Canon Replaces Aging EOS 7D

2014.09.16

There is a new flagship DSLR in the Canon APS-C lineup. It replaces the Canon EOS 7D which is the second oldest non-discontinued digital camera. First place goes to the 2008 Nikon D3X, while the 7D was introduced in 2009. It did not take long for Canon users to ask for an update to one of the best sport-oriented APS-C cameras. The combination of fast 8 FPS drive and extended reach via the 1.6X focal-length-multiplier, made it highly desirable for capturing spectator sports.

The new Canon EOS 7D Mark II delivers the next level of advanced sports capabilities with its unique 65-point all-cross-type Phase-Detect AF sensor and a very fast 10 FPS drive. It has an incredibly deep buffer to support it, up to 1090 JPEG images or 31 RAW files in a single burst. This of course requires a fast card which the 7D Mark II supports as UDMA7 Compact-Flash or USD-1 SDXC cards.

The 7D Mark II features the same Dual-Pixel AF CMOS sensor, first seen in the 70D intermediate camera, which offers Phase-Detect AF in Live-View and Video mode over 80% of the image-area. The sensor is made of 40 million paired photo-sites paired to offer 20 megapixels of resolution. It has a high standard sensitivity range of 100-16,000, expandable to 51,200. As expected for a camera of this class, the 7D Mark II can reach 1/8000s shutter-speeds, supports timed exposures up to 30s and longer Bulb exposures.

The design of the Canon 7D Mark II will be instantly familiar to Canon photographers, with a layout very close to the EOS 5D Mark III reviewed here which is evolved from the original 7D. The body is full weather-sealed and includes a bright 1X maginification 100% coverage viewfinder.

This new professional DSLR is expected in Novermber for a suggested retail price of $1799 USD or $1899 CDN. Those wanting one soon should pre-order it from Adorama or B&H Photo.

• Digital Camera
• Photokina