# I've had my 7Dii for one month now, thoughts:



## AccipiterQ (Jun 6, 2015)

I photograph primarily birds, and was using a T2i, with the 400 5.6L. I had hesitated to buy the 7Dii because a lot of advice I was getting online stated the noise wouldn't be _that_ much better, and the photo quality would only be a slight upgrade since the sensor wasn't really that revolutionary. I finally bit the bullet, figuring there was about a 50/50 shot I'd end up returning it. My results after about 4 weeks: you'll pry it from cold dead hands.

Seriously can not BELIEVE how good this camera is. I've played around friends' 7D and 70D's, etc., and obviously shot a ton on the T2i. Whoever said the 7Dii isn't that big of an upgrade over any of those 3 is out of their mind, just nuts. When sorting photos after a shoot I use light room to rate them 1-5. 1s are just deleted immediately. 2s I save only if it's something rare. 3s I keep if I have nothing better and the shot can be touched up. I would never print them, but may be suitable for online display. Four stars are the ones that came out really good, and I can display online and print after a small bit of work, and the five-star ones are the shots I absolutely nail. 

Prior to the 7Dii out of every 100 shots I would get maybe 1 or 2 that I considered a '5', and 10-15 that I considered 4s, and maybe 25 that I would consider a 3. The rest were 1s on account of missed focus, and a bunch of 2s. Now, I get around 8-10 that I consider a 5, 35-45 that I consider 4s, 30 or so that I'd consider a 3, and the remaining 15-20 1 or 2 star shots. I'm not exaggerating; this thing does NOT miss focus. My first shot out of the box was of a bird hidden in a mess of sticks from about 15 feet away. I got a tack-sharp shot of the things eye through about 8 different branches. The focus is LIGHTENING fast, I've shot about 3500 shots at this point and I haven't had more than 3 or 4 shots that the focus has missed on. 

Image quality....it's just superlative. I had people that would express interest in buying some of my shots in the past, now I have people that see my stuff and a few of them have been shocked that the pictures they're looking at are mine. Heck, _I'm_ shocked; I can't believe how nice the quality of photos is. Even at high isos my shots have been largely usable. I've gone as high as ISO 2000 and been able to get shots that are postable/printable. My only quibble is that around ISO 320-640 there seems to be a tad more noise than I'd prefer. Not a big deal since I'm usually around 160-250. For reference, the attached shot was out my car window, no tripod, in almost no light right at sunset, and I still get that shot.

I absolutely cannot recommend this camera enough, and if you're shooting wildlife/birds this is absolutely king of the pile. 

quick edit: I had to save the file at a lower quality in PS so it would fit file size, here's the original: https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/18472272551/in/album-72157654028238451/


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## Act444 (Jun 9, 2015)

I've been getting more comfortable with the 7D2 and the more I use it, the more I like it. However, I find the AF to be somewhat less reliable than the 5D3 (which is simply amazing). Still a noticeable improvement over the old 7D, though. 

In good light, the AF is fantastic. But in lower light levels (think shade under a tree/canopy), I notice it struggles sometimes and consistency goes down. And at high ISOs (>1600) the IQ begins to fall apart, but then again I'm used to FF...

Not bad, though - just need a longer lens! Crop is still king when reach-limited, that's for sure.


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## Macoose (Jun 11, 2015)

I bought my 7DII the day it came out and had a hard time with it at first. Since I moved up from the 40D, the AF learning curve was somewhat steep for me. 
Reading this forum has helped quite a bit.
It was only after reading that people here had the same AF troubles that I had, that I knew it wasn't always me.
The AF in AI Servo was hit and miss and I had to micro adjust each lens I own.
It wasn't until I got the 40D back from repair and saw how much better the photos were than the 7DII that I decided to send it to Canon. Also, a customer service rep a Tamron told me that their copy of the 7DII had a severe back focusing problem.
I got it back last Friday after two weeks at Canon and the difference is startling. I finally got a BIF in complete focus last weekend and could not be happier. 

