Canon EOS 7D Owners Thread

tdodd said:
I did receive the VAT receipt and it had a VAT number which checks out.

Subsequent to placing my order the price dropped by £70 within a couple of days and they refunded the difference without quibble.
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Thats helpful to know. In effect, it removes the main concern from buying an import (ignoring the impact on re sale value).

Its only a few quid more than people are asking for Uk 2nd hand bodies with no warranty and anything between 15k - 30k clicks!

Thank you very much!
 
Thanks very much for that Tim :)

That's fairly clear then! And a crucial document in this whole grey importing debate!
 
bdigital said:
Thats helpful to know. In effect, it removes the main concern from buying an import (ignoring the impact on re sale value).

Its only a few quid more than people are asking for Uk 2nd hand bodies with no warranty and anything between 15k - 30k clicks!

Thank you very much!
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Even if it was to go wrong and the warranty was worthless, which I think is highly unikely, you're still £260 ahead on price against most UK suppliers, which would probably be enough to cover at least one repair if not more. To put it another way, would you buy a one year extended warranty on a £725 camera body if it cost you £260 to do so? That would be a a very expensive and short lived insurance policy in my view.

In any case you should still have the full weight of UK/EU consumer legislation/protection on your side, since HDEW is a UK company operating within these shores, and if you pay by credit card the protection that offers too.
 
tdodd said:
It's more than that though. Some people think that having a high resolution sensor (high pixel density) is a licence to crop heavily and, while you might get away with it for low ISO well exposed pictures, that luxury diminishes as the ISO goes up. But also for heavier cropping you need sharper images, so that means better shooting skills and better glass too - unless they were excellent to begin with.

So apart from good exposure technique you need to pick the right shutter speed for control of shake/blur, the right aperture to control DOF, lens IQ and diffraction and to make sure your AF is calibrated perfectly and that your focusing and general photography skills are all up to snuff. Cameras with low pixel densities conceal some of these blemishes, even when viewed at 100%, but the 7D and its like don't suffer fools so easily when pixel peeping.

There's also something more that comes out of all this. If you shoot sharp images to begin with then they won't need much more sharpening further down the line. And if you're not increasing sharpening much then you won't be exaggerating noise much either and you won't need in turn to apply a heavy dose of NR which will then rob the image of detail. But, shoot a soft image to begin with, with a bit of noise to boot and by the time you've fixed up one problem you'll only have made the other one worse as well. It's ever decreasing circles.

So good results is about more than just the camera. It's the lens, the light, the photography and the processing all pulling together to achieve the best results technically. And then you've got all that creative/artistic aspect to consider on top of that. The camera is just a tiny part of the overall equation. Sure there are some bad copies out there, just as there are bad lenses, bad photographers and bad light. Just make sure the blame for disappointment is laid at the appropriate door.
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Agree I went from a 40D to a 550D and 7D and struggled for a while to get sharp shots, I do seem to need a higher shutter speed and also have to expose to the right the 40D was more forgiving of my poor technique


tdodd said:
For my money it would be HDEW Cameras, who supplied my 5D3 last year.

http://www.hdewcameras.co.uk/canon-7d-digital-slr-camera-body-494-p.asp

I don't think it will be UK stock, but with a VAT invoice supplied (on request) the warranty should be honoured by Canon UK for the first year and then you get a further two years third party warranty after that.
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mine came from HDEW

tdodd said:
The "How noisy is your 7D?" thread over on FMForums....

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1143454/0

I quite like this comment from the fifth post....
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Ive read that some excellent tips on there


there are some wonderful landscapes posted on FM that have been taken with the 7D made me wonder if full frame cameras are really nessersary for landscapes?
 
tdodd said:
For my money it would be HDEW Cameras, who supplied my 5D3 last year.

http://www.hdewcameras.co.uk/canon-7d-digital-slr-camera-body-494-p.asp

I don't think it will be UK stock, but with a VAT invoice supplied (on request) the warranty should be honoured by Canon UK for the first year and then you get a further two years third party warranty after that.
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Even better, because they're trading as a UK company they're covered by UK consumer legislation. That means you're covered for five years for inherent faults.
 
Iam in a very similar situation. My 40d mirror box has just broken suddenly :( iam considering a 7d atm as I think a new mirror box and to fix a stiky shutter will be around £200, so it's probably better to put that towards a new body.

Panamoz have the 7d for £655. And 5% if BT! That's crazy! They are nearly a grand over here! Does anyone know if the warranty would be honoured as said about as Panamoz have UK offices etc?
 
Im started to wonder whether to go 7D or 1D mkiii 2nd hand..... I feel a thread coming on!
 
I've had my 7D for a couple of weeks now and used it 3 times but feel I'm not getting the most out of it.

Really need to go through the manual properly to understand the AF settings properly but always find manuals hard to read.

Any AF tips or links to help me out?
 
