Always fill out the registration cards. The first time you complete one, you setup a Canon account which lists all your registered gear. Periodically during the year, Canon will send emails with product updates etc. Most importantly, I find this most useful when you add gear to your homeowner's insurance policy. Not to mention each time you register a new product, canon gives you a 15% discount on any accessories...
Travis M. Chance
twin Mark IV's & a bunch of "L" glass site ∙ facebook
Indoor soccer shots were delayed by my flight being delayed yesterday. Missed connection in Minneapolis means I spent 10 extra hours there, 5 of them at the Mall of America , but got home at midnight and missed the soccer game. The next game is two weeks from now. Hopefully I can get some test shots/comparisons then.
7D test shots
I thought others might be interested in some pics I took last night.
I just got my 7D yesterday and was excited to be able to take it to my son's soccer game. I quickly became dissapointed however, when I realized it was a night game and it was already very dark and raining. When I left the house, I was planning on leaving the camera at home and at the last minute, threw it under my jacket and headed out.
I'm glad I did because I was pleasantly surprised when I got home and looked at the photos. I know I would not have gotten these photos with my XSi.
Being just a Dad/Hobbyist, I'm not a well prepared sports shooter but instead try to make due with what I have. My best lens is a 70-200 f/4 non-IS. That's the lens I put on the 7D. I was shooting from across the track and several rows up into the stands. I had to shoot down, into the lighted field to get any shutter speed at all.
The first 5 pics are at ISO 3200. I started to crop them but after doing 1, I decided to leave the rest alone.
The last 2 pics, I bumped up the ISO to 6400 to try and increase my shutter speed.
#1 - 3200. 1/320
#2 3200. 1/160
#3 3200. 1/200
#4 3200. 1/200
#5 3200. 1/200
#6 6400. 1/250
#7 6400. 1/250
I made no adjustments to the photos at all. Just took them to see what the camera could do. As I said, I was pleasantly surprised and I'm looking forward to seeing how the camera can help me in basketball and baseball this year.
How did you find the AF? Did you have many images where the AF could not keep up? What were your AF settings?
Thanks,
Actually, I thought I blew the focus. When I started shooting, I forgot about it. With my XSi I usually just use the center point and AI Servo.
I shot several shots with the 7D with the default zones and 1 shot setting. I figured none of them would turn out. After about 50 shots (IIRC) I realized I'd forgotten it and selected just the center point and went back and forth between AI Servo and AI Focus. It seemed to be very fast and I don't remember it 'hunting' at all. The center point dot seemed to claim the target immediately. When I looked at the photos last night, many of the default focus shots were fine but I think it got better when I dialed it in a bit.
My thoughts at the time were that it sure felt good while shooting but if it's like my XSi, many of the shots will have focused on some other unintended target (like the kids behind my target) and again I expected to have wasted my time. Not the case though. I actually got shots I could use that I know I would not have gotten previously. This camera is definitely in another league from the XSi.
I did have many OOF shots but I think a lot of that was due to the fact I was typically shooting at 1/200 shutter speed.
Can't wait to try out the video. That's the main reason I didn't go with the 50D some time ago. I was waiting for a bigger/better package at a nice price point. So glad I did!
I shot several shots with the 7D with the default zones and 1 shot setting. I figured none of them would turn out. After about 50 shots (IIRC) I realized I'd forgotten it and selected just the center point and went back and forth between AI Servo and AI Focus. It seemed to be very fast and I don't remember it 'hunting' at all. The center point dot seemed to claim the target immediately. When I looked at the photos last night, many of the default focus shots were fine but I think it got better when I dialed it in a bit.
Wayne, they are certainly impressive under the circumstances. In the 3200 shots, clarity, color, overall vividness are easily winning against any noise. Getting the AF to give you what you want is the biggest challenge I have with my 40D, though the weakness is almost always totally in me rather than the camera. Your experience is a powerful argument for the effectiveness of the AF system in the 7D, without you really trying. Thanks.
Wayne, they are certainly impressive under the circumstances. In the 3200 shots, clarity, color, overall vividness are easily winning against any noise. Getting the AF to give you what you want is the biggest challenge I have with my 40D, though the weakness is almost always totally in me rather than the camera. Your experience is a powerful argument for the effectiveness of the AF system in the 7D, without you really trying. Thanks.
