Canon 7D Review

Cory — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:26:51 +0000

Canon released the 7D in September. The digital SLR also records full resolution high def video.

A few months ago we decided Inksie needed a camera. We decided it would be nice to have an SLR that would take video. We looked at a few different options: the Nikon D90 and D300s, and the Canon 7D and 5D Mark II. After much debate the creative board finally decided on a Canon 7D because of its superior video capabilities.

We pre-ordered the 7D from Adorama and received it a few weeks afterwards. We also ordered a Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 from B&H. You can use the camera straight out of the box and get great images and movies.

The Camera

The first thing you notice when you pick up the camera is the weight of the camera body itself. This thing is a brick! The body feels very solid (as it should, made of magnesium alloy) and the contours and grip feel natural in your hand. The body has weather sealing, as well.

Ergonomically speaking, the 7D is miles ahead of its older relatives. Everything is laid out systematically, and the buttons are large—easy to push when wearing gloves. Camera menus are straight-forward. Options to completely customize nearly every button are buried in the menus.

The 7D’s autofocus and usually accurate. The viewfinder has 100% coverage, which means your final image is exactly what you see through the viewfinder. The rear screen has great resolution and brightness. There is a handy feature that helps you hold the camera perfectly straight. The live-view feature works well. I’m actually surprised by the on-board flash; it has good coverage and is fairly powerful.

Images

The 18.0 megapixel sensor produces massive 5184 x 3456 images. This is more than enough for any practical use. The 7D has an impressive ISO range. The highest settings (12800-3200) produce mushy images, but noise at reasonably high ISOs ( around 1600) look okay.

Images off the sensor look good if you set things up right. However, highlights and especially blacks tend to be be crushed. Canon has a feature to preserve highlights, which doesn’t ever seem to do much. Auto-white balance is hit and miss.

Movies

This is where the 7D really shines. Video comes in a few options: 1920×1080 30p and 24p, 1280×720 60p and 640×480 60p. A thoughtful feature is the video switch on the back of the camera. Simply flip the switch, press the “Start” button and you’re recording.

The back screen faithfully displays settings while you record. You can even adjust the exposure while filming. Auto-focus is impractical during recording, but you can easily magnify a section to check focus or get one of these.

The Lens

At $1060, the Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 is expensive. You get what you pay for; this lens is very sturdy and the rings rotate smoothly. Focal range makes this a great general-purpose lens on the 7D, suitable for landscapes, portraits and anything in-between.

The lens’ minimum focuses is very close—nearly a macro at 55mm—which makes the lens versatile. The 17-55mm has beautiful focus breathing, which makes it a great choice for the 7D.

One thing I have noticed is that the distortion on the lens is really terrible. At 17mm there is quite a bit of barrel distortion, and pincushion distortion is noticeable even at 35mm.

The lens has Canon’s Image Stabilization, which compensates for slow shutter speeds and hand movement. I haven’t noticed anything dramatic. When shot at f/2.8 the image is pretty soft with a bit of falloff and softness in the corners. Chromatic aberration is especially bad. Not to worry: close down two stops and these issues improve.

Conclusion

I come from a Nikon background and have always been skeptical of Canons. I was pretty excited to test and work with the 7D, mostly because of the video features. The camera has definitely changed my opinion of Canon. Once you become acclimated to the 7D it is remarkably easy to use. The actual construction and ergonomics are surprisingly good. In fact, the more I use it the more I enjoy using it. The camera gets out of your way and allows you to see creatively, which is what photography is all about.