In summary
Positioned as the flagship model in Canon’s cropped-sensor DSLR line-up, the 7D II will suit serious enthusiasts and professional photographers who can benefit from the smaller sensor format. These include sports and wildlife photographers who can benefit from the 1.6x crop factor extension in focal length, particularly when applied to telephoto lenses.
The sophisticated ““ and significantly improved ““ autofocusing system will appeal to these photographers, as will the improved weatherproofing of the camera body.
Other relevant improvements include the shutter mechanism, which is now rated for 200,000 actuations plus extensions to video recording capabilities.
Full coverage of the new features included in the camera is provided in our detailed Canon EOS 7D Mark II First Look.
One addition we didn’t report upon in our First Look was the intervalometer, a function users of Nikon DSLRs have enjoyed for some time. Users of the 7D II can now record time-lapse sequences without having to purchase add-on timer and triggering devices.
Full review
After publishing a detailed Canon EOS 7D Mark II First Look in September, we have now received a production unit. It was supplied with the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens, which we reviewed in July 2012. This report complements the initial review, adding comments about our experiences using the new camera plus the results of our standard tests. Use the links to jump between the two reports.
Angled view of the EOS 7D Mark II with the EF-S 15-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens that will be offered with the camera body. (Source: Canon.)
As discussed in our original report, the 20.2-megapixel EOS 7D Mark II provides almost all of the features a serious photographer might require ““ plus a few handy non-photographic functions. Its body is more rounded than the previous EOS 7D but supports a similar suite of button and dial controls, as shown in the different views of the camera below.
Front view of the EOS 7D Mark II with no lens fitted. (Source: Canon.)
Top view of the EOS 7D Mark II. (Source: Canon.)
Back view of the EOS 7D Mark II. (Source: Canon.)
The dual memory card slots are a ‘first’ for Canon in an APS-C DSLR and will be welcomed by photographers who shoot video or record high-speed still image bursts. With a top speed of 10 frames/second, this camera can produce a huge number of images in a very short time so the expandable shooting capacity plus the ability to write files can to both cards sequentially (for increased capacity) or simultaneously (for redundancy) are valuable. Fast cards are required to capitalise on the camera’s fast write speeds.
Who’s it For?
Positioned as the flagship model in Canon’s cropped-sensor DSLR line-up, the 7D II will suit serious enthusiasts and professional photographers who can benefit from the smaller sensor format. These include sports and wildlife photographers who can benefit from the 1.6x crop factor extension in focal length, particularly when applied to telephoto lenses.
The sophisticated ““ and significantly improved ““ autofocusing system will appeal to these photographers, as will the improved weatherproofing of the camera body. Other relevant improvements include the shutter mechanism, which is now rated for 200,000 actuations plus extensions to video recording capabilities.
Full coverage of the new features included in the camera is provided in our detailed First Look. One addition we didn’t report upon in our First Look was the intervalometer, a function users of Nikon DSLRs have enjoyed for some time. Users of the 7D II can now record time-lapse sequences without having to purchase add-on timer and triggering devices.
Handling
We’ve covered the physical design of the 7D II in our First Look. So in this section we will concentrate on its handling characteristics.
Slightly larger and heavier than the original EOS 7D, the Mark II is a relatively large and substantial camera with a decidedly ‘pro’ quality feel. In the hands it’s a lot like the EOS 5D Mark III, which is similar in size and weight but has a ‘full frame’ sensor.
The control layout is similar to the original 7D’s with a few adjustments, mostly on the rear panel, to improve access to various functions. The Q Menu button has been shifted just to the right of the monitor (as on the 5D III) and the Menu and Info buttons have been moved up to replace the Q Menu and RAW/JPEG buttons on the 7D, making way for new Rate and magnify buttons (see below). The lock switch has also been moved slightly to the right but remains below the touch pad.
There’s a new AF selection lever around the joystick multi-controller that lets you switch quickly between AF area modes. If you prefer using a specific AF area mode, this lever can be locked to prevent accidental changes. You can also assign one of 20 functions to this lever in the same way as the other button and dial controls can be customised.
