Customer reviews from usa.canon.com
Canon - EOS 7D Digital SLR Body - Black
Average customer rating
4.6
(413 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 413 reviews
5 Stars
318
4 Stars
49
3 Stars
18
2 Stars
15
1 Star
13
89%of customers recommend this product.
(
358 out of
403)
Customer Reviews for Canon - EOS 7D Digital SLR Body - Black
Customer Rating
4
At Last
on November 6, 2009
Posted by: Zaphtic
from UK
I Own Canon 1Ds MkIII, 1D MkIII, 5D MkII and 50D cameras and 6 lumps of L glass, replaced the 50D backup with the 7D about a month ago with no regrets. RAW files can be used with CS4 with 5.5 RAW converter. I also have the battery grip and hand strap, I find it much better with this setup and I have used it exclusively for the past month. Love the new on / off and live view / movie switches - so much easier. Have found sharpness much better than my other cameras to the point I haven't bothered setting up the micro adjustment. Only niggle is the shutter sound which sounds very tinny compared to my other cameras. Well done Canon for listning to us !
Pros: Superior build quality, excellent image quality, Bright LCD, Nice features/settings, Solid Operation, easy to use, good battery life, new on / off switch, inbuilt flash control
Cons: shutter sound
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
Great DSLR
on November 5, 2009
Posted by: Adge
from So Cal
I finally decided to break down and buy a DSLR. I used to shoot stills on film back in the day and promised myself I would buy one once they could beat film in most respects DR, resolution, etc.. Well, the 7D sure doesn't disappoint in that respect. I also plan on making good use of the video function this camera has to offer.
This camera is built like a brick, I'm not kidding I bet you could take a few thousand of them and build a nice house if you were so inclined. I found the controls very easy to learn, no more or less complex than the video cameras I'm used to using. The image quality is great in still mode, and the HD video isn't too shabby either. I'm still playing around with settings and will be trying some custom image styles soon, which I hope can get me even more DR in video mode.
Anyways I'm quite satisfied overall with this DSLR and I hope it gives me at least a few years of trouble free service.
Pros: Superior build quality, excellent image quality, Bright LCD, Simple controls/menu, Nice features/settings, quiet, Quick Start-up time, Solid Operation, easy to use, good battery life
Cons: Heavy/Bulky
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
7D Home Run!!!
on November 5, 2009
Posted by: Smokey102977
from Missoula, MT
I have been shooting with the 7D for over a month now and it is amazing. The first reviews about focus issues nearly kept me from buying this camera. I tested the 7D on day two at the Montana State High School CC Championships and it performed flawlessly. It didn't matter if I was shooting at 8fps or 3.5fps the focus worked great. I have used this camera for landscapes, protraits, and sporting events and it has never had an issue with what I want it to do. The addition of different artistic optical filters greatly improves the results obtained with the 7D. The only drawback is that it has slightly elevated noise which is most likely due to the high resolution, high ISO, and high burst speed in one package. Overall this camera will do whatever you ask of it. Just make sure you understand the autofocus and how to properly use manual focus.
Pros: Superior build quality, excellent image quality, Bright LCD, Nice features/settings, Quick Start-up time, Solid Operation, easy to use, good battery life
Cons: noisy, Heavy/Bulky
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
4
Good Camara, Soft focus
on November 5, 2009
Posted by: Callahan
from Cornelius, NC
I really want to like this camera, I love the size and all of the innovations and improvements. I am currently using a 1D MKIII, I have been through all of the focus issues with the 1D and still am not satisfied with it, I have been using the center focus point in AI servo on the 7D and have felt the Auto focus is as good or better than the 1D. The only issue I have with the 7d is that the Images do not seem to be crisp, a softness to them that gives them a sort of OOF look. Also I am seeing a lot of noise at lower ISO's that I should not be. Not sure if this can be fixed by Canon but I hope so, I really like the Camera. There may be some settings that are causing the image issues but I have not figured it out yet.
