Canon 7D Mark II Image Quality

[zombiePix]

I think the 7d2 picture of the Killdeer is slightly out of focus, while the 5d3 picture is not. This is a big part of the reason for softness from the 7d2.
I think I would start checking the potential sharpness from the 7d by carefully focusing in live view on a static subject with proper contrast and detail, camera on tripod, base iso.
And when you know how good the camera (and lens combo) can be, further do tests of the consistency of the Phase Detect AF, to see how consistent it is.

My observations, 100% view, pixelpeep:
7d2 Killdeer: Focus plane on tip of Bill or even closer to the camera.
5d3 Killdeer: Focus plane somewhere around the chest.

They both contain about equal amount of detail on the forehead / root of bill.
The tip of the bill is slightly sharper on the 7d2.
The chest, wings and legs are clearly sharper on the 5d3.

Other things might affect sharpness, like different lenses.
But I wouldn't expect the same leve of pixel sharpness from the 7d2 as from the 5d3.

Still I think your camera has higher potential if you nail focus with that 70-300L " 300mm.

 

[Lee Jay]

I'll admit I can be a bit of a pixel-peeper, but I just can't seem to get the kind of detail I want out of my 7D2. For example, in images of birds, the fine details of the feathers are almost completely missing.

Essentially 100% of the time that is caused by one or more of the following:

Poor lens
Missed focus
Motion blur

Let's say you've got a good lens and you're being careful to avoid motion blur.

Then it's AF accuracy.

I spent a good bit of time in the last few days doing a careful AFMA of some of my lenses. Well, the difference between a slightly OOF shot and a nailed shot is quite dramatic (it can be a factor of 2-4 in effective resolving power).

So, before you go blaming the camera, make sure you've got all three of those points above under control.

 

[dh]

Thanks all for the input and suggestions. I've taken a pass at AFMA-ing my lenses (using Dot Tune). I'll report back when I've taken them out for a spin -- I do hope that this is something that can be solved (user error, AF accuracy, shutter speed)... I really want to like my 7D2.

 

[allanP]

But sometimes i experience noise at even 100 iso.

Yeah, that'll be down to you (and the OP) - or more to the point, your conversion/processing decisions.

This a 100% crop of a 4000 ISO file from my 7D Mk II - straight out of converter (in noise terms - no additional PP added) and it's squeaky clean.

And at the image level - sharp, detailed, right. Again, no additional NR over what the converter applied.

Because I used a converter that does the job...
...

Hi,
which one?

 

[Lee Jay]

Thanks all for the input and suggestions. I've taken a pass at AFMA-ing my lenses (using Dot Tune). I'll report back when I've taken them out for a spin -- I do hope that this is something that can be solved (user error, AF accuracy, shutter speed)... I really want to like my 7D2.

During my careful AFMA process I discovered that dot tune is reliably inaccurate. All the numbers I got from dot tune were wrong by a substantial amount.

 

[Loswr]

Thanks all for the input and suggestions. I've taken a pass at AFMA-ing my lenses (using Dot Tune). I'll report back when I've taken them out for a spin -- I do hope that this is something that can be solved (user error, AF accuracy, shutter speed)... I really want to like my 7D2.

During my careful AFMA process I discovered that dot tune is reliably inaccurate. All the numbers I got from dot tune were wrong by a substantial amount.

Agreed. Well, not all of them were off for me, but enough to demonstrate that the 'dot tune' method is unreliable. There are accurate ways to DIY an AFMA setup, dot tune isn't one of them.

 

[dh]

Thanks all for the input and suggestions. I've taken a pass at AFMA-ing my lenses (using Dot Tune). I'll report back when I've taken them out for a spin -- I do hope that this is something that can be solved (user error, AF accuracy, shutter speed)... I really want to like my 7D2.

During my careful AFMA process I discovered that dot tune is reliably inaccurate. All the numbers I got from dot tune were wrong by a substantial amount.

