Canon announces EOS 7D ***Official Discussion thread***

CT or EdBray, can the 7D do wireless high speed sync with AI Servo?
 
Well that is a problem I know, but hopefully, the new colour based metering system in the 7D should be a lot better.

This is probably a fairer test...

The left shot was taken under ambient artifical room light with the wb set to 2500 degs Kelvin.

The right shot was taken in the same light using AWB and the pop up flash.

3977050049_16d5d5c905_o.jpg


Apart from the flash shot looking a little brighter, which is normally the whole idea, I'm not seeing any nasty colour shifts, and the shots look faithful to the actual box colour, so it looks promising, although you'd need a variety of different hues in the pic to come to any firm conclusions I think.

I see there is a very slight shift towards an orangy shade of red but not as bad as I have seen...

TBH, even when this technology finds it way into the next 1D series I won't be able to afford them soon anyway...:bang::D...and if there is still that orangy shift in the reds I should maybe still get a Nikon:eek:

A mate of mine shoots a D80 and he gets the most superb ACCURATE colours straight off the camera...with or without flash and with any imaginable array of flashes...puts my 1Ds II to shame in that department...then I remind him of the noisy sensor on his Nikon...:lol::D

Really hoped this 7D would bring better colour rendition with all the other good improvements.

Thanks for all your trouble CT:thumbs::thumbs:
 
I am still learning the DSLR. I got the 7D from Digital Depot and gave it a run this weekend at Oulton Park. I am impressed with the auto focus system but felt the auto iso sytem was not as good till I found out some of the other photographers where at a higher iso setting. here is a shot I am impressed with even with my shaky hands

IMG_0261.jpg


and a crop
IMG_0261-2.jpg


and if you want to see some of the other pics from the day heres the thread
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=169600

Exif IFD0

* Camera Make = Canon
* Camera Model = Canon EOS 7D
* Last Modified Date/Time = 2009:10:04 06:33:35

Exif Sub IFD

* Exposure Time (1 / Shutter Speed) = 1/500 second ===> 0.002 second
* Lens F-Number / F-Stop = 5/1 ===> ƒ/5
* Exposure Program = shutter priority (4)
* ISO Speed Ratings = 500
* Exif Version = 0221
* Original Date/Time = 2009:10:03 09:10:42
* Digitization Date/Time = 2009:10:03 09:10:42
* Shutter Speed Value (APEX) = 8965784/1000000
Shutter Speed (Exposure Time) = 1/500 second
* Aperture Value (APEX) = 4643856/1000000
Aperture = ƒ/5
* Exposure Bias (EV) = 0/1 ===> 0
* Max Aperture Value (APEX) = 4625/1000 ===> 4.63
Max Aperture = ƒ/4.97
* Metering Mode = center weighted average (2)
* Focal Length = 180/1 mm ===> 180 mm
* Original Subsecond Time = 48
* Digitized Subsecond Time = 48
* Custom Rendered = normal process (0)
* Exposure Mode = auto exposure (0)
* White Balance = auto (0)
* Scene Capture Type = standard (0)
 
18 mp.....thats a lot of pixels in an APS sensor...interesting to see how it performs at high ISO.
 
18 mp.....thats a lot of pixels in an APS sensor...interesting to see how it performs at high ISO.

Looks better than previous APS-C cameras but from a few posts around, it looks like it's maybe about a stop worse than the 5D MkII (although not much in it)! For my shooting it's a tough decision but I do like the 7D - better AF, new exposure system and flash commander are just a few things I'd like to try out.
 
Well, I couldn't resist it any longer and order one from Digital Depot (thanks guys) and it arrived on Saturday.

I didn't get chance to try it out much over the weekend but so far it looks like quite a big jump from my 50D!
 
CT or EdBray, can the 7D do wireless high speed sync with AI Servo?

Thought I'd just quickly try this out for you and it appears that you can't get wireless HSS at all (the built in flash doesn't do HSS, wireless or not) no matter which AF mode you are in.
 
