Out and About with the Canon 7D
I decided to purchase the new 7D as part of a keeping up with the new digital slr technology from Canon, particularly the auto focus.Personally, I've never experienced the auto focus issues that seem to have beset the 1DMK3 since its launch but with its replacement imminent and the ever inceasing number of pixels I have decided to use a 1D MK4 as my primary camera and the 7D as the back up. So it was out to Parkgate on the Wirral in the freezing cold to give the 7D its first run out.
First Impressions
With the battery grip attached the camera felt just like a 1 series. With big telephoto lenses to be attached it needs the battery grip to balance the combination correctly. Having used a 1 series for years the camera is easy to set up, with some of the 1 series custom functions finding their way into the 7D. The biggest and most obvious change is that to the AF. The introduction of spot AF and zonal AF seem excellent improvements. What really surprised me was that each of the 19 cross type sensors were active for apertures upto f5.6, and, in addition, the centre holding a further diagonal sensor at f2.8. At this stage,and not having been lucky enough to test a 1DMK4, it seems odd that Canon would offer cross type sensitivity to f5.6 on the 7D but only on f2.8 lenses with the 1DMK4 (centre point excepted).
The new auto focus
For me the key in using Canon digital slr's is knowing how to set them up and the 7D is no different. While tracking a Marsh Harrier with zonal AF, one of the AF points consistently moved off subject to foreground reeds etc. Moving to single point centre AF soon remedied this with the AF tracking fine. The spot AF seems a superb addition and while difficult to use of an object of erratic movement it was excellent in capturing a hovering Kestrel.
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I took the 7D to Wales and into the low flying area. This is very demanding photography with little warning of approaching jets, challenging light, buffeting winds and subjects travelling at 3/400 mph at 250ft. Again the 7D coped well but no better than I have seen from my 1DMK3 and 1DsMK3. That said while I was surprised to lose some shots where the AF point was right in the middle of the aircraft, those it did acquire were bitingly sharp. I will need to test the zonal AF and all 19 AF points active on a future visit as I only used centre AF, and centre with assist points active.
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The new screen
This is just a massive improvement on anything from Canon I have used to date. Canon have really let themselves down over recent years in the poor quality of the rear LCD when compared to the Nikon screens, thankfully they've caught up with a screen that offers excellent in the field view of the acqired subject.
custom functions
- CF Group 1 - Exposure - Straightforward.
- CF Group 2 - Image
- There are only 3 and I have them turned off or disabled.
- CF Group 3 - Autofocus/Drive
- 1 - set to Slow, or one mark above Slow.
- 2 - 0
- 3 - 1
- 4 - 0
- 5 - 0
- 6 - Registered all Options
- 7 - 0 (I need to try this at 1)
- 8 - 0
- 9 - 0
- 10 - 0
- 11 - 0
- 12 - 0
- 13 - 0