Sensor 22.3 × 14.9 mm CMOS | ||
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Type Digital single-lens reflex camera Lens Interchangeable (EF, EF-S) Maximum resolution 5,184 × 3,456 (17.9 recorded megapixels) ASA/ISO range 100–6400 (expansion up to 12,800) Storage CompactFlash (CF) (Type I or Type II) | ||
The Canon EOS 7D is a semi-professional cropped sensor digital single-lens reflex camera made by Canon. It was announced on 1 September 2009 with a suggested retail price of US$1,699. Among its features are an 18.0 effective megapixel CMOS sensor, HD video recording, its 8.0 frames per second continuous shooting, new viewfinder which offers 1.0X magnification and 100% coverage, 19-point auto-focus system, movie mode, and built-in Speedlite transmitter.
Contents
- Features
- Autofocus and metering
- Shutter
- Ergonomics
- Speed
- Firmware updates
- Accessories
- Awards
- Video
- References
The 7D remained in Canon's model lineup without replacement for slightly more than five years—the longest product cycle for any EOS digital camera. Its successor was the Canon EOS 7D Mark II, announced on 15 September 2014.
Features
Autofocus and metering
The 7D has 19 autofocus points arranged in a horizontal diamond pattern. The AF system is a new design which uses a translucent LCD display in the viewfinder. The camera uses TTL 63 zone color sensitive metering system with four variations (evaluative, center-weighted, partial, spot) and exposure compensation of −5 EV to +5 EV in steps of 1/3 EV (±3 EV visible in the viewfinder and top screen, ±5 EV visible on the back screen). E-TTL II flash metering is provided. The translucent LCD can also display guide lines and the spot metering area circle. As with most other video-capable DSLRs, the Canon EOS 7D’s autofocusing function does not work while recording video. Instead, users can only trigger a contrast-detect AF cycle before recording process by hitting the AF button on the camera's rear panel. Users can manually focus the lens during a recording.
Shutter
The shutter is rated to 150,000 shots, and is capable of speeds up to 1/8000 sec, with a flash sync speed of 1/250 sec.
Ergonomics
The 7D has roughly the same dimension as the older 5D Mark II with an updated button layout. It also features a 100% viewfinder with 1x magnification.
The 7D was the first Canon camera with a dedicated movie mode switch, instead of movie recording being done in live view as with the 5D Mark II and 500D.
Speed
The 7D has dual DIGIC 4 processors and can reach 8 frames per second continuous shooting. When the camera was first released, the buffer throughput allowed up to 94 frames in large fine JPEG mode, and up to 15 frames in RAW. Firmware upgrades, most recently in August 2012 (see immediately below), have increased the maximum buffer size to 130 large fine JPEGs and 25 RAW files.
Firmware updates
On 6 August 2012, new firmware v2.0 was released with the following enhancements:
On 12 September 2012, Canon introduced the v2.0.3 firmware update with the following changes:
On 2 December 2013, Canon introduced the v2.0.5 firmware update with the following changes:
On 13 December 2016, Canon introduced the v2.0.6 firmware update with the following changes:
Accessories
According to Canon's website, the EOS 7D model comes equipped with:
Awards
The Canon EOS 7D won the 2010–2011 European Advanced SLR Camera and the Technical Image Press Association Best DSLR Expert awards.
Video
The Canon EOS 7D offers the ability to record audio from an external source. Both shutter and aperture are available for manual control, and the 7D also provides multiple frame rate options, including three that match the HD television timing specs. Like most DSLR modes, the Canon 7D neglects endless autofocus during video recording, which is a great concern for advanced amateurs with pros likely to focus manually nonetheless. Separate movie clips that are captured by the Canon EOS 7D are limited to twelve minutes in the high definition 1080p and 720p modes, or 24 minutes in the standard definition VGA mode, depending on what Compact Flash Card is being used. Larger memory cards make for longer video lengths and are available in multiple sizes for the camera.
The Canon 7D has acquired significance in the independent filmmaking world as an affordable alternative to digital cinema cameras. The camera was used on the feature films Stanley Ka Dabba and Vazhakku Enn 18/9, and on television in the opening title sequence of the 2009 season of Saturday Night Live.