Box picture of the new Canon 7D

[inTempus]

Here's the poster translation:

1 – 18mpix
2 – dual digic 4
3 – 8 fps
4 – 19 af points (cross type)
5 – iso 6400 max
6 – 63 metering zones
7 – 100% viewfinder
8 – "Smart" viewfinder ??
9 – electronic level
10 – 3 inch OLED
11 – video
12 – Live View

The new camera is said to have a built in "Flash Master", similar to the Commander Mode in Nikon.

It looks like it's going to be a 1.6 crop still (that's an EF-S lens mounted I believe in the pic) but will have 19 AF points. That's pretty slick. It will also have a 100% view finder which is also a very nice tough. This will be a huge improvement over the 50D if the 18mp doesn't goof things up.

It also mentions a "smart view finder" which might be the auto focusing system Canon has in their EOS 3 where the camera tracks the users eye movement and selects the appropriate AF point.

 

[Jaszek]

its actually a poster and not a box

 

[icassell]

There is also supposed to be a new 15-85mm f3.5-5.6 USM that might be fun

http://www.canonrumors.com/


... and I was about to start looking for a used 40D ... I think I'll wait some more ...

 

[inTempus]

My bad, poster picture.

 

[Jaszek]

... and I was about to start looking for a used 40D ... I think I'll wait some more ...

Haha, same with me, ill see how much the price for 50D drops or how much the 50D will cost.

 

[chammer]

selling 2 week old 50d...make an offer! *grin*

 

[Derrel]

Looks like this camera is fully, to use a phrase I coined years ago, "buzz-word compliant". Nice touch adding the in-body commander to bring the Canon system another step closer to parity with the Nikon CLS flash system and its better bodies.

This camera's feature set looks like it might draw the attention of a lot of Canon shooters.
8 fps in a pro-sumer body is pretty fast. What makes me surprised is the 19 AF points; I expect that means the 9-point diamond array + 10 hidden assist points; with this type of firing rate and this high of an ISO setting potential, I'm surprised Canon has not yet upgraded its AF system to something a bit more, well, pro-level; the rest of the camera appears to have equalled what was considered a "pro-level: d-slr body from just a few years ago!

I wonder what the price is going to be...hmm...Sony's a850 is pushing the price for FF "down" by $700 compared with Canon's 5D Mark II; I wonder if this Canon will be positioned around the $1899 point to out-sell (by price undercutting) the new SOny a850 and whatever Nikon comes out with??? With all the buzz-words this new 7D has, it ought to get some traction, methinks.

 

[Big Mike]

I'm surprised Canon has not yet upgraded its AF system to something a bit more, well, pro-level

If they did that, who would buy the 1DIII? Well, there would still be a market for it, but I think Canon tends to worry about cannibalizing their own market segments.

 

[Dao]

I believe dpreview will have more details next Tue. It seems like this is going after the D300 to be the high-end APS-C camera.

 

[Derrel]

Nikon put the same AF module in their D300 as they had in the D3; now the D3,D300,D700,and D3x all share the same AF module. Nikon went with the pro-level AF system in their high-end crop-body D300,making it perhaps the best pro-sumer d-slr on the market.

While Canon might worry about cannibalizing sales of its 1D-series bodies, I think the bigger danger in the marketplace is coming up short in comparison to Nikon, where the professional AF system is in the $1699 body and in the $2700 body and the $4995 body and the $8,000 body...

I think there are many people who are getting into photography who just look at the statistics with a more-is-better attitude, and who are not brand-loyal. Canon's practice of deliberately crippling features via software, like with the original D-Rebel, is well-known. Nikon decided with the D200, to offer a pro-level feature (metering with manual focus lenses), and when they iterated that into the D300, they kept that long-time "pro" feature and put the "pro" AF module into the D300.

Canon OTOH, has been using the same AF system since the 30D, continuing this artificial pro-sumer/professional AF system difference. Now that Nikon has finally gotten its act together sensor-wise, their cameras represent a very serious marketplace threat to Canon.

 

[Big Mike]

I agree. The Nikon formula seems to be working and their high end prosumer/low end pro cameras are very good and selling very well. I think the D700 is probably the best buy in terms of what you get for the money right now.

However, the D3 (or D3x) will probably be the lowest selling DSLR in their (or anybodies) line up...simply because the D700 is so good and much, much less expensive.

I read an article (maybe by Micheal Riechmann) saying that Nikon probably knew this full well, but wanted to have bragging rights to the hands down best DSLR...partially because the $8000 pro DSLR is a dead or dieing market. They pretty much did the same thing with their F6...bringing out a top of the line film SLR when everybody was switching to digital...or had already.

 

[inTempus]

The 7D will have 19 selectable points if what's on the poster is true. Canon currently lists the 50D has having 9 points (cross type) on it's website. If they are now listing the AF points for the 7D as 19 (cross type) then it will have 19 selectable points.

That's more than enough. I'm thinking this camera will be quite bad ass.

 

[FrankLamont]

It also has 'EOS movie mode' and some 'Artificial Horizon Tilt' - assuming it's some sort of electronic form to level a picture.

Though this would have been awesome on a FF... heck, this is still a bloody good body.

 

[icassell]

Damn, I'm turning blue holding my breath ...

Announce the thing, already ...

 

[musicaleCA]

Damn, no FF? Poo.

Oh well. Sounds shiny. Like Derrel said it's got a lot of buzz words. I might consider it as an upgrade from the 450D sometime. Hmmm.