On the left side of the monitor, the icon on the Picture Style button has been updated, since this button also accesses the multiple exposure and HDR settings. A new Auto setting has been added.
In playback mode, this button accesses the two-image display mode, which lets you compare selected images side-by-side. The magnified view, jump, protect, rate and delete functions are available in the two-image display mode but movie playback isn’t supported.
The Rate button below the Picture Style button enables users to quickly apply star ratings to images and movies during playback. Each time this button is pressed the rating jumps one increment, with between one and five star ratings available plus an option not to rate. Alternatively, this button can be used to protect images by selecting the Protect function option in the setup menu.
The Magnify button provides instant magnification of still images in playback mode from 1.5x to 10x. Simply press the button and use the dial to adjust the zoom. As usual, the joystick multi-controller can be used to scroll around the image.
On the top panel, the only change has been to the mode dial, with the removal of the CA (Creative Auto) setting. The Auto (green box) mode is replaced by a ‘Scene Intelligent Auto’ mode that includes scene recognition and is similar to this mode in entry-level EOS cameras. Portrait, nature/outdoor scene, movement and close subjects are identified and one of 29 icons will be displayed when shooting in Live View mode.
A new depth of field preview button has been added to the front panel between the grip moulding and the lower edge of the lens mount. It works by closing the iris diaphragm down to the selected aperture setting and is effective with the viewfinder and in Live View mode.
The 7D II is compatible with interchangeable focusing screens and comes with the Eh-S Super Precision Matte Focusing Screen, which is designed especially for the camera. Its fine microlens structure allows accurate manual focusing with fast lenses, even in low light levels.
Autofocusing
The 7D II’s 65-point autofocusing system is the most sophisticated in its class and based upon Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology, which was introduced in the EOS 70D. All points in the AF sensor array are cross-type points and the centre point supports dual cross-type focusing at f/2.8 in light levels down to EV-3, which makes the camera suitable for low-light shooting.
The new AF Mode Selection lever that surrounds the joystick on the rear panel lets users toggle through seven area selection modes, ranging from single point selection through to a wide area selection that takes in all AF points. In addition, the ‘Case’ settings introduced in the EOS-1D X, give users handy starting points for setting up the AF system for specific subject types plus the ability to customise settings to suit individual photographers’ preferences.
Canon has produced an excellent guidebook explaining how to use the 7D II’s AF system. We received a printed booklet with the review camera and highly recommend it. A PDF download can be accessed via the link within the ‘At a glance’ Advanced Autofocus section at
Sensor and Image Processing
Resolution-wise, there’s not much difference between the 20.2-megapixel CMOS sensor in the Mark II and the 18-megapixel chip in the original 7D. However, the new sensor is based on the Dual Pixel AF chip introduced in the EOS 70D (INSERT LINK), which is noteworthy for providing faster and more accurate focusing when shooting in Live View mode and smoother focusing for recording Full HD movies.
The dual pixel sensors cover approximately 80% of the image sensor’s effective pixels, both vertically and horizontally. In addition, each photosite in the array contains two independent photodiodes that produce separate signals that can be used for both imaging and the phase-difference AF, the latter providing faster, more accurate focusing for recording movie clips.
Dual DICIC 6 processors support continuous shooting at up to 10 frames/second (fps) and the buffer memory can accommodate up to 1090 Large/Fine JPEG images or 31 CR2.RAW frames. They also give the 7D II a native ISO range of ISO 100-16000 and support expansion to ISO 25600 for both still and movie recording and ISO 51,200 for still shooting only.