Pros: Superior build quality, Bright LCD, Simple controls/menu, Nice features/settings, easy to use, Lightweight/Portable, good battery life
Cons: Poor image quality, noisy
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
3
Too Much Noise!
on November 2, 2009
Posted by: Anonymous
from Georgia
I love the features in the 7d, but am really disappointed with the high noise level
Pros: Superior build quality, Bright LCD, Simple controls/menu, Nice features/settings, Solid Operation
Cons: noisy
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
awesome
on October 30, 2009
Posted by: Davephotoperson
from Delafield, WI
This camera rocks. It makes your friends green with envy. Every feature about this camera is amazing, I can't leave it sitting for more than 5 minutes. I sleep with it under my pillow. Not really, that would be silly, I might break it. FYI the grinding sound that you hear when you are focusing/in video mode is the lens stabilizer. To fix this, turn it off.
Pros: Superior build quality, excellent image quality, Bright LCD, Nice features/settings, quiet, Quick Start-up time, Solid Operation, good battery life, awesomeness
Cons: grinding sound
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
Fantastic Euipment
on October 28, 2009
Posted by: Oldsalt
from Glen Allen, VA
The camera's quality is apparent when it's taken out of the wrapping. Controls/knobs feel solid. Fit & finish are precise. The camera feels balanced when shooting. Easy, self explained, Menu settings. View finder is bright with all camera functions clearly visible. Grid overlay allows for very quick looks at composition and alignment without interfering with subject view. The LCD provides a clear, clean and precise image for quickly determining focus. The new auto-focus system and it's settings provide great flexibility to meet the demands of a variety of different shooting conditions.
Outstanding Photographic tool!
Outstanding Photographic tool!
Pros: Superior build quality, excellent image quality, Bright LCD, Simple controls/menu, Nice features/settings, quiet, Quick Start-up time, Solid Operation, easy to use
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
First impressions
on October 28, 2009
Posted by: AMfoto1
from San Jose, California
I've had a 7D for about a week now, used it a bit as practice and shot two events with it over the weekend: 1500+ images to date.
Finally! It's about time that Canon produced a pro-oriented 1.6X camera! The 7D is several years overdue and shows what Canon can do when they put their minds to it.
There's a lot to like about the camera. I'll ding it in a few ways later, but let me state up front that it's a solid tool I'm going to enjoy using, with a great feature set and high quality. Perfect? No. Just very good, especially at this price point.
I've used EOS-3, EOS-1V, A2, Elan 7E, 10D, 30D, 50D, 1D MkIIN, 1Ds MkII and 5D MkII. I've also shot with a variety of other manufacturers' cameras over the past 30 years.
I like the solidity of the 7D. It feels rugged, a little more-so than the 50D or even the 5D MkII. It's also heavier than the 50D, slightly heavier even than the 5D2, which will mean my right arm will be aching more at the end of a long day of shooting. I'm using the BG-E7 on it (and have used grips, power boosters, winders or motor drives on all my cameras for many years). I do not use the Canon strap. I was having neck and back problems so switched to Op/Tech (or UpStrap) and have seen marked improvements.
The Auto Focus system of the 7D is the most noticeable upgrade. 19 points compared to 9 in the 50D and 5D2 (5D2 has those hidden assist/expansion points though, which I use). It's highly customizable, but I haven't really delved into that yet. So far I have just been using the center point with expansion/assist. I am sure I'll use several of the AF configurations over time, as needed.
Shooting a lot of sports/events, I tend to use AI Servo 90% of the time or more. Especially with a crop sensor camera. This works well in the 7D, with one ommission. There's often no indication that AF is working! If the lens is racked well out of focus, sure you can see it function. But if it's close to within focus, or you are using a wide lens with a lot of depth of field, you can't really see any change as the camera focuses. The 50Ds and 5D2 I'm also using all briefly blink the active AF point(s) red and that reassures me focus is working.
Now, I understand why the 7D doesn't do this, too. The overlay that projects the various AF configurations and the "grid(s) on demand" make it impossible to blink individual AF points in the manner the earlier cameras did. What it means in use is that you have to really, reallly trust that the camera is doing what it's supposed to do and that the AF system hasn't failed for some reason!
Now here's where it gets a little weirder. If you have accidentally turned off AF on the lens, you will get a warning flash of red in the viewfinder, when using AI Servo. This flash is identical to the confirmation of focus lock, when in One Shot. So, in one AF mode the flash of red a warning of failure, in the other it's a confirmation of success (the latter can be disabled, leaving just the green LED and "beep" as confirmation). Be careful!
