Canon 7d Review & Tips
Is the Price, Image Quality, Lens Bundle and Video Function Best in Class? Or is there another make and model that's better?
Canon 7d Kit & Canon 7d Bundle
It's a great idea to buy the kit as you will always need more lenses. Being able to switch from super wide 8mm to 500mm and everything in between has created tremendous versatility. You will never have too many lenses.
Canon 7d Kit & Canon 7d Bundle
It's a great idea to buy the kit as you will always need more lenses. Being able to switch from super wide 8mm to 500mm and everything in between has created tremendous versatility. You will never have too many lenses.
Canon 7d Review - A Real User Report:
I've used our Canon 7d really
intensely since its launch. This camera has been hiked for dozens of
miles in the backcountry in all weathers. I've used it for photography
from my kayak, video from the canoe & worked it as hard as any
camera can be in temps over 100 degrees.
It's also been heavily fallen on when hiking with no damage. The lens hood got a bit scratched up for sure, but the metal camera mount held up, even with the big 100-400mm lens on.
My wife also shoots wildlife stills with it while I shoot video on the Canon XF300. We easily print super quality large format canvas nature prints.
I love the ease of use, especially the presets on the main dial. The color settings were setup fairly flat on day one per the excellent manual and never changed.
It's also been heavily fallen on when hiking with no damage. The lens hood got a bit scratched up for sure, but the metal camera mount held up, even with the big 100-400mm lens on.
My wife also shoots wildlife stills with it while I shoot video on the Canon XF300. We easily print super quality large format canvas nature prints.
I love the ease of use, especially the presets on the main dial. The color settings were setup fairly flat on day one per the excellent manual and never changed.
White Pelicans on Lake Hollingworth
Canon 7D Tips
Fully Automatic: While I never shoot
this way, if you are just starting out this can be a big help. Turn the
dial to AV (Aperture Value) and the camera takes care of the
light/shutter speed combination. Or you can set it to auto everything
for Point & Shoot.
Favorite Lens: My favorite lens is the Canon IS100-400mm for bird and wildlife photography. I can literally turn the preset dial to position one, track and instantly lock onto a 60 mph flying duck and shoot. Then switch to position two for a slower landscape shot with greater depth of field. And to a third preset to shoot video on my lightweight carbon tripod. Just too easy!
Sensor Size: Because of the sensor size the image is multiplied x1.6. So a 400mm lens becomes 640mm. Add a x1.4 multiplier and you have nearly 900 mm. This is a huge advantage for certain types of photography, especially wildlife or sports. You will lose auto focus on some lenses, but not the Canon 500mm F4.
Favorite Lens: My favorite lens is the Canon IS100-400mm for bird and wildlife photography. I can literally turn the preset dial to position one, track and instantly lock onto a 60 mph flying duck and shoot. Then switch to position two for a slower landscape shot with greater depth of field. And to a third preset to shoot video on my lightweight carbon tripod. Just too easy!
Sensor Size: Because of the sensor size the image is multiplied x1.6. So a 400mm lens becomes 640mm. Add a x1.4 multiplier and you have nearly 900 mm. This is a huge advantage for certain types of photography, especially wildlife or sports. You will lose auto focus on some lenses, but not the Canon 500mm F4.
Pink Waterlily in Riverbend Park
More Tips
ISO: Most photographers will tell you
to shoot at the lowest ISO possible. I take the opposite approach,
shooting consistently at ISO 1600 and 2500. This gives me the fastest
shutter speed possible with no or low noise & the 7d is perfect for
this. I do most of my shooting in the pre dawn low light & need fast
shutter speeds, so high ISOs are important.
RAW & JPEG: We set the camera to shoot both at the same time. However, the JPEG shots are normally so good that we easily print to 24" x 36" with excellent results. RAW is there if we need to do extra processing, or sell super high res images.
Flash: I don't normally use flash, but this just pops up if you need it. Set the shutter speed as you normally would and the camera takes care of it.
RAW & JPEG: We set the camera to shoot both at the same time. However, the JPEG shots are normally so good that we easily print to 24" x 36" with excellent results. RAW is there if we need to do extra processing, or sell super high res images.
