canon review

CANON 7D MARK II REVIEW

When Canon announced the 7D Mark II in September of 2014, I got quite intrigued by the camera

and really wanted to try it out. Like many others, I have been getting pretty tired of waiting for

ack in 2009 (almost 6 years ago!),

so I wanted to see whether such a tool would still make sense for Nikon to release based on

specifications, performance and price. Sporting a high-end autofocus system with 65 cross-type focus

points, insanely fast 10 fps continuous shooting speed, dual image processors, -3 EV light sensitivity,

magnesium alloy construction and weather sealing, the Canon 7D Mark II is specifically tailored at

sports and wildlife photographers. And with its price tag of $1799 MSRP, the 7D Mark II sounds much

more appealing to budget-conscious photographers who do not want to pay close to 4x more for the

much heavier and bulkier EOS-1D X.

Since there is currently no direct competitor to the 7D Mark II from Nikon, I will be comparing the

camera to the enthusiast-level D7100, as it is the most capable APS-C camera today from Nikon.

Keep in mind that a lot of what I say about th e Canon 7D Mark II is from the standpoint of a long

time Nikon shooter.

1) Canon 7D Mark II Specifications

Main Features and Specifications:

1. Sensor: 20.2 MP APS-C CMOS sensor, 4.1m pixel size

2. Sensor Size: 22.4 x 15.0mm
https://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Canon-7D-Mark-II.jpg

3. Resolution: 5472 x 3648

4. Native ISO Sensitivity: 100 -16,000

5. Boost High ISO Sensitivity: 25,600-51,200

6. Sensor Cleaning System: Yes

7. Image Processor: Dual DIGIC 6

8. Autofocus System: 65-point all cross-type AF system with EV -3 sensitivity

9. Lens mount: Canon EF

10. Weather Sealing/Protection: Yes

11. Body Build: Magnesium Alloy

12. Shutter: Up to 1/8000 and 30 sec exposure

13. Storage: 1x CF and 1x SD (SD/SDHC/SDXC compatible)

14. Viewfinder Type: Pentaprism with 100% coverage

15. Speed: 10.0 FPS

16. Exposure Meter: 150,000-pixel RGB+IR Metering Sensor

17. Built-in Flash: Yes

18. LCD Screen: 3.0 inch diagonal Clear View II LCD screen with 1,040,000 dots

19. Movie Modes: Up to 1920 x 1080 @ 60p

20. Movie Output: H.264/MPEG-4 in MOV and MP4 formats, Uncompressed HDMI out

21. In-Camera HDR Capability: Yes

22. GPS: Built-in

23. Battery Type: LP-E6N / LP-E6

24. Battery Life: 670 (CIPA)

25. USB Standard: 3.0

26. Weight: 820g (excluding battery)

27. Price: $1,799 MSRP

Canon EOS 7D Mark II + EF 400mm f/5.6L USM @ 400mm, ISO 640, 1/2000, f/8.0

A detailed list of camera specifications is available at Canon.com.

the Canon 7D Mark II compares to its predecessor and the Nikon

D7100.

2) Canon 7D Mark II vs Canon 7D vs Nikon D7100

Camera Feature Canon 7D Mark II Canon 7D Nikon D7100

Sensor Size 22.4 x 15.0mm 22.3 x 14.9mm 23.5 15.6mm

Sensor Resolution 20.2 MP 18.0 MP 24.1 MP

Sensor Pixel Size 4.1m 4.3m 3.9m

Image Size 5,472 x 3,648 5,184 x 3,456 6,000 x 4,000

Viewfinder Type and

Coverage

Pentaprism, 100% Pentaprism, 100% Pentaprism, 100%
http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/slr_cameras/eos_7d_mark_ii#Specificationshttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Ferruginous-Hawk-3.jpg


Built-in Flash Yes Yes Yes

Storage Media 1x CF, 1x SD 1x CF 2x SD

Continuous Shooting

Speed

10.0 FPS 8.0 FPS 6.0 FPS

Buffer Size (RAW) 31 25 9

Continuous Shooting

Duration

3.1 sec 3.1 sec 1.5 sec

Shutter Durability 200,000 cycles 150,000 cycles 150,000 cycles

Native ISO Sensitivity ISO 100-16,000 ISO 100-6,400 ISO 100-6,400

Boosted ISO

Sensitivity

ISO 25,600-51,200 ISO 12,800 ISO 12,800-25,600

Autofocus System 65-point all cross-type

AF

19-point all cross-type

AF

51-point AF with 15

cross-type sensors

AF Detection Up to f/8 Up to f/5.6 Up to f/8

Video Maximum

Resolution

19201080 (1080p) @

Up to 60p

19201080 (1080p) @

Up to 30p

19201080 (1080p) @

Up to 60i

LCD Size and

Resolution

Built-in GPS Yes No No


Built-in Wi-Fi No No No

Construction Full Magnesium Alloy Full Magnesium Alloy Partial Magnesium

Alloy

Battery Life 670 shots (CIPA) 800 shots (CIPA) 950 shots (CIPA)

