I see a lot of people disappointed/stating that the 90D won't be a replacement of the 7Dii.
Other than it is not called 7Diii (some egos bruised by a xxD name?) and doesn't have 2 card slots I am failing to understand why it is not an improvement to the 7Dii?
32mp vs 20mp
Dual Pixel AF on both
10-11fps vs 10fps
1/16000sec max shutter speed vs 1/8000
Iso 100-25600 vs 100-16000
Touch & flippy screen vs not
WiFi vs No Wifi
700g vs 900g
Joystick on both
Possibly a better DR on the 90D
I understand the 7Dii has 65 points AF and the 90D will only have 45 but until we see the performances of the new AF system we can't say it is not an improvement. I'd rather have 45 faster & accurate points than 65 less reliable ones.
I was considering getting a 7dii for wildlife but to me, at least on paper, the 90D will do what the 7dii does and a bit more.
So are the missing second card slot and the allegedly lower weather sealing the only two things making it not a 7dii upgrade?
If the leaked spec sheet is correct, it's also missing a couple of AF point selection modes that many 7DII users prefer: Single AF point with four expanded "assist" points and Single AF point with eight expanded "assist" points are missing from the 80D menu and missing from the leaked 90D spec sheet.
The 80D's 9 point zone setting is
not the same as Single AF point with 8 "assist" points. The former gives equal weight to all 9 AF points in a "zone", with the highest area of contrast over the entire 9 points what the AF system attempts to focus. In AI Servo AF the latter gives much more weight to the single selected AF point and uses the "assist" points surrounding it to track a subject that was over the single AF point when AF was first initiated. In One Shot AF the latter gives much more weight to the single selected AF point and uses the surrounding "assist" points when there is no area of sufficient contrast over the selected AF point. Anyone who has shot with both the 80D using 9-point Zone AF and the 7DII using Single AF-point with expansion should understand the difference.
The leaked spec sheet also includes no mention of iTR, which the 7D Mark II has along with the 1D X Mark II, 1D X, and 5D Mark IV. There is at least one source that says the 90D will include iTR. The 90D will have an RGB+IR light meter that is required for iTR, but then again, the 80D also has an RGB+IR meter but no iTR. The extra processing load iTR requires is usually handled by an independent processor in addition to the DiG!C image processor(s). For example,
the 1D X used a DiG!C 4 processor for AF/iTR in addition to the dual DiG!C 5+ image processors. We'll just have to wait and see if the 90D offers iTR.
There's also a difference between the magnesium alloy body of the 7DII and polycarbonate body of the 80D and 90D. That's significant for commercial users that put their gear through the wringer day in and day out.
The 7DII has a 200,000 shutter rating. The 80D has a 100,000 shutter rating. It remains to be seen what the 90D shutter rating will be, but if the 1/16000 Tv is a standard two curtain operation option (rather than an electronic first curtain option in LV, which is what I think it will turn out to be), then the shutter curtains will be either a) moving much faster than the shutter curtains on either the 80D or the 7D Mark II or b) more precise so that a narrower slit between the first and second curtain can be accurately maintained. Making the same shutter curtains faster tends to wear them out quicker, so cameras with faster shutter curtains also tend to have more robust (and more expensive) shutter assemblies. Otherwise, increasing the shortest Tv from 1/8000 to 1/16000 will have the same effect on shutter life as burning a candle at both ends does on the life expectancy of the candle.
All one needs to add WiFi to the 7D Mark II is a $40 WE-1 card that goes in the SD card slot. The CF card slot is still available for use to record images and video. The only currently available new 7D Mark II bodies from authorized Canon dealers have that WE-1 card included with the camera body. The 7D Mark II body without the WiFi card was officially discontinued in October of last year.