Canon 7D MkII 24MP Full Frame DSLR Replacement to Canon 60D and Canon 7D... NO Canon 70D

Rumor has it that there will be a Canon 7D MkII 24MP Full Frame DSLR Replacement to the Canon 60D and the Canon 7D... NO Canon 70D Coming! Here's my take on it...

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Upgrade to Canon 7D or Switch to Nikon D7000 - Viewer Question

Upgrade to Canon 7D or Switch to Nikon D7000 - Viewer Question

Sony Alpha 580 Beats Canon 60D and Canon 7D on DXOMark

Wow! Sony is really coming up in the ranks! The Sony Alpha 580 Beats both the Canon 60D and Canon 7D DSLR digital cameras on DXOMark.

Click play on the video above to watch.



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Canon 60D Wedding and PJ Lens Kit (for APS-C Canon DSLR Digital Cameras 550D T2i 600D T3i 60D 7D)

Lens recommendations for building a Wedding and Photo Journalism Lens Kit for the crop sensor APS-C Canon DSLR digital cameras like the Canon 550D T2i, 600D T3i, 60D, and 7D.

Canon 60D Portrait Lens Kit (for APS-C Crop Sensor Canon DSLR 550D T2i 600D T3i 7D 50D 40D)

Building a Portrait Lens Kit for the Canon 60D, Canon T2i 550D, Canon T3i 600D, Canon 50D, or the Canon 7D (or any of the Canon crop sensor 1.6X APS-C DSLR digital cameras).

Click play on the video above to watch.







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Canon 60D Video Lens Kit (for APS-C Crop Sensor Canon DSLR 550D T2i 600D T3i 7D 50D

Building a Video Lens Kit for the Canon APS-C DSLR Digital Cameras including the Canon 60D, Canon 550D, Canon 600D, Canon 50D, or the Canon 7D.

Click play on the video above to watch.





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Pick a Canon Digital Camera for Life - Canon 550D T2i 600D T3i 60D 7D 5D MkII 1D MkIV 1Ds MkIII

We did a video on picking a Nikon DSLR for the rest of your life, so of course we need to do the Canon side. So, if you had to pick a Canon DSLR to last you the rest of your life, what would it be? The Canon 550D, the Canon 600D, the Canon 7D the Canon 5D MkII, the Canon 1D MkIV, or the Canon 1DS MkIII?

Click play on the video above to watch.



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Nikon D7000 vs Canon 7D - Which One Should I Buy?

One of our viewers left a comment asking which DSLR he should buy... the Nikon D7000 or the Canon 7D. Here's a run-down of the two to help you decide. Hint, hint... the Nikon D7000 and the Canon 7D are closer than you might think.

Canon 550D T2i vs Canon 600D T3i vs Canon 60D vs Canon 7D: How to Choose Which DSLR to Buy

The Canon DSLR digital camera line-up has gotten even more crowded with the addition of the new Canon 600D T3i. Here's a run-down of how to choose between the Canon 550D T2i, the Canon 600D T3i, the Canon 60D, and the Canon 7D.

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Re-Evaluating The Canon 7D

I, like many others, was sure the Canon 7D was going to be a Full Frame DSLR, and consequently, was very disappointed when Canon made the 7D announcement, and we found it wasn't.

Since then, I've had some discussions about the 7D with some of my fellow photographer friends, and despite the 7D not being full frame, I can see how Canon was smart to come out with a DSLR with the features, specs, and price point of the 7D.

Still not sure I agree with it being called a 7D, but my friend Peter Gregg, the inventor of A Better Bounce Card, told me where he felt the Canon DSLR line was going, and where the Canon 7D fit in, and Peter's reasoning made a lot of sense.

As regular readers know, I initially felt the Canon 7D was little more than a 50D update, and while the case for that argument could still be made, I think Peter's logic rings a truer chord.

Peter feels the 7D is aimed squarely at the Nikon D300s, and as such, with the 7D's new focusing system, dual digic processors, and other new features, needed to be differentiated as a DSLR that sits above the XXD line of Canon DSLRs.

Myself, I used to shoot a pair of the Canon XXD line (20D's, 30D's, and 40D's) before switching back over to Nikon when the Nikon D300 came out, so I was still looking at it as Canon 50D versus Nikon D300 in the respective lineups.