Weight (Body Only) 820g 820g 675g

Dimensions 148.6 x 112.4 x

78.2mm

148.2 x 110.7 x

73.5mm

135.5 x 106.5 x 76mm

When compared to its predecessor, the 7D Mark II shows improvements in many areas. First, the

autofocus system is drastically better, with 65 AF points, all of which are cross -type. The 7D Mark II

is clearly a better choice for use with teleconverters, sin ce it can now autofocus at up to f/8. There is

a slight bump in resolution from 18 MP to 20.2 MP. Next, maximum native ISO is increased to 16,000

from 6,400. The 7D Mark II adds a dual card slot for both CF and SD card types. The continuous

shooting speed has increased from 8 to 10 FPS and the buffer size has also been slightly increased to

keep the camera shooting for about the same duration. The 7D Mark II comes with a new shutter

mechanism rated to 200K cycles compared to 150K on the 7D. Movie shooting has been improved

with up to 60p @ 19201080 resolution. There is also now a built -in GPS on the 7D Mark II and the

LCD screen resolution has been slightly improved too. The only downgrade is battery life the 7D

Mark II is CIPA-rated at 670 shots vs 800 shots on the original 7D. So in pretty much every way, the

7D Mark II has improved over its predecessor.

https://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-23.jpg

Canon EOS 7D Mark II + EF-S17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM @ 18mm, ISO 100, 1/2, f/5.6

The comparison to the D7100 is a bit tricky, because we are dealing with a different brand and a

different class camera. To start off, the D7100 has a physically larger sensor and there is a 4 MP

difference in image resolution. The autofocus systems are quite different, with the 7D Mark II having

a 65-point all cross-type AF system vs the 51-point AF system with only 15 cross-type sensors,

putting the 7D Mark II ahead of the D7100, at least on paper. Where the 7D Mark II clearly shines is

the continuous shooting speed of 10 fps vs 6 fps on the D7100 and a larger buffer that allows for

twice longer continuous shooting. The shutter mechanism is also rated higher on the 7D Mark II at

200K vs 150K on the D7100 and it sounds quieter in comparison. The 7D Mark II has a built -in GPS,

while the D7100 does not. Where the D7100 comes out on the top is its bigger rear LCD screen with

more dots, better battery life, lower weight and smaller size. The most important differences here are

autofocus system, continuous shooting rate, buffer and image q uality. Aside from image quality (refer

to the camera comparisons page of the review), the 7D Mark II is certainly a more capable camera

for capturing fast action. Like I pointed out earlier, th e D7100 is not a direct rival to the 7D Mark II

1. Overview and Specifications

3) Camera construction and handling

When it comes to build quality and construction, the Canon 7D Mark II is as good as it gets, thanks to

its full magnesium alloy shell and much improved weather sealing over the original 7D that can easily

withstand dust, rain and extreme humidity. Canon describes the 7D Mark II to be closer to the 1D X

in terms of construction and weather sealing, so you do not have to worry about abusing this camera

in the field, as it is designed to be.
http://photographylife.com/canon-7d-mark-ii/5https://photographylife.com/reviews/canon-7d-mark-ii/2

The camera feels very solid in hands and truly does feel like a professional camera when compared to

other DSLRs like the Nikon D7100. I have been using the 7D Mark II in very cold, below freezing

soaked in rain several times the camera performed flawlessly afterwards as if nothing had

happened.

Handling-wise, the Canon 7D Mark II is superb. It definitely feels more comfortable to hand -hold than

the D7100, pretty close to what the Nikon D810 feels l ike. The large grip is very nice and comfortable

and the controls of the camera very much resemble the Canon 5D Mark III. In fact, aside from the

added lever under the multi -controller, the slightly repositioned LOCK switch and the minor

differences in shape of the camera, there is virtually no difference between the 7D Mark II and 5D

Mark III on the top or the rear of the camera (Left: Canon 7D Mark II, Right: Canon 5D Mark III):

