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?

Canon G10 Unboxing & Why I Bought A Canon G10

I wanted to share the excitement of unboxing my new Canon G10 so I made a quick video from the webcam on my laptop. Who doesn't love opening up a new digital camera!

Many of you will probably be asking yourself why I bought a new Canon G10 when the Canon G11 has just been announced, and there's a few reasons.

First, I got a good deal on my G10. If you've been on the fence about buying a Canon G10, now is a great time to buy one as the price has dropped due to the Canon G11 announcement.

Second, I've been meaning to pick up a Canon G10 for a while now. There are lots of times that I don't want to haul out my Nikon D300 and all the accompanying gear, but I still want to take a good picture. The G10 is perhaps the best little compact digital camera out there for getting you as close to shooting with a DSLR without actually shooting with one. The G10 picture quality is incredible, and the camera is a pleasure to shoot with.

Third, I want to compare the G10 against the new Canon G11 when it comes out. As long as my wife doesn't catch me (just kidding), I'm going to buy a G11 when they hit the stores, and then I'm going to do an in-depth comparison of the two including image quality, high ISO, ergonomics, features, etc.

So tune in for upcoming articles on the G10, AND the G11 as soon I can get my hands on one.


Relevant and related...

Developing Canon G10 RAW - Lightroom vs Canon DPP

Shooting the G10 at ISO 800 and ISO 1600

Closeup Pics Using Macro Mode On the Canon G10

Mrs. Ballard Shoots The Canon G10 - Straight Out Of Camera Jpegs

Shooting the Canon G10 With An SB-26 Off Camera Flash

Canon G10 Unboxing & Why I Bought A Canon G10

5 Reasons To Sell Your Canon G10 And Buy A G11

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 G10 Powershot - 5 Reasons to Sell Your Canon G10 And Buy A G11

Canon announced the new Canon Powershot G11 a couple of days ago on August 19, 2009.



In their press release they refer to the G11 as "the successor to the multi award-winning PowerShot G10 - the favourite compact of professional photographers and photoagencies the world over."



I'd have to say I totally agree with Canon's description of the venerable little Canon G10. The G10 is pretty much alone in the crowd, as far as compact digital cameras go. No other compact offers up such a sweet blend of features, build quality, image quality, and loveability as the Canon G10.

The question now is, will the Canon G11 measure up? Will it truly be a successor as Canon calls it or will G10 owners be better off keeping their wonderful little G10's and not bothering with the newer G11?

Here's 5 Reasons to Sell Your Canon G10 and buy the new G11.

1. The G11 is newer than the Canon G10. It'll have better image processing and be capable of delivering a better quality image, especially at high ISO.

2. The G11 will be better at shooting in dim lighting at high ISO than the Canon G10. Canon is claiming the G11 will be up to 2 stops better at high ISO, compared to the G10. Considering most of the kind of images you would shoot with either the Canon G10 or the Canon G11 will be ones that benefit from being able to use a higher ISO, this is a clear advantage of the G11 over the Canon G10.

3. The resale price of your G10 will only go down once the G11 is available. In fact, if you can live without it until the G11 is available, sell your Canon G10 now and get the most you can for it. It'll make the cost of upgrading less painful. :-)

4. The G11 will be the compact digital camera to have. If you want to be part of the "IN" crowd, then you should sell your Canon G10 and buy a G11. Of course, I'm being a little tongue in cheek here, but if you're like me and love new gadgets, there is something to this point.

5. If you sell your G10 now for top dollar, and you buy the Canon G11, you'll have minimized your upgrade costs as I mentioned in reason #3. If you end up not liking the G11 as much as you liked your Canon G10, you can always sell your G11 for top dollar, and buy another new, used, or re-conditioned G10, almost certainly for less than you were able to sell your first Canon G10 for. You win either way.

So there's my 5 Reasons to Sell Your Canon G10 and Buy a G11. Of course, you may just want to keep your G10 and buy the G11 anyways. You can convince the wife this is a good idea by telling her she can use one of them for herself. You'll get your new G11, get to keep your beloved G10, and you'll have scored points with the Mrs. Perfect scenario! :-)




More on the Canon G10...

Developing Canon G10 RAW - Lightroom vs Canon DPP

Shooting the G10 at ISO 800 and ISO 1600

Closeup Pics Using Macro Mode On the Canon G10

Mrs. Ballard Shoots The Canon G10 - Straight Out Of Camera Jpegs

Shooting the Canon G10 With An SB-26 Off Camera Flash

Canon G10 Unboxing & Why I Bought A Canon G10

5 Reasons To Sell Your Canon G10 And Buy A G11

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