Отзывы о Цифровой Фотоаппарат Canon EOS 7D

This review is going to be more for photographers that have some experience with DSLR and looking to upgrade.I've owned the Canon 20D, 60D and now purchased the 6D (full frame) but bought a mint condition 7D recently. I wanted a second body that can compliment each other for events and as a backup but did not have the funds to purchase two 5D MKIII or pro body like 1D-series. Nor I would get such setup unless my profession was an event/wedding photographer which I am not. I consider myself as an advanced hobbyist making some money here and there but more than anything enjoy photography. Having the 6D and 7D fills in a lot of voids that two bodies were lacking.Unlike the 7D's cropped sensor, full frame bodies do tend to do better in low light, give you a bit more creamy bokeh and offer wider view (if you're coming from a cropped body that is) . Even then, a semi-pro crop body like this 7D still can shoot wide with the right lens, have more reach (x1.6 after all) and still have great image with low light compared to other xxD series like the 60D, 50D, etc. I shot with the 60D for about six months and the camera did an amazing job in low light with the right setup. If you've ever shot with much older xxD series like the 10D or the 20D you know it's not exactly a low-light camera especially with astrophotography.Full frame bodies like 6D & 5D MKIII has its limitation when shooting fast moving subject like birds, baseball pitcher throwing a ball and football being caught out in the filed. Yes, you can still shoot fast action especially with 5D MKIII but if higher frame rate is a top priority then you'll need this body if not the 1D X (specifically meant for wildlife & sports). Even my old 20D did 'okay' with 5fps but at times it missed a lot of actions as well as focus was sub-par at best. Without spending thousands, the 7D's 8fps is a very nice feature. While it's no 1D X, it does a good job especially when used outdoors with the right lens.I also decided to get the 7D as my 6D wasn't keeping up with the buffer (even with high speed SDXC card) and going to be shooting a lot of kid's events my daughter will be involved & for the town I live in. I also know when I want more zoom and buy a longer focal length lens the 7D will do a superb job in capturing those details.<>Really the only con I've found is having to use compact flash cards that are generally more expensive. I just assume this is due to manufacturing cost of the cards and it's different architecture but seems more rugged and faster than a regular SDHC/SDXC format. Of course there's no dual slot with the 7D so for important events, I wouldn't risk anything but carry a second body and/or second card.<>Who should get the 7D? Advanced shooter that require more auto focusing point & frame rate in capturing actions shots like baseball, basketball, wildlife/bird photography and getting the best image out of a cropped body. 8fps gives you much better chance of obtaining that award winning shot with more auto focus points (than the 6D) for better accuracy. With the very fast auto focusing points (more than 6D) and superb image quality, you cannot discount 7D's capability just because it's not a full frame body. 7D is the top of the line x1.6 crop body currently aside from professional grade body like the 1D X.The 7D's crop body also means if you have quality lens like the Canon 70-200 f/anything you can shoot an object much further without having to buy extenders or more expensive lens with longer focal length. With a full frame camera, this could mean more money to spend depending on the type of shoot you're looking to do. Again, this all depends on the type of photos you're taking. But consider if you buy a used 7D (often times with low shutter count) and pair it with 70-200 f/4L or even the f/2.8L IS II as well as the 100-400 f4.5 then it maybe a better match for those that shoot wildlife and sports more often. It'll certain save you more money than spending $3,000+ on a 5D MKIII.<>7D is like the 60D (same sensor on both) but with faster shutter speeds, more auto focus points, bigger buffer and overall designed for speed. With that said, if you don't shoot wildlife, birds, sports, motorsports and shoot more portraits and landscapes then you may not need the 7D.If you're new to DSLR & photography then read this portion. When you're new to DSLR or photography in general, you're likely shooting everything & anything in sight (I did that for awhile as well). But you'll soon realize your passion and want a body specific to the type of photography that suit your taste. Not everyone is going to be a professional in every area of photography. It's like trying to become a mechanical/civil/electrical engineer all at once. Doable of course but you'll see most professional working as a photographer for a living has a very specific area they work with.If you're still no

UPS delivered a new 7D on October 8, 2009, five weeks after I placed an Amazon pre-order. During the last 4.5 years I've gotten to know this groundbreaking DSLR well. With weather seals at the level of the legendary EOS 1N, high performance appointments and contoured magnesium body shell, the 7D is like a mini 1D. It's solid yet comfy in hand: deep finger grooves in the grip and thick textured rubber make for a secure handhold. The large thumb rest anchors the thumb and increases grip security.The shutter is softer than a 50D but louder than my 60D and 6D. If you're a SLR shooter you'll consider the 7D pianissimo. At 8FPS I call it fast. To maintain high FPS you need a good battery and the 7D is good for 1000 images per charge. Obviously video and live view reduce battery time. The LP-E3 batteries are dependable and have a useable life of about 3 years.CONTROL INTERFACE: Controls revolve around 3 wheels, 19 buttons, 1 joystick and 11 tabbed menus. Major features rely on physical controls can be set by feel while looking through the viewfinder. Menus ares used for options. Wheels have stiff resistance, making accidental turning unlikely. EOS veterans whould feel at home and will barely need to crack the manual. Most controls can be reprogrammed. I configured the joystick for direct selection of AF points and assigned center AF point to the DOF button. Menus can be configured too, e.g., group favorite settings under a single tab. The menus are well organized with options on a single page.VIEWFINDER: The viewfinder shows 100% of the image at 1.0X magnification and is the best APS-C viewfinder I've used. The focusing screen is not user replaceable but the transmissive LCD display--transparent LCD over the focusing screen--can simulate five AF patterns, grid and plain matte screens. The red AF display flashes may be changed to dark gray or disabled. The viewfinder data display is bright and easy to read.AUTOFOCUS: The 19-point cross-type AF array is the most significant 7D innovation. The center point is a double cross. Imagine two superimposed crosses: rotate one cross so the arms fall in between the axis of the other. A F2.8 or faster lens is needed to enable high precision double cross sensitivity. With slower optics it reverts to normal precision and single cross. Off-center points are cross point and can snag almost anything. Although the 7D has double the AF points of the 50D, the AF area is the same size. AF selection via joystick is precise and quick.My disappointment with 19-point auto select is active points can't be directly overridden with the joystick. Instead, press the AF selection button, use the M-Fn button to cycle through modes until single point AF appears and, finally, select the AF point with the joystick! Oddly, individual AF points may be chosen in 19-point AI servo. However, the selected point is a starting point for AI servo tracking: focus is handed off to each of the 19 points as the subject is tracked across the frame.My compromise for the problem above is to use Zone AF with center point assigned to the DOF button. Zone AF behaves like 19-point AF, but limited to one of 5 user selected zones. Zones may be chosen directly via joystick and, if pin point accuracy is needed or it misses, press the DOF button to narrow AF to a single point within the active zone. Essentially it becomes 5-point AF with the DOF button. Release DOF button to return to normal operation.Spot AF reduces AF point size for precise control of the focal point, ideal for macro and portraits. Why not use normal Single point AF? Normal AF points are large and may cover both the eye and eyebrow in a tight portrait, locking on the more contrasty eyebrow. Reducing AF point size insures an eyeball lock. Spot AF is the most significant focusing breakthrough of the past 5 or 6 years. It's not for everyone, but makes macro and portrait shooters happy.METERING: Sixty-three zone metering debuted in the EOS 1D Mark III and filtered down to the 7D. Evaluative metering integrates color data into the algorithm and is better at avoiding overexposure of reds. It's a minor improvement over 35-zone metering of XXD cameras but better in tricky lighting. Exposure compensation (EC) is adjustable to +/- 3 stops. Metering is more biased to the active AF point than earlier EOS DSLRs, i.e., the object you focus on has more weight in exposure calculations. In Zone AF where a group of AF points lock, the exposure is more averaged.FLASH: The retractable E-TTL flash is great for fill flash and snapshots. AF assist is the main gotcha--pulses like a disco strobe--but can be disabled. The popup also functions as a wireless E-TTL flash master, using light pulses to trigger compatible Speedlites. If you use auto-ISO with flash, it defaults to ISO 400. Often that is not high enough for balanced fill in low light, and too high for fill in bright light, so you'll need to dial in ISO settings manually.Flash exposure compensation (FEC) in -3 to + 3 in 1