The camera is extremely customizable and many buttons on the camera can be set to perform

different functions, which is expected from this class of a camera. From the Nikon shooter

perspective, the toughest thing to get used to was the lack of a rear dial. I am very used to the dual

dial setup on Nikon DSLRs (with one on the front and one on the back), which makes it easy to

change aperture, shutter speed and other camera settings. On the Canon 7D Mark II, the top rotary

dial changes its behavior depending on what mode you are in. For example, in aperture priority

mode, the dial changes the lens aperture; in shutter priority and manual modes, it changes the

camera shutter speed. The big rotary dial on the back of the camera is used for exposure

compensation in aperture and shutter priority modes and switches to changing aperture in manual

mode. It usually takes me some time to get used to this behavior when switching to Canon, but it is

not bad and you can get used to this behavior rather quickly if you shoot often.

gher-end DSLRs, except some of

good news is that if you choose to rate your photographs in your camera, the information is carried

over to Lightroom and Aperture when the images are imported. On the other hand, why would you

want to rate pictures on your camera looking at the tiny LCD screen in the first place? I sort through

and rate my photographs in Lightroom and if there is something wrong with a picture I took, I simply

delete it. When working in the field, I do not have the time to sit and look through images on the

camera I import them into my computer as soon as possible. I really wish the Rate button was

swapped with another zoom button, just like on Nikon DSLRs: one button would be used for zooming

in and another for zooming out. I prefer using two buttons to zoom in/out instead of pressing a

button, then changing zoom levels with a rotary dial on the top of the camera. At the same time, you

can program the zoom button to jump to 100% view, just like you can program the OK button in

Nikon DSLRs to show 1:1 magnification, which is very nice and useful for assessing sharpness

images.

Canon EOS 7D Mark II + EF400mm f/5.6L USM @ 400mm, ISO 1250, 1/1000, f/8.0

Another huge annoyance that Canon has had in its DSLRs forever is image review after capture. For

some strange reason, once you capture a single image, or a sequence of images, you cannot use the

rotary dial on the back of the camera to see previous images (with image preview turned on). You

have to press the Play button first and only then you can scroll back to previous images. This wastes

time and I wish Canon finally addressed this bug in a firmware release.

By default, the multi -controller / joystick on the back of the camera is programmed to do nothing

when looking through the viewfinder, so it cannot be used for moving AF points. In contrast, on

Nikon DSLRs, the AF focus point is moved by the multi-function joystick. Having to constantly press

the AF selector button in order to change my focus point slows me down quite a bit, so I had to

change the behavior of the camera, so that the joystick moves the AF points. If you want to change

-

change the AF focus point with the joysti ck.

The above setting change, along with other camera menu recommendations are provided in my

recommended Canon 7D Mark II settings
https://photographylife.com/recommended-canon-7d-mark-ii-settingshttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-13.jpg

The menu system on the Canon 7D Mark II closely resembles that of the Canon 5D Mark III. There

are 6 main icons and dots underneath that represent sub-menus. Although everything is grouped

together by function, the menu system on the camera is quite extensive and can be difficult to

understand, especially for a beginner or someone who has never shot with a Canon DSLR before. I

would recommend to take a look at the above -referenced recommendations article to get a better

understanding of the menu system.

2. Camera Construction and Handling

4) Image Sensor, Dynamic Range and AF Performance

The Canon 7D Mark II sports a 20.2 MP APS-C sensor (1.6x crop factor), with a native ISO sensitivity

of 100-16,000, which can be pushed further up to ISO 51,200. Unlike Nikon, which often buys

sensors from other manufacturers like Sony and Aptina, Canon develops and manufactures its own

sensor technology for its cameras. Although the 20.2 MP APS-C sensor sounds a lot like the sensor

from the 70D, Canon claims that the sensor technology was not reused in the 7D Mark II and that the

sensor was newly developed for the camera. While I have not compared the two cameras side by

side to see what differences there are in performance, folks at DxOMark performed their analysis of

both cameras and here is their conclusion on high ISO performance and dynamic range:
https://photographylife.com/reviews/canon-7d-mark-iihttps://photographylife.com/reviews/canon-7d-mark-ii/3https://photographylife.com/what-is-crop-factorhttp://www.dxomark.com/

Indeed, it seems like Canon has made changes to the sensor on the 7D Mark II, since both noise /

SNR and dynamic range appear to be a bit different. However, it is important to note that the

changes are not drastic and only appear to be noticeable at higher ISOs, particularly in regards to

ange is in dynamic range. As you can see

from the graph above, there is practically no difference at ISO 100 and at other ISO levels, dynamic

range improvements do not exceed half a stop. To understand how far Canon is behind its main rival

ahead and add the Nikon D7100 to the mix:

Now this right here is the reason why Canon gets so much heat for its proprietary sensor technology.

