Official: Canon EOS 7D Mark II

[LetTheRightLensIn]

Those digital zoom things on the rebels had simply dreadful false color artifacting/moire. Do it optically, why are we shooting Canon if not the big whites?

The 7D should be able to do it without line-skipping though. And it isn't fake digital zoom either. The sensors captures 20MP but 1080p is only 2MP so they are simply cropping and then downscaling less. It's all true extra reach gain. Also, I though the zoomed video on some of those actually had less aliasing and moire than their regular modes anyway.

 

[LetTheRightLensIn]

Those digital zoom things on the rebels had simply dreadful false color artifacting/moire.

Baloney. It's just a 1:1 pixel crop - almost no moire at all, and in fact much less than in regular video modes.

The 70D has it, and no moire is one advantage often sited.

One thing I'd really love is the ability to smoothly zoom from 1x to 3x "digital zoom" which would greatly increase the zoom range of a zoom lens, or add a usable zoom range to a prime. The 18-135STM, for example, would go from 29-216 to 29-621.

The false color artifacting comes from debayering, not downsampling. And it's very hard to suppress in the absence of downsampling. This (along with dynamic range extension) is why 1:1 pixel video cameras are rare. It was awful on the Rebels, I imagine it's also awful on the 70D, but everyone studiously avoids running chart tests on video cameras because the news is usually so grim.

I guess stills images are all filled with useless garbage then? Because those are 1:1.

 

[PureClassA]

https://comeandsee.canon-europe.com/en-GB/products/eos7d-mark-2

 

[Robnormanphoto]

Ok..something has to be wrong...on the DPReview in section 4.Body and Design...it states

"The 7D Mark II uses a new battery, the LP-E6N, that has a higher capacity than the previous LP-E6 batteries found in the 5D Mark III and its predecessor. Importantly, though, the form factor remains the same, which means you should still be able to use the older LP-E6 batteries in it.

The battery gives a battery life of 670 shots in viewfinder shooting and 250 shots in live view mode."

670 shots on one battery that can't be true....with my 60d, with the grip installed with two batteries I can easily get around 9000 shots. I have 4 batteries and can shoot an entire day without recharging...most I have done in a day is about 16,000 photos.

 

[Lee Jay]

Those digital zoom things on the rebels had simply dreadful false color artifacting/moire.

Baloney. It's just a 1:1 pixel crop - almost no moire at all, and in fact much less than in regular video modes.

The 70D has it, and no moire is one advantage often sited.

One thing I'd really love is the ability to smoothly zoom from 1x to 3x "digital zoom" which would greatly increase the zoom range of a zoom lens, or add a usable zoom range to a prime. The 18-135STM, for example, would go from 29-216 to 29-621.

The false color artifacting comes from debayering, not downsampling. And it's very hard to suppress in the absence of downsampling. This (along with dynamic range extension) is why 1:1 pixel video cameras are rare. It was awful on the Rebels, I imagine it's also awful on the 70D, but everyone studiously avoids running chart tests on video cameras because the news is usually so grim.

Well, I've used it on my Rebel many times, and it's always been quite solid. I've also looked at many samples of it from the 70D, and the same is true.

 

[scyrene]

The dpreview run down of features makes this a much more competent-sounding device than all the rumours made it sound - I suppose it's easy to get bogged down by the negatives. But the biggest pleasant surprise has been the price - starting RRP of £1599 isn't bad at all. I might save up!

 

[peederj]

I guess stills images are all filled with useless garbage then? Because those are 1:1.

Try doing debayering that good 24 times a second for half an hour. And then crop 2MP out of your 20MP still and see what you think of the quality. They have OLPF's for this problem, but they are a tradeoff.

Did Canon solve this problem in the 70D? I wasn't able to find chart tests. Too many morons trying to review video cameras using brick walls and the like, having no idea how moire forms (moire can also form from poor downsampling, but false color is a debayering problem) much less how to test it. Anyway it's of passing interest; I'm trying to cut Canon some slack here which is unduly generous.

 

[AccipiterQ]

Sneak peak at the 7D3. Complete with articulating iPhone 8 and Don's cat laser pointer hotshoe attachment

absolutely amazing.

 

[Loswr]

Ok..something has to be wrong...on the DPReview in section 4.Body and Design...it states

"The 7D Mark II uses a new battery, the LP-E6N, that has a higher capacity than the previous LP-E6 batteries found in the 5D Mark III and its predecessor. Importantly, though, the form factor remains the same, which means you should still be able to use the older LP-E6 batteries in it.

The DPR review could be wrong. The same review says the 7DII has spot metering linked to any AF point. Canon USA's website disagrees.

 

[lo lite]

I want to know why the 7D2 does not have a little laser light that shines where the camera is aimed? Everyone knows that the only use of APS-C cameras is to take pictures and videos of cats to put on the internet.... and the videos would be so much better if the cats were chasing that little red dot....

Come on Canon! This is a make or break feature! Why don't you have it!