This is my first post in this forum. I would like to thank all of the folks here who unknowingly helped me
with the trouble I was having with my camera.


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## Krob78 (Jun 11, 2015)

Macoose said:


> I bought my 7DII the day it came out and had a hard time with it at first. Since I moved up from the 40D, the AF learning curve was somewhat steep for me.
> Reading this forum has helped quite a bit.
> It was only after reading that people here had the same AF troubles that I had, that I knew it wasn't always me.
> The AF in AI Servo was hit and miss and I had to micro adjust each lens I own.
> ...


Welcome to the forum Macoose! Glad you got your AF issue worked out and look forward to seeing some of your posts! The 7Dmk ii is an extremely capable camera and heads and shoulders above the original 7d. I owned one for 5 years, then sold it when I bought my 5d MK iii and also picked up a new 7d MK ii, it's excellent and I love the reach. Also, the layout being just like the 5d3 makes it an even better companion to my 5d3. 

The Naysayers were wrong...


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## Macoose (Jun 11, 2015)

Thanks, Krob! I'm glad to be here!
Macoose


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## East Wind Photography (Jun 11, 2015)

AccipiterQ said:


> I photograph primarily birds, and was using a T2i, with the 400 5.6L. I had hesitated to buy the 7Dii because a lot of advice I was getting online stated the noise wouldn't be _that_ much better, and the photo quality would only be a slight upgrade since the sensor wasn't really that revolutionary. I finally bit the bullet, figuring there was about a 50/50 shot I'd end up returning it. My results after about 4 weeks: you'll pry it from cold dead hands.
> 
> Seriously can not BELIEVE how good this camera is. I've played around friends' 7D and 70D's, etc., and obviously shot a ton on the T2i. Whoever said the 7Dii isn't that big of an upgrade over any of those 3 is out of their mind, just nuts. When sorting photos after a shoot I use light room to rate them 1-5. 1s are just deleted immediately. 2s I save only if it's something rare. 3s I keep if I have nothing better and the shot can be touched up. I would never print them, but may be suitable for online display. Four stars are the ones that came out really good, and I can display online and print after a small bit of work, and the five-star ones are the shots I absolutely nail.
> 
> ...



I agree with your assessment. I've been shooting with a 300mm f2.8L mark II and a 2xiii extender and I'm getting tack sharp shots at distances that seem just insane. In many cases I'm getting shots that I would not be able to get from my 5diii cropped in post. One example recently was a bald eagle on the other side of a lake...I could make out it was an eagle from its white head but that was it. In the shot I not only could resolve the eye but also the pupil.

There are shots I'm taking now that I would have had to pass on with my 5diii even with my 600mm f4. I know the 300 is an exceptional lens but paired with the 1.6 crop factor it's truly amazing.

Now if I could get canon to omit the anti aliasing filter from the sensor we could take the 7d mark iii to an entirely new level.


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## pjn0629 (Jun 18, 2015)

Macoose said:


> I bought my 7DII the day it came out and had a hard time with it at first. Since I moved up from the 40D, the AF learning curve was somewhat steep for me.
> Reading this forum has helped quite a bit.
> It was only after reading that people here had the same AF troubles that I had, that I knew it wasn't always me.
> The AF in AI Servo was hit and miss and I had to micro adjust each lens I own.
> ...