Look at how far up the Nikon D7100 is at lower ISO levels, reaching close to 14 stops of dynamic

range, while the 7D Mark II struggles to reach 12. If you do not believe in numbers, see my post

comparing Canon and Nikon in Dynamic Range, where I show how much worse Canon is in both

overexposing and underexposing images.

And here is a summary of the comparison of the 7D Mark II to the 70D and Nikon D7100:

in every way, from color depth and dynami c range to high ISO performance. However, do not be
https://photographylife.com/nikon-vs-canon-dynamic-range

confused with the low -light ISO scores above having a score of 1082 compared to 1256 does not

represent 16% inferior performance. DxOMark claims that a difference of 25% represents only 1/3 of

a stop difference, so the 7D Mark II is not significantly worse in handling noise when compared to the

D7100. In fact, as you will see from the camera comparisons page of this review, the 7D Mark II

performs similarly at high ISOs and there is little difference between noise levels on the two cameras.

Overall, although the 7D Mark II does quite well in handling noise, its dynamic range performance is

rather disappointing when compared to other modern APS-C sensors.


5) Autofocus Performance

Although it might seem like the 7D Mark II might have the same autofocus system as on the 5D Mark

III and 1D X cameras, the Canon 7D Mark II actually has a newly developed AF system that is better

than all other current Canon DSLR cameras, including the top -of-the-line EOS-1D X. First of all, there

are 65 focus points available, all of which are cross-type, compared to 61 focus points, 41 of which

are cross type on the 5D Mark III and 1D X. Here is a comparison of the viewfinders between the 7D

Mark II with the 1D X:
http://photographylife.com/canon-7d-mark-ii/5https://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-17.jpg

Notice how much more overlaid information the 7D Mark II has in its viewfinder when compared to

the 1D X. The focus point coverage is also wider in comparison.

In contrast, the Nikon D7100 has 51 focus points and only 15 of them a re cross-type. As explained in

my autofocus explained article, cross-type focus points are much more accurate when compared to

regular / one dimensional ones, so having that much pr ecision in every single focus point helps a

great deal in obtaining more in -focus images when using different focus points. With the 7D Mark II,

the flexibility to pick any of the focus points without worrying too much about potential focus errors is

a great relief when shooting any kind of subject.

On top of this, the 7D Mark II has a low -light sensitivity rating of -3 EV and it is a more suitable tool

to be used with teleconverters (focuses at up to f/8 range with the center focus point). Both the 5D

Mark III and the 1D X are rated at -2 EV.

Where the 7D Mark II is inferior when compared to 5D Mark III and 1D X is high -precision dual cross-

type AF points: the 7D Mark II only has one of those, while the other two cameras have 5 of them.

Please note that only some of the latest generation Canon lenses with apertures of f/2.8 or faster are

able to take advantage of these dual cross-type AF points, so it is not necessarily an advantage when

using older glass and slower lenses.
https://photographylife.com/dslr-autofocus-modes-explained


But all these numbers can be just numbers if the AF system is unreliable. I have been shooting with

the latest Nikon DSLRs like the Nikon D750 with Advanced Multi-CAM 3500FX system and I love the

reliability of the autofocus system. It is both fast and accurate, especially when shoo ting in low -light

conditions. When assessing the autofocus performance of the 7D Mark II, I wanted to get a feel for

how it compares to the Nikon AF system and compare the two, as objectively as possible.

When shooting with the two AF systems side by side, I found the 65 -point autofocus system on the

-CAM 3500DX / FX. The main

advantage is the all cross-type AF system. Where Nikon can struggle at obtaining focus outside the

central focus area in Single Servo / AF-S mode, the 7D Mark II just nails focus pretty much every

time, making it a more versatile setup when using outer focus points for everyday photography. For

shooting fast action in AI Servo / AF-C mode, both systems have their pros and cons and it is hard to

say which one is a clear winner. Shooting the 7D Mark II using AF Point Expansion with 9 points gave

-point dynamic AF. The hit ratio was

very good and the number of keepers was high. Sadly, Canon does not have the ability to pick more

focus points for its dynamic focusing, so I could not compare performance with more focus points. I

as I do not like to

mode.
http://photographylife.com/reviews/nikon-d750https://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Ferruginous-Hawk-2.jpg


What I liked about the Canon 7D Mark II focus system is its fine tuning options. Nikon cameras

-

Basically, this setting allows you to specify how long the camera will wait before adju sting focus on a

subject you can specify short to long values, depending on what you are photographing. In

these settings, one can really adapt the AF system to practically any situation. Canon even provides

Overall, the autofocus system on the 7D Mark II is very solid and deserves high praises for its

D7100.