I recently had the chance to spend a few days with a friend's 7D and use it for an event shoot that lasted about six hours. My camera for many years was a 40D, and before that, a 300D. There are some notable dissimilarities between the two semi-pro bodies. Most of my comments about the 40D also apply to the 50D.If you're familiar with any of the recent Canon bodies, the 7D won't be a major transition. The brunt of the learning curve is in learning how best to use the new AF system and how to quickly transition between modes. It took about two hours of fiddling to optimize the camera for my shooting style. After that, switching between the 7D and 40D required no effort.BUILD:The 7D's grip is shorter on the lens axis than the 40D, and both are shorter than the 300D. Grip comfort is proportional to depth. My fingertips scrape the camera body more on the 7D than the 40D. I don't care for that. The 300D tops both of the new bodies here. Canon's also changed the button mechanisms. All of the major buttons on the 40D have an audible and tactile click when pressed. The 7D buttons just mush down; only the camera's reaction tells you if the press was effective.Build-wise, the two feel very similar. Without a lens, the 40D is a touch lighter. With a lens that weighs more than a pound, they're interchangeable.LAYOUT:The rear layout of the 7D has changed in subtle ways. With the 40D, I shoot single-point AF, manually selecting the point with the 8-way hat switch and activating it solely with the AF-ON button. This means my thumb is constantly switching from the hat switch to AF-ON. On the 7D, that switch is about a half-centimeter lower, so the transition is more awkward.I've had to change my shooting style to compensate; AF on the 7D is now bound to the shutter button. The reason I hadn't done this on the 40D is that if AF and exposure are on the same button, the camera will wait for AF before taking the picture. If the focus point isn't quite on a contrast, the camera may rack the lens, and you'll have long since missed the shot. The only way around that is to use AI-Servo instead of One-Shot, but the 40D has serious hunting problems in that mode.AUTOFOCUS:On the 7D, Canon's added a couple of AF modes. The most useful of the lot is Zone AF, which is a lot like manually picking a point, except you're manually picking one of five zones. Each zone has a couple of AF points, so you're always likely to end up on some contrast. It's less accurate than a single-point selection, but close enough for any lens f/2 or slower.The physical process of using Zone AF and manually selecting zones with the hat switch is very quick, even more so than my old system with the 40D because there's no thumb-switching. The time to acquire focus and actually fire, though, is a bit slower than the 40D just because of the Zone-AF calculations. You can compensate by using a single AF point with the 7D, but moving between them is more involving because there are 19 relative to the 40D's 9. The AF-point selector has to be on an axis with other AF points to move to them. Because the AF grid has outlier points on the middle on the top, button, left, and right, it's too easy to get caught where you can only navigate in one axis. Put another way, you can't go diagonally from certain points to other ones.The 7D's AF micro-adjustment feature is a godsend and is, alone, sufficient reason to prefer it to the 60D and 40D. It costs about $100 to send a body and lens to Canon for calibration. With multiple lenses, they're all likely to front or back-focus slightly, or even significantly, and their accuracy can drift with time. It took Canon three tries to match my 50/1.4 to my 40D. Without adjustment, the lens was unusably soft below f/2.5. Fixing the same issue on the 7D took about fifteen seconds.It's not perfect; I've got a zoom that front-focuses on the long end and back-focuses on a short end, and there are certain lenses that have focus shifts when they stop down, or at certain subject distances. You can't fix everything, but for the basic gross errors, it's a tremendously useful feature.SPEED & NOISE:The 7D needs a 5 FPS shooting mode. I've found for general portraiture, the safety shot at 6.3 FPS on the 40D is a bit too similar to the previous. It's even worse on the 7D, but the slower 3 FPS mode is too far the other way. Shutter noise is equally loud on both bodies. The 7D's is higher-pitched with a motor overtone. The 40D has a slightly longer clack. In Live View mode with no mirror-flipping, the 40D could almost be called subtle; the 7D is much louder here.Battery capacity calculation with the 7D and battery grip doesn't seem to work right. The grip has the option of two lithium cells or 6 AAs. If one of those AAs is down on voltage, the camera can go from a full display to empty almost immediately. With my Eneloops, I measured 1.35V in 5 of them and 1.2V in the last. This was enough to stop the camera. Replacing the last battery for another with 1.

So if you are reading reviews then you already know the stats/specs of the camera and what it is capable of doing. As the title of the review says I just upgraded from a T3i after people told me, "Don't do it! They have the same sensor.blah blah blah..." Yes this is true and was one of the reasons that kept shying me away from pulling the trigger and getting this. Upon opening the box... WOW! I am soooo glad I am got rid of my T3i. Just the build of this camera alone can be seen as a good enough reason to upgrade by some. As soon as I charged the battery the first thing I did was to make sure I installed the newest firmware because it definitely helps with the performance. I really have to emphasize that if this is the camera you find yourself desiring, but do not have the cash to justify spending on this, just save and wait. I am really kicking myself in the butt for not just saving and buying this camera to begin with. Save and get what you want because as soon as you get the camera you can "afford" you are already thinking about ways to get your dream camera. This also allows you to build your lens collection.Low light / ISO settings:After doing my fair share of review reading, I came to realize something while I was playing with my new 7D. I never read a review where anyone mentioned the number of selectable ISO levels available. This may be common knowledge to a pro who has top of the line Canon body's, but for someone coming from an entry DSLR this would have been great to know. Also would have helped me convince myself I needed it :-P Let me give you an example:Canon 7D ISO levels: 100 125 160 200 250 320 400 500 640 800 1000 1250 1600 2000 2500 3200 4000 5000 6400 H(12800)Canon T3i ISO levels: 100 200 400 800 1600 3200 6400 H(12800)Now when people make the argument that I will have the same noise issue with both cameras, I agree and disagree. Yes, at the same ISO level there will be the same amount of noise. However, in a situation where the T3i has to use 3200 because 1600 is too dark, the 7D has two more ISO values between that. Personally, I believe this will help drastically with keep the most amount of noise out of your shot as possible. I have also come to notice that the large amount of ISO settings allows better Auto ISO.Saving Format:With my T3i I always shot in RAW format like 99% of the time. The 7D offers 3 different RAW formats, a small, medium, and large which can be helpful if you don't need to make a large print.View Finder / Auto-Focus:Compared to the T3i, the 7D blows it out of the water in both aspects. The 100% viewfinder and the very quick auto focusing system definitely make the 7D worth it. When I originally started to look at upgrading I always read about people talking about the bright 100% viewfinder, but I always thought, "Could it really be that much better?" I can honestly say there is a noticeable difference.Which lens to get??This questions took me a while to answer and figure out. I had to think to whether I seriously saw myself purchasing a full frame Canon in the distant future. If so, the EF lens would have probably been the best choice in lens. However, since I do not plan to go full frame (For now) then I personally believe the EF-S lens is the best choice. After a good amount of research, I chose to get the EF-S lens for many reasons. The EF lens came out in 1998, so its getting to be a pretty dated lens. On the other hand, the EF-S lens came out in 2009, so almost 10 years later. Some also believe that since the EF lens is USM that it will focus faster. Well when it came out, it definitely focused faster then the non USM lenses. However, the EF-S lens is just as fast if not faster. A friend of mine has the EF lens on his 60D and wishes he got the other one instead. Additionally, on my T3i I had the 18-55mm IS kit lens on it, and the build quality of that lens made me second guess getting the EF-S lens with my 7D. The EF-S 18-135mm lens has a completely different feel then my old kit lens. It's a very solid lens and I am glad I went with it. Also, at first it doesn't seem like the difference between the 28mm and 18mm is a lot, but it actually gives you even more versatility, especially with a crop sensor.WHAT IT ALL COMES DOWN TO:If you are upgrading from a pretty old camera the jump to the 7D will probably make a little more sense. However, if you are coming from a more recent dslr, upgrading may not seem to be the obvious choice. You have to ask yourself what your current camera can't do and the 7D can. Lastly, for everyone who thinks going from the t3i to the 7d was a poor choice because they can produce the same images, that is true, but the 7D offers much much more. The camera is just a tool. It doesn't determine how good of pictures you'll take, its you, and if the 7D brings out your inner creativity and confidence then get it!***The Rattle***That RATTLING noise the camera makes and your heart stops when you first hear it after pulling it out of the box. A