I made the same jump 40D>7Dii... I don't know if it's because I'm generally tech-savvy or what I usually shoot but I found the AF system to be fairly intuitive (to be honest I've been sticking to the pre-baked cases though) I did AFMA all of my lenses, and found my Sigma 30mm to have a bit of a back-focus issue (but I adjusted it for my 40D with the sigma dock) Other than that every lens I own (24-70 2.8i,70-200 2.8is i, and 50 1.4) all were within +/- 5 on AFMA, I just got super nitpicky and tweaked it. The focus and speed of this thing continues to blow my mind every time I use it, and it scored tack sharp shots of my 10 month old puppy running through the sprinklers (general case on the AF) and the image quality is AMAZING compared to my 40D. It does miss a few shots in Servo, but I think that's more due to me not knowing how to use it (I borked it shooting a crit my girlfriend was racing in, which is a shame because I had everything else in the shot nailed exactly as I envisioned it in my head... c'est la vie)


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## AcutancePhotography (Jun 18, 2015)

AccipiterQ said:


> I had hesitated to buy the 7Dii because a lot of advice I was getting online...



I think you already identified the problem. I am glad that you got the camera and tested it yourself to see if it was a good camera for your photography style. 

It is a good camera system and I think you will like it.


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## CaptureWhatYouSee (Jun 19, 2015)

AccipiterQ said:


> I photograph primarily birds, and was using a T2i, with the 400 5.6L. I had hesitated to buy the 7Dii because a lot of advice I was getting online stated the noise wouldn't be _that_ much better, and the photo quality would only be a slight upgrade since the sensor wasn't really that revolutionary. I finally bit the bullet, figuring there was about a 50/50 shot I'd end up returning it. My results after about 4 weeks: you'll pry it from cold dead hands.
> 
> Seriously can not BELIEVE how good this camera is. I've played around friends' 7D and 70D's, etc., and obviously shot a ton on the T2i. Whoever said the 7Dii isn't that big of an upgrade over any of those 3 is out of their mind, just nuts. When sorting photos after a shoot I use light room to rate them 1-5. 1s are just deleted immediately. 2s I save only if it's something rare. 3s I keep if I have nothing better and the shot can be touched up. I would never print them, but may be suitable for online display. Four stars are the ones that came out really good, and I can display online and print after a small bit of work, and the five-star ones are the shots I absolutely nail.
> 
> ...



I have had my 7DII for one day, upgrading from the 60D that I have had for 4.5 years. It's a pretty easy transition for the non-AF settings and usage. I will tackle the AF soon. 
I like the feel and the fact that features aren't crippled. The few shots that I have analyzed look good. The in-camera HDR seems better than what I get with my RX-1. Can't say much more now.


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## East Wind Photography (Jun 19, 2015)

CaptureWhatYouSee said:


> AccipiterQ said:
> 
> 
> > I photograph primarily birds, and was using a T2i, with the 400 5.6L. I had hesitated to buy the 7Dii because a lot of advice I was getting online stated the noise wouldn't be _that_ much better, and the photo quality would only be a slight upgrade since the sensor wasn't really that revolutionary. I finally bit the bullet, figuring there was about a 50/50 shot I'd end up returning it. My results after about 4 weeks: you'll pry it from cold dead hands.
> ...



You could state that you feel like kid on Christmas morning and can't wait get out and shoot some Eagles! 

I had mine out today paired with my 300mm II and 2xiii extender. Every time I use it I'm just floored at what it's capturing. I really can't wait to take it out to shoot Grizzlies.


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## AccipiterQ (Jun 20, 2015)

East Wind Photography said:


> CaptureWhatYouSee said:
> 
> 
> > AccipiterQ said:
> ...



Grizzlies! Now that's hardcore


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## AlanF (Jun 20, 2015)

East Wind Photography said:


> AccipiterQ said:
> 
> 
> > I photograph primarily birds, and was using a T2i, with the 400 5.6L. I had hesitated to buy the 7Dii because a lot of advice I was getting online stated the noise wouldn't be _that_ much better, and the photo quality would only be a slight upgrade since the sensor wasn't really that revolutionary. I finally bit the bullet, figuring there was about a 50/50 shot I'd end up returning it. My results after about 4 weeks: you'll pry it from cold dead hands.
> ...