6) Buffer Capacity

The Canon 7D Mark II has impressive continuous shooting speed of 10 fps, but how good is fast

shooting speed if a camera does not have a big enough of a buffer to accommodate all those images?

predecessor and the Nikon D7100:


Continuous Shooting

Speed

10.0 8.0 6.0

Continuous Shooting

Duration (RAW)

3.1 sec 3.1 sec 1.5 sec

JPEG Large 1090 110 33

RAW 31 25 8

It is pretty clear that the Canon 7D Mark II is way ahead of the other two cameras in both continuous

shooting speed and buffer capacity. But how does 10 fps really compare to say 6 fps and how does

the buffer capacity impact the continuous shooting duration? To answer these questions, I shot a

video where I demonstrate the difference between the 7D Mark II and the Nikon D7100:

Without a doubt, the Canon 7D Mark II is a much better choice for photographing fast action than the

7) Metering

In addition to the brand new autofocus system, Canon al so bundled a brand new metering system

with a 150,000 pixel RGB and IR sensor, which puts the 7D Mark II ahead of both 5D Mark III and 1D

X, which have older metering systems. The new metering system is capable of recognizing 252 zones

and it is also capable of reading full color, which results in superior exposure metering performance.

When photographing different scenes in varying lighting conditions, I found the metering sensor to be

fairly accurate when shooting in Aperture Priority mode. All metering m odes (evaluative, center

weighted, partial and spot metering) worked as expected and when I did have exposure problems in

some rare situations, taking care of the exposure issues with the 3 -step exposure compensation using

the big rotary dial on the back o f the camera was pretty easy.


8) Battery Life

As for battery life, the Canon 7D Mark II is rated a bit below its predecessor at 670 shots versus 800,

most likely due to more demanding processing requirements for handling so much more data. With a

dual processor architecture, more advanced AF and metering systems, it is expected that the camera

will yield less shots per charge. However, keep in mind that these figures are CIPA estimates that

take into account flash, live view and image preview use. If you do not use flash, sparin gly use live

view and turn off image preview, you should be able to yield over 1000 images per battery charge.

keep in mind that the battery performance d egrades when temperatures are very low. The battery

indicators on the top LCD and in the camera menu seem to be pretty accurate, so it should be a

pretty good indicator of both charge potential and battery health.

9) Live View

e View is excellent. No interpolation at 100% zoom and superb clarity

at all zoom levels. I love the way Canon designed the Live View/Movie switch with the Start/Stop

button that changes in functionality depending on whether you are in movie or live view m ode.

Changing the switch to video mode automatically flips the mirror up and starts the video mode and

the Star/Stop button is used for recording video. This is a great feature for videographers, since you

can keep the setting on movie mode when powering t he camera on or off and the mirror will

automatically lift up or down without the need to press anything.

10) Movie Mode

Although there is still no 4K video support, the 7D Mark II has superb HD movie recording

capabilities, allowing up to 60 fps at full H D resolution of 19201080. Canon obviously does not want

its DSLR line to compete with high-end dedicated video recording cameras like the EOS 1D C, which

11) GPS

The GPS capability also works quite well, which is a huge plus for travel and landscape

photographers. The camera obviously needs a clear sky to locate satellites initially, but once it is

done, the tracking works quite well when traveling. I exper imented with the GPS feature a few times

and it seemed to track location fairly well. However, I had GPS mostly turned off when traveling in

California, since I only had a single battery and wanted to preserve battery life as much as possible.

Setting up G

recommended to calibrate the compass after enabling it) and disabled GPS logging. Keep in mind that

updating of position frequently drains battery fairly quickly, so if you want to save power, set

interval.

Samples-2-640x960.jpg" alt="Canon 7D Mark II Image Samples (2)" width="640" height="960"

class="size-medium wp-image-100638" />


See the next page to see more examples of Canon 7D

comparisons to Nikon D7100 on the following page.

3. Image Sensor, AF and Metering Performance

12) ISO Performance at low ISOs (ISO 100-800)

Some technical information:

1. White Balance: Custom Temp 4850, Tint: +42

2. EXIF information is preserved in the images

3. Focusing was performed through Live-View Contrast Detect

4. Long exposure NR: Off

5. High ISO NR: Off

6. Image Format: RAW

7. Lightroom export: sRGB JPEG Quality 80

100, 200, 400 and 800:

content/uploads/2015/01/Canon -7D-Mark-II -ISO-200-300x200.jpg" alt="Canon 7D Mark II ISO 200"

width="300" height="200" class="size -thumbnail wp-image-100581" />

As expected, performance at low ISO levels is quite good. There is a little bit of noise added at ISO

400 and ISO 800 shows a bit more noise, but it is perfectly acceptable.