As expected, the 7D II supports both JPEG and CR2.RAW file capture, with three JPEG sizes and two compression levels available plus two new settings: S2 for images that will be displayed on a digital photo frame and S3 for images that will be emailed or posted on a website. Three RAW modes are provided, giving photographers greater flexibility for raw shooting. Any raw file size can be combined with any of the three main JPEG sizes and compression levels for RAW+JPEG capture for additional versatility. The table below provides a guide to typical file sizes.
|
Quality |
Pixels |
File size |
Maximum burst * |
|
|
JPEG |
Large/Fine |
5472 x 3648 |
6.6MB |
130 (1090) |
|
Large/Normal |
3.5MB |
2060 (2060) |
||
|
Medium/Fine |
3648 x 2432 |
3.6MB |
2000 (2000) |
|
|
Medium/Normal |
1.8MB |
3810 (3810) |
||
|
Small/Fine |
2736 x 1824 |
2.3MB |
3060 (3060) |
|
|
Small/Normal |
1.2MB |
5800 (5800) |
||
|
S2 |
1920 x 1280 |
1.3MB |
5240 (5240) |
|
|
S3 |
720 x 480 |
0.3MB |
20330 (20330) |
|
|
RAW |
RAW |
5472 x 3648 |
24.0MB |
24 (31) |
|
mRAW |
4104 x 2736 |
19.3MB |
28 (31) |
|
|
sRAW |
2736 x 1824 |
13.3MB |
35 (35) |
|
|
RAW+JPEG |
RAW/Large |
5472 x 3648 + 5472 x 3648 |
30.6MB |
18 (19) |
|
mRAW/Large |
3648 x 2432 + 5472 x 3648 |
25.9MB |
18 (19) |
|
|
sRAW/Large |
2592 x 1728 + 5472 x 3648 |
19.9MB |
18 (19) |
|
* Figures in brackets denote capacity with a 8GB UDMA 7 CF card, based upon Canon’s testing.
Video
Interestingly, Canon hasn’t offered higher (4K) resolution in the new camera which, like its predecessor, only supports Full HD (1080p), HD (720p) and VGA frame sizes. However, movie clips can be recorded in either MOV format with H.264 compression and linear PCM audio or MP4 format with AAC audio. As usual, Live View is required for shooting movies and fast, high-capacity memory cards are mandatory.
Users can now customise both the Movie Servo AF speed and tracking sensitivity to adjust transitions between scenes and provide more ‘professional’ pull-focus effects. Like the EOS 5D Mark III, the 7D II provides several compression options: ALL-I (for movies that will be edited), IPB Standard (for efficient use of storage capacity) and IPB Light.
IPB Light uses a lower bit rate to produce smaller files. It can only be selected in MP4 format, which is compatible with a wide range of playback systems. Typical recording times for the various movie settings are shown in the tables below.
|
MOV Format |
||||
|
Resolution |
Frame rate |
Compression |
File size |
Total recording time on 8GB card |
|
1920 x 1080 |
50p |
IPB |
440 MB/min |
17 minutes |
|
25p/24p |
ALL-I |
654 MB/min |
11 minutes |
|
|
25p/24p |
IPB |
225 MB/min |
33 minutes |
|
|
1280 x 720 |
50p |
ALL-I |
583 MB/min |
13 minutes |
|
50p |
IPB |
196 MB/min |
1 hour 17 minutes |
|
|
640 x 480 |
25p |
IPB |
75 MB/min |
3 hours 22 minutes |
|
MP4 Format |
||||
|
Resolution |
Frame rate |
Compression |
File size |
Total recording time on 8GB card |
|
1920 x 1080 |
50p |
IPB |
431 MB/min |
17 minutes |
|
25p/24p |
ALL-I |
645 MB/min |
11 minutes |
|
|
25p/24p |
IPB |
216 MB/min |
35 minutes |
|
|
25p |
IPB Light |
583 MB/min |
1 hour 26 minutes |
|
|
1280 x 720 |
50p |
ALL-I |
574 MB/min |
13 minutes |
|
50p |
IPB |
187 MB/min |
40 minutes |
|
|
25p |
IPB Light |
30 MB/min |
4 hours 10 minutes |
|
|
640 x 480 |
25p |
IPB |
66 MB/min |
1 hour 55 minutes |
|
IPB Light |
23 MB/min |
5 hours 26 minutes |
||
Movie recording will stop automatically if the file size reaches 4GB and a new movie file will be created, without otherwise interrupting the recording. This allows files to be combined in post-production with little or no loss of footage and enables users to gain longer recording times than the 4GB ‘legal’ limit required to keep the camera below the EU’s higher tax rate for video cameras.
