Canon 7D, announcement thread

Wachel · September 1, 2009

http://gizmodo.com/5349829/canon-7d-dslr-first-hands-on-18-megapixels-24fps-full-hd-video-for-1900?skyline=true&s=x

WOO HOO!

ziggy53 · September 1, 2009

From the horse's mouth:

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=139&modelid=19356

"18.0 Megapixel CMOS Sensor and Dual DIGIC 4 Image Processors for high image quality and speed.

ISO 100-6400 (expandable to 12,800) for shooting from bright to dim light.

8.0 fps continuous shooting up to 126 Large/JPEGs with UDMA CF card and 15 RAW.

Advanced movie mode with manual exposure control and selectable frame rates: 1920 x 1080 (Full HD): 30p (29.97) / 24p (23.976) / 25p, 1280 x 720 (HD): 60p (59.94) / 50p, 640 x 480 (SD): 60p (59.94) / 50p.

Intelligent Viewfinder with 100% field of view, wide viewing angle of 29.4°, high magnification of 1.0, intelligent viewfinder with glass pentaprism and an overlaid LCD display in viewfinder supports various shooting styles.

New 19-point, all cross-type AF system equipped with dual diagonal cross-type sensors in center at f/2.8 and f/5.6 and AF area selection modes to match various shooting situations.

iFCL Metering with 63 zone dual-layer metering sensor that utilizes AF and color information for optimizing exposure and image quality.

Magnesium body with shutter durability up to 150,000 cycles and exclusive dust and weather resistance."

"HD Dreams Come True.
Advanced movie mode with manual exposure control and selectable frame rates: 1920 x 1080 (Full HD): 30p (29.97) / 24p (23.976) / 25p, 1280 x 720 (HD): 60p (59.94) / 50p, 640 x 480 (SD): 60p (59.94) / 50p.

Boasting the most advanced EOS movie capturing features to date, the EOS 7D does not just shoot video clips, it offers the enhanced image quality, smooth frame rates and adaptive exposure compensation necessary in a professional movie-making tool. By shooting video with a large sensor camera, it's simple to take advantage of the image characteristics intrinsic to SLR photography and not necessarily to video cameras.

In addition to a number of different recording size and frame rate modes, the EOS 7D enables easy manual control of exposure, focus and Live View features and even allows for in-camera editing. The large CMOS sensor and compatibility with over 60 lenses provide a wealth of depth-of-field options. And it's all as easy as the press of a button — the EOS 7D has a dedicated Live View/Movie Recording lever with a start/stop button that gets the shooting started fast."

"Three Recording Sizes
Full HD Video is captured at 1920 x 1080 resolution at 30p (29.97), 24p (23.976) or 25p frames per second, for up to 4GB per clip. Movies are saved as .MOV files and can be viewed in Full HD with HDMI output. Other recording sizes include HD at 1280 x 720 (50p/60p (59.94) fps) or SD/VGA at 640 x 480 (50p/60p (59.94) fps)."

"Spectacular eye-level view.
Intelligent Viewfinder with 100% field of view, wide viewing angle of 29.4°, high magnification of 1.0, intelligent viewfinder with glass pentaprism and an overlaid LCD display in viewfinder supports various shooting styles."

"Faster, More Accurate AF.
New 19-point, all cross-type AF system equipped with dual diagonal cross-type sensors in center at f/2.8 and f/5.6 and AF area selection modes to match various shooting situations.

Canon packed its most advanced technologies into the EOS 7D's AF system. With 19 high-precision, cross-type AF sensors, any of which can be selected automatically or manually, the EOS 7D is equipped to handle even the trickiest of focus situations with ease.

The high-speed microcomputers in the EOS 7D use advanced algorithms that help ensure the fastest, most accurate AF performance under the widest variety of conditions.

In addition, Canon's Light Source detection AF automatically compensates the focus by taking into account artificial lighting sources and making appropriate adjustments and the EOS 7D's new Intelligent Macro focusing tracks the object or the camera's movement when shooting close-up, to ensure focus is never lost. AF modes can be customized to suit the situation, ensuring reliable focus, every time."

"More Information Ensures Accurate Exposure.
iFCL Metering with 63 zone dual-layer metering sensor that utilizes AF and color information for optimizing exposure and image quality.

The EOS 7D features a new, 63 zone dual-layer sensor designed to complement the 19-point AF system. By taking into account the color and luminosity surrounding chosen AF points, this new system delivers an entirely new level of accuracy for better results even in difficult lighting situations.