@EdBray - I have to say I'd be really disappointed with those motorway bridge shots - they look very soft indeed and way below par for what I'd expect. Perhaps its the lens/extender combo which is causing the blurriness.

Anyone got a comparison with a 1DIII at all? I'm quite interested in a 7D is a 2nd body but it would need to match the 1DIII for shooting under floodlights.
 
CT or EdBray, can the 7D do wireless high speed sync with AI Servo?

Thought I'd just quickly try this out for you and it appears that you can't get wireless HSS at all (the built in flash doesn't do HSS, wireless or not) no matter which AF mode you are in.

HHS is a flash function rather than a camera function, ie you obviosuly can't do it without an HSS enabled gun.

But regardless of whether the on-board flash does HSS, if it is a master controller which I believe it is, it must be sending out master control data for other functions with remote units, so why not HHS commands?

My 580EX will control a second gun in this way, even when its own main flash is disabled. You don't even have to switch the second gun to HSS as it picks up this information from the master flash and switches itself over to HSS mode.
 
HHS is a flash function rather than a camera function, ie you obviosuly can't do it without an HSS enabled gun.

Indeed. I can't see anywhere to enable in for the built in flash, hence my comment that it isn't available. Obviously the 580EXII I was using can operate in HSS mode if you tell it to, either with it's own controls, via a wireless signal or via the camera menu on certain cameras.

But regardless of whether the on-board flash does HSS, if it is a master controller which I believe it is, it must be sending out master control data for other functions with remote units, so why not HHS commands?

A very good question! There is quite a comprehensive menu of settings for wireless flash. The menus for the built in and external (external in this case means on the hot shoe, not wireless) flashes are the same but with some options greyed out in one or the other.

With the wireless mode off, you have;

1st and 2nd Curtain options on the built in
1st Curtain, 2nd Curtain and High-Speed on the external

With wireless enabled, you have;

1st Curtain on the built in
1st Curtain and High-Speed on the external

Sadly this means that you can't do HSS or 2nd Curtain using the built in as the master but you can't do 2nd Curtain using a 580EXII as the master either.

In this instance I would be delighted to be proved wrong if anyone knows anything different than that! :geek::shrug:
 
In this instance I would be delighted to be proved wrong if anyone knows anything different than that! :geek::shrug:

Thanks for that Jon. Sorry I can't prove you wrong but if indeed you cannot do remote HSS using the 7D as master it seems to me to be an unnecessary oversight by Canon.

Not that it will worry to many peeps, but surely worthwhile if only as a 'marketing' feature. Can Nikon cameras do this remotely?

The other trick is to be able to do remote second curtain sync which as you say Canon can't do. I'm told Nikon can do it with their i-TTL, allegedly because of the way they use the central firing pin in their system whereas Canon are different.

TBH I don't think Nikon can do it either, I'm thinking that this is probably simply because of the difficultly of getting the timing dead right with different shutter speeds on a wide range of cameras, ie just too much work for a specialist feature that most folks would rarely miss. But it would be nice to get one over the Dark Side now and then ;)

Can the new Pocket Wizards do remote second curtain sync? They do some things that the Canon system cannot, and I can see that they have an advantage in being able to send an invisible radio command while the shutter is open.
 
Has anyone tried using their 7D yet with the 100-400L plus the Canon 1.4x converter?

I use this combination a lot with my 1 series which works fine and would be interested to know if it works on the 7D as well.
 
It works manually the 7D has the same limit as any other 1.6 crop sensor camera. The auto focus system stops working around F5.6 (if wrong please correct me). My photo in my last post in this thread where taken with a 100-400 in poor light. Taken some with the 1.4 converter fitted but there where not worth showing due to weather haze.

Heres the best looking one from the half dozen go's. Pic taken from by Nant-y-garth pass looking over to Ruthin.