I'm the photography editor for my collegiate newspaper and we acquired this camera about 2-3 years ago. Since then, it's been the workhorse for our staff. Going through the metadata of our pictures, almost all the great images we've gotten throughout the years have been taken with this camera.PROS:Fantastic build quality. The magnesium alloy build is worth the purchase alone. Many sporting events take place regardless of weather conditions (lacrosse, soccer, etc.) which means we need a body that can withstand the elements. The 7D has gone through rainstorms, mud, and snow without fail. The small dings and scratches the body has received over the years have yet to impact its performance and weather sealing.The focusing system is probably the best I've used outside of the new Canon 5D Mark III/ 1 DX. It's ability to focus quickly from subject to subject has allowed myself and my other photogs to get some really amazing shots. As long as you have good lighting, it's basically a professional level camera in terms of focusing. Also, the chain drive, 8 frames per second, is great for action. Unbelievable speed that has captured some fantastic moments.The viewfinder. Being 100% coverage, it is simply awesome. It's bright and big, which allows me to compose my shots accurately and correctly. In the field, this makes all the difference, as sometimes, we only have 5-10min to get our shots in. Being able to compose the shot without thinking about the extra 3% the viewfinder isn't picking up is fantastic. Since using the 7D viewfinder, I find it hard to use other cameras that don't have viewfinders of the same quality.Of course the most important thing is the image quality which is also amazing. Great detail and fantastic color reproduction. Despite its age, it still competes quite well with the best APS-C cameras out there. Great value.CONS:Probably the biggest sign of the 7D's age, the ISO performance leaves much to be desired. Shooting basketball games, for example, is tough as I'd prefer another stop of ISO to get a better picture. I limit myself and my photogs to ISO 3200 for this camera, and even then that's pushing it. In JPEG format, the noise isn't that noticeable. However, if you tend to shoot in RAW a lot, then things could get messy, especially if you do a lot of work in post.The camera takes CF cards, which isn't a bad thing. However, when you look at the super cheap price of 16Gb and 32Gb SD Cards these days, it's hard to look past the CF slot. Moreover, most laptops and computers are shipping with SD card slots these days, making image transfers very easy. For our newsroom, having an SD card slot would probably save a good 5-10min on file transfers alone, especially in the field. It's not a deal breaker, but something that would make our life a little easier.OVERALL:Still the best camera I've used. Not only is it reliable, but it consistently takes amazing pictures for all of our staff. Moreover, it is available now for a very good price. I'm looking to add one or two more for our staff, despite it being so "old." Ours has taken a beating and still works like it is brand new. Pair it up with some great glass (we have a 300mm f2.8 L for example) and the pictures will blow you away. In my opinion, the best camera deal out there.

I have used the Canon EOS 7D almost exclusively for over 5 years now. The reasons why I selected it still hold true for me: burst rate, picture quality, professional look and feel, after market accessories available at reasonable prices, lens choices and on-board flash. Yes, that little flash has given me shots that would not have happened otherwise. The compromise was supposed to be the sensor size (not full frame). The latter has not been an issue for me, as evidenced by the large scale quality prints I have produced. To see some of the damage I’ve done with this machine, please visit my web site at [...]For my time of ownership I have produced a great variety of high quality images that include 24 x 36 in. posters and long panoramas. The sensor size (APS-C) has not been an issue for me at all. This is also due to the magic of post-production. Additionally, for my needs, I no longer use RAW, but exclusively JPG.On burst-rate: Originally I used this for high-speed sequencing (such as a skateboarder jumping or a dancer across a dance floor) and for HDR production. I no longer use this for HDR, since I find it more productive to use 1 high-quality image and curves to produce HDR. I still use to stack images and produce a flowing effect (such as a waterfall), but not shooting at high speed. This is useful for me since I wouldn’t need to carry a tripod for this type of shot.Picture quality has been exceptional. Most of my prints are between 8x10 to 18x24 inches. As mentioned above, I also have produced bigger prints to include big panoramas. I have upgraded my lens quality through the years and that has made a difference in quality. But the sensor size of the 7D has not been an issue.Weight and feel: This camera is not light, especially with dual battery grip. However, it is not cumbersome. It feels solid. This is due to its magnesium skeleton. Additionally, with the right lens it provides enough resistance and feedback on hand to produce unique movie shots. I prefer the Tokina 11 – 16, 2.8 wide angle for this.Notes on Canon APS-C sensor: Provides extra zoom due to the crop size (1.6X). The down side is the wide angle end of it. So if you have a 30mm lens, you really are shooting at 30X1.6= 48mm focal length. Alternatively, if you have a zoom of, say, 150; you are effectively shooting at 240mm. With the Tokina lens mentioned, I get very nice wide shots and wide movie angles, without going into the fisheye world. Particularly satisfying to me is to pan (hand held) to produce the unreal perspective shift this wide angle produces.The original Canon battery is still strong after 5 years. However, I’ve experimented with Opteka brand and, although they need replacing more often, it allows me to ‘dollar-cost average’ my battery purchases better. I make sure I have enough spares. With the cost of the Opteka (or Power 2000) batteries, this is very reasonable.The low-light performance is really a matter of the lens used. The camera does not seem to hinder any lens performance. It accepts EF and EF-S (for Canon cropped sensors, such as the 7D) mounts.My favorite things about the 7D: How compliant it behaves when you press the shutter, the quality of the shots, and the sound it makes is which is very pleasant.My least favorite: Movie making must be monitored using the LCD screen only. I’d rather use the viewfinder. I primarily use a Panasonic cinema camera for movies, but the 7D for B-shots (supporting shots).In my opinion, this is a regal machine that I have appreciated through the years. Canon will have to go beyond ‘nice things to have’ for me to trade this camera.

My experience (or lack of it!): After some Nikon School of Photography classes in the early 1970's I jumped into SLR's with a full range of Honeywell-Pentax cameras and lenses.My first digital camera was the Canon 30D (8mp, no video and no sensor cleaning).I tested a Nikon D800, Canon 5D MkIII and Canon 7D. I kept the 7D.I got manuals on all three from the same author, and was using high end Canon "L" wide and telephoto zoom lenses and Nikon ED high end lenses.Conclusions:I loved the full frame sensor (35mm sized sensor) in both the D800 and 5D.I saw no practical difference in photo quality between the D800's 36mp and the Canon's 22mp.There was also no practical difference (if you're not enlarging to extreme sizes)between these two and the Canon 7D.I love Canon's intuitive controls and that "big wheel" Quick Control Dial.The Canon 7D's menu is very easy to read (there's never more in a particular "tab" than what will fit in the rear LCD (so you don't have to scroll down thru choices)The 7D has a very useful built in flash (pop-up flash), that also can be used as a master flash (to control other "slave" flashes).Both Canon's were faster at acquiring focus (I was using a Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L & Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 ED lens - both are $2,000 + lenses).All three cameras have built in sensor cleaning (although in reality you will probably have to clean the sensor sooner or later).The Nikon D800 and Canon 7D have pop up flashes. No Canon model higher than the 7D has one.(This one item meant a lot to me because a pop up flash can be used to highlight during a "daylight" photo and you always have a flash with you, instead of having to lug a separate SpeedLite flash with you-even the small Canon 90EX or 270EX still needs separate batteries and fills your pocket).Negatives: 1.6x cropped sensor (although if you use a Canon 10-22mm EFS lens, it's the same focal width as the Canon 17-35mm L lens).I did not test the "movie" modes of each camera, as I am not experienced in that area, but all the cameras seemed to have very good quality video when displayed on a Sony 55" LCD TV.Best positive was the price: I paid $1,149 on a special Amazon.com and Canon promotional period just last month.The Nikon and Canon 5D's are around 2 1/2 times as expensive (body only).I don't think anyone could go wrong with either a Nikon or Canon, so Nikonians, please, no "hate mail"!Both are great camera companies. If I were a previous Nikon DSLR user, I may have went with the D800, but the Nikon D800 was just too confusing for me to try and learn a whole new way of adjusting & choosing options.Menus take more time to scroll thru, but are fairly easy to use.Dedicated buttons are quicker to access, but you have to learn and remember what each button does.Canon uses more menu choices, while Nikon seemed to be on the "button heavy" side.Final word: Buy the best lenses you can afford. That extra weight in a Canon L lens, for instance, is because of the extra "glass". And the extra $$$ is for the expensive glass.

