Canon 7D Mark II : What’s New?
Though leaked information has been passed around for weeks, Canon has finally officially announced their newest SLR, the Canon 7D Mark II. The original 7D was announced 5 years ago this month, and at first glance, the changes to the new model seem pretty modest, but significant. Video shooters will be pleased. All in all, the 7D Mark II looks like an excellent new camera for action, event, and wildlife photographers.
Take a look at the table below for a quick summary of the upgrades in the new model:
| Canon 7D | Canon 7D Mark II | |
|---|---|---|
| Current Price | $999 | |
| Body Material | Magnesium Alloy | Magnesium Alloy |
| LCD Size / Resolution | 3.0″ 920,000 pixels |
3.0″ 1,040,000 pixels |
| Processor | Dual Digic 4 | Dual Digic 6 |
| Sensor Resolution | 18 Megapixels | 20.2 Megapixels |
| ISO Range | 100-6400 +12800 |
100-16000 +51200 |
| Total AF Focus Points | 19 | 65 |
| Cross-Type AF Sensors | 19 (dual diagonal) | 65 (dual diagonal) |
| Video Auto-Focus | Contrast Detect, non-continuous | Dual-Pixel CMOS AF, Phase Detect Servo AF |
| Min. AF light level | -0.5 EV | -3 EV |
| Minimum AF Aperture (Center Point) |
f/5.6 | f/8 |
| Metering System | 63 Zone Point Linked Evaluative 9.4% Center Weighted 2.3% Spot |
252 Zone (150k pixel) 1.8% Spot |
| Max Frame Rate (RAW and JPG) | 8 fps | 10 fps |
| Max Burst RAW | 25 shots | 31 shots |
| Max Burst JPG (large/fine) | 130 shots | 1090 shots |
| Available HD Video Frame Rates | PAL and NTSC 24/25, 30 at 1080p 24/25, 30, 60 at 720p |
PAL and NTSC 24/25, 30, 60 at 1080p 24/25, 30, 60 at 720p |
| Uncompressed Video via HDMI |
No | Yes |
| Media Type | Compact Flash | Dual SD Card Slots |
| GPS (built in) | No | Yes |
| Battery Type | LP-E6 | LP-E6N |
| Intervelometer | No | Yes |
| Headphone Jack | No | Yes |
| USB Port | USB 2.0 | USB 3.0 |
The autofocus system has been updated significantly, with over 3 times the number of focus points as the original. In fact, the 7D Mark II even has more cross-type AF points than the significantly more expensive 5D Mark III. (If you don’t know the difference between standard and cross-type AF points, watch our quick video on the subject, here). The camera will also retain AF ability in low light (-3 EV!) and with smaller aperture lenses, so if you need to use an f/4 lens with a 2x teleconverter, you can expect reliable performance.
Video functionality has been improved with Canon’s dual-pixel CMOS autofocus, which allows video-camera-like autofocus performance while shooting video (like that found in the Canon 70D), and the camera can now shoot 60 frames per second at 1080p. Unfortunately, the Mark II does not provide 4K video. The availability of the headphone jack will be appreciated by many.
GPS has been added to the camera, and although it’s a welcome feature, it is now also found in any $15 cell phone, so it’s not exactly exciting. Similarly, an intervalometer has been added for those interested in shooting time-lapse sequences, though that feature has been available for quite some time to people who don’t mind using an external intervalometer or tethered smart-phone.
The Canon 7D Mark II is expected to start shipping in November, at a cost of $1799. You can pre-order it now from your favorite camera store:
New Lenses
As anticipated, Canon has announced a new 24mm f/2.8 pancake lens, an EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II compact supertelephoto, and a 24-105 f/3.5-5.6 IS STM.
They will be available for $149.99, $6899, and $599, respectively. The pancake and the supertelephoto will be available in November, while the STM will hit store shelves in December.