IMG_0135.jpg
 
It works manually the 7D has the same limit as any other 1.6 crop sensor camera. The auto focus system stops working around F5.6 (if wrong please correct me). My photo in my last post in this thread where taken with a 100-400 in poor light. Taken some with the 1.4 converter fitted but there where not worth showing due to weather haze.

I think that's right, the system switches out at f/5.6.

However, I wonder if the taping pins trick might work given the apparent sophistication of the 7D's AF. With my 40D and 100-400L, this trick doesn't work and the AF is simply thrown into confusion when the f/number reaches about f/6.3 max. But on my 350D, it works much better even at f/8. Not perfectly, not by a long shot, but maybe just usable. Other people have had similar experience with a xxD and xxxD cameras. Maybe this new xD is better?

Taping pins pic here http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1029&message=16094506
 
I have tried the 100-400L with the tamron 1.4x TC
This TC does not tell the camera it is there.
With the 400d, the system can autofocus OK.
With the 7d, it was difficult to get it to autofocus.
These were no under the same conditions, with the 7d, it was very dark so that probably didn't help.
 
I guess one way to try is just to take my lenses and try it out in a shop. I probably wouldnt need to use the converter all the time with the 7 but if i'm shooting aircraft or other distance subjects it would get a lot of use.
 
On my 7D my Tokina 300 f2.8 autofocuses fine with both the 2x and 1.4x stacked, they are both Teleplus Pro 300 DG converters though. Gives a 840mm f8, AOV on FF of a 1344mm lens @ f8. Need a tripod for that though, or a lot of light.

In fact I was really surprised how quick the AF was on the 7D with the lens and stacked converters, I reckon it was about as quick as the 300mm alone on the 5DMk2.
 
I have tried the 100-400L with the tamron 1.4x TC
This TC does not tell the camera it is there.
With the 400d, the system can autofocus OK.
With the 7d, it was difficult to get it to autofocus.
These were no under the same conditions, with the 7d, it was very dark so that probably didn't help.

Thanks CP, but your findings don't appear to correlate with EB :thinking:

On my 7D my Tokina 300 f2.8 autofocuses fine with both the 2x and 1.4x stacked, they are both Teleplus Pro 300 DG converters though. Gives a 840mm f8, AOV on FF of a 1344mm lens @ f8. Need a tripod for that though, or a lot of light.

In fact I was really surprised how quick the AF was on the 7D with the lens and stacked converters, I reckon it was about as quick as the 300mm alone on the 5DMk2.

Did you tape the pins to get it to do that Ed?
 
They are different lenses and will have different characteristics.
The specification is that they will not work. Canon wants us to get 1D systems.
It could be that I didn't have enough light to perform the test significantly. It has been really really dire here recently as far as light goes (must be worse for the poor SOBs in scotland)
The 100-400L is 5.6 at its longest end, which is where I was testing it (if you have a long lens, with a TC, then there is a reason for it I reckon).
Next week, I should hopefully get to test the 100-400 in some very good light.
 
Its interesting to hear about some of your experiences. That particular combination is one I use a lot so I think i'll try first before buying. It could be the difference between buying a new 7D or a saving a bit more and buying a second hand 1D MKIII
 
Thanks CP, but your findings don't appear to correlate with EB :thinking:

My fault i'm afraid, for some reason I had thought that it was a 2x converter on a 70-200 f2.8 giving f5.6. I humbly apologise for misleading anyone.

Did you tape the pins to get it to do that Ed?

No, no pin taping, in fact I showed Snapper73 the 300 f2.8 with both converters stacked on my 5DMk2 (hadn't received the 7D at that time) and he can confirm that it worked and no pins were taped.

As I understand it, it depends on what combination of lenses and converters are used and some work great, others not at all and some with the pins taped (although I personally would not do that).
 
Originally Posted by HoppyUK
Thanks CP, but your findings don't appear to correlate with EB

My fault i'm afraid, for some reason I had thought that it was a 2x converter on a 70-200 f2.8 giving f5.6. I humbly apologise for misleading anyone.