I ordered mine a little late to the game; my Canon 40D had the shutter fail, and I debated long and hard on what would be a true upgrade to that camera, without breaking the bank.I wasn't in the market for a full frame camera, so that narrowed it down to a used 50D (a new one cost more on Amazon at least than the 7D), the new 60D, or a new 7D.60D missed a few key points on my check-list - auto-focus is key in motorsports photography, which while not my primary focus is something I do frequently. Build quality was another concern, and it seemed as though Canon really dumbed the 60D down deliberately from the 50D (or 40D for that matter) to save a bit of manufacturing costs. Less dedicated buttons, no joystick, worse auto-focus, and while yes, it is cheaper by a few hundred dollars, my feeling of value for $ just wasn't met.The 50D I actually really liked; not a super upgrade from the 40D, and if I could have found a new one for $800 I probably would have gone with it. The fact that it cost the same or more than the 7D on every site I could find it on put it right off my list.Onto the 7D - first, the autofocus. Head and shoulders above the 40D, 50D, and 60D. It's sick. You have to use it to see what I'm talking about, but selectable area from the joystick, or 19 point selection, or autoselect; usable, and fast. I will say that the liveview has more issues with focus than without; this isn't something I use very often, but when I do, its noticeably slower. However, manual focus from liveview is great; a click of the + button and you can go from 5x to 10x magnification on the screen to get that perfect focus - the display is high quality and really helps lock in focus when you use it in this manner. Good for tripod/portrait shots (not something you'd use in situations requiring fast focus anyway)The menu system and features are very well laid out; if you've used a Canon camera this should all be familiar anyway, and there are a few extra bells and whistles coming from the 40D that I noticed; primarily autofocus but being able to limit autoISO is a nice feature as well (if you own this camera and don't have that, update your firmware). Ridiculously fast burst speed - I mean 8fps is getting close to full motion; if you need speed and don't have $8000 to spend on a camera, the argument is over, get the 7D.Image quality - better than the 40D which is to be expected, but not lightyears ahead. I'd expect images between the 50D and 7D to be fairly similar. Having the extra pixels to play with is always nice; 18MP for me is fairly future proof. I think excellent results can be had to ISO 1600 - very usable at 3200 for web based images; 6400 ISO is pushing it a bit but still usable for web and black and white.View finder is excellent. The autofocus and grid display are both unobtrusive and usable. Battery life is great. Camera is actually pretty lightweight, weather sealed as well.Is it with the $1200 Amazon charges? Yes. Is this a futureproof camera? For a mirrored full sized SLR, I'd say yes. I would never need a FASTER camera than this. I'd be hard pressed to justify more MP than this, even more so on an APS-C sensor. Digital cameras have just come so far from where they were a few years ago, and this being an older camera I think like film cameras of old will end up becoming a classic. I thought about buying this used, but I didn't want to have to worry about the shutter being replaced in a year, so I just bought it new.Video - no idea. Haven't shot any. Reviews show its fairly awesome, so thats as far as I can go with that.Honestly, I don't think there is a better Canon APS-C on the market at the moment, and the next version of this will likely cost $600 to $800 more. Hence, I just bought it new, and hope to enjoy it for years. Bottom line, if you need the speed, and the best auto focus system on the market (right up there with the 5D Mark II, Mark III, or 1D Mark II), I think you'd be happy with this purchase.If you don't and just want a decent APS-C camera? Save a few bucks and get the 60D.

If you are not seeing any noise quality issues with the 7D then, with all due respect, you have little or no experience with what the standard for a high file quality should be (shooting in jpg doesn't solve the noise problems with this camera). The 7D is no where near the best camera Canon has made and, in fact, I would say it is probably one of the worst bodies they've made, excepting that the camera does excel on the video end. There is significant noise beyond ISO 800, although the files are still usable, but ISO 3200 is the absolute limit. This is a very antiquated camera now when you consider that the newer sensors on a camera like the 5D Mark III will shoot clean files in excess of ISO 12000. The files from the 40D were just as good, if not better than the 7D.I had one of the early 7Ds and I can attest to the serious problems that the early cameras had with sharpness and focus. I got rid of that body a couple years ago. After the recent price drop I decided to give it another shot and bought a new recently manufactured body. While it appears that the sharpness issues had been resolved, for the most part, even the newer makes are mostly unimpressive. Focus on this camera when tracking moving subjects is still sub-par. When shooting a typical sporting event it is not uncommon to get a 50% in-focus burst when the subject is moving towards you). The center point focus is really the only one that is usable for moving subjects as none of the other focus setting can produce consistently in-focus shots of moving subjects, including the center-point expansion setting. Contrary to what some have proclaimed, the focus system is not so advanced that is difficult for the user to find the right settings, it is just that this camera's focusing system is simply not very good for moving subjects. In fact, I found that the 9-point focus system on the 40d and 5DmkII, respectively, were just about as good as the 7d's for moving objects. Of course, neither of those cameras fps are close to the 7D's so for sports they were not viable alternatives.This camera has probably been Canon's most hyped body and for those that had the mistaken impression (like me) that is was a viable and dependable backup to your 1D series camera it has been a complete bust. If you think this is a great body then that's fine since it is your opinion but I really think the only person that could objectively say that this is a great camera is someone that has never shot with a higher performance camera. I would take a used 1DmkII over this camera every day of the week.That being said, Canon is producing some amazing camera now, such as the 5DmkIII, which is worth every penny in my opinion. It's a little slow in fps for some sports action but given that the focusing system is incredibly good I would say that I get many more in-focus shots from it then with 7D and almost as many than with the 1DmkIV, even though that camera shoots almost twice as many fps.Let's hope that Canon does not release the 7dmkII with all of the noise problems the 7D has. If it's a 1.6x crop then you can't expect it to be as good as a 5D or 1D but it has to be significantly improved in relation to original 7D or I can't buy it. Given that the 1D cameras have all gone to "full crop" senors my suggestion to Canon would be to adopt the 1.3x cropped used in the previous 1Ds.Given current technology advances this camera is well out dated for a serious shooter. If you're enthusist then have at it but if you need to depend on a camera to help you make money, this is not the most dependable camera. If the 7dII is able to adopt the focus system of the 5DmkIII and at least borrow some of the clean file technology up to, say ISO 8000, then the new camera will be a winner, if not, the 7dII will be every bit the dog that the 7d is for more advance and professional shooters (my apologies to dogs for the insult).