Is the 7d good for people photography, I take a lot of portraits. Also any news on its replacement?
 
artyman said:
Yes and no idea
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Ok thanks, do you shoot people yourself? Any experiences with flash with it?

Just to confirm all of the lens that I use with my 40D will fit wouldnt they? Both cameras are crop.
 
Just got a 7D, and love it, come from a 600D... :clap:
Just need to get some better lens's now...
 
Quite tempted by the price at HDEW actually. I've been mulling over waiting and buying a 6D or D600 as I know full frame would be outstanding for landscapes and I'm hoping to try out some people/portrait togging this year but the 7D price is very good and I know for Motorsport would be the business.
 
Custom function IV-1 I believe

Should let you pick the focus point by moving the joystick and press it to select the middle one
 
Not sure Chris would have to be my answer

I use the back button to focus with the central point rather than selecting different ones, but the 7D is supposed to be much better with the outer points than many other cameras. There is also an expansion feature that if the central point won't focus it picks one of nineteen surrounding ones that will

You can also use a super duper spot central point, tried it a couple of times, but it's very hard to be accurate hand held or at least I thought it was

When you go to that custom function IV-I there is a page of options so best to consult the manual page 217 onwards to get more information

Cheers
Rich
 
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Original Poster said:
Thanks Rich, is that the best way to get focus on non moving subjects?
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Whether the subject is moving or not I will generally pick a focus point which suits my compositional requirements. Sometimes I will go with centre point and focus/recompose, but it depends really on how much time I have to set things up as I would like. For moving subjects focus/recompose isn't really an option, so picking the best point for the job makes sense.

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I will switch between all AF patterns as required, but very rarely use all points at once. Spot, single, expansion and zone all have their uses, but generally I use the fewest number of active points necessary to be able to track my subject.
 
I've had my 7D for 2 years now and it has been brilliant and I love it.

The best and most intuitive digital Canon I've owned.

This morning during a shoot with a fully charged battery and a clean memory card it just shut down saying "Err 30 - turn off, remove battery, turn back on"

I did this - nothing. I tried 2 other brand new and fully charged batteries - "Err 30" again.

I do have a 5D to use but losing the use of my 7D has hit me hard.

I've just got home and tried it again - "ERR 30".

The battery is fully charged yet the lcd display is showing an empty battery reading.

Any help, suggestions, experiences or advice would be very much appreciated.

This morning it took a couple of shots - then shut down totally.
 
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I had to have my 7D shutter replaced, and the mirror box assembly, about a year ago. The fault was caused by a sheared screw somewhere within the innards. Here are the Canon Elstree repair details for mine. Unfortunately the forum has reduced all the spaces between columns so the formatting is all skewed, but easy enough to read...

Dear Customer,
We wish to confirm receipt of the devices listed below.
The following repairs and spare parts are necessary
because of the located defects.
To make payment over the phone or if you have any further
inquiries please contact us on 020 8731 4132.
Pos Item Serial no. Price Total GBP
001 EOS 7D BODY GB xxxxxxxxxxx 170,04
Cleaning: Body(parts)
Adjustment: Shutter(parts)
Replacement: Shutter(parts)
Replacement: Finder system/LCD
Adjustment: AF-System
Inspection 60,00
MIRROR BOX ASS'Y
SHUTTER ASS'Y 110,04
Accessory . . : BODY CAP/EYE CUP/NO BATT/NO CARD
ESTIMATE:Mirror box screw thread has been stripped
Dismantle to replace shutter unit and mirror box.
Set up clean and test all functions.
=================================================
999 dispatch costs 5,00
Net total . : 175,04 VAT: 20,00 %: 35,00 Total : 210,04 GBP
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I spoke to them before authorising the repair and knocked them down a bit to arrive at the figure above. It was supposed to cost a further £60 for labour, but they agreed to halve the labour cost. What lovely people. :thumbs:

Of course your problem might be different and the cost might not be the same, but there's a reference by which to judge any quote you receive.

p.s. I bought the camera from Jessops and did initially take it to them for a repair quote and they wanted £320 or so, making Canon's initial quote of £270 seem quite reasonable and the final price paid even better.
 
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rhody said:
Very many thanks Tim - much appreciated.

Looks like it could be expensive then........................ no warranty left :(
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How old is it and where did you buy it from? If its the same problem as Tim's then you may be able to persuade the retailer that it's an inherent fault and that they are responsible for the repair costs. On something that costs so much money a screw shouldn't shear after just two years.
 
Mine was almost certainly not a manufacturing defect. My camera fell from the dining room table onto the carpeted floor with a lens attached and, while it continued working without any fault for many months, one day it just packed up. I had forgotten the fall initially and planned to go guns blazing on the consumer rights bandwagon, until Canon came back with the diagnosis of "impact damage". Since it was already over two years old and I was reminded of the fall there was no point getting on my high horse. I suppose I could have put it through insurance, but I just paid up. It's been fine ever since after almost a full year.

p.s. the reason it fell is because it was in a camera rucksack that I had failed to do up. I put the bag on the table and a while later the camera took a dive. Just adding that as a friendly reminder to others not to do anything so stupid.
 