Did you tape the pins to get it to do that Ed?

Did I say that? :suspect:

No, no pin taping, in fact I showed Snapper73 the 300 f2.8 with both converters stacked on my 5DMk2 (hadn't received the 7D at that time) and he can confirm that it worked and no pins were taped.

As I understand it, it depends on what combination of lenses and converters are used and some work great, others not at all and some with the pins taped (although I personally would not do that).

I'm confused. If the combo goes over f/5.6, without the communication pins taped (assuming it is a fully reporting TC) then the AF switches off. It doesn't work at all (at least on previous xxD cameras) :thinking:

I'm wondering if stacking two TCs switches out the reporting?
 
I found this Canon advice on the 7D AF system. Dunno if it helps at all.

CLICKY
 
I found this Canon advice on the 7D AF system. Dunno if it helps at all.

CLICKY

That's a really good link :thumbs: Doesn't say much about how it works with a TC, other than it stops at f/5.6, but a very clear explanation of the general AF system.

Canon sounds very confident about it being a bit special, and better than the 1-series cameras in some ways.
 
I don't believe 2xTC reports. It certainly doesn't with the Canon ones...

That is correct, as far as the camera is concerned there's only one TC. I tried my 300 2.8 with Kenko 2x and Sigma 1.4x TCs stacked. Same results as ED - AF worked, but did need some good contrast on the target.
 
I hear eveyone talking about how good the Viewfinder is.

I was looking at one and didnt notice a huge difference, although it didnt have a battery in it!

Does the VF get brighter when the camera is powered up?

I compared it side by side with my 1dmkii with the same 300/4 attached and it was much darker on 7d.

Seems to be an amazing tool. Im having to fight urges of flogging the 1d and the 40d to fund it lol. Would love the extra "reach" over the 1d and the ISO performance. MUST RESIST!!! :(
 
Does it? That's a bit misleading John, unless I'm missing something.:thinking:

Take the battery out and have a look, CT. Bizzarely it doesn't dim at all if you just power off (as apposed to removing the battery) which presumably means that something is drawing power even when it is supposedly switched off!? Hmmmm, odd. :suspect:
 
Take the battery out and have a look, CT. Bizzarely it doesn't dim at all if you just power off (as apposed to removing the battery) which presumably means that something is drawing power even when it is supposedly switched off!? Hmmmm, odd. :suspect:

Damn - you're right Jon. How strange! I think itmust be something to to with that projected screen overlay? :thinking:
 
Damn - you're right Jon. How strange! I think itmust be something to to with that projected screen overlay? :thinking:

That must be it - perhaps that LCD overlay needs a current applied to it in order to become completely transparent. Although, why they would want to keep it powered is a mystery to me! It would probably be good practice to remove the battery if your not using it for more than a couple of days.... I have a vague recollection that it says something like that in the manual!?
 
It would probably be good practice to remove the battery if your not using it for more than a couple of days.... I have a vague recollection that it says something like that in the manual!?

Yes it does- Page 25....

"If the battery is left in the camera for a prolonged period, a small amount of power current is released, resulting in excess discharge and shorter battery life. Store the battery with the protective cover attached".

Fair enough, but then it goes on to say....

"Storing the battery after it is charged can lower the battery's performance."

:shrug:
 
Yes it does- Page 27....

"If the battery is left in the camera for a prolonged period, a small amount of power current is released, resulting in excess discharge and shorter battery life. Store the battery with the protective cover attached".

Fair enough, but then it goes on to say....

"Storing the battery after it is charged can lower the battery's performance."

:shrug:

So, completely discharged the battery before you store it and then charge it just before you want to use it... that sounds practical... right. :thinking: :shrug:
 
:lol: Actually it's Page 25 (not 27)

Well it's a great viewfinder and there's obviously some completely new technology going on. I suppose we have to give Canon credit for knowing what they're doing.
 
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