Agreed. Well, not all of them were off for me, but enough to demonstrate that the 'dot tune' method is unreliable. There are accurate ways to DIY an AFMA setup, dot tune isn't one of them.

Would love to hear more about this -- I went out shooting today and had mixed results. Some of the lenses I had Dot Tuned were significantly worse than with AFMA disabled... others seemed to be a bit better (but maybe I just got lucky).

I've been considering purchasing FoCal, but if there are other DIY solutions that work well, I'd love some pointers.

 

[Lee Jay]

Thanks all for the input and suggestions. I've taken a pass at AFMA-ing my lenses (using Dot Tune). I'll report back when I've taken them out for a spin -- I do hope that this is something that can be solved (user error, AF accuracy, shutter speed)... I really want to like my 7D2.

During my careful AFMA process I discovered that dot tune is reliably inaccurate. All the numbers I got from dot tune were wrong by a substantial amount.

Agreed. Well, not all of them were off for me, but enough to demonstrate that the 'dot tune' method is unreliable. There are accurate ways to DIY an AFMA setup, dot tune isn't one of them.

Would love to hear more about this -- I went out shooting today and had mixed results. Some of the lenses I had Dot Tuned were significantly worse than with AFMA disabled... others seemed to be a bit better (but maybe I just got lucky).

I've been considering purchasing FoCal, but if there are other DIY solutions that work well, I'd love some pointers.

I just made a focus test target and started shooting around five shots at a time, each with a manual defocus between them. Then I'd look at the results and determine the average error. I'd then adjust AFMA in the direction to correct the error and repeat. I did this until I could get the average error to stay around zero for 10 shots (two sets of five).

One thing that shocked me was the 70-200/2.8L IS II. Every shot in a set of five was essentially indistinguishable from the other four. I mean, it was so repeatable that I couldn't determine a variance between shots. I'm sure it's there but it was as close to zero as I could detect.

 

[takesome1]

Thanks all for the input and suggestions. I've taken a pass at AFMA-ing my lenses (using Dot Tune). I'll report back when I've taken them out for a spin -- I do hope that this is something that can be solved (user error, AF accuracy, shutter speed)... I really want to like my 7D2.

During my careful AFMA process I discovered that dot tune is reliably inaccurate. All the numbers I got from dot tune were wrong by a substantial amount.

Agreed. Well, not all of them were off for me, but enough to demonstrate that the 'dot tune' method is unreliable. There are accurate ways to DIY an AFMA setup, dot tune isn't one of them.

Would love to hear more about this -- I went out shooting today and had mixed results. Some of the lenses I had Dot Tuned were significantly worse than with AFMA disabled... others seemed to be a bit better (but maybe I just got lucky).

I've been considering purchasing FoCal, but if there are other DIY solutions that work well, I'd love some pointers.

Just buy FoCal.
You can set up the box of post toasties and a tape measure and do it that way. You can use other home brewed methods. But if you do not set it up just perfect your results will be less than perfect.
But for the price just go with FoCal and get away from the stress.

 

[Dylan777]

One of CR member shared some 7D II + 100-400 II RAW files with me - BIF photos. Looking through LR, I'm impressed with Canon 7D II cropped sensor. I cropped down 50% and IQ still look great. The shutter speed he shot was 1/2000. It doesn't seem his camera has issue with AF focus at all.

On the way back from the post office, I took this shot with 7D II + 100-400 II. It taken in Ai-servo. Will put it to test today, let see if 7D II can get some decent terns or not 8)

1st photo was straight convert from LR - bit of high light down etc...nothing major. 2nd was cropped about 20ish% from RAW, just to get an ideal with crop sensor.

 

[candc]

One of CR member shared some 7D II + 100-400 II RAW files with me - BIF photos. Looking through LR, I'm impressed with Canon 7D II cropped sensor. I cropped down 50% and IQ still look great. The shutter speed he shot was 1/2000. It doesn't seem his camera has issue with AF focus at all.

