Gear Review – Canon EOS 7D

By Bill Lockhart

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Built around an 18MP sensor, Canon’s new EOS 7D has received both praise and criticism by professional photographers and reviewers.

Noteworthy is Darwin Wiggett’s Review that created a storm of controversy, mostly which centered around the ability of the camera to produce sharp photographs.  Much has been said about the necessity of calibrating the 7D with lenses, using some esoteric methods such as the Moire fringe technique.  DPReview highly praised the EOS 7D.

As Darwin said, this is a camera that we all want to love and use.  This is because it offers some features that wildlife and nature photographers especially want in a camera.  My own interests center around three capabilities:  its APS-C sensor which provides a 1.6x multiplier for telephoto lenses, meaning my 400mm f/5.6L lens is now a 640mm lens; its eight FPS capability which enables one to stop action at the same level of FPS offered by the pro series 1D Mark IIn; and, its HD video recording capability.  All of this is wrapped up in a solidly built camera that sells for $1,699.00 from a reputable dealer.  The much anticipated 1D Mark IV, on the other hand, is expected to cost $4,999 — three times the price of the EOS 7D, with nearly the identical features although in a professional body with a 1.3x multiplier.  The EOS 1D IV is nearly impossible to find and will not likely be widely available for months.

Canon EOS 7D

For me, the size and weight of the camera matters.  I have been looking for a camera kit that offers me portability, good construction, and image quality.  So, I went the route of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II as my primary landscape camera, and the Caon EOS 7D as my primary wildlife camera.  It is a good match, each offering unique capabilities that suit the kind of photography that I do. If interested, the full specifications of the EOS 7D are available at Canon’s website.

I have found the EOS 7D to be a pleasure to hold, with excellent ergonomics and easy to understand controls.  Its size and weight, when combined with lighter lenses, makes it a pleasure to use.

One of the features that greatly interests wildlife photographers is how well the camera will auto focus.  Wildlife photography is about capturing action and movement, a camera that will not provide fast AF is totally useless.  So far, from the shots I have done, I have found the EOS 7D is be remarkable in its ability to acquire and maintain AF on a moving subject.  It is phenomenal.

The feature set is a tad difficult to understand, there are so many choices!  Some help from Doug Brown was especially useful to me in the initial settings for the camera.  And a careful read of E.J. Peiker’s impressions were useful as well.

I especially like the convenient switch on EOS 7D that allows me to choose between still shots and video, it is far simpler than the arrangement on the Canon EOS 5D Mark II.  My hope is to do a great deal of video photography in the future and having two cameras that can produce HD video at 30 FPS is a great advantage.  I must admit, however, that getting critically sharp videos means, in most instances, that I have to use manual focus.  The results of auto focus in video mode are acceptable, but in my view not as sharp as I would like.

Choosing a good lens to match with the EOS 7D is something I have thought about a great deal. I have the Canon EF 70-300mm DO lens, a lens I love primarily because of its size. With this lens mounted I have an effective range of 112mm to 480mm — a wonderful range for doing wildlife photography. Combined, the result is an instrument that is easy to move, easy to pack, and wonderfully balanced.

And, I have found that I can crop the 18MP files produced by the EOS 7D and retain excellent details.  I can only imagine how good this camera will be when matched with superb lenses such as the 70-200mm f/4L or the 300mm f/4L IS.

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I am particularly impressed with the color rendition I am getting with the EOS 7D, as in this photograph done two days ago without filters, pretty much straight out of the camera.

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In today’s world of photography each one of us must choose equipment that we think matches our own way of shooting.  For me, the choice of buying the Canon EOS 7D was based on the idea that I really need two cameras that each have characteristics that fit what I typically photograph.  I have long since given up on trying to have one camera and a set of lenses do everything, it simply does not work for me.  The Canon EOS 5D Mark II is a perfect match.

Please understand, the EOS 7D and the EOS 5D Mark II are not professional grade cameras.  While both are well built, in my view they are not comparable to the rugged environmentally sealed 1D series cameras, which means I need to take extra precautions when shooting in severe weather and environmental conditions.  Zip lock bags are a good idea to keep out the dust and protect the cameras from moisture.

So, with two cameras and two lenses (the EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II and the EF 70-300mm DO), I now have the capability to go from 16mm (Full Frame) to 480mm (APS-C).  And switching the two lenses between the two cameras means that I have lots more flexibility in what I am doing. And, the two cameras use the same battery, meaning I don’t have to pack an extra charger!  Thus, my camera kit is lighter.  Besides, one is crazy to trek half way across the earth without having two cameras, a backup is an absolute necessity for me, and I have the best of two worlds in this new kit.  I like that very much.

Not a bad choice as far as I am concerned.

I have not discussed noise, since most of my shooting is at ISO 400 or less.  In my view, most issues of noise are the result of poor exposures, not the camera.  And anyone who expects to get flawless smooth images at higher ISOs is begging for disappointment.  I will report that at ISO 800, noise does appear on my images, but such has been easy to process with Adobe CS4.

In the days ahead, I will be calibrating my lenses with my two cameras.  It is not an exercise that I look forward to, but one that is necessary to get all the gear matched.  And, hopefully, find extraordinary light that blesses my treks across the earth.

In sum, from my limited time with the Canon EOS 7D, I can recommend it to you.  For its price, size, ergonomics, capabilities, and image quality, I can’t think of anything out there that compares.  That is, unless one is a Nikon shooter, then the Nikon D300 is a logical choice and a strong competitor.

Pros:

Price

Build Quality

Size and Ergonomics

Image Quality

Auto Focus

Eight Frames Per Second RAW Shooting

HD Video

Controls

1.6x Multiplier for Lenses

Cons:

Tendency to overexpose in contrasty situations.

Poor White Balance in Artificial Light

No built in AF illuminator