PDN Reviews Canon EOS 7D

Posted by Britney Anne Majure

NYC - DECEMBER 7, 2009

According to the PDN Gear Guide:

"Canon's new mid-range DSLR shines as a video camera but high-resolution sensor stumbles in the dark.

Dec 2, 2009
By Dan Havlik

The so-called mid-level pro digital SLR category has been a pretty popular one for budget-conscious photographers so it's been a surprise that Canon has released such lackluster cameras at this price point in recent years. You know what I'm talking about. Canon EOS 30D, 40D, 50D anyone?

While these models may have been pretty decent sellers for Canon in the $1,200-$1,300 prosumer sweet spot, they didn't exactly thrill when it came to new features or dramatically improved image quality. It didn't help much that with each new mid-level pro introduction,Canon upped the resolution on the camera's APS-C sized (aka non-full-frame) image sensor, making it just a bit more susceptible to noise at high ISOs.

So most of the smart money this fall was on conservative Canon releasing a rote follow-up to the 50D, maybe with a few more pixels, a slightly faster frame rate and a new badge with a 60D model name on it. Instead, what we got, while not quite revolutionary, was definitely unexpected: the HD-shooting Canon EOS 7D.

Though adding high definition video to a mid-range DSLR was, perhaps, inevitable, it's the level to which Canon has amped up the HD video features on the 7D that's turned heads among photographers and independent filmmakers. This was no mere replacement for the 50D. It felt like a whole new category.

And that, according to Canon, is quite literally true. The company says the 15.1-megapixel 50D will remain in the line-up (at the time of this writing it was still selling for around $1,300) while the 18-megapixel 7D ($1,700) will carve out a new niche just below the full-frame HD-capable 5D Mark II ($2,700). Canon's mid-level lineup seems to be getting pretty crowded, no?

As already mentioned, the 7D seeks to stand head and shoulders above other cameras in this category—including Canon's own models—by attempting to overhaul just what a mid-level digital SLR can do. And in many ways Canon succeeds with the 7D, offering a bounty of selectable frame rates (24p, 25p, 30p) for 1080p HD capture; a stellar new autofocus system; and very fast overall performance with 8 frames per second shooting speed and a fat buffer that'll let you keep on shooting and shooting.

There are also dozens of helpful picture-taking tweaks including a new spot autofocus mode; a Dual Access Electronic Level control for keeping shots straight; and a completely revamped metering system. (And that's just to name a few.)

But where the camera breaks little new ground is in its image sensor technology. With the 7D, we once again have an APS-C sized CMOS sensor with a 1.6x magnification ("crop") factor that will help you get closer to the action but won't do your wide-angle lenses any favors.

And there's the requisite bump up in resolution to 18 megapixels, making the individual pixel size on the 7D's chip just about as small as any Canon DSLR I can remember at just 4.3 microns. (In contrast, the 50D's pixel are 4.7 microns while the consumer-oriented Rebel T1i are 4.5 microns apiece.)

Though these are "gapless" pixels which Canon claims have better light gathering capabilities than regular pixels, and the 7D boasts twin Digic 4 image processors to help tamp down noise, what does this mean to image quality? Let's take a look.

VIDEO STAR
I received a 7D loan about the same time as my occasional PDN co-tester Jason Groupp, www.jasongphoto.com, was forced to make a last minute rental of a 7D after his 5D workhorse was stolen while shooting a wedding. Though losing the 5D was a bummer for Jason, I was anxious to hear his thoughts on the 7D since he was now in the market for a second body to replace the stolen camera.

In the past, Jason has owned Canon 20D's and 30D's as back-up bodies but switched to strictly full-frame models after the 5D and 5D Mark II came out. Though he was considering buying a 5D II as a second camera, even used models were selling for several hundred dollars more than a new 7D.

Plus, the 7D has the coveted 24p frame rate HD mode which mimics the look of a traditional "filmed" movie and is easier to transcode than 30p. If you're a working videographer, 24p is really the only way to go.

Yes, Canon has said it plans to offer a firmware upgrade for the 5D Mark II in the first half of next year which will allow it to shoot 24p, but who knows when that'll really happen. And who has time to wait?