I started with a Canon XTI Rebel, upgraded to a Canon 50D, both purchased from other sellers and was happy with both purchases. For months, I have vacillated about upgrading to a APS-C 7D and / or Full Frame 5D Mark II. I was looking for three things when I decided to upgrade from the 50D; 1.) ISO speed, 2.) Frames per second, 3.) AF points. Both the 7D and 5D Mark II offered improvements in these areas in addition to increased megapixels. After much research, price comparisons, and recommendations on Amazon's website, I decided on the 7D. After four months of taking pictures with my quality professional Sigma lens I had used with success on my 50D, all I ended up with were out of focus, incorrect forward and / or rearward focus, substantial noise at ISO speeds above 1200, poor sharpness, and soft images. In doing additional online research, I located numerous blogs, threads, and website devoted to 7D issues I was now experiencing from 2009! Most people state Canon refuses to admit a problem and refuses to replace defective 7D's they are unable and / or unwilling to repair! Why would Amazon sell such a camera with this type of "black cloud" on their website? Canon knows about and Amazon should have known about these 7D problems!I believed my camera to be defective!! In an attempt to fix the problem, I followed Canon's telephone advice and; 1.) Did a "hard-restart" which involved removing the main battery and clock battery, 2.) Removed all lens filters from my lens, 3.) Used a tripod with image stabilization in the off position, 4.) Used 6.3 and above aperture for landscape photos. In the end, little if any improvement was noticed. In doing an, "apples to apples" comparison between my XTI Rebel, 50D and 7D, the 50D performed better in focus, sharpness, softness, and focus select and speed of focus!Since I wanted what I payed for and not a $1350 paper weight, I called Amazon on April 14th and was told by a representative that I could return the camera to Amazon for a replacement camera for one year. On April 15th, I telephoned Amazon again and was told a completely different "story"! I was told I could not return the camera for a replacement and / or return it and upgrade with Amazon for a 5D mark II and pay the difference. I was told I could return the defective camera for a 50% to 80% refund!! I have spent thousands of dollars on Amazon and they don't want to replace a defective camera?When I asked the Manager why his representative would have offered to replace the camera the day prior, he stated it would be a, "Training issue"? Huh! How about, keep your word Amazon!Well, now I have a $1350 paper weight.Update, since writing this review I have been "working" with Canon. Canon told me the problem is all the quality professional Sigma lens I have. Canon told me non-Canon lens are not supported by Canon and should not be sold as being compatible. Canon told me to send them three pictures taken with the defective camera using a Canon lens. When I told Canon my quality professional Sigma lens were all that I had, Canon told me to buy, rent, or borrow a Canon lens. Canon "claimed" to have sent me a email link where I could send them my pictures. Funny thing is, to date I have not received a email link, over three weeks.Update, tonight, after following a Canon 7D users following "tips"; Verify the AF in aperture priority and shutter priority using a single AF point and multiple AF points. It is also important to remember to set the proper Custom Function III. The AF on the 7D is better than what most people who shoot casually need and it has a learning curve. Shooting in full auto may also give you bad results.C.Fn III-1 (Tracking Sensitivity): slow (this is on fast by default)C.Fn III-2 (1st/2nd image priority): 0 (AF priority/Tracking priority)C.Fn III-3 (Tracking Method): 1C.Fn III-4 (Lens drive when AF impossible): 1 (focus search off)C.Fn III-5 (AF microadjust): 0 (disable)C.Fn III-6 (AF area selection mode): Single point, Expansion, SpotC.Fn III-7 (Manual AF point selection): 0 (stop)C.Fn III-8 (VF illumination): 0 (auto)C.Fn III-9 (Display all AF points): 0 (disable)C.Fn III-10 (Focus display in AI servo/MF): 0 (enable)C.Fn III-11 (AF assist beam firing): 1 (Disable)C.Fn III-12 (orientation link): 1 (Different)C.Fn III-13 (mirror lockup): 0 (disable)I went to a local bridge and took several night photos using "Live view" with my Sigma 70-200mm 1:2.8 APO DG HSM in "Tv" mode shot in RAW format and ended up with some pictures that, outside of more noise, where comparable to my recently purchased Canon 5D Mark II! Also, I have taken some day photos and most, not all, are in focus, correct forward and / or rearward focus, less noise at ISO speeds above 1200, sharper and less soft?I have been taking photos for eight years and never have been more challenged by a camera like the Canon 7D. I am still disappointed with Amazon and disgusted with Canon.

I bought my Canon EOS 7D with the 28-135 mm lens from Amazon just over a year ago. Since then I've taken about 20,000 photos, and had to work with Canon's service department along the way. So now's a good time for a review. I've been a serious amateur photographer for more than 50 years. I don't take snapshots; 99% of my photos are taken with the camera on a tripod. I take a lot of pride in my photos, and hundreds of them are published on several websites I own or manage. I wanted a camera that was so good I couldn't blame it for a bad photo, but not so expensive I'd be limited in what other photo-related items I could buy.My intention when buying the camera was mostly bird photography, so I also bought the 100-400 mm L zoom lens. My interests also extend to close ups, and the 60-mm macro lens got added to the package. Since then I've added only two more lenses to my kit: the 10-22 mm EF-S wide angle and a used Sigma 600-mm mirror lens. Accessories? Oh, yes, we have accessories!One problem with APS-C sensors is greater image noise, especially at higher ISOs. The EOS 7D produces very low-noise images at ISO 800, though I rarely go there. While photographing a night-time prescribed fire in Jonathan Dickinson State Park I kicked the ISO up to 6400, and shot with the 10-22 mm EF-S lens wide open (f/3.5 to f/4.5). Those shots were for the web, and even at 1200-px width the noise is bearable. In fact, for something as dramatic as a night-time forest fire the noise seems to add veracity. Most of the time I shoot at ISO 100 or 200, and large prints look wonderful. (Don't handicap yourself with cheap filters or a flimsy tripod. Accessories can add significantly to the start-up costs of a system like this, so figure them into your budget from the beginning. If you're just getting into DSLR photography, stick with the camera and 'kit' lens, and get a high-quality clear or UV filter. I always recomend a tripod, but good ones are pretty expensive. Autofocus and image stabilization may make tripods seem irrelevant, but tripods make you slow down and pay attention to the shot. That would be a good next purchase.)The sensor and in-camera processing are important, but so is the lens. The supplied 28-135 is acceptable, though not on par with better fixed-focal-length lenses. Its greatest fault is the 6-blade iris, which causes sub-par background blur, but I've been able to fix that up pretty well using Photoshop's "Lens Blur." If your program has Gaussian blur and you know how to work with layers, you can fix the problem so most people won't notice, and the lens does have its benefits.For one, it focuses down to about 20 inches (0.5 m), which is very useful if you're a nature photographer. Schneider makes a +2 diopter achromatic (dual-element) close-up lens with the right thread, and that lets me focus down to about 10 inches, even at 135-mm (more than 200-mm equivalent on a full-frame 35-mm camera). (Canon makes an equivalent achromatic +2 diopter lens but at this writing you can't get a new one in the U.S., and used ones are commanding high prices.) I've gotten some astounding photos of dragonflies and other insects with this combination. The depth of field is limited, so you need a tripod, and it doesn't hurt to manually focus.Ah, here's the thing: If you're an automatic-camera type, the 7D probably isn't for you. Yes, it has built-in options that will think for you, but you can get them for less on, say, a 60D or a point-and-shoot. The 7D is a photographer's camera, like a Porsche is a driver's car. I've never used the full-automatic features and don't miss them. I tend to use Aperture Priority, and set Exposure Compensation to underexpose by one-half f/stop. I also use the Histogram to look for potential problems (you can see the Histogram before shooting by switching to Live View mode, which you can do by pushing one button on the back of the camera).One feature I especially like is the ability to shoot at 8 frames per second. Great for birds in flight and butterflies. If you shoot only JPEG-format, an 8-GB CF card holds more than 1000 images. If you shoot RAW+JPEG you can store about 250 images on an 8-GB card. As I don't do sports photography, occasionally changing memory cards in the field is not a big problem, and if a card goes bad, I'll lose fewer images. I have two SanDisk cards and alternate them, and so far, no problems. I download images to my PC via the USB connection.I did have a problem with the camera, though it was my fault. The body is claimed to be water resistant, but that's not exactly right. I shot outside all summer here in South Florida, and a couple of times I dripped perspiration on the flash hot shoe. I _thought_ I wiped it off, but some must have gotten inside and corroded the hot-shoe terminals. The camera thought there was always an 'unidentified' external flash on board, so the internal flash wouldn't come on. And it wouldn't recognize my Canon 580EX II flash when I slid it into the hot sho