The point is that the Nikon D300 was never really a fair comparison against the Canon 50D. The D300 has a tougher, more rugged, PRO body, the top of the line, industry leading Nikon 51 point auto focus system (same one its big brothers, the Nikon D3, Nikon D3X, and Nikon D700 have), and is a much more fully featured camera than the Canon 50D. Not really apples to apples .

Enter the Canon 7D.

The 7D is a much more equal competitor to the Nikon D300, now the Nikon D300s. The 7D more closely matches the specs and build of the D300s, and while it remains to be seen if the 7D's new auto focus system is an improvement over the flawed auto focus system of the 5D MkII, 50D, and the rest of the Canon sub 1D lineup, it is definitely a step in the right direction. I really hope it resolves all the Canon auto focus issues and is a truly first class auto focus system.

As far as the 7D's sensor is concerned, I still have my doubts that the megapixel increase was a smart way to go, but Peter tells me that high ISO images he's seen from the Canon 7D look good in print, if not at 100% pixel peeping magnification. If he's right, then Canon has really worked some magic with the 7D's dual digic IV processors, as the Canon 50D's 15 megapixel sensor didn't hold up to the rest of the competition in terms of image quality. Canon has a long history of making sensors with excellent high ISO, so let's hope that they have hit a home run with this new 18 megapixel crop sensor.

So basically, we have the 7D against the D300s in the two camera makers lineups. The XXD lineup, if Canon chooses to continue with it, will be the competition for Nikon's D90 level DSLR. Looking at it this way, I see how Canon's introduction of the Canon 7D as a crop sensor DSLR makes more sense. The XXD lineup goes head to head with the D90, and the Canon Rebel lineup competes with the Nikon DSLR's below the D90 like the D5000 and D3000.

I look forward to seeing more real life images from the Canon 7D, as well as getting my hands on one to do some shooting with it myself. If you've already had a chance to shoot the 7D or are lucky enough to own one already, leave us a comment and tell us what you think!

Canon 7D - A Sad Day For Canon Shooters - No Full Frame, Just An Updated 50D

Well... I was wrong, and Canon is stupid. (maybe not... read my latest article, Re-Evaluating the Canon 7D).

The Canon 7D has been announced. Ba da bum ba da bing... thummmppp :-(

Big Raspberry to Canon! BIG BIG BIG Raspberry.

Why on earth did they release what is essentially a 50D upgrade and call it the 7D?

Canon had a great chance here to make a stir... cause some waves... rock the boat...

But no, they dropped the ball. The 7D is no full frame DSLR. It's just an update to the Canon 50D with a new name attached.

The one (POSSIBLY) good thing about the new Canon 7D is the new auto focus system. I say possibly because it remains to be seen if it's an improvement on the existing one, or if it'll be worse, like the 1D MkIII was. Hopefully, it'll be a BIG improvement, as Canon shooters deserve an auto focus system that works, unlike the 5D MkII.

I'm really disappointed that they not only made the 7D a crop sensor DSLR, but that they crammed another 3 megapixels into it too.

Remember when Canon announced the 50D and claimed it had better high ISO? And then we saw the images, and it was painfully obvious that the 50D most certainly did not have better high ISO.

Remember looking at the high ISO from the 40D and the Nikon D300 and seeing how much better it was than the Canon 50D? (If you don't remember, here's a refresh from over at DPReview.)

Well, I have little hope that the Canon 7D will have better high ISO ability than even the 50D (which isn't saying much), let alone the 40D. Of course it's possible I'm wrong. I was wrong about the 7D being full frame (again... Stupid Canon, just really stupid).

Why, Canon? Why? Oh, the inhumanity of it all.

On the plus side, Nikon's much anticipated D700X will DEFINITELY be a full frame DSLR.

More on the Canon 7D...

Re-Evaluating the Canon 7D

Canon EOS 7D - One Flickr Users Canon 7D PipeDream

Why The Canon 7D Will Be A Full Frame DSLR

There's been talk online that the coming Canon 7D will have a 1.6X sensor.

Here's the 7D specs I've seen quoted for such a camera.

Canon EOS 7D
1.6x crop format
-18mp
- dual digic 4
- 8 fps
- 19 af points (all cross type)
- ISO 100-6400 (L & H1 & H2)
- 63 metering zones
- 100% viewfinder
- Horizon Help Viewfinder
- 3″ VGA LCD
- FullHD Video
- Built in Flash Master

There's a few reasons this just isn't going to happen.

