Canon D7 EOS - Good points and bad points?

[JRZL]

I was looking to get the nikon d90 (started a thread yesterday) but people suggested that i looked at canons. I would be using it for 50% photos and 50% videos. Is this a good camera for this?

Thanks in advance

 

[KmH]

I'm guessing you mean a Canon EOS 7D.

The Canon camera that is direct competition for the Nikon D90 is the Canon EOS Rebel T2i (550D, Kiss X4).

The Canon EOS 7D competes with the Nikon D90's big brother, the Nikon D300s.

 

[tsaraleksi]

The 7D is going to beat the D90 all across the board but you pay for that difference.

 

[KmH]

According to an independent testing lab, DXO Mark, the still image quality (RAW) of the Nikon D90 handily surpasses that of the much more expensive Canon EOS 7D:

Compare cameras

You would need to look to a different source of indendent testing to compare the EOS 7D video quality with the Nikon D300s video quality.

 

[Montana]

The 7D is a much better all around camera. And using it 50% for video, its a no-brainer. The 7D is light years ahead of the D90 in video.

 

[KmH]

The 7D is a much better all around camera. And using it 50% for video, its a no-brainer. The 7D is light years ahead of the D90 in video.

Yep at nearly twice the cost, the $1700 EOS 7D should be a better all around camera than the $900, D90.

It looks like Canon is concentrating on developing the video portion of their dSLR cameras, to the detriment of the still photography portion.

It makes one wonder why the OP is even considering a D90. :scratch:

 

[cfusionpm]

According to an independent testing lab, DXO Mark, the still image quality (RAW) of the Nikon D90 handily surpasses that of the much more expensive Canon EOS 7D:

Compare cameras

Forgive me if I find it kind of odd that somehow the D90 has a much higher ISO performance rating....

Some quick googling gave me these:

D90 @ 3200: http://mansurovs.com/files/2008/12/nikon-d90-iso-3200.jpg and http://mansurovs.com/files/2008/12/nikon-d90f-iso-3200.jpg
D90 @ 6400: http://mansurovs.com/files/2008/12/nikon-d90-iso-6400.jpg and http://mansurovs.com/files/2008/12/nikon-d90f-iso-6400.jpg

7D @ 3200: http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Canon_EOS_7D/images/results/Can7D_JPEG_noise_3200iso.jpg http://www.ericreagan.com/photos/694238587_n8kwQ-O.jpg
7D @ 6400: http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Canon_EOS_7D/images/results/Can7D_JPEG_noise_6400iso.jpg http://www.ericreagan.com/photos/694238633_JpGP2-O.jpg

Those may not be the best examples, but if there are some better representative images, I would love to see them.

At best they're on par, if even that. And this is exactly why I don't like DxO Mark, nor do I think their results carry much real world value.

</predictable rant> :thumbup:

That being said, I think the 7D is probably the best crop sensor body camera you can buy today. There is a trade off of opinions on features compared to the D300s, but it's for sure the best offering from Canon, and has a much better video system than any other DSLR (though still limiting compared to a dedicated video camera).

Canon EOS 7D Digital SLR Camera Review

 

[D-B-J]

nikons have more focusing points than canons.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

The 7D is a much better all-round camera, however, you gotta make sure you're using really good lenses on it.

18MP is too much for APS-C and most of canon's zoom lenses don't look too great on it when viewed at 100%.

 

[rufus5150]

nikons have more focusing points than canons.

100% of the canon ones are cross-type.

 

[Montana]

The 7D is a much better all around camera. And using it 50% for video, its a no-brainer. The 7D is light years ahead of the D90 in video.

Yep at nearly twice the cost, the $1700 EOS 7D should be a better all around camera than the $900, D90.

It looks like Canon is concentrating on developing the video portion of their dSLR cameras, to the detriment of the still photography portion.

It makes one wonder why the OP is even considering a D90. :scratch:

Laughable at best......