Neil
I agree...the weakness is me but I think the 7D will help make up for 'me' quite a bit.
Another thing that seemed to really help me get on my target and stay there was the fact that the center point is a box, rather than a 'dot' as it is on the XSi. It was much easier to keep the player in the box as opposed to keeping the smaller dot on the midsection of a player.
On a side note, when I took off for the game, I had not had a chance to look at the manual at all. When it came time to change/select my focus points, it didn't work. Luckily, I rememberd the conversation between Nikolai and DivaMum regarding the use of the M-Fn button. Came in very handy. Thanks!
On a side note, when I took off for the game, I had not had a chance to look at the manual at all. When it came time to change/select my focus points, it didn't work. Luckily, I rememberd the conversation between Nikolai and DivaMum regarding the use of the M-Fn button. Came in very handy. Thanks!
Got mine today Ziggy, and knowing about that button in advance saved me a lot of time. My first impressions are: WOW, this is one excellent camera with loads of great features. It is also feels hefty in a good way. More later.
Got mine today Ziggy, and knowing about that button in advance saved me a lot of time. My first impressions are: WOW, this is one excellent camera with loads of great features. It is also feels hefty in a good way. More later.
On a side note, when I took off for the game, I had not had a chance to look at the manual at all. When it came time to change/select my focus points, it didn't work. Luckily, I rememberd the conversation between Nikolai and DivaMum regarding the use of the M-Fn button. Came in very handy. Thanks!
Wayne G
Ha! I only wish I'd needed that knowledge for real instead of just mentioning it in light of my 4 minute encounter with the camera. Having now played with one IRL I WANT one!!! Not for a while, sadly.... :cry
Thanks for the soccer pix. Impressive performance for what sound like "grab shots". Between feeling how it lies in the hand, and seeing those real life examples I'm now 100% sold on this as a great next camera for me.
That clinking sound you hear is me putting pennies in the piggybank......
Any suggestions on a UDMA CF card? I'm going to using my 7D for a ton of sports photography. I've read so many conflicting stories. Right now I'm considering the Lexar 16gb & 8gb UDMA 300x speed...
Travis M. Chance
twin Mark IV's & a bunch of "L" glass site ∙ facebook
Any suggestions on a UDMA CF card? I'm going to using my 7D for a ton of sports photography. I've read so many conflicting stories. Right now I'm considering the Lexar 16gb & 8gb UDMA 300x speed...
I have the Lexar 16GB card and no problems so far. I tend to stick with Lexar and Sandisk usually.
Travis...by no means am I an expert on the subject but I feel like I (somewhat) pushed the limits last week having shot 2 days of golf with the 7D and filled 4x 8GB CF cards (Sandisk Extreme III) each day for a total of 64GB of RAW files.
The only time that I noticed any perceived slowness was when my shutter speed was slower (sub 1/200 sec)...which kind of made sense, it was the shutter speed that was the bottleneck and not the CF card. Since I was shooting in AV mode I needed to bump the ISO up from 100 here and there to get faster shutter speeds when in the shadows of the trees or when the fog rolled in.
I guess it comes down to a price performance issue...if the UDMA were as cheap as the ones I have then it would be a no brainer. I just don't think the gain is justified by the price??
For those that have this, Can you Autofocus in Video or is it all only manual?
I heard somewhere that it was only manual and no autofocus. That would be retarded I would think.
Edit: The camera does auto focus but it is a 1 time process, before you press record. Not meant to keep up with a moving subject...
Page 156 of the manual, under the AF Mode section, states..."Note that continuous focusing of a moving subject is not possible."
Of course this is with autofocus only. You will have to manually focus a moving target and to make things a bit more difficult, you have to do it via the LCD screen.
There's no doubt it is different than what we are used to with our video cameras but I'm excited to work with it for many reasons:
1) In the short videos I've shot so far, the quality seems better than my HD Sony camcorder. It looks so sharp.
2) I will be shooting some pretty fast moving targets (ATVs) but at a distance for short clips and I don't think the focus will change that much. No doubt I will need to practice my technique but I'm excited about the possible results.
3) I want to have the option to switch from photos to video easily and with 1 piece of equipment. For example, I was at a party last weekend where several middle aged adults got very much into the Rock Band game. I was snapping plenty of photos just wishing I could switch to a movie mode. The resulting movie/slideshow would have been great.
