Canon EOS 7D September 2009

Which? looks at the new Canon EOS 7D digital SLR to see what features this 18Mp camera has to offer.

 

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The Canon EOS 7D has plenty of interesting features to justify its considerable price tag - this model is being launched at a price of £1,699 for the body kit alone, marking this as a camera aimed for semi-professional needs.

Fast operation and high ISO sensitivity

The Canon EOS 7D features an 18Mp APS-C CMOS sensor and Dual DIGIC 4 processors, which Canon describes as being able to 'offer fast, high-quality performance in all light conditions'.

Canon explains that the 7D is able to render eight frames per second, in its burst mode, and provides an ISO sensitivity expandable to 12,800.

The camera's hardware is packed into a tough magnesium alloy body, with hard buttons that can be assigned to frequently used functions of the user's choice. 

Canon has varied from its traditional DSLR design with the EOS 7D - the larger menu and function buttons no longer sit underneath the LCD screen, but rather to the left of it. A neat toggle button lets you move through the camera's manual settings with ease, changing them with the rotating dial as you go.

Larger 100% viewfinder

One of the most interesting features on the EOS 7D is its 100% coverage viewfinder. Typically, only the very high end digital SLRs offer such a viewfinder. The Canon EOS 50D, for example, has a viewfinder with a coverage of 95%, slightly cropping the shot you are composing.

When we tried out the EOS 7D we found the viewfinder to be exceptionally clear, bright and accurate. The viewfinder is larger than on alternative models such as the Canon EOS 50D, making the 7D a very user-friendly camera to compose your shots on.

The camera features a 19-point auto focus for keeping images sharp and an electronic level for ensuring that your shot is in line with the horizon.

Unlike the top-end EOS 5D model, the EOS 7D isn't a full frame digital SLR. Its sensor size is almost identical to that of the Canon 500D and Canon 1000D models, and it features the same focal length multiplication, or "crop factor", of x1.6.

Wide-angle flash capability

The Canon 7D has a 3-inch LCD with an integrated ambient light sensor, which adjusts the brightness of the screen to best suit the lighting conditions. Canon also explains that the integrated, manually controllable flash has been improved, and that it now offers a spread to cover focal lengths as wide as 15mm - making it ideal for truly wide-angle flash photography.

Full HD video mode

Like Canon's flagship model, the Canon 5D Mark 2, the 7D is able to capture full HD video. Movies can be recorded at a resolution of 1080p at a rate of up to 30 frames per second (fps). The video capture rate can be increased up to 60fps by reducing the resolution to 720p.

For more advice on choosing the best digital SLR for you, be sure to check our expert Which? reviews of the best digital SLRs. Alternatively, you may wish to consider a compact digital camera, so be sure to take a look at our in depth Which? reviews of the best digital cameras.