Canon EOS 7D

With an 18-megapixel resolution that rivals full-frame cameras, the Canon 7D provides a sophisticated prosumer still and video shooting experience at a reasonable price. Standout features include a speedy burst rate that approaches 8 shots per second, a sophisticated new autofocus system that works fast and includes a Zone mode for choosing screen sections, and a handsome 100%-coverage viewfinder. In our lab testing, color accuracy and image noise performance were strong , particularly under low lighting, image sharpness looked good, and dynamic range was exceptional. In many respects the 7D builds on the successes of the 5D Mark II, adds a few new options, including 24fps mode at full HD video resolution and a useful one-touch RAW+JPEG button, and sells for $1000 less.

Performance

Color accuracy wasn’t as high as we’ve seen on some Canon models, but it will take a critical eye to spot any flaws, and long exposure performance in both color accuracy and image noise were impressive. In bright light, image noise was well contained through ISO 800, but rose above competitive models at higher settings. Images looked sharp as long as the lens wasn’t stopped down too far, and dynamic range was excellent, making this a fine camera for high-contrast shooting situations. The lens-based image stabilization system was quite effective, particularly in combating vertical camera movement, and the promised 8 shot per second burst rate clocked in at a speedy 7.5 in our lab testing, made all the more enticing by the fact that you can fire off more than 100 large JPEGs in a row with a fast CF card.

Video

The Canon 7D doesn’t really bring anything new to the video-DSLR field, but its performance is nearly as good as the Canon 5D Mark II, and it comes with a much cheaper price tag. The 7D is still plagued with a number of the problems that have mired video-DSLRs since the beginning—a rolling shutter, overheating issues, no continual autofocus—but it does strike a nice balance by offering a good amount of manual controls, 24p and 30p frame rates, and high-quality, 1080p video performance. Even with its setbacks, the Canon 7D represents an excellent value for a video-capable DSLR, although there are more affordable options if you consider the Micro Four Thirds cameras.

Hardware

This is a ruggedly built camera with a magnesium alloy chassis, extensive weather- and dust-proofing, and controls that feel solid and responsive (with the possible exception of the little joystick, which we still don’t find very comfortable to work with). The Canon 3-inch 920,000-dot LCD is a keeper, and using it in Live View mode doesn’t reveal any of the smearing and stuttering we’ve found with some other cameras when panning quickly across a scene. The viewfinder is a pleasure, with nearly 100% coverage. Dual control dials, including the large vertically mounted dial on the back, make navigating settings and menus speedy.

Controls

There aren’t any radical departures from Canon standard procedure here, but that’s fine with us. The Picture Style system, with four customizable settings and three slots to store your personalized versions, works well, though having a color-accurate preset that didn’t ratchet sharpness to its lowest setting by default would seem like a good idea. There are also three custom settings slots available on the mode dial, so the extensive options for tweaking image reproduction and camera functions can be stored for ready access. One handy innovation is a dedicated RAW/JPEG button, allowing you to shoot a single image in RAW mode and return to JPEGs for routine shooting.

Sample Photos

In the following sample images, clicking on the larger image will download the full resolution original. Each photo is accompanied by four actual-size crops.

Cityscape Sample
				Focal length: 28mm Aperture: f/16 Shutter: 1/80 ISO:400 Shot looking northeast from the south end of New York’s Central Park, using evaluative metering and the Landscape Picture Style, in aperture priority mode, with -1/3 EV exposure comp. The camera’s wide dynamic range is evident here: the sky isn’t blown out, and there’s good detail both on the distant sunlit buildings and the shadowy foreground. Chromatic aberration does crop up in the side tree branches, though.

Outdoor Activity Sample
				Focal length: 135mm Aperture: f/7.1 Shutter: 1/800 ISO:800 Shot at the Bryant Park skating rink in NYC, using the Faithful Picture Style with spot metering and automatic white balance. The bright reds are subdued here due to the relatively low saturation of this color mode, though we like the flesh tones, and could ramp up the intensity in image editing software (this is a straight-from-the-camera image).

Holiday Sample
				Focal length: 125mm Aperture: f/7.1 Shutter: 1/250 ISO:200 This holiday-decorated apartment building was shot using Standard Picture Style and evaluative metering in program AE mode. Detail in the stonework and the straight lines of the window frames were captured crisply, and the color intensity in the wreath is strong but pleasant

Landmark Sample
				Focal length: 35mm Aperture: f/7.1 Shutter: 1/250 ISO:800 The famous statue of Prometheus in Rockefeller Center shines nicely here. as do the cold skater’s faces, in a Standard Picture Style shot, taken with partial metering (which uses a central area larger than the spot metering setting), auto white balance and shutter priority shooting mode.