The Auto, P, Tv, Av, M and B shooting modes are available for recording movies. In the Auto, P and B modes, the autoexposure controls will take account of the scene brightness and adjust exposure parameters accordingly.
ISO sensitivity is set automatically within ISO 100 and ISO 16000, although this can be expanded to ISO 25600 in the P, Av and B modes. Exposure compensation of +/- 3EV is available. In the Tv and M modes, shutter speeds can be set between 1/4000 second and either 1/30 second (for 30p, 25p and 24p frame rates) or 1/60 second (for 50p). If highlight tone priority is engaged, the available sensitivity contrasts to ISO 200-16000.
Final Image Simulation shows the effects of the Picture Style, white balance, exposure, depth of field, Auto Lighting Optimiser, highlight tone priority and lens correction settings on the monitor while the clips are being recorded. However, the electronic level cannot be displayed.
The camera’s built-in microphone records soundtracks monaurally but a 3.5 mm jack is provided for attaching an optional stereo mic. A second 3.5 mm jack (not provided on the original 7D) enables headphones to be connected for monitoring audio recordings. The camera’s menu provides both recording level and wind attenuation adjustments as well as a setting that switches each one off . Canon’s Silent Control is also available to reduce the noise produced when camera functions are adjusted during recordings.
A new Anti-flicker mode has been added to assist photographers who shoot under fluorescent lights. When enabled, it adjusts the shutter release to synchronise with the peak light output in the cycle and can work with 100Hz and 120Hz frequencies. In the default setting, the Anti-flicker mode is disabled but even then, the camera can detect flicker and display a warning in the viewfinder (but not in Live View mode, which locks the mirror up).
For all movie resolutions except 1920 x 1080 at 50p, still photos can be captured while recording a movie clip by pressing the shutter button. Resolution, quality and the card the image is stored upon can be set via the camera’s menu and the camera will record a RAW+JPEG pair of images if that has been set. Doing this creates a break of approximately one second in the movie recording.
What’s Missing?
Two surprising omissions in the EOS 7D II are Wi-Fi and 4K video recording, the former because wireless communication is virtually ubiquitous in modern cameras and the latter because Canon has hitherto been a pioneer in developing video capabilities. The lack of Wi-Fi limits the pro sports photographer’s ability to transmit files directly from the camera to a home base for instant publication.
Although an optional Wi-Fi transmitter is available and the SD slot accepts EyeFi cards, this could be a deal-breaker for some potential users. A wireless file transmitter (WFT-E7A) is available but it’s not listed on Canon Australia’s online store website and seems to be sold locally through video specialists. (Most USA online re-sellers have it listed among the EOS 7D II accessories.)
4K video is more of a ‘nice to have’ feature in a camera that is designed primarily for shooting stills. But it is becoming increasingly important for both sports and wedding photographers as broadcasters and clients are starting to demand higher-resolution movie clips. Additionally, the ability to grab frames from 4K movies and print them at A3 size could prove valuable for many wedding shooters and photojournalists.
Even photographers content with Full HD 1080p video will lament the lack of a zebra pattern display for evaluating exposure levels. A standard feature in all professional and semi professional video cameras, this handy aid is fast becoming mandatory for video shooters. It is provided in still cameras from Fujifilm, Nikon, Panasonic and Sony as well as Canon’s Cinema EOS cameras so it was definitely expected in the latest Canon DSLR.
Focus peaking displays are another missing item that many photographers have come to rely upon. Sony introduced this feature several years ago and most CSC manufacturers now provide it in their latest cameras, largely because it’s easy to implement in EVF displays. Users of traditional DSLRs with optical viewfinders are disadvantaged, although peaking displays could be provided for monitor screens.
Professional sports shooters and photojournalists who might otherwise have appreciated the advantages of the cropped sensor camera are also likely to miss the inclusion of a voice recorder for audio captioning of images. This feature lets photographers tag shots with details of the subject and aspects of the shot that will make editing and subsequent captioning easier.
