R7 Discussion

[AccipiterQ]

After 1 day, I am beginning to have favourable impressions for bird and nature photography. My problem with new bodies is that I have to wait for DxO PL to be compatible as I really dislike DPP4 and Lightroom in comparison. So, I took both RAW and jpegs and was delighted by the straight out of camera jpegs - they are much better than processing RAW from DPP4, and preserving detail much better and with less noise. Annoyingly, Canon's EOS Utility 3 for the Mac doesn't recognise the R7 and I had to download via a card reader.

The resolution is what I expected from earlier experience with the 90D. The 100-500mm on the R7 easily out-resolves the lens on the R5 at iso 100 to 2000, and is better than the 400mm DO II + 1.4xTC. The RF100-400 on the R7 easily outresolves the same lens on the R6. But, it falls further behind the RF 100-500mm on the R7 as its sensor is more demanding.

The ergonomics are not as good as with the R5 and R6 with fewer buttons. On the R5 and R6, I use back button focus with the AF-ON for tracking full screen and the * for fixed centre point so I can isolate a bird in foliage or focus on say a dragonfly's eye. I first thought with the R7 I couldn't do this but then realised there are check boxes to be added to the customization conditions, which have to be done. The AF is first class. I gave up on the 90D because its excellent IQ was let down by relatively poor AF.

More to come. Please join in the discussion when you get the camera.

" I first thought with the R7 I couldn't do this but then realised there are check boxes to be added to the customization conditions"

Where is this found?

Thanks!

 

[AlanF]

" I first thought with the R7 I couldn't do this but then realised there are check boxes to be added to the customization conditions"

Where is this found?

Thanks!

When you get into the customize button menu (orange) to set up the characteristics you want, you click on info and then on what you want. A box should appear on the left of each and you have to check that as well.

 

[justaCanonuser]

Ask for help: got my R7 yesterday, had so far no chance to test it in real world, currently I try to get some settings like I am used to with my 7D2 and 5D4. For birding/wildlife I prefer to shoot in M mode, Auto ISO, with exposure compensation programmed on the "set" button, so I can activate it by pressing this button and turning the main dial while I peer through the viewfinder. That's extremely helpful, I use it frequently. But it looks like the R7 only offers this option via the lens wheel of RF lenses. Am I right or did I miss something? In the impressive 1000 pp. handbook I couldn't find any option to put that setting on a button.

If yes, this would a real drawback for EF lens users, I for instance do not want to upgrade my EF 500mm supertele currently. I then would be forced by Canon to purchase the relatively expensive RF-EF adapter with control ring.

 

[justaCanonuser]

To add something very positive about the R7: it's EVF is really good IMO, despite a lot of complaints about its "only" 2.36 million OLED pixels. Yesterday I did the hardest test that came into my mind: I attached my EF 85mm f/1.2, opened it to f=1.2 and tried to track manually a moving subject (someone I am married with ). I was really positively surprised, since I got a stunning in-focus hit rate (so-called PSED: photographer-brain-supported eye detection ), much better than with any of Canon's latest DSLRs (their OVFs lack matte screens that support manual focusing of super fast lenses). So, in terms of resolution the R7's EVF is as good as needed for photography and vidography, and its moderate pixel count doesn't drain the battery too fast.

Now I look forward to test my R7 with BIF. My first time using an EVF, which I didn't trust until recently because of the time lag EVF's where plagued for many years.

 

[Jack Douglas]

Ask for help: got my R7 yesterday, had so far no chance to test it in real world, currently I try to get some settings like I am used to with my 7D2 and 5D4. For birding/wildlife I prefer to shoot in M mode, Auto ISO, with exposure compensation programmed on the "set" button, so I can activate it by pressing this button and turning the main dial while I peer through the viewfinder. That's extremely helpful, I use it frequently. But it looks like the R7 only offers this option via the lens wheel of RF lenses. Am I right or did I miss something? In the impressive 1000 pp. handbook I couldn't find any option to put that setting on a button.

If yes, this would a real drawback for EF lens users, I for instance do not want to upgrade my EF 500mm supertele currently. I then would be forced by Canon to purchase the relatively expensive RF-EF adapter with control ring.

Perhaps I shouldn't reply because this isn't an answer but I have found that full manual with ISO on the lens, which I can reach with a finger of my right hand works great. I don't use exposure compensation, rather I just tweak the exposure with my finger. I'm using an adapted EF lens. I'm no expert for sure so just a thought.

Jack

 

[Del Paso]

Perhaps I shouldn't reply because this isn't an answer but I have found that full manual with ISO on the lens, which I can reach with a finger of my right hand works great. I don't use exposure compensation, rather I just tweak the exposure with my finger. I'm using an adapted EF lens. I'm no expert for sure so just a thought.

Jack

Neither I am an expert, but I'm doing it exactly the same way.