No doubt there are compromises. This is just another step into an evolution of gadgetry. It suits my needs right now so I'm happy to jump on the band wagon early.
I just got my 7D and charged the battery :ivar My 7D firmware is already version 1.1.0 Is it still necessary to update the firmware if my camera already has the 1.1.0 version? Sorry for the dumb question but it makes sense not to update it since my 7D already has it, right? Just want to be absolutely sure.
I just got my 7D and charged the battery :ivar My 7D firmware is already version 1.1.0 Is it still necessary to update the firmware if my camera already has the 1.1.0 version? Sorry for the dumb question but it makes sense not to update it since my 7D already has it, right? Just want to be absolutely sure.
Comments
twin Mark IV's & a bunch of "L" glass
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ann
My Galleries My Photography BLOG
Ramblings About Me
I thought others might be interested in some pics I took last night.
I just got my 7D yesterday and was excited to be able to take it to my son's soccer game. I quickly became dissapointed however, when I realized it was a night game and it was already very dark and raining. When I left the house, I was planning on leaving the camera at home and at the last minute, threw it under my jacket and headed out.
I'm glad I did because I was pleasantly surprised when I got home and looked at the photos. I know I would not have gotten these photos with my XSi.
Being just a Dad/Hobbyist, I'm not a well prepared sports shooter but instead try to make due with what I have. My best lens is a 70-200 f/4 non-IS. That's the lens I put on the 7D. I was shooting from across the track and several rows up into the stands. I had to shoot down, into the lighted field to get any shutter speed at all.
The first 5 pics are at ISO 3200. I started to crop them but after doing 1, I decided to leave the rest alone.
The last 2 pics, I bumped up the ISO to 6400 to try and increase my shutter speed.
#1 - 3200. 1/320
#2 3200. 1/160
#3 3200. 1/200
#4 3200. 1/200
#5 3200. 1/200
#6 6400. 1/250
#7 6400. 1/250
I made no adjustments to the photos at all. Just took them to see what the camera could do. As I said, I was pleasantly surprised and I'm looking forward to seeing how the camera can help me in basketball and baseball this year.
Wayne G
How did you find the AF? Did you have many images where the AF could not keep up? What were your AF settings?
Thanks,
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
Actually, I thought I blew the focus. When I started shooting, I forgot about it. With my XSi I usually just use the center point and AI Servo.
I shot several shots with the 7D with the default zones and 1 shot setting. I figured none of them would turn out. After about 50 shots (IIRC) I realized I'd forgotten it and selected just the center point and went back and forth between AI Servo and AI Focus. It seemed to be very fast and I don't remember it 'hunting' at all. The center point dot seemed to claim the target immediately. When I looked at the photos last night, many of the default focus shots were fine but I think it got better when I dialed it in a bit.
My thoughts at the time were that it sure felt good while shooting but if it's like my XSi, many of the shots will have focused on some other unintended target (like the kids behind my target) and again I expected to have wasted my time. Not the case though.
I did have many OOF shots but I think a lot of that was due to the fact I was typically shooting at 1/200 shutter speed.
Can't wait to try out the video. That's the main reason I didn't go with the 50D some time ago. I was waiting for a bigger/better package at a nice price point. So glad I did!
Wayne G
Fantastic. Thanks again,
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
Neil
http://www.behance.net/brosepix
I agree...the weakness is me but I think the 7D will help make up for 'me' quite a bit.
Another thing that seemed to really help me get on my target and stay there was the fact that the center point is a box, rather than a 'dot' as it is on the XSi. It was much easier to keep the player in the box as opposed to keeping the smaller dot on the midsection of a player.
On a side note, when I took off for the game, I had not had a chance to look at the manual at all. When it came time to change/select my focus points, it didn't work. Luckily, I rememberd the conversation between Nikolai and DivaMum regarding the use of the M-Fn button. Came in very handy. Thanks!
Wayne G
I kid you "Not", DGrinners are the "Best".
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
Got mine today Ziggy, and knowing about that button in advance saved me a lot of time. My first impressions are: WOW, this is one excellent camera with loads of great features.