Some bloggers have commented that a tilting, touch-screen monitor would be nice to have. That’s a decision each potential purchaser will prioritise on the basis of their needs. All truly professional cameras have fixed, non-touch-sensitive monitor screens so that precedent is already well established.
We’re ambivalent about the choice of the dual CompactFlash and SD card slots instead of dual SD slots, largely because the new UHS-I and UHS-II SDHC/SDXC formats can provide faster transfer speeds and greater reliability than CF. But CF still has a place and enables backward compatibility with the original 7D. Users can set the camera to record different file types to each card, which many will find convenient.
Performance
The first surprise we had was when the review camera was unable to find focus for out night test shots, regardless of which of the ‘case’ settings we used. The camera was tripod mounted and we centered the AF selection point on the brightest part of the scene (the window of a lit room). But even then, the boundary of the AF point remained red and the shutter would not fire.
The difference between having enough light to focus and not enough was fairly subtle; when the occupant of the house switched on an additional light in the hall, the boundary of the AF point turned green and the camera worked as expected.
We presume the AF system has been designed to suit moving subjects, rather than for extreme low-light usage. Test shots of Christmas lights after dark confirmed the camera simply required a bright enough light to find focus and was no slouch when conditions suited the system. In normal lighting, autofocusing was generally fast and accurate ““ and also consistently reliable. The shutter release was also noticeably quieter than the 7D’s.
Otherwise there were no surprises. Our standard Imatest tests showed the review camera came very close to meeting the resolution levels we expected from a 20-megapixel APS-C sensor for both JPEG and CR2.RAW files, with the latter delivering slightly higher resolution figures. (We are pretty sure a good prime lens could push resolution well beyond these levels.)
Resolution remained relatively high throughout the review camera’s sensitivity range with a gradual decline as sensitivity was increased. The graph below shows the results of our Imatest tests with the EF-S 18-135mm lens with both JPEG and CR2.RAW files.
Long exposures at night were almost noise-free up to ISO 6400, after which noise became increasingly visible. Applying long exposure noise-reduction processing made the noise a little less obvious without substantially softening the image.
The test camera’s flash performance was well above average, with consistent exposure levels across most of the sensitivity range. We found no evidence of vignetting in flash exposures with the supplied kit lens. With all ISO settings, the flash had sufficient power to produce correct and evenly-balanced exposures, although the effects of ambient lighting became apparent in flash shots from ISO 6400 on.
Overall, we noticed an incremental improvement in apparent image sharpness since the EOS 7D, with very little noise evident at ISO 6400. With or without noise-reduction processing, softening became apparent at ISO 12800 and was increasingly visible at ISO 25600 and ISO 51200, with colour noise evident at both the higher settings. We wouldn’t recommend using either setting unless there was no alternative for getting the shot.
Auto white balance performance was similar to other Canon DSLRs we’ve reviewed. Shots taken under incandescent lighting retained a warm cast, while shots taken with fluorescent and flash lighting were close to colour cast-free. The pre-sets for incandescent and fluorescent slightly over-corrected colours but the flash pre-set appeared to have little or no impact on the already natural colour balance delivered by the camera. Manual measurement delivered a neutral colour balance with all types of lighting and in-camera adjustments are provided for tweaking images as you shoot.
Movie clips were similar in quality to those from the EOS 5D Mark III and slightly better than clips recorded by the original 7D. However, although colours were accurately captured with the default settings, they lacked the impact of clips recorded by the Panasonic GH4, which is currently the top-performing still camera in the area of movie recording. Clips were also slightly soft when frames were magnified.
Magnification also revealed small differences between clips recorded with the ALL-I, IPB and IPB-Light compression settings, particularly between ALL-I and IPB-Light. Soundtracks recorded by the internal microphone were clearer and crisper than we expected from a monaural microphone.