First of all, this sounds an awful lot like what the 60D will be, doesn't it? So unless Canon is just starting a new naming system for their XXD line of DSLRs, this certainly won't be what the Canon 7D is going to look like.

Granted, the above specs sound like a great Canon DSLR, and I do think you'll see one released pretty much as per these specs, but it'll be the Canon 60D, not the 7D.

The Canon 7D needs to be a full frame DSLR. Nikon has positioned itself nicely in the full frame DSLR market with its two sets of full frame siblings, the D3 and the D700, and the D3X and the coming D700X. Canon needs a full frame DSLR that sits below the 5D MkII in their lineup.

When the Canon 1D MkIV and the Canon 1Ds MkIV come out, Canon will then have four full frame DSLRs in their lineup, with the 7D and the 5D MkII rounding out the team. At the moment, strangely enough, Canon is lagging behind Nikon in their full frame DSLR offerings. I don't expect them to leave that alone for long, and the Canon 7D is going to fill in that hole nicely for them.

These are exciting times folks! Never have we had so many great options to choose from! With Sony fighting hard with the introduction of their Sony Alpha A850, full frame, 25 MP DSLR at around $2000 (check out Michael Reichmann's great Alpha 850 review over at Luminous Landscape), the full frame DSLR market is heating up.

**Update: Well, I was wrong and Canon is stupid. The Canon 7D has been announced, and there's no full frame, just an updated 50D. :-( **

More on the Canon 7D...

Re-Evaluating the Canon 7D

Will the Canon 7D Be Able To Take On The Nikon D700X?

Canon EOS 7D - One Flickr Users Canon 7D PipeDream

Canon EOS 7D - Why Most Of The Canon 7D Specs Are Wrong

Canon EOS 7D - Will We Be Seeing a Canon 7D in September?

Will The Canon 7D Be Able To Take On The Nikon D700X?

With all the talk of a Canon 7D coming soon, the obvious question is which Nikon DSLR will it be head to head against.

It's unlikely the 7D will be a competitor to the coming Nikon D700X as all indicators so far point to the 7D being either a 12 megapixel or 16 to 18 megapixel (my guess) DSLR. That puts the Canon 7D up against the Nikon D700, or in between the D700 and the D700X, depending on what how many megapixels the 7D sensor ends up being.

That'll be an interesting fight either way, as I don't expect the 7D to be of the same professional caliber build of the D700 and D700X. The Canon 7D will most likely be a 5D MkII / 50D type DSLR, neither of which is on par with the D700 or D700X.

So, the Canon 7D will be an interesting competitor. The 7D is expected to be under $2K, so that gives it a real price advantage over any full frame DSLR on the market, but one can't underestimate the alure of the build quality and feature sets on the D700 and D700X.

I suspect the Canon 7D will be a great seller for Canon regardless, but it likely won't be pulling any Nikon shooters off the Nikon team the way the D700 has been winning over Canon shooters. The 7D may help stop the exodus of Canon shooters to Nikon though, which will be especially fortuitous timing with the Nikon D700X rumored to be coming soon.

Like the Nikon D700 and coming D700X, the Canon 7D will have no real direct competition. Unless Nikon unveils a stripped down FX full frame DSLR before the end of the year, the 7D will enjoy an uncontested position in the DSLR market.

These are interesting times in the world of photography my friends!

**Update: Well, I was wrong and Canon is stupid. The Canon 7D has been announced, and there's no full frame, just an updated 50D. The 7D is DEFINITELY NO Competition for the D700X**

Related articles...

Re-Evaluating the Canon 7D

Canon EOS 7D - One Flickr Users Canon 7D PipeDream

Canon EOS 7D - Why Most Of The Canon 7D Specs Are Wrong

Canon EOS 7D - Will We Be Seeing a Canon 7D in September?

Uncle Bob Leaks TOP SECRET Info On The Nikon D700X

Nikon D700X Replacement For The D700?

Uncle Bob's Top 5 Reasons To Buy A Canon 7D

Reason #5 to Buy a Canon 7D - Your Canon 5D MkII only focuses properly about 25% of the time, so you're hoping the Canon 7D will have a focus system that works.

Reason #4 to Buy a Canon 7D - You can't afford a Canon 5D MkII and you want a full frame Canon DSLR because it'll make you a better photographer.