Flash: I don't normally use flash, but this just pops up if you need it. Set the shutter speed as you normally would and the camera takes care of it.
Jupiter Lighthouse at Dawn
Canon 7d Video - just flip a switch
The prime reason I bought the Canon 7D
was to shoot HD video. Video quality is way ahead of the competition.
The photography side is even better. Although I haven't done it, many
wedding photographers use the 7d to shoot video. How much trust is that
for one very special day?
Yes, it's really different to my pro Canon camcorder, and I can't zoom the way I'd like to. What I do really like though is the .mov file that it produces for a fast edit & YouTube upload, plus the fantastic HD image quality.
I've used all of my lenses from 8mm to 500mm with x2 extender with amazing results. For video there is a learning curve, I shoot with F16 - F22 to get a decent Depth of Field. Others use ND Filters which we have, but have never used. Why carry more stuff in the field than you need to?
It's also been a great video camera for closeups, used as the second camera for my Canon XF300 Camcorder. I play around with the white balance until they look similar, shoot & merge in Premiere Pro. Really simple.
Use a remote for shooting video. I normally set the camera up on a tripod, focus by pressing the shutter halfway, and use the remote. This prevents camera shake at the beginning and end of the clip. Saves editing time.
Buy the fastest CF card you can. When shooting video the transfer rate is high and a slower card can cause buffering.
Add a Loupe to be able to shoot video and see the excellent 3" LCD screen in direct sunlight.
Buy a decent Fluid Head for panning / tracking wildlife or sports.
Yes, it's really different to my pro Canon camcorder, and I can't zoom the way I'd like to. What I do really like though is the .mov file that it produces for a fast edit & YouTube upload, plus the fantastic HD image quality.
I've used all of my lenses from 8mm to 500mm with x2 extender with amazing results. For video there is a learning curve, I shoot with F16 - F22 to get a decent Depth of Field. Others use ND Filters which we have, but have never used. Why carry more stuff in the field than you need to?
It's also been a great video camera for closeups, used as the second camera for my Canon XF300 Camcorder. I play around with the white balance until they look similar, shoot & merge in Premiere Pro. Really simple.
Use a remote for shooting video. I normally set the camera up on a tripod, focus by pressing the shutter halfway, and use the remote. This prevents camera shake at the beginning and end of the clip. Saves editing time.
Buy the fastest CF card you can. When shooting video the transfer rate is high and a slower card can cause buffering.
Add a Loupe to be able to shoot video and see the excellent 3" LCD screen in direct sunlight.
Buy a decent Fluid Head for panning / tracking wildlife or sports.
Canon 7d Video
Osprey Sheltering Chicks from the Sun - Raw Footage as Filmed
Lenses
There's a lot of hype about camera
types. Frankly the two leading brands, Canon and Nikon, are so far ahead
of the others that we recommend them above everything else.
We decided on Canon because the longer Canon lenses are considerably lower in cost than Nikon, with no difference in quality for what we do.
Put your long term money into lenses. Camera models come and go, but your lenses stay with you forever.
Favorite lenses: 50mm F1.4 & 100-400mm with X1.4. Least favorite: 500mm, due mostly to weight.
We decided on Canon because the longer Canon lenses are considerably lower in cost than Nikon, with no difference in quality for what we do.
Put your long term money into lenses. Camera models come and go, but your lenses stay with you forever.
Favorite lenses: 50mm F1.4 & 100-400mm with X1.4. Least favorite: 500mm, due mostly to weight.
Canon 17-40mm f/4L EF Ultra Wide Angle
* Great landscape photography lens but you lose some of the width of the image due to the APS size Sensor.* Has a good Close Focus range and I have used it for product photography.
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens
* This is the perfect lens for sports and wildlife photography.* The Image Stabilizer works well and quality of images are superb.
* I've owned this lens for 10 years and it's been a real workhorse on several cameras.
Canon EF50mm F1.4 USM
* Ideal for low light conditions when you want a wide open aperture.