Autofocusing in movie mode was noticeably faster and more accurate than with the original 7D, thanks, largely to the Dual-Pixel autofocus system. Hunting for focus on moving subjects was minimal. Enabling the Silent Control in the menu allowed us to adjust the recording level to ensure minimal effect on the recorded soundtracks. But it required use of the inner touch pad and disabled the surrounding dial control.
The review camera powered up ready to shoot in roughly 0.75 seconds, on average. We measured an average capture lag of 0.15 seconds when the viewfinder was used for shot composition and 0.2 seconds with Live View mode. In both cases, lag times were eliminated by pre-focusing.
Shot-to-shot times averaged 0.5 seconds when the viewfinder was used and 1.6 seconds with Live View mode. Using flash extended these times by a little more than It took 1.2 seconds, on average, to process a JPEG file, 2.3 seconds for each RAW file and 2.6 seconds for each RAW+JPEG pair.
For our burst capture timing tests we used a 32GB Kingston Ultimate 266x CompactFlash card. In the High-speed burst mode, we recorded a burst of 20 Large/Fine JPEG frames in two seconds, which equates to the specified ten frames/second. It took 8.8 seconds to process this burst.
Changing to raw file capture, we recorded a burst of 20 shots, also in two seconds, after which the capture rate slowed. It took 27.8 seconds to process this burst. For RAW+JPEG recording, the camera captured 18 frames in 1.8 seconds before the capture rate began to slow. It took 31.1 seconds to process this burst.
The in-built GPS system worked as expected. Provided the top of the camera had unobstructed access to the satellites it was able to locate than in less than a minute and acquire location data. We found using the GPS placed a fairly heavy drain on the battery, although this could be reduced by setting the position update interval to five minutes, instead of the default 15 seconds.
The digital compass was easy to use, thanks to clear directions in the user manual. But it was also susceptible to interference from large buildings and power lines and erratic in or near vehicles. A separate compass would probably be more accurate and just as useful since the in-built compass doesn’t record the direction data in the log file.
Conclusion
The EOS 7D Mark II’s more weatherproof body and robust shutter mechanism are quantifiable benefits for sports and wildlife photographers. Add to that the Mark II’s versatile AF modes, along with the 10 frames/second maximum frame-rate and Dual-Pixel autofocus plus expanded movie recording options.
The EOS 7D Mark II body is also closer to pro-level than its predecessor and in many respects comparable to the EOS 5D III’s. In fact, the similarity in their control layouts makes the 7D II an ideal second body for situations when the extra telephoto reach of the APS-C sensor would be a real advantage.
Potential purchasers can benefit by shopping around. Canon Australia’s online store has the EOS 7D Mark II body listed at AU$2579.01 and the ‘Super’ kit with 18-135mm IS STM lens (which was used for this review) at AU$2999. A search of local online resellers has revealed body-only prices ranging between AU$2115 and $2300, with the ‘Super’ kit selling for as low as AU$2600, which is roughly equivalent to the US price ““ without shipping costs included.