Since the metering sensor has a color measurement function, exposure errors and focus errors caused by different light sources are minimized; the EOS 7D gives stable exposure from shot to shot in situations where light changes, such as in a theater or concert hall. This makes the EOS 7D ideal for scenes with extreme difference in brightness such as brightly lit scenes or backlit scenes; the camera balances exposure of the main subject at the background, and exposures are not overly influenced by bright areas in the shot."

dlplumer · September 1, 2009

I am drooling

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/E7D/E7DA.HTM

Nikolai · September 1, 2009

wow

18 mp
8 fps
100% OVF
electronic level
same batteries as 5D
new AF points
video
no silly modes (and back to three custome settings again)

I'm sold!

ziggy53 · September 1, 2009

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0909/09090105canoneos7d.asp

Wachel · September 1, 2009

The only feature that it is missing is the "No Suck" mode. That would sell me on it in a sec!

Nikolai · September 1, 2009

Anybody wanna dibs on my 50D?

Internaut · September 1, 2009

Hmmmm.... that's a lot of pixels for APS-C
Don't get me wrong - I liked the IQ of the 40D (and pretty much every Canon DSLR before it) but wasn't entirely impressed with the ISO performance of the 50D. Have Canon pulled something special out of the hat in the sensitivity dept? Would be an interesting development if they've broken through that wall. I look forward to seeing it go head to head with the D300s on some of the review sites.

Regardless, for anyone who mostly shoots lower ISOs, this is going to be a dream. I thought going from 96% coverage to 98% on my recent upgrade was great. The VF on the 7D with 100% coverage is going to be very nice to use and the camera overall seems to tick a lot of the right boxes.

Netgarden · September 1, 2009

Nikolai wrote:

Anybody wanna dibs on my 50D?

Holy cow, I'm cleaning out my camera closet right now!

Since canon didn't touch the longer lens fans that have been chomping at the bits a some new teles, I may opt for the 7D which will give me some more length in BIFs. It will be interesting how they do with teleconverters.

Manfr3d · September 1, 2009

Nice the new Canon 100mm f2.8 L IS Macro looks interesting too!

Scott_Quier · September 1, 2009

Nikolai wrote:

Anybody wanna dibs on my 50D?

- looks like a 50D killer to me. I wonder what the street price will be on this in about 6 or 12 months?

Richard · September 1, 2009

Scott_Quier wrote:

- looks like a 50D killer to me. I wonder what the street price will be on this in about 6 or 12 months?

My 50D is so new that I still haven't tried all its bells and whistles. But I'm thinking hard about what to do...I don't much care about the video, but a better AF system than the xxD series might be worth the price of admission all by itself. I'm curious about the high ISO performance of the 7D. When the 50D came out, there was a lot of discussion about whether Canon was trying to squeeze too many megapixels into an APS-C sensor. The 7D has even more. Hmmm....

Manfr3d · September 1, 2009

Richard wrote:

My 50D is so new that I still haven't tried all its bells and whistles. But I'm thinking hard about what to do...I don't much care about the video, but a better AF system than the xxD series might be worth the price of admission all by itself. I'm curious about the high ISO performance of the 7D. When the 50D came out, there was a lot of discussion about whether Canon was trying to squeeze too many megapixels into an APS-C sensor. The 7D has even more. Hmmm....

But you can reduce the MP (and noise) by shooting sraw1 (10MP) and sraw2 (5MP) on the 7D.

Richard · September 1, 2009

Manfr3d wrote:

But you can reduce the MP (and noise) by shooting sraw1 (10MP) and sraw2 (5MP) on the 7D.

OK, I'm totally out of my depth here on hardware so maybe someone can explain how this works. Are the reduced raw sizes produced directly from a subset of the sensor cells or is the whole image simply downsized in software? If it's the former, then I don't see how it would reduce noise. If it's the latter, then I suppose it depends on how well the interpolation algorithms work.

Manfr3d · September 1, 2009

Richard wrote:

OK, I'm totally out of my depth here on hardware so maybe someone can explain how this works. Are the reduced raw sizes produced directly from a subset of the sensor cells or is the whole image simply downsized in software? If it's the former, then I don't see how it would reduce noise. If it's the latter, then I suppose it depends on how well the interpolation algorithms work.

It's the former but it works on the 5D II to reduce noise. I didn't believe it until I tried it.

Andy · September 1, 2009

Of course, I should be getting one of the first units, from my friends at Tally's Photographic so I'll report here when I have it!

ziggy53 · September 1, 2009

OK folks, I decided to move the links and observations made "after" the official Canon announcement to this new thread.

