CANON EOS R7 OVERVIEW
With this camera, Canon shortens the gap between seasoned professional content creators and those taking the craft more seriously as time goes by. The brand new EOS R7 from Canon comes with a high-resolution 30.3MP full-frame CMOS sensor coped with a DIGIC! 8 image processor. The mixture of these two powerful technologies empower us with fantastic imaging capabilities.
Beyond HD 4K30 video recording, this set-up offers fast continuous shooting and a truly wide sensitivity ISO range up to a native 40,000. In addition to imaging, the sensor features an advanced Dual Pixel CMOS AF system with 5655 individual points for precise and quick focusing. This overwhelming focusing system is sensitive down to EV -6, so forget about relying on artificial light sources when working under seriously dark conditions. The auto focus system matches the UHD 4K video recording capabilities, which passes through Movie Digital Image Stabilizer to minimize camera shake. Beyond that, the camera comes with built-in Canon Log gamma for a wider dynamic range, and 4K 10-bit 4:2:2 output over HDMI for even better color control.
The Canon EOS R7 has been designed from scratch and features a high-resolution 3.69m-dot OLED electronic viewfinder for clear and bright eye-level viewing. Conveniently, a rear 3.15" 2.1m-dot LCD touchscreen is featured, and the swiveling design aids when working from complex high and low angles. Ergonomic-wise, a customizable Multi-Function bar for intuitively adjusting shooting settings. Also worth noticing, with a dust and moisture-sealed magnesium alloy body, this camera is built to withstand the toughest shooting situations out there.
This camera is capable of working hand-in-hand with our smartphones, tablets or computers via the Canon Camera Connect app. A Bluetooth Low Energy link which keeps a connection with the smart device of our choice so we can browse, download and share full or reduced-size images and video by using Wi-Fi wherever we are shooting.
Superb Autofocus
Autofocus in this camera is simply out of this world. For all of those in love with the wilds and the wilderness, amateur and professional wildlife photographers alike, this camera has something beautiful to offer for us. The EOS R7 is capable of recognizing birds in flight while keeping them in sharp focus across the entire frame. And for those in need of quick action freezing, like sport photographers perhaps, the camera is also capable of tracking people as they unpredictably move across the entire scene; even when wearing helmets!
That's cool, but how exactly is this camera capable of such precise focusing? Well, the built-in Dual Pixel CMOS AF II focusing system covers and tracks subjects over virtually 100 per cent of the frame while ensuring fast and accurate autofocus, even with -5EV light levels or with tight apertures like f/22. Which is impressive considering that pretty much all lenses tend to work a bit funny when reaching maximum aperture values (both fast and slow).
Dual Pixel CMOS AF
Let us dig a bit deeper into this Dual Pixel CMOS AF concept. Internally, the camera calculates focusing distances in a similar form to how a camcorder acquires focus. Ergo, it offers a super smooth and focusing performance like the one found in these higher types of cameras. So, the Dual Pixel CMOS AF system integrates two separate photodiodes within each pixel to supply the broad and dense network of 5655 phase-detection points we mentioned before. This allows the camera to gather light across almost the entire surface of the image sensor to reduce focus hunting for faster, more direct control of focus placement.
When working with still images, the Dual Pixel CMOS AF focusing system works to achieve focus both accurately and quickly, making it perfect for shooting and tracking moving subjects so critical focus gets reached with every single shot. And when shooting video footage, the Movie Servo AF mode offers smooth and natural focusing when changing from different subjects or different distances within the scene. This gives us the ability to specify tracking sensitivity, AF speed, and Face Tracking priority.
And for some shooting scenarios or specific circumstances, we find that the Touch Autofocus system could be an exquisite solution for precise focusing. Rack focus is possible simply by touching elements within the scene, through the screen, to change focus in an intuitive way. Subject tracking in the video gets heightened thanks to the Dual Pixel CMOS AF system's capacity to identify subjects and keep focus when working within complex, changing or cluttered scenes. Additionally, the focus system is sensitive down to EV -6 for working in very low-light conditions with accurate focusing capabilities.
Impressive In-Body Image Stabilization Setup
This particular IBIS compound works with the optical Image Stabilization mechanism built into several of Canon's RF lenses. Thanks to the RF mount’s lightning-fast communication speed and wide physical width, up to 7 stops with the brand new RF-S 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM and up to 8 stops of stabilization over 5 axes with other RF lenses, allowing steady handheld photography during long exposure shots without any sort of camera shake. And when shooting with unstabilized lenses, such as fast primes, the wide lens mount of the EOS R system allows the EOS R7’s IBIS to still deliver highly effective stabilization against camera shake.
