Gizmodo posted their review of the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. Some comments are a little…weird but all in all they give the 7D Mark II a positive verdict, saying the EOS 7D Mark II is the best DSLR for sports and wildlife (I fully agree here).

If you shoot athletes or animals and are trying to keep it under $2000 for a new body, I would wholeheartedly recommend the 7D Mark II. Besides the increase in low light performance and an obsession with the full-frame “look,” there aren’t many reasons to go all-in on a 5D Mark III which is almost double the price. The 7D Mark II shoots faster and focuses better. You’re getting near the performance of the cameras NFL photographers use without having to spend seven grand on a body.

Most of Gizmodo’s dislikes are related to the weight and being “large”, they call it a “heavy brick”. A somewhat curious statement considering we are talking about a pro-level DSLR :-)

Below you can see a video comparison of the EOS 7D Mark II vs EOS 5D Mark III vs EOS 70D

• 20.2MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
• Dual DIGIC 6 Image Processors
• 3.0″ 1.04m-Dot Clear View II LCD Monitor
• Full HD 1080p/60 Video & Movie Servo AF
• Dual Pixel CMOS AF with Live View
• 65-Point All Cross-Type AF System
• Native ISO 16000, Extended to ISO 51200
• Continuous 10 fps Shooting
• Magnesium Alloy Body Construction
• Built-In GPS Receiver & Digital Compass

Amazon changed the shipping date of the EOS 7D Mark II to October 30 (previously November 28). In Germany Wex Photographie is accepting pre-orders for the EOS 7D Mark II (€1,699).

• 7D Mark II 18-135mm IS STM KIT – $2,149 – Adorama | B&H Photo | Amazon
• 7D Mark II body only – $1,799 – Adorama | B&H Photo | Amazon

World-wide pre-order links after the break

#Canon Ambassador Richard Walch shoots with the stunning new #EOS #7DMarkII. http://t.co/Jbm9BXrcjZ Please RT! pic.twitter.com/MDIIdA8OWH

— Canon Pro Network (@CanonProNetwork) October 21, 2014

From Canon Professional Network:

Canon Ambassador, action photographer and filmmaker Richard Walch recently took to the seas with the new EOS 7D Mark II. The results of his endeavours – using Canon’s flagship APS-C DSLR and a group of Speedlite 600EX-RT flashguns – are nothing short of stunning. He reveals the secrets behind his latest maritime adventure to CPN Editor David Corfield

Read the story at CPN –>

Amazon changed the shipping date of the EOS 7D Mark II to October 30 (previously November 28). In Germany Wex Photographie is accepting pre-orders for the EOS 7D Mark II (€1,699).

• 7D Mark II 18-135mm IS STM KIT – $2,149 – Adorama | B&H Photo | Amazon
• 7D Mark II body only – $1,799 – Adorama | B&H Photo | Amazon

World-wide pre-order links after the break

EOS 7D Mark II, EF 600 f4 IS II, f/7.1, ISO 320, 1/1600, manual exposure
(Image © Romy Ocon – All pictures used with permission)

Thanks for the tip.

From all the hands-on and previews about the Canon EOS 7D Mark II I am reading, there is one thing that always always stands out: The [shoplink 22664]EOS 7D Mark II[/shoplink] is an auto-focus champion. There are professional photographers saying the EOS 7D Mark II’s AF is better than the AF featured on the [shoplink 4119]EOS-1D X[/shoplink].

Philippine based photographer Romy Ocon is a wildlife photographer and he loves to shot birds in flight. He got a pre-production model of the EOS 7D Mark II and is testing it. While waiting for a good shot, he thought he could try the EOS 7D Mark II’s AF on a flying Dragonfly. We are talking about a 2 inch long insect here. And the 7D Mark II delivered! Below you can see a crop of the image. It’s simply amazing. This isn’t an easy task neither for the photographer nor for the camera. Kudos.

Mr. Ocon also wrote about the EOS 7D Mark II AF on a forum:

I’ve shot hundreds of frames at BIFs [Birds in Flight, editor note] in two days, in a wide range of lighting, with sky and terrestrial backgrounds, with varied plumage colors and flight trajectories. IMHO, the 7D Mark II is the best focusing DSLR (in terms of AF speed, focus accuracy and ease of use) I’ve shot at flying birds. I’ve not used the 1Dx though, so I’m not sure how the 7D MII’s AF compares with that body. But I’d certainly prefer the new camera over my 1D MIV and 5D MIII if my main basis of choice are AF performance and frame rate.

With the 7D MII’s amazing AF, BIF photography has become much easier for me.

That’s what Canon is doing: they make solid and well performing DSLRs for serious photographers. Canon does not make fancy gadgets, they make excellent cameras and lenses. And the EOS 7D Mark II once more shows that Canon knows very well what they are doing and what professional photographers want.

There are more sample pics shot with the [shoplink 22664]EOS 7D Mark II[/shoplink] on Romy Ocon‘s site, check it out. More EOS 7D Mark II coverage on Canon Watch here.

Crop from the image above (© Romy Ocon)

Amazon changed the shipping date of the EOS 7D Mark II to October 30 (previously November 28). In Germany Wex Photographie is accepting pre-orders for the EOS 7D Mark II (€1,699).

• 7D Mark II 18-135mm IS STM KIT – $2,149 – Adorama | B&H Photo | Amazon
• 7D Mark II body only – $1,799 – Adorama | B&H Photo | Amazon

World-wide pre-order links after the break

Thanks for the tip.

Wildlife and nature photographer, and Canon Northern Explorer of Light, Christopher Dodds posted his first impression of Canon’s new APS-C flagship, the [shoplink 22664]EOS 7D Mark II[/shoplink]. A pre-production model was used.

He writes (emphasis added):

[…] the new camera performed flawlessly. I was blown-away by the Dual Digic-6 processor driven auto focus system. In low contrast,  cloudy and slightly foggy conditions, shooting white birds against near white backgrounds, the auto-focus was unbeatable. I started with my Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens, and quickly went through all of the lenses and extender combinations to see if there were limits. Even shooting with a lens+extender combination with a maximum aperture of f/8 (600mm f/4L IS USM II and 2X III extender … yes, 600mm  with doubler =1200mm X 1.6 crop factor= 1920mm), the auto-focus proved it may even be slightly faster/better than the professional Canon 1DX. Throw in 10 frames per second capture rate and no noticeable shutter lag and this truly is a dream camera body for bird photographers and action/sports/press photographers alike.

Mr. Dodds was also impressed by the low noise of the EOS 7D Mark II sensor.

Amazon changed the shipping date of the EOS 7D Mark II to October 30 (previously November 28).

In Germany Wex Photographie is accepting pre-orders for the EOS 7D Mark II (€1,699).

7D Mark II 18-135mm IS STM KIT – $2,149 – Adorama | B&H Photo | Amazon

7D Mark II body only – $1,799 – Adorama | B&H Photo | Amazon

World-wide pre-order links after the break