It might sound funny but I actually wished for a feature like this, not for cat shots but for shots I take from my hip when doing street photography. Then it would be nice to know at which spot the AF is currently aiming. Of course the laser should be off during the shot itself.

 

[Lee Jay]

I'm not so sure about that. A friend of mine with a 70D took some test shots and I don't think the 70D performance at 1600 is all that much better than my 7D. If so, Canon needs some magic in that "low light sensitivity" improvement to the 20.2 Mpixel sensor to make the 7Dii worthwhile, IMO. Without a usable 1600 (or higher) ISO, I'm thinking I wasted all this time waiting for the 7Dii and maybe the 5Diii is the answer.
I'm definitely NOT pre-ordering.

That's only the answer if you can either get closer, or use a bigger lens (500/4 versus 300/4, 300/2.8 versus 200/2.8, etc.). If neither is the case, most likely the camera with the smaller pixels will win.

 

[Lee Jay]

I'm not so sure about that. A friend of mine with a 70D took some test shots and I don't think the 70D performance at 1600 is all that much better than my 7D. If so, Canon needs some magic in that "low light sensitivity" improvement to the 20.2 Mpixel sensor to make the 7Dii worthwhile, IMO. Without a usable 1600 (or higher) ISO, I'm thinking I wasted all this time waiting for the 7Dii and maybe the 5Diii is the answer.
I'm definitely NOT pre-ordering.

That's only the answer if you can either get closer, or use a bigger lens (500/4 versus 300/4, 300/2.8 versus 200/2.8, etc.). If neither is the case, most likely the camera with the smaller pixels will win.

Exactly, only I'm looking at the 800/4 vs my 5004 and that's an EXPENSIVE proposition.
I was hoping that Canon would come up with something that matched the EXMOR process, which would give me a usable 1600.

There is no 800/4. If you compare the 800/5.6 on full-frame versus the 500/4 on crop, there won't be that much of a difference in noise in the final images. The full-frame camera will be a stop or so better, but shooting at a stop slower shutter speed.

 

[ts636]

I think the new camera sounds ace and I want one but I'm a bit miffed at the price here in the UK. at current exchange rates the US price of 1800$ works out at about £1100 and the European price of 1700 euros at about £1350. Yet we are to be charged £1600. Rip off Britain strikes again.

 

[rslhc]

Sample images here: http://www.cameraegg.org/canon-eos-7d-mark-ii-sample-images-movies/

ISO 3200 looks great. 6400 looks pretty good too, but would like to see more samples.

 

[PureClassA]

I want to know why the 7D2 does not have a little laser light that shines where the camera is aimed? Everyone knows that the only use of APS-C cameras is to take pictures and videos of cats to put on the internet.... and the videos would be so much better if the cats were chasing that little red dot....

Come on Canon! This is a make or break feature! Why don't you have it!

It might sound funny but I actually wished for a feature like this, not for cat shots but for shots I take from my hip when doing street photography. Then it would be nice to know at which spot the AF is currently aiming. Of course the laser should be off during the shot itself.

So everyone on the street can run from the sniper target that just struck them in the chest....

 

[weixing]

Hi,
Not sure anyone posted already, but here is the some 7D2 sample images (JPEG only) and video.
http://web.canon.jp/imaging/eosd/samples/eos7dmk2/

Have a nice day.

 

[rpt]

Sneak peak at the 7D3. Complete with articulating iPhone 8 and Don's cat laser pointer hotshoe attachment

absolutely amazing.

About time man! Let's start on the 7D3 rumours now!

 

[Don Haines]

I want to know why the 7D2 does not have a little laser light that shines where the camera is aimed? Everyone knows that the only use of APS-C cameras is to take pictures and videos of cats to put on the internet.... and the videos would be so much better if the cats were chasing that little red dot....

Come on Canon! This is a make or break feature! Why don't you have it!

It might sound funny but I actually wished for a feature like this, not for cat shots but for shots I take from my hip when doing street photography. Then it would be nice to know at which spot the AF is currently aiming. Of course the laser should be off during the shot itself.

and what's really sad is that I had to try this out.....

BTW, the 60D does not have adequate high ISO performance to take good "laser pictures".... I KNEW there was a good reason why I need to upgrade to a 7D2

 

[Loswr]

Nice, Don...but kludgy. You need a Firefield Weaver Camera Adapter (Amazon, $17) and a Weaver-mount laser sight (Amazon, $13); the laser sight is adjustable so you can put it at the desired spot in the frame. That'll give you a nice, slick-looking cat photo rig.

 

[greger]

Kitties love to chase Lasers and String! 7Dll is released, YEAH!!! I look forward to the reviews. I won't buy unless my 7D gets damaged. I guess if I wan't WiFi and swivel LCD I'll have to borrow my wife's 70D. I've been reading about the 7Dll since I got up. ( not counting the posts in the months before it's release) Now I can do something productive like go take pics of my cat. ;D