The Streak Continues: 290
I was excused early from jury duty yesterday. Then it was back to work. I woke before 4am, did 45 minutes of meditation, and then got to work on this blog post. This post, published at about 6:45am, took me about 1 3/4 hours to prepare and makes 290 in a row.
As always, I would appreciate your using the BIRDS AS ART B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases, using our Amazon logo-link for all of your household purchases, and visiting the BAA Online Store for your tripod, tripod head, LensCoat, miscellaneous, accessories, and eGuide purchases as well. Please remember, web orders only. 🙂
Thanks a stack to all who pre-ordered there EOS 7D Mark II bodies using a BAA affiliate link. See lots more below.
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The Canon EOS-7D Mark II/EOS-7D Specifications Comparison Chart |
The 7D II/7D Specs Comparison
What Jumps Out At Me?
First off, let’s not forget that the 7D II is a 1.6 crop factor camera that increases the effective focal length of you lens by 60%….
Is it likely that the Dual Digic 6 processors will yield higher quality images with less noise at the higher ISOs? Probably. To know for sure we need to get our hands on a 7D II, get out, create some images, and see how they look on a good monitor. To that end B&H ordered a loaner for me so I should have my hands on one of the first 7D II bodies. Today, I will try to arrange to borrow one from Canon for testing soon but success there for whatever ridiculous reasons is not likely. Some folks including me were not huge fans of the original 7D’s tiny pixels, especially at the higher ISOs and in cloudy or overcast conditions. That said, some folks, like BPN Avian Forum Moderator Dan Cadieux have done just fine with the 7D. If you are a non-believer, click here.
The addition of an SD card slot should make some folks happy. I never use them in fear of losing the tiny SD cards….
The top continuous shooting (frame) rate of 10 fps should make all bird and wildlife photographers happy. Be sure to read the fine print when it becomes available as the maximum frame rate often drops considerably when you go from One-Shot or Manual focus to AI Servo AF.
The new metering system sounds impressive but getting the right exposure will always be more about the photographer’s understanding of exposure theory and their camera’s metering system than about the camera’s metering system….
The expanded ISO Sensitivity (expandable to ISO 25,600 and ISO 51,200) is not likely to be of interest to most nature photographers.
The improved autofocus system sounds great but as always, the proof will be in the pudding. But the My T Fine Pudding is not yet on the shelves.
The improved low light AF sensitivity sounds great as well.
It’s been so long since I have used a 7D that I had forgotten that it has a Built-in Flash. That feature has been continued in the 7D II. I always enjoyed having a pop up flash available for both indoor shooting and for a very few nature photography applications.
I am not qualified to comment on the improvements in the movie capabilities of the new camera but they too sound exciting.
AF at f/8
Thanks to Nick and Geoff who left comments with links on the first 7D II blog post that indicate that the 7D II will AF to f/8. I followed the Canon Europe link and found this:
AF System/ Points: 65 cross-type AF points (Centre point is an extra sensitive dual-cross-type point at f/2.8, cross-type at f/8, and sensitive to -3EV).
This is a huge plus as folks will be able to AF with f/5.6 lenses and a 1.4X TC and will be able to AF with f/4 lenses and a 2X TC…. This is so huge that I will try to confirm it with Canon USA’s top technical representative Chuck Westfall today.
More Neat Stuff
A built-in intervalometer permits the creation of time-lapse imagery and supports recording 1-99 consecutive frames in pre-selected intervals. This sounds like a great feature that will make it easy for folks to experiment with time-lapse photography.
Your Call
If you feel that I missed something important, or if you have any questions on the comparative specifications chart, please leave a comment.
The info that follows was adapted from yesterday afternoon’s emergency blog post.
The Canon EOS-7D Mark II
I know that many of you who use a Canon 1.6 crop factor camera have been waiting too long for the rumored replacement for the EOS-7D. The Canon EOS 7D Mark II DSLR camera (body only) is now available for pre-order. If you are good to go, please use our B&H affiliate logo-link above to place your order. The sooner you order the sooner you will have your new camera in your hands. Right now I believe that they are looking at some time in November 2014. When this body hits the stores it is likely that it will be one of the hottest tickets ever; remember that some folks waited as long as six months to get their hands on a Series II super-telephoto lens or a 1D X…. If you order now and shoot me your B&H receipt via e-mail I will do my very best to have your order expedited.
Most will surely want to add the new Canon EOS 7D Mark II DSLR Camera (Body Only). To order yours simply continue shopping after ordering your 7D Mark II and do a search for “Canon BG-E16 Battery Grip for the EOS 7D Mark II.” It will pop right up.
There will be lots more on the 7D Mark II and on the new Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM Lens as well on the blog in the very near future.
7D Mark II Video
You can see an exclusive 7D Mark II B&H video by clicking here.
Big Time Thanks/Only Two?
