Canon 7d a Review in 2024

Every once in a while a camera will come along that transcends the normally inevitable barrier of aging. Those cameras, being either film or digital, are relatively far and few between. Yet most of these immortal-like cameras are easily identifiable. One only needs to seek out the loyal and dedicated following they have amongst photographers. One such camera I believe deserves this honour is the Canon EOS 7D. I admire its design just as much as the rest of the loyal dedicated lot out there.

Intro

I hope that this article gives it the proper homage and respect the EOS 7D well deserves.

I've included in this review some photographs taken with the Canon EOS 7d Mk 1

I've owned a few 7d over the years from new in 2009 and second hand and recently again for £145.00.

I've not been impressed with the "new" Canon of late, particularly in the direction they are going with design and production. If you ask me, the prime moment of the company has long come and gone. In its wake lies some of the company's best offerings. With this article, I'm attempting to highlight the good-ol-days just a bit, and perhaps remind Canon themselves of the greatness they once possessed.

European Roller

So first, a little reminiscing: Oh my how the camera market has changed since 2009 when the 7D was announced.

Camera makers back then had been struggling with relatively immature technology, having no choice but to implement it into new camera designs while simultaneously trying to feed an unprecedented hungry (and equally demanding) digital photography market. When Canon introduced the EOS 7D, it was a shining moment for "prosumers" Seems a camera maker had finally answered the siren song of the needy (and often dissatisfied) enthusiast and pro photographer market with a modern performance-based camera body.

Kingfisher

The 7D thus was an instant hit.

Of course, the EOS 7D wasn't the first time Canon had a hit, but it did come at a time when the world was evermore in need (and almost desperate for) a fully developed well-rounded crop sensor (aps-c) camera. Canon's EOS 7D in my mind was the culmination of many of the newest technologies and camera-making experiences, of which both had finally matured to the point where performance was no longer unpredictable or incomplete for most photographers' needs.

In essence, the timing of its design was spot on.

Everything about the 7D design attempted to address and simultaneously satisfy all of the demands and fusses of prior designs in the category.

Cattle Egret

So at the time, it was a leading-edge design in nearly every way, bested only by the top-tier, highly expensive, pro-level DSLRs from Nikon and Canon alike. Nobody at the time had made a more well-rounded and capable APS-C sensor DSLR than the 7D.

And so it sold, in HUGE numbers.

Review

Compared to its peers, well sure, some models could match and even exceed some specific performance aspects or price points of the 7D, but none of them were as good of a well-rounded performer. This selling point alone is really what made the EOS 7D truly special at the time. A real jack of all trades that blew away the competition.

Firecrest

Moreover, there's the fact that the EOS 7D is still considered a highly well-rounded and competently performing stills camera today. Even pitted against cameras that have a decade and a half of advancement and development ahead of them, remarkably it continues to hold up well as a high-performance stills-shooting camera body. More on that point coming up.

Pallid Swift

It's just a solid beast that is both competent and pleasurable to use for nearly any photography task. If you want a jack-of-all-trades camera, the 7D should be on your shortlist.

This of course is as long as you intend to use the 7D as a stills photography tool, if so, there should be little left to desire as far as necessities go. If you must have modern conveniences, well then perhaps the 7D would not be a good choice for you. There's no wifi included, no touch-sensitive and/or swivel screen options at all, no built-in GPS (optional only), and lastly no fancy dual-pixel autofocus or even extensive video either.

Golden Oriole

It's not bare bones by modern standards, but it is certainly not leading-edge tech either. No, Canon's 7D is considered a dedicated photographer tool, and from that perspective, it is a supreme bargain for what you get for your money. 

Golden Eagle

For example, it has plenty of resolution (18mp) for most photographers, the speed and auto-focus tenacity for the most demanding photographers (8 frames per second, a good buffer, and a surprisingly capable auto-focus system), weather sealing and a bombproof full magnesium build, excellent shutter life expectancy (150K cycles), an excellent optical viewfinder with 100% accuracy, awesome battery life, it's reasonably customizable, and has a comprehensive feature set that can provide a lifetime of service without ever really feeling dated.

Ortolan Bunting

Keep in mind too, that this all comes from a camera that was introduced in 2009

My Time With The 7d

When I first started using it, I had a hard time believing a camera body could be so capable and yet so complete as a design. Both its specifications/capability and the performance of using the camera were unlike anything I had used to that point. The feeling of having new creative capabilities and photographic options at my finger

At £1,699.00 it was much more expensive than its competitors. But the camera market didn't care as a whole, since the 7D was worth the extra cost for anyone wanting next-level performance they couldn't find anywhere else. 

Alpine Accentor 

Admittedly, it was more camera than I needed then, I think the 7D is still one of Canon's better cameras they have ever made for still shooters, despite all of the advances in technology that have either come in successive and/or higher-end models, and that includes, of course, its full-frame lineup.

Bee- Eater

Every time I pick up the 7D, I still get near that same feeling I did many years ago. I am always left thinking what a rock solid, do-it, fun-to-use, well-rounded, high-performance stills camera this is! Even with the shortcomings it has compared to a full-frame camera system, it doesn't leave you wanting much. But trust me, it does have a few relatively minor shortcomings. 

Concluding

For a stills shooter, there are very few cameras that offer this much capability and performance in one robust body. Never mind the insanely low prices you can get them for these days or the vast range of affordable lenses available for the mount- both are unrivalled by any mirrorless system. 

Northern Wheatear 

There are however a few modern features that weren't included with the 7D that I miss sometimes, and at other times not at all. Wifi, touch screen, dual pixel AF,  and multi-exposure modes were omitted, all of which I wouldn't mind having in the 7D at times. Only half of those were addressed in the successor 7D Mark II, but even with that, I still prefer the original 7D for most tasks most of the time.

Canon's 7D is a simpler camera than its successor and it does not lag too far behind in most circumstances. The 7D Mark II is a great all-rounder, and generally more competent as an action camera or video camera than the 7D, yet this comes at two to three times the expense on the used market. Therefore, since I rarely use video, and the 7D is already a very capable action camera,  I end up using my 7D most of the time.  The simplicity and familiarity of it always keep me coming back.

Egyptian Vulture

Compared to full-frame systems, the 7D has both advantages and disadvantages, but neither is to any extremes. In good light, the 7D is nearly every bit as good as a full-frame DSLR, at least for most work. In some ways, it's better, too. In lower light, considerations have to be made though. Faster lenses mean lower ISOs can be chosen, or, f stops should be backed off.

Rufus tailed scrub Robin

Pros and cons.

 But so long as you have a lens that can shoot at wider/more open aperture values, the 7D can hang with just about anything in the full frame category, a little better than you might think. So that point should weigh into your lens selections for lower light work. 

Juvenile bee-eater

Now the 7D certainly isn't a 1DX (that camera is legend), but for someone on a budget, you can do a great many things with the 7D. And you can do them with professional quality results that you will never regret having used it for. 

European Roller

And all that for a hundred fifty quid + I paid on eBay £145.00 in mint condition low shutter count, with battery grip plus 2 Canon batteries and 2 CF cards. I'm all ears for an argument against it. 

Stay focused.