Jason, like a lot of wedding photographers out there now, has been adding video to his list of services and a camera like the 7D could be a very useful tool. What photographers are quickly learning, though, is that just owning a DSLR that shoots HD is not the answer.

Handholding a 7D may be ok for a short 2-minute HD clip but anything longer and you're going to need some kind of rig or stabilizing system. Companies such as Redrock Micro and Zacuto have been making a killing on these DSLR rigs which are finally starting to come down in price. Zacuto also has a great new clip-on video-friendly viewfinder called the Z-finder. These finders were selling like hot cakes at PhotoPlus Expo in New York City October.

One thing both Jason and I noticed about the 7D is its superior audio quality over the 5D Mark II. This is somewhat strange since, on paper, both cameras have the same built-in monaural microphone. The 7D's is placed higher on the front of the camera which might account for the clearer sound.

Of course, you can also plug in a stereo microphone to attach to the hotshoe for even better sound and you'll likely want to add a BeachTek adapter to the bottom of the camera to improve the audio mix, but all these accessories add bulk and weight to the camera along with jacking up the price. All of which makes the relatively lightweight (31 ounces) and mid-priced 7D seem better and better as a video camera.

Canon deserves kudos for loading this camera will so many video shooting modes. They certainly heard an earful from photographers and videographers after the 5D Mark II came out with just a 30p mode at full 1080p HD. Along with 24p (23.976p to be exact) and 30p (29.97p), the 7D offers 25p in 16:9 aspect ration at full HD; and 50p or 60p (59.94) at 720p HD; and 50p or 60p in standard definition at 4:3 aspect ratio.

That's quite an alphabet/numeric soup but it's appreciated. Canon knew it had a chance to improve on the HD versatility with the 7D and it has delivered. Another small but helpful video-centric improvement is putting a dedicated Start/Stop button on the back of the camera which toggles between Live View and HD mode. Switching into video mode can be done in an instant.

While the problem with "rolling shutter" or the "jell-o" effect you get when you pan quickly isn't fully solved on the 7D, it seemed improved, most likely because of the extra processing that's going on with the dual Digic 4 chips. In testing, I really put the 7D through the ringer, shaking it in a wild panning motion far beyond what most users would likely try. Though this caused the HD footage to wobble a bit, during regular panning the rolling shutter effect was far less noticeable. The only noticeable video feature we found to be missing from the 7D was continuous autofocus though the camera does offer full manual control of ISO, exposure, shutter speed and aperture.

In terms of image quality of the 1080p video, the 7D suffered because of the smaller chip and tiny pixels. (This is also true of the still image quality which I'll discuss later.) For one, with the APS-C sized sensor it was hard to get the very shallow depth of field that's achievable with a full-frame sensor camera such as in the 5D Mark II.

Secondly, the 1.6x magnification made wide-angle shooting a near impossibility which was disappointing if you're used to living at 16mm. Without making too much of a generalization— and I'm sure I'll get in trouble for saying this— these two issues are probably more important to photographers transitioning into video than videographers shooting with an HD-DSLR. Since photographers have been spoiled by the glories of shooting with full-frame sensor, moving back to a crop sensor can be a disappointing experience.

CHIPS AHOY
For videographers who like shooting with shorter lenses and are likely more comfortable with smaller chips, Canon's latest APS-C shooter probably feels like a dream. And how much the "noisier-than-the-5D-Mark II" video footage from the 7D bothers you also probably depends on how accustomed you've gotten to clean low-light files.

I shot with the 7D right after I had a chance to test out a prototype of the full-frame 12.1-megapixel Nikon D3s and both as a still camera and a HD video camera the difference was striking. Even at ISO 12,800, the D3s had very manageable levels of noise while the 7D began to struggle above ISO 800. In general, I'd say the ISO ceiling for useable files from the 7D is 1600. At ISO 6400 and the boosted "high" setting of 12,800, forget about it.

It's not really a fair comparison however to match it against the D3s. That camera has pixels that are nearly twice as big as the 7D and retails for about $3,500 more.

There are other solutions to noise issues than increasing the price or making it a full-frame camera. Canon's addressed some of them by giving the 7D dual Digic 4 processors but I'd have been more impressed if they kept the resolution at 15 megapixels or lower. Seriously, how many field photographers do you know who complain that their digital SLR doesn't have enough resolution?