Big time thanks to Doug Schurman and Scott Mobley who each ordered two Canon EOS 7D Mark II bodies within minutes of seeing this blog notice. Each sent me their B&H receipts via e-mail; I will do my best to have their orders expedited when the shipments start arriving but as they will be on the top of the list they will likely not need my help. Scott also ordered two of the new battery grips and four of the new batteries, the Canon LP-E6N Lithium-Ion Battery Packs for EOS 7D Mark II.
Much appreciated guys!
This Just In!
Huge thanks to the following BAA Friends who pre-ordered their 7D IIs using our link and sent me their B&&H receipts so that I can follow up if need be:
David Policansky, Kirk Stitt, Bruce Finocchio, Walt Thomas, Bill Griswold, Steve Zarate, Ted Keltz, and Pam Higginbotham. Their support of my efforts here on the blog and elsewhere is greatly appreciated.
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Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂
Does the 7D11 use the same battery as the 7d ?
I clicked B&H on your web site and bought the Canon 300mmm 2.8 lens and 2x extender. I hope you got credit.
Hi Larrry
Thanks a stack for using our link 🙂 It is greatly appreciated. Please send me your B&H receipt for the 300 II via e-mail so that I can check on them. Tanks for that.
As for the 7D II battery, you missed this item below in a recent blog post. Best to subscribe.
Shedding Some Light on 7D II Battery Misconceptions
After reading that the 7D II battery life would be approximately 800 images at 73°F while the 7D battery life would be approximately 1000 images at 73°F, I assumed that the 7D II’s new battery was not as powerful as the old battery in the 7D. So I wrote Rudy Winston as follows:
Hey Again Rudy, Do you have any clues as to why the new 7D II battery is less powerful than the older battery in the 7D? thanks, artie
Rudy kindly replied via e-mail:
Hi Artie,
Actually, the new and very slightly modified LP-E6N battery that launches with the EOS 7D Mark II is marginally more powerful than the LP-E6 battery that we’ve known up to now. It’s rated at 3.5% higher mAh rating — 1865 mAh vs. 1800 for the current LP-E6. The charger (the LC-E6), is the same for both batteries; use it with either the new or the current battery.
LP-E6N and LP-E6 are absolutely, unconditionally backward- and forward-compatible… users who have a number of the older batteries can use them freely in the new EOS 7D Mark II, and likewise the new LP-E6N can be freely used in an EOS 5D Mark II/Mark III, 70D, the original 7D, or any other LP-E6-compatible EOS body. There has, however, been a lot of unfounded speculation and misinformation on-line about this with people freaking-out that they’ll have to get all-new batteries, etc. That is just not the case.
Here are the battery life ratings, according to Canon Inc. —
Original EOS 7D — 800 shots (with 50% using built-in flash; at 73 degrees F)
New EOS 7D Mark II — 670 shots (same conditions)
Though there is no official word or explanation, it is clear that the higher resolution, higher-capacity processors and system overhead contribute to fewer potential shots on a single battery charge. FYI, the built-in flash has the same maximum power as the previous unit, although they’ve changed the official method of calculating Guide Number, so the GN appears to be slightly lower on the 7D Mark II than on the original 7D.
So to summarize, it’s not a less powerful battery at all, even though the rated number of possible shots has decreased a bit vs. the original EOS 7D.
Hope that this is helpful to you and to those who follow your blog. Rudy Winston, Canon USA
In you opinion, which camera would you advise – the 7D Mark II or a used 1D Mark III? I know this is a tough question since you have not field-tested the 7D, but just base your thoughts on its published specs. Video capabilities are not important to me.
You are right, tough question. But in all honesty I would go with the 7D II, especially since it AFs to f/8…. I may, the key word being may, be getting my hands on a loaner 7D II, most likely in October…. Wish me luck. artie
Thanks, Artie. I’ll watch for your review.
“ps: I need to find out also if the 7D II will offer some form of expand at f/8 or just the central sensor….”
Take a look at: http://www.brochures.canon-europe.com/getFile.php?productid=9090&languageid=-111
The center cross type AF sensor at f/8 does indeed have company in the form of 4 line type sensors directly adjacent to it which can be used in the AF point expanded mode…
Thanks Karl. That was confirmed by e-mail yesterday by Chuck Westfall, Advisor, Technical Information,
ITCG Prof Bus Strategy Plan Division, Canon U.S.A., Inc.
He wrote:
The 7D Mark II is the same as 1D X re:f/8 AF. Central point is fully supported for cross-type focusing, and focusing point expansion around the central point is also supported.
Art, do you think you will have the 7d mkII at the ft Desoto workshop?
Nope. It is not due till some time in NOV. artie
Great short review Guru. If it does really AF at f/8 with 1.4x extender on EF 5.6L, I’m gonna get it.
Looking forward to you in-depth review.
Best regards.
I mean your in-depth review.
Quazi, Thanks. It does AF with that combo. artie
Wanna see a 12,800 ISO photo taken with the 7D2? click here :
http://www.canonrumors.com/
real nice!!!
Saw the image. Is it after noise reduction or without it? If without; it certainly is great.