Although I have been pondering going full frame for some time, I am postponing the switch out of concern for my pocketbook and because this 7D has been giving me lots of joy for the year I have had it.I shoot a lot; kids, parties, performance art with available light, sport etc. plus I am getting into home studio portrait and strobism with a pair of speedlights and this camera works beautifully and reliably.In a year I reached above 30 000 frames, nearly no video (I do stills).Side equipment I would recommend - I don't have tons of lenses and gear so I can't speak about everything there is out there but here is what I gathered around that camera that I really use all the time. I am very happy with what I can do with this stuff.LENSESAll three lenses are quite pricey and well-built and give gorgeous pictures that the 7D sensor captures with minute details.- I already had a 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM from a few years back. This lens remains one of my very favorite.- I bought the 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM with this 7D, also a full frame-capable lens with in mind a future upgrade to a full-frame body like the 5D-III.- I recently procured the Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM, which is a crop-sensor only lens - it will not work on the 1D, 5D or 6D but I really wanted a wide-angle lens and this one is just beautiful.With these three I can do almost all I want.If I had known I would have bought the 7D body only and foregone the 18-135mm hich is ok but really not as enjoyable as the ones listed above.LIGHTAdd to that a Canon TTL flash or two such as- the 430EX II,- the 580EX II,- or the 600EX-RT (for a comparison based on spec sheet with the 580, see my review of the 580Ex-II)and you are all set.You will likely find that you want some more lighting equipment but this is beyond the scope of this review.SOFTWAREIt comes with a software bundle that covers all the bases but following the advice of a pro photographer friend of mine I still added Lightroom v.4.0, and I am very glad I did. I wish I had known of it earlier.The 7D is a great camera, very simple to use, yet provides a wealth of possibilities for technically inclined amateur like me.- Once I got used to its basic controls, I found that the camera does not get in the way of taking the picture. This to me is probably the most important, even before image quality.- The sensor gives beautiful, vibrant images - the color rendering is very close to what I see with my eyes, which is my criterion.- The sensor also features a native ISO range of up to 6400 and at ISO 3200 the pictures are really good.- Flash control is excellent - I frequently use the remote flash control from the camera with a 580Ex-II and a 430Ex-II together and the possibilities are staggering.- The JPEG you get directly from the camera are gorgeous. I rarely shoot raw due to the size of the resulting files except when doing landscape or portrait, and the dedicated button that switches to raw+JPEG for the next picture is very useful to me.There are many more good things to say about this camera but I would find myself re-writing the manual, which is informative, well written and well-worth reading from cover to cover.All in all a great camera, the best I ever had and one of the easiest to use.

This is not a technical review since there are tons of other existing reviews of those nature. This review is intended mostly for DSLR beginners or even better for those who own point and shoot (PS) and thinking about moving to the so called 'next' level. Before I share my two cents I would like to present an analogical question - what was your experience moving from one grade to the next in school? Not bad right? Eventually you understood what the books were trying to teach you. Well most of them! Same logic applies here.As compared to a PS camera there are of course more controls on Canon 7D but they are all understandable. More options means more control on the picture. You do not need to have 'years' of experience to master/understand this small instrument meant for capturing 'light'. All you need is two books - no one of them is not your camera manual. The only thing you need to understand from your camera manual is how to switch the camera to manual mode. Once you know this, throw your manual out of the window!The first book to read is David Busch's Canon EOS 7D Guide to Digital SLR Photography. Actually you do not need to read this book completely. The first three chapters are good enough to tell you what each button on the camera is meant for. You can read or more precisely refer to the remaining chapters depending on your need. Well some readers might object that you can get this info from your camera manual - that's true. However, if you are like me, you wont be able to stand that small book (camera manual) with monochromatic pictures and boring presentation. The choice is yours.The second book to read is Bryan Peterson's - Understanding Exposure. Read this end to end. It will make photography intuitive. After reading the very first chapter you will understand the core 'triangle' of photography which is comprised of the Aperture (the opening in the lens), ISO (light sensitivity) and shutter speed (the speed with which the shutter opens and closes). You will be surprised how your captured pics will have the correct exposure 'magically'. I guarantee you wont be disappointed after reading this book. Yes there is more to this book than capturing pics with correct exposure.Once you know how to manipulate your 7D, it will be your call how far you want to go with your compositions. As compared to entry level DSLRs, 7D offers more options. If you want to take nice pics and stay there you can choose one of the DSLRs from the rebel series. However if you want to have one DSLR with which you can learn DSLR photography and grow, 7D is the better choice. I particularly like the ability to access any function at the press of a button instead of digging deep in the menu. This translates into more overall speed and control over the camera and thus the pictures.So go ahead and get this fast beast without getting daunted!!3/9/12 Update:Lenses:I added 2 lenses to my collection: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Prime and the Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD LD Aspherical IF Macro Zoom Lens for Canon DSLR Cameras.I have found the Canon 50 mm prime to be the best for portrait photography and works great with the 7D. It can also be used as a general 'walk around lens' for landscape photography. It is lightweight and the max aperture of 1.8 works wonders - no exaggeration here. When purchasing this lens my decision was pretty clear.However, when I was looking for a zoom lens I had 3 choices: Canon 18-200 mm, Sigma 18-200 mm and Tamron 18-270 mm. After doing extensive research and seeing many pics taken by these lenses, I decided to go with Tamron. Another reason for going with Tamron was its jaw dropping 6 year warranty in the US. Nothing can beat this. Recently I took this lens on my trip to Nevada and found it to be great. You can google for the comparison of these 3 lenses and see the sample pics. You may also want to see the sample pics taken by Tamron on Amazon and decide for yourself.Tripod:If you are planning to buy a tripod, I would recommend the SLIK PRO 700DX Professional Tripod with Panhead (615-315). Its sturdy, comes with a carrying case and compliments 7D nicely.Camera Bag:I found the Case Logic SLR Camera/Laptop Backpack to be fantastic. The 7D fits into the bag with the 18-270 mm Tamron attached to it. It has many adjustable compartments and can fit 2-3 more lenses (not telephoto zoom) nicely.Please feel free to post questions if any. Hope this review was of some help. Happy clicking!

For years I have had two Canon cameras: A 1980s era T-70 film camera and a mid-90s Canon Rebel digital (This was the first generation Canon Rebel and really the first "affordable" DLSR). Having used the Rebel for several years, I was hooked on digital photography, but frustrated by my camera's limitations (one-shot at a time with several seconds between shots, and only 6MP sensor). My Daughter-in-Law's dad is a semi-professional (he actually makes money with his nature pictures) and one day a about a year ago, I had the opportunity to shoot some pictures using his Canon 40D. That's when I got the bug to upgrade to a more capable camera. I spent a few months researching the capabilities of different cameras - mainly Canon. I went back and forth on whether to go for a full-frame or spend less on a crop-frame. I decided a crop frame would probably serve my needs just fine and I could get more bells and whistles in a crop-frame for a lot less money.I ended up buying a 1 year old 7D with the kit lens for $1000. Now that I've had it for close to a year, I can honestly say it was the best $1000 I've ever spent! The capabilities of this camera are amazing! I also recently bought the Canon 70-200mm F4 L series lens (non-IS) and double-wow! I took this combination to the BMX International bike competition up at Angel Fire, New Mexico (hosted by RedBull) this past August. I took over 1300 pictures, using the 8-frames per second capability quite a lot! Man did I get some great stop-action pictures!I know this isn't as technical a review as some, but I just wanted to give my impressions of this camera! I would definitely recommend the 7D to anyone who wants an extremely capable camera and can live without full-frame.

I bought this camera back in march 2012 after reading a lot (thanks to everybody for their comments and reviews). It is indeed a great camera, that I've compared with other less expensive versions of canc and it really stands out. I won't be giving much technical input here but wanted to give you some information on one problem I had.I noticed some time after buying it that the on/off switch was a little tight without any accident happening to the camera. Probably this issue was there since the very beginning but I noticed this some time after ... so I didn't worry too much... until this summer. I was up in the mountains in Spain when I noticed that the dial mode switch was starting to become loose (not firm) ... some hours latter when shooting and changing modes the dial mode switch detached from the camera, it broke completely. To my stupefaction it was just a regular plastic switch with a plastic stem that just broke. I really wasn't expecting this to be made out of plastic in a 7D. Anyways hopefully it was stuck in aperture mode and I could still use the camera (partially) ...Some months latter I went to canon to have it fixed (it was out of warranty so I had to pay ~100$). I also asked to have it replaced with the lock-build-in version of the dial mode (this was in France where I live). Not being a CPS member they don't take you very seriously and they had my problem fixed 3 weeks after when the maximum delay shouldn't have been more than 10 days for non CPS. I'm a little upset with this since I really needed my camera and them keeping their delays.Anyways just wanted to let you know that this is made out of plastic and that if you feel the on/of button is unusually firm go to have it fixed while it is still covered by warranty. The technician said this is not the first case they had. After repair I had 6 months of warranty for the whole camera which is great. This is very nice camera but far from perfect. For these combined reasons I'm taking off only one star ...