Reason #3 to Buy a Canon 7D - You don't like the 1D and 1Ds series DSLR cameras because they're too heavy, their names are too long, and they cost WAY too much money.

Reason #2 to Buy a Canon 7D - The 7D will be the new Canon DSLR high ISO King. If you like to take naked pictures of your wife in the dark while she's sleeping without using any lighting so you don't wake her up, you're going to want the 7D.

Reason #1 to Buy a Canon 7D - Seven is two more than five. Seven tenths is more than five tenths. If Canon named the 5D MkII after the fact that five out of ten times you'll get a sharp photo, then it stands to reason that the 7D will give you a sharp photo seven out of ten times. That's two tenths more reason to buy a Canon 7D over a 5D MkII.

See you next Monday,
Uncle Bob.



Canon EOS 7D - One Flickr Users Canon 7D PipeDream

Canon EOS 7D - Why Most Of The Canon 7D Specs Are Wrong

Canon EOS 7D - Will We Be Seeing a Canon 7D in September?

Canon EOS 7D - One Flickr Users Canon 7D Pipedream

As most DSLR shooters know, we may be seeing a Canon 7D this September.

One excited Flickr member has written an amusing article on the coming 7D, claiming to have a source at Canon R&D that has given him the inside scoop on the Canon 7D specs. While it's an amusing read, it's obviously meant to be funny and not factual. If the 7D had half the features that the article claims, EVERYONE would buy one!

For starters, JMark (the Flickr member who wrote the Canon 7D article), says the new Canon 7D will have Universal Vibration Reduction, or uVR. JMark says uVR is basically in-camera image stabilization and that it provides a "10 stop advantage" when shooting. Wow! 10 Stops! And here I thought 4 stops with Nikon VR or Canon IS was great! Canon has really had their R&D boffins hard at work to make such a HUGE improvement in image stabilization on the Canon 7D.

JMark's description of the new 7D's shooting modes is amusing, if not confusing. You'll have to read it for yourself, as I'm not even going to try to describe it.

Even more revolutionary, according to JMark, the Canon 7D will have Photoshop built right in! Imagine, no more computer time spent working on photos! You just press a button on your 7D and do the editing right in camera. Incredible! The Canon 7D will truly shake up the industry if JMark is correct about this feature! (although I wouldn't hold your breath :-)

I chuckled even more when I read JMark's paragraph on the new built-in songs that the Canon 7D will have. Apparently, we need some tunes to listen to while we're shooting, and the Canon 7D will have 5 to choose from! Who needs an iPod or iPhone for tunes when our trusty 7D can play music for us?

The new Canon MindProbe technology on the Canon 7D is even more incredible! JMark says the 7D will scan your brain and know when you are about to take a picture so that by the time "you actually press the shutter, the 7D has already captured 3 images (or 6 in GTI mode)." Wow! No more shutter lag. Way to go Canon!

And check out the memory storage. JMark says the Canon 7D has no less than 10 types of memory slots or storage, including the ever popular high speed paper tape and punch cards. We'll never have an excuse again for losing an image. Just another feature that will make the Canon 7D a truly revolutionary DSLR!

And last, but certainly not least, the 7D will be sporting an entirely new remote trigger system. This could be the most exciting feature of the Canon 7D. You'll be able to trigger your 7D from anywhere thanks to "a series of satellites in orbit that are dedicated to receiving wireless remote signals from users anywhere on the planet." Truly incredible.

I wonder if JMark is related to Uncle Bob, our ever popular Monday columist?

In any case, check out JMark's article for an amusing read on the coming Canon 7D. Pipedream? Maybe. Amusing? Certainly.

Me, I'm going to see if I can find a Canon 7D pre-order page at B&H. :)

More on the Canon 7D...

Re-Evaluating the Canon 7D

Canon EOS 7D - One Flickr Users Canon 7D PipeDream

Canon EOS 5D MkII Autofocus: Unhappy 5D MkII Users Speak Out

Canon EOS 7D - Why Most Of The Canon 7D Specs Are Wrong

So, with the Canon 7D rumors heating up, I got to talking with one of my photographer friends about what the 7D specs will be.

Here's the Canon 7D specs that are prevalent online.