Low Light Samples
	Focal length: 44mm Aperture: f/10 Shutter: 1/4 ISO:6400 To see the effect of increasing high ISO noise reduction levels on fine image detail, we lit these artificial flowers to about 40 lux and used -1 stop exposure comp to maintain detail in the white flowers. We shot on a tripod, using Standard Picture Style, auto white balance and aperture priority mode. The large image at left was shot with noise reduction at the default Standard setting. The black background noise levels decrease as expected as we ramp up the noise processing, though the fabric and vase texture suffer as a consequence. Clicking on any of the images below will bring up the full-resolution image in a separate window.
	Noise reduction off
	Noise reduction Low
	Noise reduction Standard
	Noise reduction High

Close-up Sample
				Focal length: 57mm Aperture: f/5.6 Shutter: 1/400 ISO:100 This close-up of a New York State license plate was taken on a tripod using evaluative metering and auto white balance, with zone autofocus set to the central area in program mode. The center of the image is quite sharp, the edges much softer, even at a relatively wide aperture setting.

Canon EOS 7D Specs
Type	Medium SLR
Focal Length Minimum	28.0 mm
Focal Length Maximum	135.0 mm
Still Pixel Count (gross)	19.0 megapixels
Still Pixel Count (effective)	18.0 megapixels
Sensor Size	Canon APS-C
Sensor Type - New	CMOS
Aspect Ratios	3:2
Frame Rate(s)	30p, 24p, 25p, 60p, 50p
Original Price	1699.99 $
Height	110.7 mm
Width	148.2 mm
Depth	73.5 mm
Weight	820.0 g
Model Colors	Black
Display Type	LCD
Display Size	3.0 in.
Display Resolution	920000 pixels
Viewfinder Type	optical
Viewfinder Magnification	1.0 x
Viewfinder Coverage	100.0 % coverage
Diopter Adjustment - New	-3.0 to +1.0m^-1
Media New	CompactFlash
Connectivity Options	A/V
Battery Type	removable lithium-ion
Battery Model Number	LP-E6
Mirror Technology (Interchangeable Lens)	DSLR
Waterproof	No
Manual Controls	manual focus, aperture priority mode, shutter priority mode, full manual exposure, custom white balance, ISO control
ISO Options	100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400, Extended ISO
Minimum ISO	100
Maximum ISO	6400

Canon EOS 7D Scores
Rating	Score	Weighting
Color Score	12.45	9.0
Color Modes Score	4.0	1.0
Long Exposure Score	11.51	4.0
Noise Score	6.16	9.0
ISO Options Score	6.0	1.5
Sharpness Score	11.17	6.0
Chromatic Aberration Score	7.91	3.0
Picture Options Score	10.75	0.5
Dynamic Range Score	10.67	6.0
Stabilization Score	4.87	5.0
Auto White Balance Score	14.3	4.0
Custom White Balance Score	2.1	2.0
White Balance Features Score	7.5	0.5
Playback Mode Score	9.5	1.5
In-Camera Editing Score	1.0	0.5
Software Score	8.0	0.5
Direct Print Features Score	5.0	0.5
Sensor Score	0.0	1.0
Viewfinder Score	9.75	1.5
LCD Score	10.1	2.5
Flash Score	10.0	1.0
Lens Mount Score	11.0	1.5
Battery Score	9.0	1.0
Memory Score	3.0	1.0
Connectivity Score	5.5	1.0
Shooting Modes Scores	13.0	1.0
Live View Score	3.0	2.0
Scene Modes Score	0.0	0.5
Picture Effects Score	4.0	0.5
Focus Score	18.0	1.5
Exposure Score	5.5	1.0
DOF Preview Score	1.5	0.5
Metering Score	9.0	1.0
Shutter Speed Score	11.0	1.0
Self-Timer Score	3.0	1.0
Other Controls Score	0.0	0.5
Handling Score	9.0	2.5
Controls Score	11.0	2.5
Menu Score	8.75	2.0
Manual Score	7.25	1.0
Shot to Shot Score	7.49	3.0
Drive and Burst Modes Score	8.0	1.0
Video Color Score	8.31	1.25
Video Sharpness Score	9.98	1.25
Video Motion Score	10.05	0.63
Video Noise Score	12.65	0.63
Video Controls Score	6.0	1.2
Video Low Light Sensitivity Score	8.38	0.95
Video Low Light Color Score	10.27	0.78
Video Low Light Noise Score	11.63	0.78
Video Compression Score	7.5	0.95
Video Audio Score	2.25	0.3
Video Handling Score	5.5	0.73
Color Other Features Rating	0.0	0.5
Noise Other Features Rating	0.0	0.5
Playback Other Features Rating	0.0	0.5
Resolution Other Features Rating	0.0	0.5
Design & Handling Other Rating	1.0	0.5
Total:	845