13) High ISO Performance (ISO 1600-16000)

High ISO performance is a very important measure of DSLR sensor quality for low-light photography.

Here is how the Canon 7D Mark II performs at high ISO levels between ISO 1600 and 16000:
https://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-ISO-200.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-ISO-200.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-ISO-400.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-ISO-400.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-ISO-400.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-ISO-400.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-ISO-800.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-ISO-800.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-ISO-800.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-ISO-1600.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-ISO-1600.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-ISO-1600.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-ISO-400.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-ISO-800.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-ISO-1600.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-ISO-400.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-ISO-800.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-ISO-1600.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-ISO-400.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-ISO-800.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-ISO-1600.jpg

ISO 1600 adds more visible grain, but it is not bad. ISO 3200 on the other hand significantly

increases the amount of noise in comparison and we are now seeing way more noise throughout the

image, especially in the shadows. There is visible loss of color and a slight loss of detail as well.

As we push ISO to 6400, the amount of noise increases significantly. There is a heavy loss of colors,

particularly in the darker areas of the image and there is visible loss of details at pixel level. ISO

12800 looks much worse in comparison, with colors mixing together in some areas of the image.

There is a huge loss of dynamic range and detail.
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The last native ISO level is 16000 and this one looks pretty bad with way too much noise, heavy loss

of both colors and details. I did not bother with providing higher ISO samples, because they are

completely unusable.

14) ISO Performance Summary

As expected from an APS-C sensor, the Canon 7D Mark II starts out quite well at base ISO, but its

noise levels increase significantly with each stop. Images up to ISO 3200 look quite good, but

anything pushed beyond that shows quite a bit of noise and there is visible loss of both colors a nd

dynamic range. Personally, I would not want to push ISO beyond 3200, unless I resized images to

very low resolution for the web. Overall, the noise levels look pretty decent, but it is hard to say

whether they look good enough when compared to other cam eras. Select the next page below to see

comparisons to Nikon D7100 and Fuji X-T1 cameras.

4. ISO Performance

Please note that the camera comparisons are only based on image quality. Also note that

all images were down -sampled / normalized to the camera with the lower resolution.

15) Canon 7D Mark II vs Nikon D7100

The Nikon D7100 with its 24 MP APS-C sensor delivers impressive results, with exceptionally high

the D7100:
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Aside from color differences (which is normal), there is practically no difference in ISO performance at

low ISOs. Both cameras perform very well and there is no clear winner here.

The same trend continues up to ISO 3200, where both cameras look quite similar.
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As we push to ISO 6400 however, we can see that the Nikon D7100 preserves colors better look at

the red area under the ship and you can see that the D7100 is not mixing colors and the details look

slightly better in comp arison.

And at ISO 12800, the Nikon D7100 still looks better, even in terms of noise. Still, the difference is

not drastic perhaps about 1/3 or less of a stop.

Although ISO 25600 is already past the native ISO range of the D7100, it is interesting to see how it

fares against ISO 16000 on the 7D Mark II. Although ISOs are not equivalent, the 7D Mark II clearly

looks cleaner in comparison.

16) Canon 7D Mark II vs Nikon D7100 Summary

Despite slight differences in sensor size in favor of the D7100, it looks like Canon 7D Mark II does

indeed perform quite well in terms of handling of noise at high ISOs. There is practically no difference

between the two cameras up to ISO 3200 and only after ISO 6400 it becomes apparent that the

Nikon D7100 leads the game with better color and detail preservation. Overall, the noise performance

of the 7D Mark II looks very impressive. My only gripe is dynamic range wh ich you cannot really see

here if only Canon was able to push the dynamic range at base ISO by two stops to match the

17) Canon 7D Mark II vs Fuji X-T1

non 7D Mark II compares to the Fuji X -T1 mirrorless camera. Since the X-T1

cannot shoot RAW at ISO 100 and above ISO 6400, I am only going to provide comparisons from ISO

200 to 6400 range. Since the Fuji X-T1 has a lower resolution 16 MP sensor, I down-sampled images

from the Canon 7D Mark II to match this resolution for a proper comparison. When performing lab

tests, I noticed that the images from the Fuji X -T1 were coming out a bit darker by about 2/3 of a

stop, so I had to compensate the difference by a djusting the shutter speed on the X -T1:
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Interestingly, w hile the performance of both cameras is similar up to ISO 400, the Fuji X -T1 shows

cleaner output at ISO 800.
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The same thing happens at ISO 1600, where the Fuji X-T1 looks a bit cleaner in comparison.
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At ISO 3200, the Fuji X-T1 is looking cleaner still, particularly in the shadows.