EOS 7D
12.1mp Full Frame
DIGIC IV
3″ OLED
ISO 100-25,600
3.9fps

I agree that the 7D will likely be full frame, but I doubt the Canon 7D will be 12.1 megapixels. Canon is going to want to one up the Nikon D3 and the Nikon D700 by giving the 7D a higher megapixel sensor AND cleaner high ISO. I'm guessing the Canon 7D will have a 16 to 18 megapixel sensor, at least on par with the Nikon D3 and D700 for high ISO.

Digic IV on a Canon 7D is a given. Why would they backstep to older technology as this DPReview poster says in his post on the 7D? It's more likely they'd use the 7D to introduce a new Digic V than it is for the 7D to have Digic III.

3" OLED... yeah, yeah. Pretty standard now. The Canon 7D will have one.

3.9fps depends on the sensor size. If the rumors are right, and the Canon 7D has a 12.1 megapixel sensor, then I think 3.9fps is low. I'd say 5 or 6fps if the 7D has a 12.1 megapixel sensor. If I'm right, and the Canon 7D has a 16 to 18 megapixel sensor, then sure, 3.9fps for the 7D sounds about right. Still might be higher though. :)

Now what about video? Will the Canon 7D have video or will they leave the video feature off the 7D as a way to keep the cost down and differentiate the 7D from the 5D MkII? Tough call. I know one thing. I'd gladly give up video on the Canon 7D if I can have a 16 to 18 megapixel sensor that's as clean as the Nikon D3 and D700.

The body of a Canon 7D will likely be similar to a 5D MkII or Canon 50D. Not 1D or 1Ds class, but solid enough for most shooters. I'm ok with that.

My big question, and Peter Gregg's as well, is if Canon will have a solid autofocus sytem in the new Canon DSLR cameras like the Canon 1D MkIV, Canon 7D, and Canon 60D. Canon really can't take another big screw-up like their 1D MkIII, so let's hope so!

More on the Canon 7D...

Re-Evaluating the Canon 7D

Canon EOS 7D - One Flickr Users Canon 7D PipeDream

Having focus problems with your 5D MkII? You're not alone!

Canon EOS 5D MkII Autofocus: Unhappy 5D MkII Users Speak Out

Canon EOS 7D - Will We Be Seeing A Canon 7D In September?

The Canon 7D rumors are heating up online.

iPodNN has reported a Canon representative as saying a Canon 7D will be out in September 1st launch (presumably 2009). Furthermore, the rep said the Canon 7D body would be $2700.00. Now if that's $2700 USD, that's way more than we've been hearing on the rumor mill that a 7D will cost. $1899 was the figure that comes to mind when I recall what I've read about the Canon 7D.

Engadget is reporting a similar Canon 7D rumor. They've also got the price at $2700 for the Canon 7D body only. Supposedly, these prices are based on a listing for the Canon 7D in the retailer Best Buy's pricing system.

Canon Rumors has the same Best Buy Canon 7D info too. In another Canon 7D post, a reader sends in the supposed specs of the Canon 7D.

EOS 7D
12.1mp Full Frame
DIGIC IV
3″ OLED
ISO 100-25,600 (Probably a 50ISO L Setting)
3.9fps

DPRreview has a forum post listing out the specs on the Canon 7D, although the fact that the writer says it has Digic III seems to imply he's full of beans. He also says that the Canon 7D will be a 12 megapixel full frame DSLR. The full frame is probably a given. The 12 megapixels I doubt. I think it's more likely Canon will go 16 to 18 megapixels if they release a Canon 7D.

CrunchGear has a similar post about the Best Buy Canon 7D pricing, and they too show the Canon 7D image that's floating around the web. Whether it's real or not is anybody's guess.

The big question will be how a Canon 7D fits into a new Canon DSLR lineup. Most people seem to agree the 7D will be below the 5D MkII in the Canon lineup, making it a more economical full frame DSLR.

With the Canon 1D MKIV also anticipated this year, the release of a Canon 7D makes one wonder what the 1D MkIV will be like. Some say the 1D MkIV will continue with the 1.3X crop sensor, and others argue it will go full frame. Myself, I don't really see the point in continuing the 1.3X crop sensor. If it's for sports shooters, just give them an in-camera crop like the D3 has.

Regardless, if a Canon 7D is announced on September 1st, it will shake up the DSLR camera market yet again. Be interesting to see if it has any effect on the much anticipated Nikon D700X?

More on the 7D...

Re-Evaluating the Canon 7D

Canon EOS 7D - One Flickr Users Canon 7D PipeDream