My observations:

This is the first Canon single digit, crop 1.6x camera. In Canon marketing speak that means something. Canon has always reserved the single digit denomination to infer "the best" of their line of cameras. So what makes the 7D so different from the preceding 2 digit crop 1.6x cameras?

The first thing that sticks out is dual image processors (DIP). Canon started using DIP with the 1D MKII, when that camera could not keep up with the (then) staggering amount of data and duties required. The image processor is responsible for the AF section processing as well as metering and JPG processing.

This could indicate a significant boost in AF processing speed, if one of the image processors is dedicated to AF as was the case in the 1D MKII, AF accuracy might also be affected.

It has been suggested that DIP could also impact noise reduction. Lately it would appear that part of noise reduction (NR) can, and does, occur at the RAW stage of the image. While previous Canon cameras generally applied NR after the RAW processing, some analysts noticed that, starting with the Canon 50D and 5D MKII, some NR "during" RAW processing seems to occur. The additional processing appears to be targeted at the shadow areas, where noise is most visible.

It has been speculated that more could be done, especially because of 14 bit image processing, but that a compromise had to be struck between available processor bandwidth and the responsiveness of the camera. With DIP that available bandwidth just doubled and could mean less compromise in RAW NR processing. If true, the NR fingerprint of the 7D may be significantly better than previously possible, especially if the imager was also improved in acquisition noise.

AF section. The AF section has been independantly improved, with a double-cross middle sensor of narrower sensitivity (better rejection of regions surrounding the selected subject), and all 19 focus points of cross type "and" active through f5.6. This should allow much more accurate AF away from the central point and make AI Servo more accurate as well. (Potentially similar to the Area SIR AF of the 1D series cameras to the limits of cross sensor AF technology.)

Color and luminance data treated separately by the metering module, and coordinated with AF. Previously, color and luminance were measured as a sum. This new system is similar to what Nikon has been using and does promise the possibility of additional data for more accurate metering, especially in difficult lighting situations.

Another idea copied from other manufacturers is an active viewfinder overlay. This means that more information is available through the viewfinder including an electronic leveling display and more accurate AF selection depiction.

Finally, it would appear that Canon thinks we "need video" and has provided the most versatile rendition yet for video acquisition in a dSLR. Whether you need video for home movies, European standard or "indie" style that translates well to movie film frame rates, it's now available in a single, relatively inexpensive, video system. (OK, AF probably still stinks for video and the audio section is still not what it could be and true Canon pull-focus/rack-focus accessories are not available. The market will mature as the manufacturers see the perceived need.)

P.S.

I almost forgot, the 7D appears to sport a flash transmitter capability, essentially acting as "master" in an E-TTL II master-slave relationship. This is a first for Canon and something Nikon has done for years. (Maybe the Nikon patents finally ran out or maybe Canon has developed a new methodology that get around the patents, who knows?)

Moogle Pepper · September 1, 2009

Manfr3d wrote:

Nice the new Canon 100mm f2.8 L IS Macro looks interesting too!

New macro lens?!

Andy wrote:

Of course, I should be getting one of the first units, from my friends at Tally's Photographic so I'll report here when I have it!

As expected!

Which leads me to ask, did you ever beta test for Canon or have Canon ever asked you for beta testing of their cameras?

With all those features, why not also include dual CF/SD slots?

divamum · September 1, 2009

Very cool.

I can still take or leave the video feature, but if it handles high ISO pretty well, then this release nicely addresses several of the key "wants" of my wishlist from a few weeks back. Noise performance remains the question - if its 3200 equals or betters the Xsi's 800, I'll be happy. Can't wait to see the first reviews!

eoren1 · September 1, 2009

Great post Ziggy and, Andy, am jealous as usual. I agree that the single digit designation raises the caliber of the camera. It also serves to show Canon's commitment to developing the APS-C format. In fact, it was because of the 7D (or at least its rumors) that I felt comfortable investing in more EF-S lenses. While I'm planning to keep my 6 month old 50D for at least 2 years (and the $700 difference between what I paid and the MSRP of the 7D helps a LOT with that decision

), I'm happy that there is a 'pro quality' APS-C model to move up to in the future. Can't wait to see some reviews on how this camera handles in the real world - I'm expecting to see at least one of them at the Shootout!
E

ziggy53 · September 1, 2009

The first ISO 3200 sample images are starting to emerge. This one, at DPReview, shows reasonable amounts of noise, with a fairly good red rendition (not as good as a FF imager IMO). Probably easily up to an 8" x 10" or 8" x 12" print capable.