On the way back from the post office, I took this shot with 7D II + 100-400 II. It taken in Ai-servo. Will put it to test today, let see if 7D II can get some decent terns or not 8)

1st photo was straight convert from LR - bit of high light down etc...nothing major. 2nd was cropped about 20ish% from RAW, just to get an ideal with crop sensor.

The bokeh looks horrible in that shot. I haven't seem that aspect of the lens commented on. I would be interested to know if that's an anomaly or a characteristic of the lens.

 

[dolina]

What was the climate conditions at that moment? Relative humidity, air temp, UV light, etc? These things do influence IQ as it caused atmospheric distortion.

 

[Dylan777]

What was the climate conditions at that moment? Relative humidity, air temp, UV light, etc? These things do influence IQ as it caused atmospheric distortion.

Mid afternoon, hot, humidity??

I tested 7D II in BIF shooting yesterday. I applied similiar setting I have on my 1Dx to 7D II, but the camera didn't react/respond as 1Dx. Feel like I need to spend more time fine tuning the AF.

This might be too early to say, but I feel 7D II AF is on the same league as 1Dx. IQ looks very good for crop sensor though.

 

[Dylan777]

Here are some photos I took yesterday. All of tern photos are original from RAW, no cropping(except the vertical one). Last four photos shot right after sunset @ ISO5000 with 15NR applied in LR.

http://dylannguyen.smugmug.com/Wildlife/Canon-7D-II-100400-mrk-II-Test/i-KVnsfg5

Mixed feeling at this moment from AF to IQ. I'm going to keep it for now and do more shooting in the weekend. One thing for sure, 7D II + 100-400 II combo is so much easier to carry around compared to my 1Dx + 400mm f2.8 IS II. 7D II shutter sound feel like I'm in "silent" mode from my 1Dx ;D

 

[AndreSilva]

I have no complains on IQ on my 7DII. All taken with 7DII + 300mm f/2.8 IS, with noise reduction and sharpness applied. Click to see full size.

 

[candyman]

I have no complains on IQ on my 7DII. All taken with 7DII + 300mm f/2.8 IS, with noise reduction and sharpness applied. Click to see full size.

Some great, sharp and colorful photos.

 

[Loswr]

Here are some photos I took yesterday. All of tern photos are original from RAW

Liar. You're not shooting RAW, you're shooting TIF.

 

[Dylan777]

Here are some photos I took yesterday. All of tern photos are original from RAW

Liar. You're not shooting RAW, you're shooting TIF.

First, I was

then ???

finally, wiped off my monitor ;D

 

[Loswr]

Here are some photos I took yesterday. All of tern photos are original from RAW

Liar. You're not shooting RAW, you're shooting TIF.

First, I was

then ???

finally, wiped off my monitor ;D

Here's one of my TIFs...

 

[ashmadux]

Also, expecting FF quality (OP is comparing to a 5DIII), may still be high expectations in 2015. After all, 7DII costs half of 5DIII release price--and includes new features.

Very keen to se new firmware.

Dont ever believe this. At all.

Man, i wish you guys can see what i get out of my old t2i and 70-200. Even my new wonderful 5d3 is only marginally better at iso100. And it took me aout 6 months of fiddling and repair send to get my 6d to act proper.

From my tests, 70d has impressive iq- IF the damn focus works. Mine was so busted that i almost gave the canon rep the yell of thier life. 4 days, no images in focus. but i kept cool and sent it back. That same body wa the one that was listed on CR as a refurb deal. I feel bad for whomever bought it.

Anyways, look what nikon is doing with even thier low end bodies. 3300 and 7200 iq and Dr runs circles around canon (non 5d/6d/1dx) offerings. I wont go out and trade my canon gear, but my head is also not in the sand.

So in a nutshell, making excuses for manufacturers is a fools game.