* In a studio setting using the larger apertures provides a pleasing shallow depth of field.
* One of Canon's best value lenses.
Hoodman Loupe with Crane
Essential for reading the LCD screen in sunlight
* Light and easy to attach to the camera hotshoe.* Includes a diopter to adjust for your eyesight.
* An essential accessory for reading the LCD screen in bright sunlight.
Canon 7D Camera Back - 3" Screen
* Crystal clear viewfinder with diopter* Easy to read 3" LCD Screen
* Large wheel on the right sets F Stop in Manual Mode
* Switch at right of Viewfinder for Video controls
* Convenient Menu button on Top Left
Key Specifications
* 18.0 Megapixels
* 3.0" LCD
* HD Video Recording
* Selectable Video Exposure + Frame Rates
* Dust & Weather Resistant
* 100% Viewfinder
* Self Cleaning Sensor
* High Sensitivity (ISO 12800)
* 8fps Burst Mode
* Accepts EF and EF-S Mount Lenses
* 3.0" LCD
* HD Video Recording
* Selectable Video Exposure + Frame Rates
* Dust & Weather Resistant
* 100% Viewfinder
* Self Cleaning Sensor
* High Sensitivity (ISO 12800)
* 8fps Burst Mode
* Accepts EF and EF-S Mount Lenses
Even More 7d Tips - this will help you get going faster
Shoot manually from the start - this
way you control the image. Otherwise you get lucky (or not) and never
improve your skills. Simply put the meter on the center bar in the light
meter and you're right on for exposure. Expose for the brightest part
of the subject.
The only auto part we use consistently is autofocus, this locks on instantly with a half press of the shutter button. Dial your light in a split second and shoot.
Histogram: This camera has an excellent Histogram and is easy to read in a flash. Always shoot with the "mountain of information" as far to the right as you can without clipping the edges. This will give you perfect exposure for digital photography.
Continuity: We love the fact that we can pick up our 10D, 5D or 7D and use them instantly without thinking about where the controls are, so easy to use.
The Canon 7D does have automatic sensor cleaning which I love. That said, when changing lenses get out of the wind, switch the camera off to reduce static and do a really fast lens change. A plastic bag can be used in extreme conditions. Wish I'd known that in the New Mexico desert with my 10D.
CF Cards: We standardized on CF cards years ago and can switch between cameras and camcorder. Always re format the card for the camera. Never delete or format in a PC.
Always carry spare, fully charged batteries & a spare CF card.
Backup your files & don't use DVD or CDs for backup - you knew that.
The only auto part we use consistently is autofocus, this locks on instantly with a half press of the shutter button. Dial your light in a split second and shoot.
Histogram: This camera has an excellent Histogram and is easy to read in a flash. Always shoot with the "mountain of information" as far to the right as you can without clipping the edges. This will give you perfect exposure for digital photography.
Continuity: We love the fact that we can pick up our 10D, 5D or 7D and use them instantly without thinking about where the controls are, so easy to use.
The Canon 7D does have automatic sensor cleaning which I love. That said, when changing lenses get out of the wind, switch the camera off to reduce static and do a really fast lens change. A plastic bag can be used in extreme conditions. Wish I'd known that in the New Mexico desert with my 10D.
CF Cards: We standardized on CF cards years ago and can switch between cameras and camcorder. Always re format the card for the camera. Never delete or format in a PC.
Always carry spare, fully charged batteries & a spare CF card.
Backup your files & don't use DVD or CDs for backup - you knew that.
Cons
The built in camera microphone is not
wonderful. In fairness this applies to most video cameras. Canon did
provide a firmware update, but I haven't tried it.
We use a Sennheiser Shotgun Microphone which is a true delight.
We use a Sennheiser Shotgun Microphone which is a true delight.
The Final Word
A tough, super high quality camera & images to use for any application.Great value for money with 100% reliability for us over several years. If you're a beginner it's a perfect training camera with features to grow into. Pros will love it because it can do everything and takes a beating.
The Canon 7d has never let me down.
Thrilled to own it & recommend it to friends & family.
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