Reading through the reviews here I have been seeing a common trend of problems with the camera, or I should say user. A lot of users are going to be upgrading from their entry level DSLR like a T2i or d3100. You have to remember this is NOT a point and shoot camera like entry level cameras are. There are so many more settings and factors that will effect the photos you get. I have had this camera for about 6 months now and it has been quite a learning curve. Instead of complaining that the camera doesn't take great pictures, I learned how to work with the camera to get great pictures that i would never have been able to get with the t3i I upgraded from.Why?The main reason to buy this camera is: its much faster, more accurate, more advanced, 19 point cross-type AF system. Again, there are many settings that effect how the AF will function, and its up to you, the user to determine the settings you want to use. This camera also provides a micro adjustment for each lens to get your focusing better than you could have with an entry level DSLR. And remember that there is a dioptric adjustment. If you think you are seeing "fuzzy" or "not focused" pictures, its because you did not adjust this and its because of your eyes, NOT the camera.This camera is very well suited for action photography. Noise is very clean up till ISO 3200 which makes getting action shots a breeze.This camera has some sort of weather sealing which makes it a good camera to take outdoors on a rainy day.To get the most out of this camera you MUST be shooting RAW and be WILLING to do some post production.Having 8fps shooting, and basically an unlimited buffer has allowed me to get many more shots than i would ever be able to get before.It has a MUCH larger viewfinder than an entry level dslr.The AF works wonders in low light.The battery lasts me around 2k+ shots on most days.When I first received this camera I was disappointed. I would snap two identical pictures on the 7D and on the t3i. For some reason I thought the t3i took better pictures. The t3i's display is quite sharp and gives you a false sense of the pictures you take. In reality when I would put both photos on photoshop and begin editing them, the 7Ds photos were sharper and had less noise.Dont expect to get low noise like a FullFrame body like the 5D. This camera IS susceptible to low ISO noise in certain conditions. Review your settings and turn off all in-camera noise reduction.A few quick facts about this camera:The t2i/t3i, 60D, and 7D share almost identical sensors. The 7D has DUAL processors which allows it to have substantially better AF and faster shooting. Technically these cameras should take very similar pictures. The 7D is Canon's flagship Crop-Sensor Body.Finally- put your money where your lenses are. An "L" series canon lens is going to do much more for you than upgrading your body.In all I am in LOVE with this body and Im very glad I upgraded to it. Even though this camera was released in 2009, Canon is still providing firmware updates that increases its performance. The last updated increased its RAW and RAW+JPEG buffer and added manual audio adjustment.Happy shooting!

It has an 18-megapixel CMOS Sensor and Dual DIGIC 4 Image Processors for high image quality and speed; Advanced HD movie mode with manual exposure control and selectable frame rates; Viewfinder with 100 percent field of view (real PLUS); 19-point, all cross-type AF system equipped with dual diagonal cross-type sensors.You can capture images to CF Card Type I and II, UDMA-compliant CF cardsWith a host of brand new features designed to enhance every facet of the photographic process, from still images to video, this 7D represents a whole new class of camera. Made to be the tool of choice for serious photographers and semi-professionals, the 7D features an all-new 18-megapixel APS-C size sensor and DIGIC 4 image processors, capturing tremendous images at up to ISO 12800 and speeds of up to 8 fps - as for the highest ISO, don't expect to use it beyond 2000 unless you are a MASTER at NR software in post.The 7D has all cross-type 19-point AF system with improved AI Servo subject tracking and user-selectable AF area selection modes for sharp focus no matter the situation. The 7D's Viewfinder provides 100% coverage and displays user-selected AF modes as well as a spot metering circle and on demand grid lines.IMHO, it is a great asset to any amateur in the market to step up from a Rebel.

I am sure at some point the crop sensor bodies would get discontinued, so buy them now while you can.There is nothing better for Wildlife or Macro! The 1.6X factor turns my 400mm lens to 640mm and I don't lose one thing in picture quality. You can spend money to buy 7D or you can buy $12,000.00 600-mm lens. (If I could afford it I would buy it, but know that it is 5-6 times heavier, impossible to carry long distances, and closest focusing distance is large).Same goes for Macro photography. With crop sensor body, for little itsy bitsy flies, I am getting almost full frame shots and that without extension tubes.Picture quality is great! Higher FPS is ideal for wild-life.Both Wildlife and Macro requires cropping, but with this body, your average MBs for your shots will be HIGHER than with the full frame body. Simple reason being that you have to crop less of the shot because it is bringing the subject closer to you so why crop?Not saying that full-frame body is not great or not needed. I love my 5D MK-III and for landscape and portrait it is ideal. But the precious reach that 7D is giving me, it is indescribable how valuable that really is.Buy it before the world runs out of them! Happy shooting!

I've been using the 7D for about six months now, and while there are plenty of reviews I thought I'd add a couple of thoughts. I was coming from a T1i, with which I had been shooting RAW, and not doing much (competent) post processing on the files. The IQ results were good, and I primarily upgraded to the 7D for the better AF system, the weather sealing and better high ISO performance.The first thing I noticed as far as IQ was concerned is that the raw files looked, well, disappointing. There seemed to be a lot more luminance noise than the T1i files, and the images seemed mushy and grainy. I was concerned, but convinced myself that there was no way an upgrade like this could have worse IQ, and figured I had to be doing something wrong. This went on for a while, and despite my fiddling in Lightroom I wasn't getting the results I felt the camera should deliver. Then I started to actually learning how to do post-processing of RAW files properly, and the results I got improved dramatically. The point of this story is that if you're shooting in RAW and coming from something like the T1i, you may find that the images require more detailed post processing than you're used to. And if you aren't particularly good at post processing, you're going to have to get good at it if you're shooting in RAW. I can't speak to the quality of the JPG output directly from the camera, as I have not used it at all.((Edit 5/25/11: As I dig deeper into post-processing the RAW files from the 7D I have a bit of advice for those who will have to step up their post-processing game: Learn to create presets in Lightroom (or whatever program you are using) that you can apply to common camera settings. For instance, I can create a preset in Lightroom called "7D ISO 3200 Dark" that contains the noise reduction settings I commonly need when post-processing a RAW file shot at ISO 3200 in dark conditions. Then I can apply this preset across the board to a batch of ISO 3200 files with one click - no more adjusting images individually, no more remembering what settings work best. (You can always tweak things more if needed.) You can also setup the camera profile in Lightroom to apply these settings automatically upon import, if you wish. Hopefully this tangent is helpful to people like myself who were finding it difficult to keep up with required post-production work on the 7D's RAW files. The 7D RAW files force you to learn proper workflow, unless you have a lot of time to kill, or always shoot at ISO 100 in perfect conditions!))The AF system is great, can be tweaked in many ways to suit your needs, and really isn't that hard to learn if you read the manual and play with it for a while. (Seriously, read the manual. Twice.) It's built like a tank, and is very comfortable to hold. Weather sealing seems good - I've shot with it out in the rain with no cover and no issues. Just take a little compressed air and blow all the water off when you're done. Almost all the buttons on the camera can be reconfigured, should you wish to do so. For instance I've always found the DoF preview button not terribly helpful, so I changed it to be a toggle between One Shot and AI Servo AF modes. (Good for when you're shooting stills and then you want to switch to action without pressing several buttons/turning dials.) The C1, C2 & C3 modes are also great for saving exact camera configurations for frequently encountered shooting circumstances. (Whatever they may be, depending on the individual.)I would caution against purchasing this camera for high ISO purposes. While the noise can be tamed in post processing, you're not going to be blown away by the quality. (Unless your current camera is 5 years old.) If high ISO is the most important thing in the world to you, save up for a 5D MkII (or III if it ever comes out). You may also want to hold the camera to see if you're going to be comfortable with the size and weight. (I think it's great, others may find it to be a bit of a beast.) Finally, with a million options/settings/customizations/buttons, make sure you want a camera with all this functionality (and corresponding complexity). If you're just going to set it on full auto, your money could probably be better spent elsewhere. (And you may save yourself some frustration.)So overall a very nice piece of equipment, with a very rich feature set.Edit 5/25/11:The ability to trigger off-camera flash is fantastic. This opens up a whole new confusing world of lighting to learn, but you can do some really cool things.Also worth mentioning are two other things that I really like about this camera:First, I find the light meter to be great. Unless conditions are particularly difficult the camera does an excellent job, and I often find myself surprised that it handled the metering of a particular situation as well as it did. I've actually turned off automatic review on the LCD at this point. I take a shot of a scene, check it to make sure I don