Go to :
http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/slr_cameras/eos_7d_mark_ii#Features
This is the official Canon USA web site and you will see that it will focus at f8 (with the central sensor I think), except for the 180 mm macro f3.5 (go figure why?!). More over, you will find there four different videos showing the new video capabilities of this camera : and WOW!
Do not forget the 65 autofocus points and the possibilities to choose the autofocus segments during shooting in video mode.
The proof will be in the pudding and I am anxious to see the test results on noise at high ISO as well as its speed on autofocus. I am wondering if I will use my 1DX as a secondary body regarding the 1.6 crop factor together with the possibility of focusing at f8. We’ll see. Still waiting for the pudding… 😉
Hi, Artie, and thanks. I agree with your take. The 7D2 can’t help but be less noisy than the 7D. Its sensor is more like that of the 70D than the old 7D, and the 70D is less noisy. And the 7D2 could even be a bit better than the 70D. As for the frame rate, my 7D doesn’t seem to slow down in AI Servo, so I’m guessing the 7D2 won’t, either. In any case, 8 fps has been pretty good. I do have a question, though, and that’s about the dual card slots. I’ve never had a camera with 2 of them before. How does one take advantage of them?
David
You can record your raw on the CF and the jpeg on the sd or vice versa I’d guess. Or you will be able to jump to the other one when the first one is full. Thus less message like : “card full” while shooting. Useful.
All true but whenever I see anyone using two slots in a camera they always wind up being very confused as in “I lost all of my images.” I have enough problems using 1 card. I use a Delkin 64gb 700X card or one of their 64gb 1000X cards in each camera and have never once filled a card despite visiting many of the best bird and wildlife photography locations on the planet on a regular basis….
I use 2 slots all the time, recording RAW on one and JPEG on the other as Yves suggested. I do a lot of sports photography and it’s really useful to have the in-camera processed JPEGS available to provide the client as is (because they are usually fine), while still having the RAW images in case I get something really good that I want to tweak a bit. I try to avoid weddings, but this same logic applies there also (and anywhere that you will have a large number of shots to go through). For nature photography I usually only use the RAW files.
Thanks for sharing Sean. If it works for you, great!
“AF at f/8”
Not being that technically proficient, I have to ask: Does this mean I could use a 1.4x TC with my 400mm 5.6 lens and still autofocus?
That is most correct…. artie
That IS huge …
Agree. Please remember to use our link for yours 🙂 artie
It would be very helpful Artie to know if the new features offered in the way of auto-focus require the use of the newer Canon telephoto lenses or if it will work just as well on some of the older lenses and converters.
Thanks
Hi Sandy, That is an excellent question; I will ask Chuck Westfall today. I am sure that the 7D II will focus better than the 7D on any lens. I am sure that the 7D II will AF just fine with the older EF lenses. And I am sure that it will AF faster and more accurately with the Series II super-telephotos than with the older lenses. Not because of anything to do with the camera, simply because the Series II lenses feature better AF….
BTW, congrats on your festival cover image. It is quite lovely. I look forward to seeing you at Bosque and look forward to learning how you created it.
I would love to use the image in a blog post. Is there any way that you could send me a 900 pixel tall JPEG of the image? later and love, artie
Canon USA web site say that it is supposed to focus in video mode (I guess) with more than 100 Ef lenses, for now. So the model I too. And it could also mean that this number might improve in the future. In their demos videos, they are using close to ten different lenses to prove it.
Here is the other link I mentioned yesterday. Click on the 3rd feature (65-point…) and at the bottom is a diagram that labels the centre point as f/8. http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/slr_cameras/eos_7d_mark_ii#Features
Thanks Geoff but when I click on that link I am not seeing any features and am not seeing anything to do with 65-Point 🙁
I think Canon finally made the camera that wildlife photographers have been asking for: 1.6x crop sensor, fast frame rate, and center point AF at f/8. I can’t wait to get my hands on one! 🙂
I agree Charles. Please remember to use our link.
600 + 1.4X TC + 7D II = 1344mm.
600 + 2X TC + 7D II = 1920mm
800 + 1.4X TC = 1792mm.
Art, rumors said 7dII would have f/8 autofocus. Is this officially confirmed and if so, How many sensors will be active? And thx for keeping us busy reading your blog 🙂
Hey Arne, I just updated today’s post as follows:
AF at f/8
Thanks to Nick and Geoff who left comments with links on the first 7D II blog post that indicate that the 7D II will AF to f/8. I followed the Canon Europe link and found this:
AF System/ Points: 65 cross-type AF points (Centre point is an extra sensitive dual-cross-type point at f/2.8, cross-type at f/8, and sensitive to -3EV).
This is a huge plus as folks will be able to AF with f/5.6 lenses and a 1.4X TC and will be able to AF with f/4 lenses and a 2X TC…. This is so huge that I will try to confirm it with Canon USA’s top technical representative Chuck Westfall today.
ps: I need to find out also if the 7D II will offer some form of expand at f/8 or just the central sensor….