The Specs

Let’s get right into it. The 7D features an 18mp sensor, Full HD video, weather sealing, and dual Digic 4 processors.

• 18MP APS-C CMOS sensor
• 8 frames per second continuous shooting
• 1080p HD video recording with manual controls
• 3.0 inch Clear View II LCD screen with 920,000 dots
• 19-point AF system (all cross-type)
• 1.0x magnification and 100% coverage viewfinder
• Wireless flash control
• Environmental sealing

Yes, you read those specs right, a 100% coverage viewfinder! It’s about time! Finally, in a move that many of us have waited for (and been jealous of our friends with Nikons), the 7D’s on-board can now be used as a master to fire remote flashes. Now, anyone who already has an existing Canon EX flash system now will have easy off-camera lighting ability. The 7D’s flash system works pretty much identically to having a 580 EX II mounted on your camera and the on-board flash is fixed at 15mm giving you a nice wider coverage.

A new sensor design allowed Canon to squeeze a few more megapixels onto the same sensor with reportedly the same ISO performance as the 50D. Autofocus has been improved with a new 19 point AF system, One nice trick of the new AF system is the ability to set a default focus point based on the camera’s orientation. For example, if I am shooting portraits, I may always want to top-most focus point. When I rotate the camera into portrait mode, the AF point can shift to the left-most point (the top when the camera is rotated). This doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it is one of those little tweaks that is a time saver for fast shooters.

One thing that made it into the 7D that I have been begging for is a new Dual Axis Electronic Level. I am notorious for not being able to hold my camera straight and often have a bubble level in the hotshoe mount. Having an electronic level available in the viewfinder or on the LCD means one less thing to carry around, and the ability to know I have the camera straight at all times.

Yes, the 7D has 108op video with a dedicated start/stop button located on the front of the camera.

The battery on the 7D is the same as the 5D Mark II which provides more power than the BP-511A that is used on the 50D. However, these batteries are “chipped” and thus, quite a bit more expensive if you want batteries that work properly.

Pricing and Availability
The Canon EOS 7D Digital SLR camera is scheduled to be delivered to U.S. dealers at the end of September, and will be sold in a body-only configuration at an estimated retail price of $1,699.00ii. It will also be offered in a kit version with Canon’s EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM zoom lens at an estimated retail price of $1,899.00iii. The Canon WFT-E5A wireless file transmitter is scheduled to be available in early November and sell at an estimated retail price of $699.99.

Other sites with detailed EOS 7D Information

DP Review: http://www.dpreview.com/previews/canoneos7d/

Rob Galbraith: http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=7-10042-10239

Amazon Links

Canon EOS 7D 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-inch LCD and 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Standard Zoom Lens

Canon EOS 7D 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-inch LCD (Body Only)