http://a.img-dpreview.com/gallery/canoneos7d_preview/originals/img_2592.jpg

divamum · September 1, 2009

ziggy53 wrote:

The first ISO 3200 sample images are starting to emerge. This one, at DPReview, shows reasonable amounts of noise, with a fairly good red rendition (not as good as a FF imager IMO). Probably easily up to an 8" x 10" or 8" x 12" print capable.

http://a.img-dpreview.com/gallery/canoneos7d_preview/originals/img_2592.jpg

Yup, just saw those. My feeling from these first shots is that ISO 1600 is a little better than 800 on the Xsi, which would still be an improvement for me personally (not sure how it compares to the 50D). The 12,800 sample looked pretty grim but then... wouldn't 12,800 be for shooting pretty much in the pitch dark???! Even at my Black Hole shoot (the Don Giovanni dress rehearsal, with only 1 stage lantern in use, and that with a red gel) I got shots on the Xsi at 1600 which were useable after work with Noiseware (perfect, no - useable, yes). I think for my low-light needs 3200 is probably going to be the magic number, so I'm really looking forward to seeing comparison shots at selected ISOs between cameras once those start to appear in the next couple of weeks

And is it me or from those shots does it look like the native ISO is 200? All the 200 shots seemed crispest to me (although many of the 100 shots were the ones of the Thames and St Paul's on what looks like a grey hazy summer day, so it's hard to tell if it was the scene or the camera which resulted in the lack of contrast).

It will also be interesting to see if noise performance changes at the lower s- and m- raw resolutions.

I do know that this release is kind of win-win for me personally - if the 7D lives up to initial expectations, I can hopefully invest in one 3-6 months down the line. If not, I have no doubt that the price on the 50D will probably plummet, so I should come out of it pretty well one way or another...

It's been a really good year for me gearwise. I finally feel like I know WHAT I need/want and HOW to get what I need/want, and thus my choices are serving me better and better. A little knowledge is a good (if financially dangerous) thing!!

ETA: More samples (w/5dII alongside) appearing here http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=7-10042-10239

Verrryyyy interesting...........

cmason · September 1, 2009

Omfg!
Wow, at first I was unimpressed, but after reading Rob Galbraith's review, I see this as the 'fix' to all my complaints about the 40D:

More Focal pts: 19 w/ more cross type
More Auto Focus pt options
Auto ISO that goes higher than ISO 400
Higher Res LCD
More zones in metering

And the OMG moment for me: Built in Wireless TTL! FINALLY

oh, and the leveling thing is wwwwaaaayyy camera-geeky!

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=7-10042-10239

jovitta · September 1, 2009

canon anouncement 7D link
here is canons link news.
http://www.usa.canon.com/templatedata/pressrelease/20090901_eos7d.html

jovitta · September 1, 2009

around the same price as the 5dII

jovitta wrote:

here is canons link news.
http://www.usa.canon.com/templatedata/pressrelease/20090901_eos7d.html

It is not a full frame. so there for of course it is not more expensive than the 5DII.

Richard · September 1, 2009

jovitta wrote:

It is not a full frame. so there for of course it is not more expensive than the 5DII.

The SRP is US$ 1,699, which is around a thousand dollars less than the 5DII. It's closer in price to the 50D.

swintonphoto · September 1, 2009

I think this camera is the biggest home run by Canon in a long time. A true pro crop sensor camera. If I was a Canon user, this one would be my primary. Nice job Canon.

studio1972 · September 1, 2009

Maybe they can produce an EFS 55-150 2.8 IS to go with the 17-55?

John Mueller · September 1, 2009

Andy wrote:

Of course, I should be getting one of the first units, from my friends at Tally's Photographic so I'll report here when I have it!

I put in first dibs to purchase from Andy-bay

Awais Yaqub · September 1, 2009

Andy wrote:

Of course, I should be getting one of the first units, from my friends at Tally's Photographic so I'll report here when I have it!

Man, i think i need to make more friends:D

Always love to see one of 1sts in your hands, waiting for your review

LiquidAir · September 1, 2009

My guess is that the 7D AF system will show in a full frame 3D (with the 5DII sensor) in 6 months or so. The 3D will be positioned to compete with the D700 (and fulfill all the dreams people have of an EOS-3 replacement) and the 5DII will drop in price to compete with the new Sony body.

I was thinking of picking up a 5DII at some point, but now I am going to hold off. I want that new AF system...

Canon 7D, announcement thread

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