Could you post some 100% crops from the 300/2.8 + 2x TC. Whereas the 300 + 2xTC is absolutely great on my 5DIII, it's disappointing on my 7DII. I get better results from the 300 + 1.4xTC, and prefer to use the 100-400 II + 1.4xTC on the 7DII.

I had thought something might be wrong, but objektivtest.se have measured the effects on MTFs of the 2xTC on the 300/2.8 II and have shown that it is good on FF but loses something on an APS-C. It's worth looking at:

http://www.objektivtest.se/tester/canon-extender-ef-2x-iii-test/

Maybe there is copy variation on the lens. My copy is sharpest at 600mm at f/5.6.


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## d4mike (Jun 21, 2015)

I sold my 7D to my nephew at a sweet price (for him) and brought the 7D Mark II about three months ago, the jury is still out for me.

So far I've had issues with tack sharp focus like others. I have to say at this time the 7D really had sharper focus but lower ISO than the Mark II so I jumped in and bought it. 

It may be the glass as I paired this body with the same 100-400 version I zoom that I used with success on the 7D. I'm not sure if a prime lens would be the answer or the new 100-400 IS II?

Shot of a spider web hand held with the 7D at f6.3 and 1/1000th and with the 7D Mark II a trio of baby swans also hand held. The swans were 1/1000th and f11. 
I hope you can see with the resized images, the web is sharp, the cute babies are a little fuzzy.


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## East Wind Photography (Jun 21, 2015)

d4mike said:


> I sold my 7D to my nephew at a sweet price (for him) and brought the 7D Mark II about three months ago, the jury is still out for me.
> 
> So far I've had issues with tack sharp focus like others. I have to say at this time the 7D really had sharper focus but lower ISO than the Mark II so I jumped in and bought it.
> 
> ...



7dii fuzziness is likely due to the antialiasing filter. If you shoot jpg, you can kick up the in camera sharpening quite a bit without any iq loss. If you are shooting RAW then sharpen in post processing.

The 7dii generally also requires lenses to be afma adjusted. It seems close in this image but close only gets you so far. It really needs to be exact. Some people are having great luck without afma but after testing my lenses they ALL needed it except my sigma 35mm f1.4.

The 7d2 images really hold up well to unsharp masking once you get the afma locked in. In fact I can get them over sharpened without the backgrounds going to mush...things start to fall apart after ISO 3200.


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## d4mike (Jun 22, 2015)

Thanks, East Wind.

I shoot RAW all of the time, I should afma my version I 100-400, I just wanted to make sure the 7DII is set up proper before I head down that road so I can tell if there was any change. 

I've been reading a bit on Arthur Morris's blog and here as well on how to set up a 7DII. I'm thinking it may all come down to new glass as it seems most people either use the 100-400 IS II or a faster prime.


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## East Wind Photography (Jun 22, 2015)

d4mike said:


> Thanks, East Wind.
> 
> I shoot RAW all of the time, I should afma my version I 100-400, I just wanted to make sure the 7DII is set up proper before I head down that road so I can tell if there was any change.
> 
> I've been reading a bit on Arthur Morris's blog and here as well on how to set up a 7DII. I'm thinking it may all come down to new glass as it seems most people either use the 100-400 IS II or a faster prime.



Honestly I never liked the original 100-400. I tried two copies and both wide open were giving soft images and some coma which greatly affected the AF response. At the time I opted for the 70-200 mkiiwith 1.4 extender. I now use the 300mm II and 600mm I.

I haven't tried the 100-400 mkii but I also hear it's much better than the version 1. Maybe rent one for a couple of days and see how it works for you.


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## tron (Jun 23, 2015)

East Wind Photography said:


> d4mike said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks, East Wind.
> ...


I have used the 100-400II with 5D3 and I like it very much. It is excellent fully open and when closed 2/3 of a stop with a 1.4XIII. It also focuses fast. What I do not like so much is the reverse use of rings. It makes you forget to zoom in after a needed zoom out (at least this has happened to me). Overall I think you will like it a lot.


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