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Many thanks Tim - super information

Thanks for the comments Frank - it was UK supplied over 2 years ago.
It has been brilliant - except for this morning in the snow and ice. I did think it might be the cold - but all 3 batteries failed to bring it back to life.

I'll be in touch with Canon Elstree in the morning - thanks again
 
rhody said:
Many thanks Tim - super information

Thanks for the comments Frank - it was UK supplied over 2 years ago.
It has been brilliant - except for this morning in the snow and ice. I did think it might be the cold - but all 3 batteries failed to bring it back to life.

I'll be in touch with Canon Elstree in the morning - thanks again
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Where are you based Rhody?
 
jimmy83 said:
Where are you based Rhody?
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Hi Jimmy - I live within a stones throw of South Downs College / Waterlooville and Havant but travel around Hampshire with the only thing that keeps me from being with my camera all day - work!

I've read that some people "allegedly" cured this "Err 30" fault by striking the camera sharply - however, I'm not brave enough to treat mine like that - Canon seem a far better bet to get me back on the road.

It did briefly come back to life for 2 shots last night but then it locked up again with "Err 30".

Strangely, the RAW files wrote to the memory card but not the small jpeg files - how curious?
 
rhody said:
Hi Jimmy - I live within a stones throw of South Downs College / Waterlooville and Havant but travel around Hampshire with the only thing that keeps me from being with my camera all day - work!

I've read that some people "allegedly" cured this "Err 30" fault by striking the camera sharply - however, I'm not brave enough to treat mine like that - Canon seem a far better bet to get me back on the road.

It did briefly come back to life for 2 shots last night but then it locked up again with "Err 30".

Strangely, the RAW files wrote to the memory card but not the small jpeg files - how curious?
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haha, noway! Iam in Leigh Park! Maybe we could hook up! See this thread,

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=461151

Basically my 40D developed a fault on Sunday-and I took it to be fixed too camerareapirdirect.com very happy with the service from them so far. Cheapest and quickest turnaround I found. They might be worth an email :)
 
Hi James - many thanks for the info and link. I've just had a quick word with them and they think it could be the shutter box - circa £280 to put right.

That's a surprisingly big bill for a 2 year old DSLR with only amateur use and from a loving, non-abusive home.

Especially when so many other people are reporting the same fault.

I might have word with Canon now because it could be a design defect or manufacturing issue.

It does not seem right to have to fork out this sort of money on a 2 year old camera. :bang:
 
rhody said:
Hi James - many thanks for the info and link. I've just had a quick word with them and they think it could be the shutter box - circa £280 to put right.

That's a surprisingly big bill for a 2 year old DSLR with only amateur use and from a loving, non-abusive home.

Especially when so many other people are reporting the same fault.

I might have word with Canon now because it could be a design defect or manufacturing issue.

It does not seem right to have to fork out this sort of money on a 2 year old camera. :bang:
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Ah cool, are you going to send it to them for a fix. I think you are getting confused my camera is the 40D which is 6 years old, but yes your right it does look like a common fault with mine.

So it sounds like your 7D and my 40D suffer the same problem :eek:
 
With Digital Rev offering a brand new 7D for £699 in our forums - I might just turn play safe and go with a new one.

Must speak to SWMBO tonight and be prepared to grovel.........
 
rhody said:
With Digital Rev offering a brand new 7D for £699 in our forums - I might just turn play safe and go with a new one.

Must speak to SWMBO tonight and be prepared to grovel.........
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Hmmm, you sound like your situation is like mine. In that its not really worth the repair costs.

Sorry to hear about your 7D how old is it? Maybe Digital Rev could cut us a deal, for buying two between us :D
 
Hi James - my thoughts exactly.

If it is my shutter that has died and / or the motherboard that needs replacing as others have found with exactly the same "Err 30" code - I'm looking at over £400 which is a frightening bill on a 26 month old top end DSLR with a low shutter count.

All of a sudden the Digital Rev deal looks good. Brand new with a one year warranty for £700 or a complete overhaul of a 26 month old camera for £400-ish.

Anyone want a 7D for spares? (This is a joke - not an offer which should be in the Classifieds by the way just in case there is any misunderstanding)

There do seem to be an awful lot of 7D owners with this problem "Err 30" code and final solutions appear to be centered around the shutter / motherboard or loose or sheared screws.

Is this the 7D's Achilles heel?
 
jimmy83 said:
Maybe Digital Rev could cut us a deal, for buying two between us :D
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hi James - the Digital Rev price includes delivery and VAT - it's £699 fully inclusive - so it is a very good deal.

The offer is "ending soon" according to Julia of DigRev so don't think too long if you are tempted.
 
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