Hello again, long time no see
I wanted to share some of my experience with the R7.
However before this I need to reintroduce myself.
Last time I posted here Neuro could still store all his camera bags in one room, Suprapon taught us good behavior and Angkorwat the opposite.
The Queens English is not my native tongue so please forgive me the mistakes I make.
My background: started with a Kiev 80, jumped to Canon with a EOS 100 (non D) and transferred into the digital age with an EOS 30d
A quarter century ago I did Pin-Up pictures as a professional but stopped after the Berlin wall came down.
Why do I mention this? Because understanding my subjective view is easier knowing that Canon taught me to live with humble 18 Megapixel and crop or fullframe is for me not a religion but just a way to separate two different tools.
So back to the R7
The best AF I had experienced before the R7 was the one in my IDX II.
And now? Canon dares to pack something more powerful in the R7
The best focus selecting method since selling my old EOS 5 (non D) was the touchscreen/ viewfinder combination of my EOS M6
Now Canon puts a much more versatile touchscreen/ viewfinder combination and allows me even to choose how much of the screen I want to use
Since throwing away my APS EOS RX I never had a Canon fitting better in my hand than the R7
The R7 has IBIS. Well OK other Canons also have IBIS but.... here is a € 1400 Camera that multiplies suddenly usability of all the old treasures I could not bring myself to sell.
My old 200 L 1.8 has now the support of stabilization. OK the longer the lens the less it benefits from IBIS but with that lens IBIS still rocks.
Some features which I start to love might be only sidekicks to their real purpose but:
Check out the Electronic Shutter/first Curtain setting.
Does what the manual says but perfect side effect for me: the shutter is closed when changing lenses.
If you ever have change lenses on an M, M3 or M6 while in a dusty environment....
Check out the feature it took from the M
"Retract lens when shutting down". I don't think that there are currently many lenses out there which can do this, but this setting results in the camera driving the attached lens into infinity position before shutting off. Has saved me some critical seconds after changing to a longer lens especially with the slower focusing lenses like the 85 L 1.2 or the 400 L 2.8
The biggest change the R/ has brought to me is that I suddenly start to use a complete different set of lenses when going on a trip.
Let’s pack the R7 for a 1 week (cruise) trip.
I use a Tamnrac Expedition 4 or 5 as a backpack. The 5 is a small backpack, The four well lets call it in regards to size “kawai”. The complete equipment mentioned below fits into the 4 but using the 5 is more convenient when accessing the equipment
What do I put in:
Eos R7
Sigma 17- 35 1,8
Sigma 50 -100 1,8
Canon EF 135 2,0 L
Canon EF 300 4,0 L
Canon EF RF Converter
Viltrox EF-R3
Canon 90 EX with RX adapter (only as last resort)
Batteries and Charger
I now have a very small but very heavy backpack which I don’t want to carry to long around. The solution is to make the backpack even more heavy and attach a small Loewwro back to the side of the Tarmac and have the chance to detach this little bag as a travel bag when just a selection of the equipment is needed.
The usual suspects 28-70 2,8 L and 70-200 2,8 L stay for once at home.
The Viltrox EF-R might scare some folks here, but it is cheap, available and it is a charm with the EF 300 4,0L. On the R7 you suddenly have a proper identified F 2.0 Lens with 300 mm range. The total weight of the combo is laughable, the size smaller than a 80d with the 70-200 L and the 2 stabilization systems work well together upgrading the outdated IS of the Lens very well
The Viltrox also works with the 135 L but here the gain in Fstop is not proper displayed
In the past I often left the 17-35 at home and took the 17-50 2.8 from Canon, Because of the reach but more often because of the lack of stabilization. Now? The Canon IBIS seems to be made for 17-35 range. Together with the F 1.8 this lens is a perfect companion for the R7. Little positive side effect: On a mirror slapper the Sigma tended to fog up when moving from airconditioned venues into hot and humid outside. This effect does not kick in with the R7
Now the Sigma 50-100 is a debatable choice because it is heavy like an anvil, eats up a lot of real estate in the Tamrac and seems to suck a lot of juice out of the battery of the R7 when not using one shot but with focal reducer or without IBIS makes this lens much more maneuverable and it is a very versatile portrait lens. Imagine a ball on a cruise ship, A 80-160 equivalent lens with 1.8 or a speed boosted 50-100 1,4 lens combined with the silent shutter of the R7 means neither sound nor the unnecessary flash will give you away. I usually end up as the bane of the onboard paparazzi as my pictures tend to be more natural than theirs.
To get the results I can achieve with the above-mentioned collection I would have had to use a trolly when using my 1Dx II with full frame glass. Don’t get me wrong there is also the respect for the holy trinity in my mind but above collection can be purchased for roughly a third of the money similar full frame performance would cost.
I would love to hear the experience others had with their R7 and if it is a gamechanger for them as well.
