Canon7D Mark II: Sport shooter's dream
MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. – Canon says its new 7D Mark II camera is a "game changer."
Well, that's a little strong. I don't know about changing the game, but it is a great tool to take stellar shots of the game.
No question about it.
The new DSLR – which sells for a hefty $1,799 – updates the original version, released in 2010. Both are aimed at videographers, sports photographers and those who take their soccer, football, basketball and baseball photos very seriously.
The Mark II improves dramatically on the original, with much better video quality, low-light shooting, focusing and the ability to take even more sports shots at one time – 10 frames per second, up from 7 frames per second.
Photoshop guru, blogger and sports photographer Scott Kelby believes the extra three frames a second is what does make the 7D a "game changer." It's the lowest priced DSLR with that kind of response rate, compared to cameras that would cost $6,000 and up.
"When you're into capturing sports and need pro-level gear, you're looking at thousands of dollars in investment," he says. "This is a great deal."
What kind of difference do the extra three frames per second make?
A lot, says Kelby, who sidelines as a weekend sports shooter.
"You're shooting the quarterback and he drops back to pass the ball, and you see the ball leave his hand at 10 frames per second," he says. "At 7 frames per second, the ball's already gone."
Before diving into each feature, let's take a quick look at Canon's DSLR lineup, and where the 7D fits in.
• The jewel is the $3,400 5D Mark III, beloved by video makers for its ability to shoot in low light with a full-frame image sensor that's 20 times the size of those found in most camcorders.
• There's also the 6D, which has a similar size full-frame sensor, but fewer auto-focus points (9) than the 61 on the 5D.
Next is the $999 70D, first released in 2013, which truly was a game changer. Canon added twice the number of pixels to make auto focusing for video easier. For the first time, the camera stayed in focus while recording, even as you moved the camera. To date, the 70D has the best autofocus I've ever seen on a digital camera.
The 7D and 70D have what's called APS-C sensors, which crop the image from the full-frame 35mm equivalent, and aren't generally as good in lower light.
Those same dual pixels from the 70D have been added to the 7D, so now both cameras have the best in class auto focus for video.
So why buy the 7D Mark II when the 70D is $800 cheaper?
You get a sturdier, more professional body and that ultra fast shutter for stills that you wouldn't get with the cheaper camera.
So if you want to stop action shooting the key moments of a football or soccer game, surfing (check out the accompanying video) or totally rad skateboard shots, the 7D might be for you.
What it doesn't have, that the 70D has, is a flip-out screen, which is great for videomakers like me who shoot their own shots. The screen is great for checking the exposure and composition before starting the shoot.
One huge improvement in the 7D is low-light performance, and pushing the ISO light sensitivity settings. In the previous model, you couldn't go much higher than 1200 ISO without the image starting to fall apart, and the highest you could shoot in was 6400 ISO. Now, you get acceptable images as high as 10,000 ISO, and you can max the camera out to 25,6000, if you want.
Another feature I enjoyed in the new 7D is bracketing. You can set the camera to shoot a series of images at different exposures. In the old film days, photographers did this for tests, to make sure that one image was shot correctly.
Now, with the magic of HDR software photography, you can turn a drab image into something spectacular, by shooting over-exposed, normal and under-exposed. Look at these shots I got off an ordinary sunset the other night, and how I used bracketing and HDR to make them special.
So the new 7D has a lot of great features, and if you're a sports or HDR enthusiast, you'll probably fall in love with it. If you're looking to greatly improve your autofocus on video, I'd recommend sticking with the lower priced 70D.
Either way, you'll get one great camera.
Readers: What's your favorite new camera? Let's chat about it on Twitter, where I'm @jeffersongraham.