 1600.
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Cons:
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Too many pixels for APS-C, diffraction issues, some digital artifacts (default noise reduction?) on JPEGs, too much noise dandruff over ISO 1600.
N.
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So, as an owner of two 40Ds I skipped 50D, mainly for megapixel race reasons which plagued otherwise very good camera. Waiting and waiting for something as good as 40D when it comes to IQ but with better AF (notably servo mode) and more robust/protected body, a bit faster - here we are, 7D! Must note, I do not care much about video anyway. Since I burned my self a few times before I decided to test new camera thoroughly before buying. So, I borrowed one from a good friend and turned it upside-down for two weeks and about 2-3000 shots. To make a long story short, why on Earth 18MP on APS-C? As we could see from issues on 50D, there are a PHYSICAL limits to APS-C sensor pixel density which affect the IQ. Canon did fantastic job in maintaining IQ and noise levels on 7D same or slightly better to their 10/15MP cameras, but that is it. No significant improvement in that field. So, compared with my 40D and regarding my needs ( as a wedding photographer I print quite often 24x36inch) I do not see any single reason to upgrade when it comes to image quality. Period. On a bright sunny day I have to shoot at ISO 100 and F9-11 to save highlights and 7D clearly suffers from diffraction. Let alone that my 17-40 was badly struggling to cope with 7D`s high density sensor, camera shake is very critical and focus has to be spot-on. This camera needs the best (and latest) lenses that Canon has in its line up, plus a few new ones to replace the aging favorites like 17-40/4.0L. Of course, I would kill for 7D`s robust build, body sealing, improved AF and fantastic speed - but at the end it is all about the image quality, right? I could only imagine how good it would be if Canon decided to work on 12MP APS-C sensor and implemented 7Ds technology on it. I wanted to love this camera so much, but at the end of the day I decided to stick with my old-timers and wait...no, I will not jump to Nikon camp.
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Nov 16, 2009
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pobz
Offline
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Registered: Aug 13, 2008
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Nov 7, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Speed, excellent partner camera to the 5D2 - It's a Nikon camera by Canon
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Cons:
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Confusing sometimes which camera to take out the bag, 5D2 or 7D Grrrr!
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I have to agree with pretty much what has already been said. The moment I took one photo with the camera in the shop I wanted one to compliment my 5D2. Oh how I wish this newer technology was in the 5D2, so I guess we'll wait for the 5D3.
This camera also feels more like a Nikon, fast and accurate. I mentioned to my friend who is a Nikon user about to do the switch to Canon and I said, that Canon are finally making Nikon's. he laughed.
Anyway, anyone looking for an upated 40D/50D, this is the baby!
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Nov 7, 2009
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lensmad
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Registered: Nov 2, 2009
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Nov 7, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
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Pros:
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Nothing to add to what has already been written.
Like all new model Canon SLR feel & work great.
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Cons:
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None.
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Great to read some reviews, it is so reassuring that only one buyer has experienced problems.
I have been using a 5D2 for nearly a year as my main camera, & kept my 5D I had been using for 2 years before as a spare.
I have only played with the video on the 5D2, such a wonderful camera for pics.
When Canon announced the 7D back in September I decided to buy one just for video, seemed much easier than the 5D2.
Also I calculated it would be much improved in a year, technology moves quick nowadays.
Just in case any owners don't know there is a firmware update available on the Canon site; http://web.canon.jp/imaging/eosd/firm-e/eos7d/download.html?submitButtonName=I+Agree
I sold the 5D for over 50% of the 7D cost & have used the 7D as a spare camera just for pics so far, I have to admit I find the cropped sensor harder to get IQ as good as the 5D, nowhere near the 5D2.
Probably me.
I treated myself to the EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS lens, as a walkabout because it had good reviews on a cropped sensor.
Nowhere near the 5D2 with a 16-35 f/2.8L that I use as a walkabout.
I repeat probably me.
Seems reading your reviews the 7D won't get near the 5D2, not a problem. The 7D is worth it for the weatherproofing, feels much better in my big hands, lovely to grip. With the lens I mentioned it balances well. Somebody already mentioned, the eyepiece is wonderful for spectacle wearers, I already have a spare battery that fits both, most of the buttons are similar, those that aren't are easy to find & use, seems fantastic on battery use as is the 5D2, but video will no doubt use much more.
The multi point AF I found, didn't seem to focus where I wanted, so I intend to use it on single point for awhile.
I have only shot jpegs Adobe hasn't got RAW support for it yet, & having upgraded twice just for Canon support on the 5D2 & the D3 previously, I will not pay again. Adobe could easily make a plug-in, which is all it really is @ £165 or so.
I miss it mainly for the ability to leave the WB on auto, anyone know a way round this?
Mind AWB is never far off.
Fantastic camera, but if I had to choose just one it would be the 5D2.
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Nov 7, 2009
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salsalock
Offline
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Registered: Nov 3, 2009
Location: Italy
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Nov 3, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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built-in wireless flash, body, 1080 24p and 720 60p videos, viewfinder,
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Cons:
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Not so much. And the 18mp for me it's not a negative aspects
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Nov 3, 2009
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cdgerston
Offline
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Registered: Mar 8, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 304
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Review Date: Nov 1, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,690.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Body, Handling, AF system, picture quality considering the pixel density,
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Cons:
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APS-C, diffraction ceiling due to pixel density
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After a few weeks and a few thousand shots with the 7D, I have complicated feelings about the 7D... perhaps I need to see a therapist. The body is and has everything I could ask for, and has all of what I see as weaknesses in my 5DII: excellent build, better button layout, especially for live-view and video implementation, strong and accurate AF with an AI Servo mode I trust on 17 of the 19 points (the right and left most points aren't quite as good as the rest, I assume because of how close they are to the edge). The image quality is essentially very good, especially considering 18mpx. I'm surprised at how well the files hold up at high ISO, with good contrast and decent noise. My complicated feelings come from the fact that, really, this camera still has too many pixels for its sensor size. Yeah, 18 is great for cropping, but unnecessary for my printing purposes, and I suspect this is true for most people who will buy this camera. The problem with this high pixel density is the diffraction limit for this camera is around f/7.1, which limits its usefulness as a landscape camera, though it certainly is great for sports. 5DII images are sharper, cleaner, prettier to my eye. I realize every camera is a trade-off, but oh what I would give for the 7D features/body with a 5DII (or even 5D original) sensor. Still, I have to give the 7D a big thumbs up for those looking for an APS-C camera. Its great.
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Nov 1, 2009
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Manuel Barrera
Offline
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Registered: Sep 28, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 27
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Review Date: Oct 31, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,699.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Quick focus, excellent color contrast, Video, Video, Video
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Cons:
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a couple of thousand photos thus far and have not found any
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I had been contemplating getting the 5DII for a while as I use video often and having to use video and still can be a hassle, this camera does both of them well. It beats the heck out of my $1,900 dedicated video camera because of the lens.
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Oct 31, 2009
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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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76
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99966
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Jun 26, 2012
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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88% of reviewers
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$1,614.34
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Build Quality Rating
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Price Rating
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Overall Rating
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9.57
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8.67
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9.1
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