Such stabilization empowers more and more content creators into the realms of creative handheld shooting. Imagine being able to shoot long-exposure photos handheld or smoothly blurring moving subjects without the conspicuous need for a tripod. Capture extremely smooth footage while walking with the camera in your hands! The built-in IBIS on the EOS R7 unlocks so many kinds of nobel ways to innovate that we are sure we all might end up considering new creative ways to use our camera systems.
Canon RF Lens Mount
In broad terms, the EOS R camera system became the first camera to support Canon's line of RF-mount lenses. This is characterized by a wide 54mm diameter and short 20mm flange-back distance, which encourages further design of much faster and smaller lenses when compared to those from the DSLR era. The RF Mount also contains a 12-pin electronic contact system for a more refined autofocus and image stabilization faculty. This mount design also lends full compatibility to existing EF and EF-S-mount lenses via an optional EF-EOS R Mount Adapter which you can buy for $199.
Dual Pixel RAW
First introduced a long time ago with the EOS 5D Mark IV, the Dual Pixel RAW system allows content creators alike to record all the information the sensor can get. Something which is nice when considering the unique pixel architecture which provides a way for fine adjustments to be made after the image is taken. These adjustments include fine tuning which helps us to adjust the focusing point to bring out extra details, shift bokeh around for improved composition, and reduce the impact of ghosting on your photos. Although, this requires the use of Canon's Digital Photo Professional software so be prepared to install yet other software to squeeze every single drop of information this camera is capable of recording.
Let's Talk about the EOS R7's Design
First thing's first, the super OLED electronic viewfinder, which is 3.69m-dot. This EVF comes with a 0.71x magnification factor which delivers a pretty clear and bright medium for eve-level viewing. Beyond dials, interacting with the camera seems like a pretty intuitive experience thanks to the rear 3.15" 2.1m-dot LCD screen. This particular element features a swivel design for easier use when working from high, low, and front-facing angles. And as we already mentioned above, the touchscreen gives absolute control for focusing on the field. Also, it delivers a friendly control for playback and navigation as well.
A customizable Multi-Function Bar has been strategically placed near the viewfinder on the back of the camera. This can be set to control four functions using right, left, slide, and press movements. It also can be used to adjust the sensor light sensitivity values (ISO) or white balance. Some other possibilities could be to check focus/display focus info or AF modes, change to movie shooting modes, use flexible-priority AE, or be customized for other functions. The top panel includes a dot-matrix LCD, which provides quick access to important camera settings. This can also be used for a better battery life by simply shutting down the main LCD screen while working on the field.
Pro Tip: This is an extremely helpful decision for those who are still trying to figure out how exposure works on the camera. By solely relying on the top LCD screen, we can emulate an analog film shooting experience which allows us to get more conscious about our shooting decisions when exposing a scene.
Just one SD memory card slot is available for us in this camera, but that's sufficient at least for the shooters' range this camera is aimed for. The SD memory card bay supports the well-known UHS-II protocol for faster read and write speeds for better 4K video recording support and fast continuous shooting. The whole body of the EOS R7 features a lightweight and durable, dust- and water-resistant, magnesium alloy body design. So fear not when using it under the rain, the beach, snow or desert.
The built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity enable wireless sharing, control, and image transfer with compatible smart devices via the Canon Camera Connect app. It also supports geotagging for our precious files by using our smartphone's or mobile device's location data. And last but not least, the included LP-E6N rechargeable lithium-ion battery supplies approximately 430 shots per charge, and in-camera charging is supported via the PD-E1 USB Power Adapter. Also the EOS R7 camera is compatible with the LP-E6 battery, however is not supported for in-camera charging.
Some other nice camera features include a Digital Lens Optimizer which helps minimizing the appearance of various optical aberrations in the camera, including diffraction, for cleaner image quality. And since such artifacts happen when the light goes through the lens, they tend to depend entirely on the optic and not much on the camera, so it is a nice feature to have of course.
The multi-shot noise reduction technology records four sequential exposures and then combines all of them inside the camera to produce an image with smoother tones and lower noise to suit long-exposure images. And if we are working with highly limited SD cards, we can also save our images as Compact Raw (C-RAW / .CR3) files, which offer smaller file sizes for faster post-processing and enhanced recording as well.
More interesting specs can be found here at Canon's official site, and we highly advise you to revisit all of them if you are considering buying this particular camera as a business solution for you. Also we recommend staying tuned to their news for new upcoming RF lenses as well.
Who Is This Camera For?
Basically, the OES R7 is a precision device crafted as an in-between solution for those taking their craft more seriously. So this camera isn't precisely aimed at amateurs but of course, anyone can benefit from such imaging power. In our opinion, this camera stands between the more basic R10 and the extremely powerful R5 and R5 C cameras and is a solid statement from Canon into the mirrorless camera system world.
As we always say, investing in serious equipment should be driven by a clear strategy in mind. So if you are positive that getting your hands around a camera like this one will significantly improve your income, then you should consider buying it.
Simple as that.