 

[justaCanonuser]

Perhaps I shouldn't reply because this isn't an answer but I have found that full manual with ISO on the lens, which I can reach with a finger of my right hand works great. I don't use exposure compensation, rather I just tweak the exposure with my finger. I'm using an adapted EF lens. I'm no expert for sure so just a thought.

Jack

Hi Jack, thank you, but I what means "with ISO on the lens"? I can't dial ISO settings on my EF lenses, no button for that on any of my (plenty) EF lenses.

 

[Jack Douglas]

My mistake - ISO on the EF to R adapter.

 

[justaCanonuser]

My mistake - ISO on the EF to R adapter.

I see. Well, in the meanwhile I found that I need an RF/EF adaptor with the ring, and I ordered one. I will set exposure comp. on that ring.

 

[Jack Douglas]

I see. Well, in the meanwhile I found that I need an RF/EF adaptor with the ring, and I ordered one. I will set exposure comp. on that ring.

I think you'll like that format although it's a little bit awkward with the right hand finger depending on hand size.

 

[justaCanonuser]

I think you'll like that format although it's a little bit awkward with the right hand finger depending on hand size.

late reply, after two weeks of shooting a lot of wildlife: I manage to turn that ring with the little finger of my right hand when I shoot my EF 500mm hand-held, but it isn't really well working. On a tripod, it's perfect. So I set the AF area selection also on the M-Fn button but switched off the wide "portrait" and "landscape" option. So I do not have to push this button too often to move between spot and full area. Feels like shooting my old 7D and 5D3 again, so I still have saved that finger movement in my muscle memory.

 

[AlanF]

Some amusing rolling shutter effects from shots of a Grey Wagtail today using ES with the RF 100-500mm. I'm not sure how much roll there is with the 3rd shot.

 

[unfocused]

Since this thread seems to have some new life, I’m curious how people feel about the R7 about a year in.

I’m waiting for the R5 II, but due to some unexpected jobs it looks like I’ll have saved what I need sooner than expected. GAS is calling and thinking about adding a pair of R7s as supplemental bodies for my wife and I.

Main purpose would be to shoot small birds with the 100-500 zoom. Some reviewers say they actually prefer the R7, others say they’ll stick with the R5. For those who have both the R5 and R7, what has been your experience.

 

[AlanF]

Since this thread seems to have some new life, I’m curious how people feel about the R7 about a year in.

I’m waiting for the R5 II, but due to some unexpected jobs it looks like I’ll have saved what I need sooner than expected. GAS is calling and thinking about adding a pair of R7s as supplemental bodies for my wife and I.

Main purpose would be to shoot small birds with the 100-500 zoom. Some reviewers say they actually prefer the R7, others say they’ll stick with the R5. For those who have both the R5 and R7, what has been your experience.

I have both and use them both a lot for small birds, and with the 100-500mm. For static birds, the R7 does eke out marginally more detail, roughly equivalent to using the 1.4xTC with the R5. It even pairs nicely with the 800mm f/11 if you have one. But forget about extenders with the 100-500mm. The downside is that the AF is not as consistent, and for very close objects has a greater tendency to focus on the background when using single point focus without tracking. For BIF, the R5 is in a different league - it locks on far faster and more accurately. For static shots, the R7 + RF 100-400mm resolves pretty closely to the R5 + RF 100-500mm and I use the lighter and cheaper combo when more convenient and it’s not raining. A note of caution, you need to use ES with the R7 at shutter speeds less than 1/1000 at high fps because of shutter shock problems. The R5 sensor is better, but DxO PL does sort out the noise of the R7 well. The shots of the Grey Wagtail I posted yesterday from the R7 went up to iso 8000. Here are a couple of crops from yesterday - at 1/3200s, f/7.1 in pre burst mode - they are both 1:1 pixels crop : original, head with insects at iso 2000 and full bird at iso 8000, both straight out of DxO PL6 with DeepPrime XD noise reduction, standard sharpening from DxO lens module.

 

[unfocused]

Thanks @AlanF, your comments reflect much of what I've seen from reviewers. My wife does have the RF 800 f/11, so it's good to hear your experience with that. Also appreciate your comments on the 100-500. My wife really hates the way the 100-500 loses zoom range and has to be physically extended when using the 1.4 extender, and it seems like one advantage of the R7 would be that you would get slightly more magnification without having to deal with the extender.

Great pictures by the way.

 

[justaCanonuser]

Some amusing rolling shutter effects from shots of a Grey Wagtail today using ES with the RF 100-500mm. I'm not sure how much roll there is with the 3rd shot.View attachment 209077View attachment 209079View attachment 209080View attachment 209081

Great shots - I'd call that rolling shutter art! The R7 btw is very good for that, I realized in practice, with her >30 ms sensor read-out time.

 

[justaCanonuser]

But despite some drawbacks, I like the R7 overall . Its AF is often great and very fast even with my EF 500mm + 1.4 TC Mk III, sometimes funnily wrong - typical for current AI enhanced performance. Here is a long-tailed tit I shot with that combo