SPECS
Image sensor: 22.4 x 15.0 mm CMOS sensor with 20.9 million photosites (20.2 megapixels effective)
Image processor: Dual DIGIC 6
A/D processing: 14-bit
Lens mount: Canon EF/EF-S
Focal length crop factor: 1.6x
Image formats: Stills ““ JPEG (DCF V. 2.0, Exif V. 2.21), CR2.RAW, M-RAW, S-RAW, RAW+JPEG; Movies ““ MOV (Video: H.264) or MP4: Intra frame / inter frame, Linear PCM audio with H.264, AAC with MP4
Image Sizes: Stills ““ 3:2: 5472×3648, 3648×2432, 2736×1824, 1920×1280, 720×480; 4:3: 4864×3648, 3248×2432, 2432×1824, 1696×1280, 640×480;16:9: 5472×3072, 3648×2048, 2736×1536, 1920×1080, 720×408; 1:1: 3648×3648, 2432×2432, 1824×1824, 1280×1280, 480×480; RAW: 5472×3648, M-RAW: 4104×2736, S-RAW: 2736×1824; Movies: 1920 x 1080 (59.94, 50 fps) inter-frame, 1920 x 1080 (29.97, 25, 24, 23.98 fps) intra or inter frame, 1920 x 1080 (29.97, 25) lite inter-frame, 1280 x 720 (59.94, 50 fps) intra or inter frame, 1280 x 720 (29.97, 25, 24, 23.98 fps) lite inter-frame, 640 x 480 (29.97, 25 fps) inter-frame or inter-frame lite; max. duration 29 min 59 sec
Image Stabilisation: Lens-based
Dust removal: EOS Integrated cleaning system
Shutter speed range: 30-1/8000 sec in 1/3- or 1/2-EV increments, Bulb
Exposure Compensation: +/- 5EV in 1/3- or 1/2-EV increments
Exposure bracketing: 2, 3, 5 or 7 shots across +/- 3EV in 1/3- or 1/2-EV increments
Other bracketing options: WB +/- 3 levels in single level increments, flash (with compatible external flash)
Self-timer: 2 or 10 seconds delay
Focus system: TTL-CT-SIR with a dedicated CMOS sensor, 65 cross-type AF points (Centre point is an extra sensitive dual-cross-type point at f/2.8, cross-type at f/8 and sensitive to -3EV)
Focus modes: AI Focus, One Shot, AI Servo; auto/manual AF point selection; AF points can be selected separately for vertical and horizontal shooting; Predictive AF (up to 8 m); AF micro-adjustment
Exposure metering: TTL full aperture metering with 252 zone Dual Layer SPC; Evaluative (linked to all AF points), Partial (approx. 9.4% of viewfinder at centre), Spot (approx. 2.3%), Centre-weighted average metering
Shooting modes: Scene Intelligent Auto, Program AE , Shutter priority AE, Aperture priority AE, Manual (Stills and Movie), Bulb, Custom (x3)
Custom Functions: 18 plus metadata tagging ( user copyright information, image rating, GPS data, co-ordinated universal time)
Creative Style: Auto, Standard, Portrait, Landscape, Neutral, Faithful, Monochrome, User Defined (x3)
Image processing: Highlight Tone Priority, Auto Lighting Optimiser (4 settings), Long exposure noise reduction, High ISO speed noise reduction (4 settings), Multi Shot Noise Reduction, Auto Correction of Lens Peripheral illumination, Chromatic aberration correction, Distortion correction, Resize to M, S1, S2 or S3, RAW image processing (during image Playback only), Multiple exposure, HDR images (5 presets)
ISO range: Auto, ISO 100-16000 in 1/3 or 1 stop increments; expansion to H1 (25600) and H2 (51200); Movie range: ISO 100-16000 with expansion to H (25600)
White balance: Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, White Fluorescent light, Flash, Custom, Colour Temperature Setting; WB compensation +/- 9 blue/amber, magenta/green
Colour space: sRGB and Adobe RGB
Flash: Pop-up GN 11 (ISO 100, m), coverage to 15mm lens, recycle time approx. 3 seconds
Flash modes: E-TTL II, manual flash, Multi flash, Integrated Speedlite Transmitter, red-eye reduction available, X-synch at 1/250 sec; exposure compensation +/- 3EV in 1/3- or 1/2-EV increments, second-curtain synch, hot-shoe for external flash guns
Sequence shooting: Max. approx. 10 shots/sec.
