Carl Garrard of Photographic Central reviewed the original Canon EOS 7D. The EOS 7D was a revolutionary camera in some sense, and started Canon’s professional APS-C DSLR lineup.
The EOS 7D was released in September 2009, still has a more than respectable specifications sheet. It’s still a camera that’s worth your attention, especially if you consider you can get it for as little as $260. And it’s still the rugged and rock solid camera it has always been. Say’s Carl about the build quality:
[…[ it’s a camera equivalent of a tank. It’s construction is almost 100% magnesium alloy, and feels indestructible and built to last a lifetime. Judging by the huge amount of available second hand 7D’s on the market, it seems this is completely true.
The Canon EOS 7D has a magnesium alloy
About the image quality:
So long as you don’t push shadows in the 7D too far, and get your exposure right, it’s capable of some great quality images for the price. I’d say that this is the area where the 7D shows its age most of all, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make excellent images with it.
He concludes:
So overall the Canon 7D offers a great entry into the semi pro camera world, and you can do so without emptying your wallet. In fact, I’d recommend anyone considering getting into photography to go the used camera route first (after doing some reading and homework) before spending a lot of money on a system. These days you just have too many excellent options to choose from, but if Canon is a system you are interested in, the EOS 7D is definitely worth a look.
Cinema5D’s Johnnie Behiri made a somewhat different review of the Canon EOS R. He took it to an Indian Wedding and made a mini documentary. More field tested than this might be impossible.
Good lowlight quality. Up to ISO 6400 with no issues. Above it, noticeable noise but still usable.
Focus peaking
Swivelled LCD screen
Shutter dust protector – Will automatically be engaged when the camera switches off
Touch and Drag AF (LCD), makes it easy to change focus between given points
Dual Pixel autofocus works well.
Dual Pixel Focus Guide for an easy manual focusing
High Data rate (Up to 480Mbps, All Intra recording)
Excellent battery life
No signs of overheating
Manual audio adjustment and monitoring
4K,10Bit, 4:2:2 over HDMI to an external recording device
Canon Log included (2 variations)
World camera (24, 25, 30p in 4K)
And what he didn’t like so much:
Full Frame camera which unfortunately records 4K video in 1.7x cropped mode
Severe rolling shutter effect
No 4K DCI recording
No internal optical stabilisation system
Take in account that when using the strongest available digital stabilisation option, picture quality will suffer and will become softer
No Zebra
No “Joystick” for smooth and easy focus placement
Focus magnifying won’t work while recoding
8Bit internal recording
High Frame Rate in 720p quality only (120fps)
No autofocus when shooting in High Frame Rate
60p is restricted to Full HD only
The new programable slide touch pad needs to be activated first before operating. Then (in case of assigning it to sound levels) changes can be made by tapping only and not sliding
If you have small hands, holding the camera becomes uncomfortable after a while
The folks at Cinema5D made a neat video where they explain what Canon’s 8K video technology is about.
At Inter Bee 2018 Cinema5D met with Canon’s Toshiyuki Akimoto who is responsible for the development of 8K monitors and cameras. He was kind enough to explain Canon’s take on 8K acquisition.
The Canon 8K camera concept presented at Inter BEE 2018 has quite a compact body very similar to the Canon C300 Mark II. It will have a super 35mm sensor and an 8K processing unit inside and mind you that recording will not be done internally. You will have to find and attach an external 8K recording solution. According to Canon, the purpose of this demonstration is to research the market and to gather the customer’s opinion regarding future 8K demand.
Since this 8K camera is still only a prototype and future technology demonstration, there is no detailed explanation of its functions or ergonomics yet. The presented camera, however, looks to being very close to the production stage.
Canon has in fact already demonstrated the same system at the “Canon Expo” in 2015. It seems that Canon has had 8K technology for quite a while already. We can only guess the reason for not releasing a Canon 8K capable camera til now was because the 8K market has not grown enough yet. 8K is being promoted mainly in Japan – there were very few 8K demonstrations at international trade shows like NAB or IBC.
Rather interesting comparison. Canon made quite an impression with the RF 28-70 mm F/2L and especially the RF 50mm F/1.2L lenses for their new EOS R system. The RF 24-105mm f/4 on the other hand is the EOS R kit lens, and it’s likely the lens most users will start with.
The RF 24-105mm, the first of two zooms designed for the new Canon mirrorless mount, seems to have an advantage over the EF version: not only is it slightly sharper at most focal lengths and apertures (centre and corners) but it also has a more pleasant bokeh, a quieter AF motor and less focus breathing. The differences aren’t as significant as we had anticipated however, and let’s not forget that many other aspects are almost identical, such as the stabilisation and autofocus performance and perhaps most importantly, the price.
For these reasons, we feel that if, as a former or current Canon user, you already own the EF version of the 24-105mm, it makes sense to purchase the EF-EOS R adapter (which costs around $99 at the time of writing) and continue using it on the EOS R, especially if you plan to keep your Canon DSLR. Read the review…
Photography Blog completed their full review of the Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 IS Macro STM lens for the EOS R system. This is the less expensive RF mount lens so far available (£519/€519/$499).
From the conclusion:
There’s lots to like in terms of image quality, and little to complain about. This lens is sharp almost from the get-go, excellent in the centre and at the edges when shooting wide open at f/1.8 and outstanding between f/2.8 and f/11. It’s capable of producing some nice bokeh effects for an f/1.8 lens, helped by the ability to focus as close as 17cms away from your subject. There is some mild barrel distortion and vignetting at f/1.8, but both of these can be corrected in post-processing. Chromatic aberrations are very well controlled and it even produces some nice sun-star effects at f/16-f/22.
The build quality is very good, certainly on a par with the RF 24-105mm kit zoom, with the built-in weather-proofing offering peace of mind in more inclement conditions. Canon also provide a good lens hood and padded case in the box. Read the review…
Chris and Jordan compare the current generation entry-level full frame mirrorless models from each company: the Nikon Z6, Sony a7 III, and Canon EOS R. Watch their analysis to find out where they think each model excels or has room to grow.
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