With the G11, Canon's flagship advanced PowerShot pocket camera which is also reviewed in this issue, the company actually lowered the resolution from the previous model from 14.7 megapixels to 10 megapixels. Though Canon's marketing folks told me privately that they were afraid they might get skewered for reducing the megapixels on the G11, the move has been greeted positively by photographers looking for less noisy images. Canon really should've considered doing something similar with the 7D.

Or as Jason put it bluntly: "Will this be my video camera? Possibly. But it will never be my photo camera. Anything above ISO 800 is a disappointment."

FAST & FLUID
As a regular daylight shooter though, the 7D is terrific all around. First off, the camera feels solid in your hand but not too weighty. Canon calls the 7D's new design "super fluid" and while I'm not too sure what this means—something about the body having "continuous curves"—the camera's comfortable handgrip and sturdy, magnesium, steel and polycarbonate body feels more "pro" than "prosumer."

As an advanced piece of technology, the 7D is an impressive if somewhat complicated device. To understand it fully, make sure to set aside a lazy Sunday for perusing the manual. There's a lot to learn here.

First off, get to know the very fast and sharp new 19-point Autofocus system which uses all cross-type focus points. The 7D's new Multi-function button helps you quickly cycle through the various autofocus configurations and along with Spot AF try AF Expansion which employs a cluster of AF assist points to nail focus when photographing moving subjects such as athletes. Also useful for tracking fast, erratic subjects—such as birds in flight—is Zone AF which divides the 19 AF points into five focus zones. When your subject hits the right zone, the camera will lock in so you can capture the image.

Speaking of the 7D's AF system, I also liked the orientation linked autofocus feature which automatically flips the focus point for vertical shooting; and the spot AF mode which worked great when I photographed a pitcher through a wire-fence backstop.

But that's just AF. Photographers who capture any type of action will love the 7D's 8fps shooting speed and 94-shot JPEG/15 shot 14-bit RAW buffer. Use a UDMA card, and the JPEG buffer jumps to 126 images. We found the 7D largely stood up to and even eclipsed those "official" numbers, with the camera quickly dumping the buffer so it could shoot again. (It really cruised when we shot with either the SanDisk Extreme Pro cards or Lexar's Pro 600x UDMA cards.) Start-up time and shutter lag were also virtually non-existent on this speedy camera.

"It's faster than the 5D Mark II," Jason reported during testing. "The focus is phenomenal and the speed I can shoot at before the buffer fills up makes it possible to get the shots I need."

Other features we liked that are long overdue on a Canon prosumer DSLR were the Mark III style prism viewfinder with 100 percent coverage; the one touch RAW+JPEG mode; the ability to trigger other strobes with the built-in flash; and the Dual Axis Electronic Level Control for making sure your shots are straight when shooting with a tripod.

THE BOTTOM LINE
There's a lot to like on the Canon 7D so if it seems like I'm being hard on the camera for its overambitious pixel count, it's mostly because I'm holding it to a higher standard. For starters, the HD video capabilities of the 7D are the best we've ever seen for a digital SLR. (The only things missing are a built-in stereo microphone and Continuous Autofocus.) Furthermore, as a still capture device, Canon has loaded the 7D with so much useful technology from its revamped and comprehensive 19-point focusing system to its fast overall speed and its new 63-zone metering, it's hard to think of anything it left out in features. If the 18-megapixel CMOS sensor disappoints when shooting at high ISOs, that doesn't change our recommendation of the 7D as an excellent second camera/dedicated video camera for a shoot. We just wish we could recommend it as an all-around first camera.

Canon EOS 7D

www.usa.canon.com

Pros: Incredible feature set for a prosumer digital SLR; great HD video versatility including a comprehensive range of frame rates; fast 8 fps still shooting with a fat buffer for extended bursts; comfy body with a rugged pro build; improved 19-point autofocus system.

Cons: High resolution CMOS sensor reduces pixel size to 4.3 microns resulting in noise at high ISOs; no built-in stereo microphone; somewhat complicated to use.

Pricing: $1,700 (body only)"