Buffer memory depth: 1090 JPEGs or 31 raw files with UDMA7 card
Storage Media: Dual slots for CompactFlash (UDMA compatible) and SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards; UHS-1 compliant
Viewfinder: Pentaprism with approx. 100% coverage, approx 1.0x magnification, 22mm eyepoint, -3 to +1 dioptre adjustment; interchangeable focusing screens, quick return half mirror (transmission/reflection ratio of 40:60; no mirror cut-off with EF 600mm f/4 or shorter)
LCD monitor: 3-inch Clear View II TFT LACD with approx. 1,040,000 dots, 100% FOV coverage, approx. 170 degree viewing angle, anti-reflection coating, brightness adjustment
Live View shooting: Yes, frame rate 29.97 fps, Dual Pixel CMOS AF (Face detection and Tracking AF, FlexiZone-Multi, FlexiZone-Single), Custom Movie Servo AF, manual focus with 5x/10x magnification at any point on the screen, grid overlay (x2), histogram manual focus
Playback functions: Single image with/without shooting data, 4/9 frame index, magnified view, slideshow, brightness/RGB histogram, highlight alert, 1.5x-10x zoom, erase/protect single, all, checked images
Interface terminals: USB 3.0, mini HDMI (HDMI-CEC compatible), Extension system terminal (for WFT-E6 / GP-E1), External microphone (Stereo mini jack), Headphone socket (Stereo mini jack)
Wi-Fi function: Optional WFT-E6 Wi-Fi transmitter
Power supply: LP-E6N rechargeable lithium-ion battery; CIPA rated for approx. 670 shots/charge
Dimensions (wxdxh): Approx. 148.6 x 112.4 x 78.2 mm
Weight: Approx. 910 grams (body only)
TESTS
Based on JPEG files.
Based on CR2.RAW files converted into 16-bit TIFF format with Adobe Camera Raw.
SAMPLES
Auto white balance with incandescent lighting.
Auto white balance with fluorescent lighting.
Auto white balance with flash.
30-second exposure at f/5, 35mm focal length, ISO 100.
15-second exposure at f/7.1, 35mm focal length, ISO 400.
10-second exposure at f/11, 35mm focal length, ISO 1600.
4-second exposure at f/13, 35mm focal length, ISO 6400.
0.8-second exposure at f/16, 35mm focal length, ISO 25600.
0.8-second exposure at f/22, 35mm focal length, ISO 51200.
Flash exposure; 96mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/60 second at f/5.6.
Flash exposure; 96mm focal length, ISO 400, 1/60 second at f/5.6.
Flash exposure; 96mm focal length, ISO 1600, 1/60 second at f/5.6.
Flash exposure; 96mm focal length, ISO 6400, 1/60 second at f/5.6.
Flash exposure; 96mm focal length, ISO 25600, 1/100 second at f/5.6.
Flash exposure; 96mm focal length, ISO 51200, 1/200 second at f/5.6.
50mm focal length, ISO 160, 1/80 second at f/5.
135mm focal length, ISO 6400, 1/60 second at f/5.6.
135mm focal length, ISO 1000, 1/200 second at f/6.3.
Still frame captured while recording a movie clip; 42mm focal length, ISO 1250, 1/60 second at f/4.5.
135mm focal length, ISO 1600, 1/250 second at f/5.6.
135mm focal length, ISO 1000, 1/200 second at f/5.6.
Sequential frames recorded in 10 fps burst mode; 35mm focal length, ISO 640, 1/50 second at f/4.5.
Hand-held exposure, 29mm focal length, ISO 51200, 1/100 second at f/6.3.
Hand-held exposure, 29mm focal length, ISO 6400, 1/25second at f/4.
Hand-held exposure, 125mm focal length, ISO 16000, 1/60 second at f/5.6.
Hand-held exposure, 18mm focal length, ISO 3200, 1/25 second at f/3.5.
Still frames from video clips in the MOV format:
Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 25p, ALL-I.
Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 25p, IPB.
HD (1280 x 720) at 25p, ALL-I.
HD (1280 x 720) at 25p, IPB.
VGA (640 x 480) at 25p, IPB.
Still frames from video clips in the MP4 format:
Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 25p, ALL-I.
Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 25p, IPB.
Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 25p, IPB- Lite.
HD (1280 x 720) at 25p, ALL-I.
HD (1280 x 720) at 25p, IPB.
HD (1280 x 720) at 25p, IPB-Lite.
VGA (640 x 480) at 25p, IPB.
Rating
RRP: n/a; ASP: $2200 (body); MSRP: US$1799 (body)
- Build: 9.0
- Ease of use: 8.5
- Autofocusing: 8.8
- Still image quality JPEG: 8.8
- Still image quality RAW: 8.8
- Video quality: 8.8