Especially with one of the grids-on-demand enabled, the flash of red One Shot confirmation (if enabled) lights everything up. It's a bit of fireworks show in the viewfinder when shooting in low light situatons. It's fine when shooting in brighter conditions. I'll be disabling it and just rely upon the green LED and "beep".
It would be nice if the green LED would flash momentarily when AI Servo starts. That would be enough to let one know AF has come to life.
The shutter button on the 7D is a hair trigger! It has very little movement to the half-press position, compared to 50D and 5D2. I got more than a few accidental shots first couple times out with it. I'll get used to it.
The 7D is quieter in action than the 50D and 5D2. That can sometimes be important, I shoot around a lot of animals that might be startled by a noisy camera.
I think the 7D gives me about one more stop of high ISO usability. In other words, where I might try to avoid using 30D at ISO 1600, but would use my 50Ds at that ISO, I think ISO 3200 is at least as usable on the 7D. Part of it is noise handling, but I shoot RAW most of the time and will have to see how well images clean up in various softwares ( mostly CS4, Lightroom2.5, and Canon DPP).
It's not so much that there is less noise, but that the chroma noise that's generated in higher ISO images appears "nicer" than in 50D. I think it might be more random, so less objectionable. I can state that 5D2 (which I was using alongside the 7D at both events last weekend) offers even lower noise at high ISOs and still produces more fine detail. No surprise, really. It's a bit unfair to compare a 1.6X sensor with a FF.
Err on the side of slight over-exposure to keep high ISO noise to a minimum... +1/3 to +2/3 is safe. Again, no surprise, nothing new here. Underexposure increases high ISO noise in any camera, the 7D is no exception.
The 7D has more buttons than the 5D2, but placement is the same and so the two work well alongside each other. It's also great that they share batteries.
The additional controls on the 7D (as compared to the 5D2) are related to quick access to the AF configurations, using video and Live View, and quick access to other camera setup. As mentioned, some are reassignable.
I do wish for several things the 7D doesn't include: The mode dial has slightly stronger detents (and no Picture Styles on it... Hooray!) that help, but it's still too easy to accidentally change when shooting fast and furious, switching cameras and such. I wish that there were a locking button in the middle of the dial, that needed to be pressed before the mode could be changes. That would be great.
I don't really need a button dedicated to Direct Print or switching from RAW to JPEG. I'd much rather have a mirror lockup button. I'd also love to have an instant switch from single shot to 8 fps mode via a big old button, sort of like the Motor Drive MA had back in the days of the Canon A-1/AE-1P (early 1980s).
19 AF points is plenty! It's great they are all the more sensitive cross-type, too. The AF zones appear interesting, but I really haven't given them a workout yet. Precision AF points are also interesting, I'll try it the next time I"m shooting macro (which I usually just do with manual focus). One thing I miss is linking spot metering to the active AF point (EOS-3 and 1 Series cameras).
An articulated LCD screen would be very useful with Live View, and probably in video mode as well.
I didn't need video at all. I shoot stills. I know, the market demands it. Oh well.
I didn't need the built-in flash. Never use them on any camera. Yeah, I know the 7D provides wireless control of off-camera flashes with it. More market demands. I'm happy using an ST-E2.
Overall, there's a lot to like about this camera. It will be popular I'm sure. I can still see a strong need for a 50D in the line-up and predict that the 7D won't replace it, although it might erode some of the 50D's sales. (Better they upgrade to another Canon than jump to another manufacturer, eh?)
Pros: Superior build quality, excellent image quality, Bright LCD, Nice features/settings, quiet, Quick Start-up time, Solid Operation, good battery life, superior af speed & precision, excellent metering, finer spot meter than most (2.3%), higher rated shutter/durability, additional weather/dust sealing, big bright viewfinder (best on an aps-c), very happy it's a pro-quality 1.6x camera!, more assignable controls, grid-on-demand very cool!, built-in level nice!
Cons: Heavy/Bulky, still no mlu button, does anyone actually use direct print?, mode dial is easily bumped, no af indication in ai servo, don't need a built-in flash or wireless, don't need video, would be ideal if the lcd were articulated
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com