Exploring The History of Innovation: The Canon EOS 7 Series

[Canon Rumors]

The 7-series and the cameras that preceded it were near and dear to my digital imaging heart. I started off with the 20D and nearly followed along Canon’s complete release path through the 7 series. I hope you enjoy this article as much as I did researching and writing it up.

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[Deleted member 387121]

Thank you for this nostalgic retrospective! My personal stable included the 20D, T2i, 70D, 7D, 7D2, and R7.

One minor nitpick: The Elan 7E wasn't unique in having eye-controlled AF point selection. That feature originated with the A2e in 1992, which was also sold as the EOS 5 outside North America. I remember trying a 5 in a shop in Scotland and thinking it was a beautiful camera, but a little beyond my budget so I went with a 100 (original Elan, which I still love).

 

[Canon Rumors]

Thank you for this nostalgic retrospective! My personal stable included the 20D, T2i, 70D, 7D, 7D2, and R7.

One minor nitpick: The Elan 7E wasn't unique in having eye-controlled AF point selection. That feature originated with the A2e in 1992, which was also sold as the EOS 5 outside North America. I remember trying a 5 in a shop in Scotland and thinking it was a beautiful camera, but a little beyond my budget so I went with a 100 (original Elan, which I still love).

Thank you, we will update that.

The EOS 40D is the camera that helped me become serious about photography. It will always be my personal favourite camera. I bought one a year ago and I'll never let it go.

 

[Mirnavi]

Btw. where is 70,80 and lastly 90D. I thought 90D was the last predecessor too, when the R7 came. Or does it belong to other series?!

 

[Canon Rumors]

Btw. where is 70,80 and lastly 90D. I thought 90D was the last predecessor too, when the R7 came. Or does it belong to other series?!

Once the 60D came, that line moved, they became "Super Rebels" for a while. The 90D was a cool camera, but it didn't lead to the 7 series. We even had the 77D.

The 50D, which was terrible is what split the lines.

 

[Steve Balcombe]

Nice article, there's nothing like a bit of nostalgia. But the R7 doesn't belong there, it's a successor to the 90D with a name which is calculated to mislead. There has never been a mirrorless successor to the 7D2.

The (original) 7D is what kept me with Canon when I needed to upgrade my 40D, and the 7D2 continued in the same tradition. I bought an R7 too, but it didn't live up to expectations. I know I'm not alone in this.

 

[Deleted member 387121]

The EOS 40D is the camera that helped me become serious about photography. It will always be my personal favourite camera. I bought one a year ago and I'll never let it go.

The ones I remember most fondly are the EOS 100/Elan (my first AF camera, after my 1981 AV-1 died, at a time when I was living in the UK and doing a lot of traveling), 70D, and R7 (which totally rocks, I don't care what anybody else thinks). I also had an M5 that I got for travel, and which was my first mirrorless. The 7D2 was my biggest regret; I never got good results from it, and wish I hadn't sold my 70D for it.

 

[DocInfoSci]

Our crop stable included the Rebel, Rebel XTi, T2i, and 80D. I love the Rebel and 80D, although the former is now for nostalgia and the 80D is in the hands of my kiddo. The 80D resulted in large, beautiful Alaska prints that adorn my office.

I was tempted with the 7D2, but at the time I felt it was too out of date compared to the 80D. But I have friends with the 7D2 for whom you'd have to pry the camera out of their dead hands, even with the R7 offering.

I ultimately decided the R6 with long glass gave me equivalent framing at much higher quality pixels, so left the crop world. But I think the crop world remains quite valid, and the sensors only get better. Someone mentioned in the R3 "II" forum how a crop R3 would be a neat spin on the professional use of crop sensors, and I have to agree. It would be neat to see an R7/R3II crop value pair in the line-up for those photographers needing every last ounce of apparent zoom.