 

[inTempus]

It looks like Canon is concentrating on developing the video portion of their dSLR cameras, to the detriment of the still photography portion.

How is the inclusion of video in a DSLR a detriment to the still imaging capabilities of the camera? I think Canon has proved beyond a doubt that video can be incorporated into a DSLR without sacrificing the still imaging capabilities. The success of the 5D2 and 1D4 and even the 7D seem to stand as a testament to this.

 

[emh]

According to an independent testing lab, DXO Mark, the still image quality (RAW) of the Nikon D90 handily surpasses that of the much more expensive Canon EOS 7D:

Compare cameras

Forgive me if I find it kind of odd that somehow the D90 has a much higher ISO performance rating....

Some quick googling gave me these:

D90 @ 3200: http://mansurovs.com/files/2008/12/nikon-d90-iso-3200.jpg and http://mansurovs.com/files/2008/12/nikon-d90f-iso-3200.jpg
D90 @ 6400: http://mansurovs.com/files/2008/12/nikon-d90-iso-6400.jpg and http://mansurovs.com/files/2008/12/nikon-d90f-iso-6400.jpg

7D @ 3200: http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Canon_EOS_7D/images/results/Can7D_JPEG_noise_3200iso.jpg http://www.ericreagan.com/photos/694238587_n8kwQ-O.jpg
7D @ 6400: http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Canon_EOS_7D/images/results/Can7D_JPEG_noise_6400iso.jpg http://www.ericreagan.com/photos/694238633_JpGP2-O.jpg

Those may not be the best examples, but if there are some better representative images, I would love to see them.

At best they're on par, if even that. And this is exactly why I don't like DxO Mark, nor do I think their results carry much real world value.

</predictable rant> :thumbup:

That being said, I think the 7D is probably the best crop sensor body camera you can buy today. There is a trade off of opinions on features compared to the D300s, but it's for sure the best offering from Canon, and has a much better video system than any other DSLR (though still limiting compared to a dedicated video camera).

Canon EOS 7D Digital SLR Camera Review

Don't be silly -- you can't compare pictures taken by different people under different circumstances and draw any conclusions. The DxO Mark is a far more reliable measure than some random pictures from the web taken by random people.

And the side-by-side comparison pics you posted are from a review the author essentially admitted was done with different levels of noise reduction.

That said, for video, the 7D is better than D90. For stills, I personally prefer the D90 (and given a limited budget, I'd rather spend the difference on lenses) but that's a personal preference.

 

[AdamGlick]

nikons have more focusing points than canons.

After testing, I think most pro reviews have gone out of their way to the 7D's 19 point AF is as good as you can get - at ANY price point...

I know i've missed very few shots because of AF misses on my 7D.

adamglick.net/Photography - Austin, TX

 

[cfusionpm]

Don't be silly -- you can't compare pictures taken by different people under different circumstances and draw any conclusions. The DxO Mark is a far more reliable measure than some random pictures from the web taken by random people.

And the side-by-side comparison pics you posted are from a review the author essentially admitted was done with different levels of noise reduction.

I would absolutely love to test both of them myself (and maybe when I get a 7D, I'll rent some Nikons and do just that).

Ideally, I would like to see shots taken at the same time, same conditions with the 70-200 2.8 IS II on the Canon and 70-200 2.8 VRII for the Nikon (or some other set of comperable, high-end lenses). It would eliminate pretty much all outside variables and provide a real world set of visual examples. DxO mark does not take into account resolution or lenses in any way, which (in addition to post production) are HUGE factors in creating an image. The site really only exists for e-peen waiving, IMO. But maybe if you take pictures without a lens, your eye can see 1/10 of a stop difference in dynamic range, and resolution doesn't matter, then DxO Mark would be your place to be. :thumbup:

Unfortinately, there seems to be no such comprehensive mass database of image comparisons, and my personal budget doesnt warrent me to undertake such a project myself. Cameralabs has some good sets though.