And lastly at ISO 6400, the X-T1 still comes out on top with less grain throughout the image and

better color preservation.

18) Canon 7D Mark II vs Fuji X-T1 Summary

Unlike the Nikon D7100 that looked pretty similar to the Canon 7D Mark II in noise performance at

most ISOs, the Fuji X-T1 looks cleaner starting at ISO 800. There is less grain and the shadows

contain less noise in comparison. So one could argue that the Fuji X-T1 indeed performs better in

noise performance. However, others will argue that Fuji cheats its way to victory by providing darker
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images. If I had not adjusted the shutter speed on the X -T1 and increased brightness in post-

processing, the X-T1 woul

5. Camera Comparisons

19) Summary

With both Canon and Nikon sitting quietly for almost 6 years and not releasing updates to their high -

end APS-C DSLRs, many thought that demand for such market was dead and neither company would

release such a camera. However, Canon was the first to break silence in September of 2014, when it

finally revealed its Canon 7D Mark II, a significant and worthy upgrade to its predecessor. The

camera was greeted with both fanfare and skepticism from many Canon shooters, because it made

sense for some and no sense at all for others. While sports and wildlife photographers welcomed the

camera and fully understood the benefits of having such a camera in their arsenal (namely its super

fast 10 fps capture rate, a solid buffer rate, a professional -grade build and reach potential), other

photographers were puzzled by the release of the camera, especially at its $1799 MSRP price, when

they could easily get the full -frame 6D for less money. The thing is, the 7D Mark II is not an everyday

camera and it was never meant to be. So if you are still won dering why you would ever need such a

The Canon 7D Mark II is a specialized tool aimed at sports and wildlife photographers that shoot fast

action. True, the camera cannot really compete with other sensors in terms of dyn amic range, but it

is not a landscape or a portrait camera, so its dynamic range performance is not that important or

relevant. Despite having a smaller sensor size than other APS-C sensors on the market, it does really

well at high ISOs and looks pretty similar to the Nikon D7100 at up to ISO 3200

matters, as you would rarely be pushing an APS-C sensor beyond ISO 3200 anyway.
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So as a wildlife and sports camera, the 7D Mark II makes a lot of sense to me. As you have seen

from the video posted in the buffer capacity section of this review, 10 frames per second is insanely

fast when compared to 6 fps on the D7100. The larger buffer is amaz ing and quite sufficient for

capturing fast action, especially if you use faster memory cards and pause for a second or two

between bursts. Ask any wildlife photographer who shoots with a fast camera like the Canon 1D X or

the Nikon D4S and they will tell you that there is a big difference in results between 10 fps and

slower cameras. The more frames one can capture in fact action sequences, the more choices one

catch its pray, or the same bird with partially spread wings? A football player scoring a touchdown in
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the air with the ball on the tip of his hand, or the same player holding the ball with both hands after

he has already caught it? The answer is pretty clear capturing fast action with more speed is always

preferred. Canon also did an amazing job with the autofocus system on the 7D Mark II its 65 point

all cross-type AF system is very fast and accurate. With its EV -3 rating, the 7D Mark II can be used

effectively in low light situations and with its f/8 focusing capability, teleconverters will couple great

-pixel RGB+IR metering sensor,

dual DIGIC 6 image processors and a dual pixel CMOS AF technology, the camera can track moving

subjects while providing accurate exposures from shot to shot.

Yes, $1799 is quite a bit of money for a camera with an APS-C sensor, but when you compare it to

something like the 1D X or the D4S, you will quickly re alize that it sounds like a bargain in

comparison, given how fast and capable the camera is. It would be nice if Canon and Nikon made

-frame cameras at budget prices, but we know that it will never happen, as it

would completely kill off sales of their top -of-the-

potential of such cameras. Although we have written quite a bit about this topic at Photography Life,

it is always good to remind that sensors with smaller pixels magnify images more, giving better reach

and cropping options (see my article on crop factor and equivalence for more details) .
https://photographylife.com/what-is-crop-factorhttps://photographylife.com/sensor-crop-factors-and-equivalence


Overall, I am very impressed by the Canon 7D Mark II as a sports / wildlife camera. With Nikon

heavily pushing full-frame cameras during the past few years, it is hard to say whether the company

still believes there is a market for high -end cameras based on APS-C sensors. But based on what I

have seen from the Canon 7D Mark II, Nikon is only losing its potential sales by not releasing a

D300S replacement. We all have said it many times by now: Nikon, it has been too long, it is time for

you to unleash the beast! Release that D400 (or whatever it will be called) it is still not too late!