Let me start off by saying that I am only a hobbyist and not even considering being professional. I am also not the most knowledgeable about all things technical when it comes to cameras. I am writing this more from the perspective of hobbyists who are considering upgrading their camera and are on the fence about choosing the camera. Professionals please ignore this.I recently upgraded to this camera after using a Canon Rebel T1i for several years. Clearly I was upgrading from an entry level DSLR, so the step up was significant for me. I wanted to make sure I could use my older lenses and not have to buy everything from scratch. After using it for a few weeks, here is what I LOVE:1) This is the fastest camera I've had - I am amazed at how fast the multiple exposures for a HDR shot come in. I also have been taking a lot of moving shots and it's really smooth2) The controls are intuitive and fairly easy to understand. If you've used Canon before, the dials look familiar. Having said that, please don't plan on starting a project as you take this out of the box - it does take a little getting used to3) The EF-S lenses all works. This means if you're upgrading from a Canon DSLR, you DON'T have to invest in new lenses straight away. For budget hobbyists like me, that was a big selling point4) The BULB exposure setting was a significant step up for me - my old camera wasn't very good with BULB exposuresI am not going to go into technical details and AF points and those kinds of pros and cons. There are enough qualified reviewers writing about those, and try to look at the online manuals if you are so inclined.A couple of caveats for the naive buyers like me - there are a bunch of accessories you DO have to upgrade:1) Since I was upgrading from the lowest level DSLR, I didn't have CF card in my old camera. It was a shock to me when my new camera arrived and I couldn't use my usual SD card. Make sure you get a good quality CF and CF card reader with the camera. If you're upgrading from a 60D or 50D, you know what a CF is, so ignore this point2) The 7D uses a different batter from the entry level DSLRs (LP E6 - my old camera had LP E5). You get a new battery and charger in the box, but if you have a battery pack and grip for your old camera, it isn't going to workI think at ~$1250 this is an excellent buy. Definitely recommend it to hobbyists looking to upgrade

I won't do a detailed review of this camera, as other people have done a much better job than I ever could. So I will just discuss my experience with it.I've been a paid semi pro photographer for about 10 years now, portrait, events and college sports. I've also worked as a paid photographer for a multitude of marathons and other races that come to town. Over the years I've shot with a long list of DSLRs (Sony, Pentax, Nikon and Canon). I've shot with the Canon 20D, 30D, 40D, 50D, 7D and so forth. I was very excited to finally purchase the 7D but I was constantly disappointed by it.For one, it seemed a bit noisy at 100 ISO, much more so than any other Canon I ever used. Honestly, I got cleaner images (at 100 ISO) with my 20 and 30Ds. I spoke to Canon about this. Their response: "Well, when you pack that many pixels on a sensor, that sorta thing happens." I'm thinking, really? This new, near state of the art sensor with dual processors can't take a cleaner image than a sensor you made nearly 10 years ago? Really?! Ironically I was very pleased with this camera at really high ISOs. It was awesome at 3200. And focusing... My 20D, 30D, 40D and so forth seemed to take sharper pictures (and I always used L glass). I seemed to have to struggle with this camera to get really sharp images. I reached a point where I was afraid to use it on paid shoots because I never knew what I was going to get.The 7D is an awesome camera when you can get it to work (and yea, I read the manual cover to cover a few times). But I shouldn't have to fight with my camera to get it to do its job.Maybe I had a defective model. Who knows.On the one year anniversary of purchasing the 7D, I sold it and left the world of digital photography -- for now, anyway. Back to shooting and processing my own black and white film. I've fallen in love with photography all over again.

My wife and I are not serious photographers, but we are serious about travel and we like high quality photographic equipment to document our trips. This camera has produced high quality photos and we have been more than satisfied with the images and even video taken with it. Reliability, however, has been a real problem for us with this model. We own 2 other Canon digital SLRs, several EF lenses and 3 Canon PowerShot cameras and this is the first product where we believe product reliability has been a problem. We bought the camera in late 2010 and the problems didn't crop up until early 2012 when the camera was out of warranty. Periodically we would get an error 20 which required us to remove the battery and reinsert. Although annoying, we got used to the periodic error and process for removing/reinserting the battery. By April 2012, removing and reinserting the battery stopped correcting the problem and I figured out that if I switched the camera from photo to video mode (and back), that the camera operated fine again for several days or even weeks before seeing the error 20 message again. We had a big trip to Peru coming up, but the camera was out of warranty so I decided that I could live with this workaround for the summer and that I would send the camera in once our travel slowed down for the fall as it usually does. On day 3 of our trip which was the day before we were to begin hiking the Inca Trail, the camera simply died. No error codes, no message of any kind. I had spare batteries, lenses, CF cards and no combination of swaps resulted in a message of any kind. I took everything to a Canon dealer in Cuzco and confirmed that all of my components worked fine with their display 7D eliminating the possibility of the problem being with anything but the body. Unfortunately, the closest Canon service center was in Lima and they were not guaranteeing a turn around of less than 7 days which wouldn't work for our travel agenda so we chunked the camera into the luggage and used our PowerShot for the rest of the trip. I know, shame on me for not having a backup body but in our defense we are not "serious" photographers and we've never encountered a problem like this before with a Canon product so we didn't have prior experience to draw upon. When we got back to the US, I tried the camera at home and to my surprise was met with an error 40 message when I turned the camera on. Having looked at various camera forums and blog sites I've noticed that many others have experienced either the error 20 problem (mechanical) or error 40 problem (power) as I have and it turns out I'm not the first to have a trip to Peru impacted by an error 40 problem.To Canon's credit, I sent the body to Canon Service in Virginia where they promptly repaired and returned the unit. The repairs amounted to $234 plus shipping. I'm not saying "don't buy this camera", but if you are concerned about reliability then caveat emptor.

I have used this body for 3 years now mainly for event coverage and studio shoots, I have a total of 50,000 actuation already but still performs like brand new. This is by far the most durable Canon body I ever used, I even dropped it twice already. I have tried 60D-up to 1000D but it's really not comparable because 7D has a lot to offer and it's built quality is amazing even better than the 5d2. If you're a beginner or just a photo enthusiast I will recommend it, you'll grow with it. The only negative thing about it is it's weight. You wouldn't try carrying your L lenses or any glass with 77mm filter thread with it because it's very heavy. But overall, it's a BEAST DSLR, the upgrade makes it more valuable to 7D owners like me. For the price I think it's reasonable.

CF only, not full format frame but built like a tank; great entry level professional DSLR used and recommended by the prosin fact begin your DSLR experience with the Canon EOS REbel T3 (NOTICE: NOT the T3i) and then move on to this camera to catch up on the learning curve towards the Canon 5D Mark IIIwait until you discover the tilt button and figure out what they were talking about in the manual and pocket guide . . .remember to get a compact flash reader to connect to your computer unless you have one of those multi-slot readerskeep this on M (for Manuel) all of the time. watch the little meter in the top window to set aperture (with the big dial) and shutter speed (with the thumb dial, done with index finger) changing ISO is the challenge . . .and adjusting the AF point of interest takes a bit of work as wellbut it is all worthwhile