Dan
http://danielplumer.com/
Facebook Fan Page
Congratulations Dan.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
Ha! I only wish I'd needed that knowledge for real instead of just mentioning it in light of my 4 minute encounter with the camera. Having now played with one IRL I WANT one!!! Not for a while, sadly.... :cry
Thanks for the soccer pix. Impressive performance for what sound like "grab shots". Between feeling how it lies in the hand, and seeing those real life examples I'm now 100% sold on this as a great next camera for me.
That clinking sound you hear is me putting pennies in the piggybank......
I tried out the new 7D. These are untouched (just cropped) jpegs since RAW profiles are not yet available.
All were taken with 420 on board (300*1.4)
f/7.1
ISO 400
I tried all of the AF options and they all seemed to work well. Did not have an opportunity to shoot BIFs using servo yet.
http://danielplumer.com/
Facebook Fan Page
twin Mark IV's & a bunch of "L" glass
site ∙ facebook
I have the Lexar 16GB card and no problems so far. I tend to stick with Lexar and Sandisk usually.
How is the buffer with continuous shooting? Buffer? Is there sufficient space with only the 16gb?
twin Mark IV's & a bunch of "L" glass
site ∙ facebook
The only time that I noticed any perceived slowness was when my shutter speed was slower (sub 1/200 sec)...which kind of made sense, it was the shutter speed that was the bottleneck and not the CF card. Since I was shooting in AV mode I needed to bump the ISO up from 100 here and there to get faster shutter speeds when in the shadows of the trees or when the fog rolled in.
I guess it comes down to a price performance issue...if the UDMA were as cheap as the ones I have then it would be a no brainer. I just don't think the gain is justified by the price??
Anyway my 2cents.
John
These are great shots. You said you "cropped" these. Did you mean re-sized?
Do you have full rez file online anywhere to have a look?
I love the first and second shots. So sharp and clean!
Thanx
WildViper
From Nikon D70s > Nikon D300s & D700
Nikon 50/1.8, Tamron 28-75/2.8 1st gen, Nikkor 12-24/4, Nikkor 70-200/2.8 ED VR, SB600, SB900, SB-26 and Gitzo 2 Series Carbon Fiber with Kirk Ballhead
Thanks for the feedback. It sounds like I'll be spending more money than I originally intended!
twin Mark IV's & a bunch of "L" glass
site ∙ facebook
Thanks viper
I cropped in Aperture and exported to Smugmug without resizing:
http://dlplumer.smugmug.com/Nature/Animals/Birds/5355601_Xyfbr#681202915_z6387
http://danielplumer.com/
Facebook Fan Page
For those that have this, Can you Autofocus in Video or is it all only manual?
I heard somewhere that it was only manual and no autofocus. That would be retarded I would think.
WildViper
From Nikon D70s > Nikon D300s & D700
Nikon 50/1.8, Tamron 28-75/2.8 1st gen, Nikkor 12-24/4, Nikkor 70-200/2.8 ED VR, SB600, SB900, SB-26 and Gitzo 2 Series Carbon Fiber with Kirk Ballhead
Edit: The camera does auto focus but it is a 1 time process, before you press record. Not meant to keep up with a moving subject...
Page 156 of the manual, under the AF Mode section, states..."Note that continuous focusing of a moving subject is not possible."
Of course this is with autofocus only. You will have to manually focus a moving target and to make things a bit more difficult, you have to do it via the LCD screen.
There's no doubt it is different than what we are used to with our video cameras but I'm excited to work with it for many reasons:
1) In the short videos I've shot so far, the quality seems better than my HD Sony camcorder. It looks so sharp.
2) I will be shooting some pretty fast moving targets (ATVs) but at a distance for short clips and I don't think the focus will change that much. No doubt I will need to practice my technique but I'm excited about the possible results.
3) I want to have the option to switch from photos to video easily and with 1 piece of equipment. For example, I was at a party last weekend where several middle aged adults got very much into the Rock Band game. I was snapping plenty of photos just wishing I could switch to a movie mode. The resulting movie/slideshow would have been great.
No doubt there are compromises. This is just another step into an evolution of gadgetry. It suits my needs right now so I'm happy to jump on the band wagon early.
Wayne G
http://www.danalphotos.com
http://www.pluralsight.com
http://twitter.com/d114
Congratulations. Make sure you have the new 1.1 firmware installed. If not, it is on the Canon website.
http://danielplumer.com/
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http://www.danalphotos.com
http://www.pluralsight.com
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Thanks,
Benny
No. You are all set
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