20) Where to buy and availability

B&H Photo Video is currently selling the Canon 7D Mark II body only for $1,799.
https://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-4a.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-4a.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-4a.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-4a.jpghttp://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1081808-REG/canon_9128b002_eos_7d_mark_ii.html/BI/5562/KBID/6400https://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-4a.jpg

Canon 7D Mark II

Features

Build Quality

Focus Speed and Accuracy

Handling

Value

Image Quality

High ISO Performance

Size and Weight

Metering and Exposure

Movie Recording Features

Dynamic Range

Speed and Performance

Photography Life Overall Rating

4.6

21) More image samples

https://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-1.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-1.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-1.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-1.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-1.jpg


https://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-3.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-3.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-3.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-5.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-5.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-5.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-5.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-5.jpg

https://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-8.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-8.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-8.jpg

https://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-20.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-20.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-20.jpg


All Images Copyright Nasim Mansurov, All Rights Reserved. Copying or reproduction is not

permitted without written permission from the author.

7. More Image Samples

Canon EOS 7D Mark II Review
https://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-12.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-12.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-12.jpghttps://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-12.jpghttps://photographylife.com/reviews/canon-7d-mark-ii/6https://photographylife.com/reviews/canon-7d-mark-ii/8https://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canon-7D-Mark-II-Image-Samples-12.jpg

Resolution

Noise

Sample Pictures

Specifications

Owner's Manual

Press Release

$100.00 - $350.00 Rebate!

The Canon EOS 7D was, at its introduction, without question, the best APS-C sensor-sized DSLR

Canon had ever produced. While that camera remains a strong contender even today, 5 years after

its introduction, the Canon EOS 7D Mark II is a huge upgrade from this model. At a summary level:

Stuff a Canon EOS 1D X into a 7D-sized APS-C body with an APS-C-sized sensor, add a few

enhancements (and remove a few), cut the price by 74% (as of review time) and you get a 7D Mark

II. This camera is a bargain -priced, professional-duty-ready DSLR waiting to tackle your world.

The 7D was the first model in what is now a series of cameras. Under Canon's current EOS camera

model naming scheme, the number of digits in front of the "D" provides the first clue to where the

camera fits into Canon's lineup. The fewer digits present in front of the D, the higher the camera line.

Once a single numeric digit is reached, the lower the number, the higher -end the camera is in the

lineup (this is reversed for the **D, ***D, ****D and Rebel lines). The ranking gets less clear

between the 6D and the 7D lines (the 6D is a full frame model, but the 7D is more feature -filled), but

Canon's current 1D-Series model remains the best camera available.

Single numeric digit camera models are given a "Mark" roman numeral when upgraded. So in the

case of the 7D II, we have a second-edition single digit line (the best), but with a higher number

withi
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx?Lens=458&Camera=963&Sample=0&FLI=0&API=4http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Camera-Noise.aspx?Camera=963http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Sample-Pictures.aspx?Equipment=963http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Camera-Specifications.aspx?Camera=963http://media.the-digital-picture.com/Owners-Manuals/Canon-EOS-7D-Mark-II.pdfhttp://www.the-digital-picture.com/Press-Release/Canon-EOS-7D-Mark-II.aspxhttp://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EOS-1D-X-Digital-SLR-Camera-Review.aspxhttp://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Sample-Pictures-Detail.aspx?Equipment=963http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Sample-Pictures-Detail.aspx?Equipment=963

higher- in many

r winner over its full -frame cousin.

The original 7D was in Canon's lineup longer than any other EOS camera before being upgraded and

the 70D had most of the 7D's features along with some significant new ones (including Dual Pixel

CMOS AF) at a lower price point, bringing Canon's product segmentation into question. The 7D II

solidly clears up that issue. The 7D II is today at least what the 7D was when it was introduced: "...

the ultimate step -up camera for serious photographers or a second camera for professionals in the

field." [Canon] While it may be a second camera for many professionals, the feature -to-price ratio of

this camera is going to make it the first choice camera for many professionals.

As is frequently the case with a new camera model, never-before-seen features are introduced with

the 7D II.

Summary of EOS 7D Mark II Features

20.2 Megapixel CMOS APS-C Sensor supporting next generation Dual Pixel CMOS sensor-based AF

10.0 fps continuous shooting for up to 130 JPG/31 RAW frames

Dual DIGIC 6 Processors

Highly customizable AF system featuring 65 All Cross Type AF Points with f/8 center point sensitive to

-3 EV extreme low-light conditions

ISO 100-16000 with expansion to 51200

canon review

Documents

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