EOS 7D product reviews

Except for point n shoot cameras, I've always been a Nikon girl, mostly because I started off with a Nikon, and just never took the time to try out a Canon. So, when I was offered the chance to try out both the Canon EOS 7D and the Canon EOS 5D Mark II I figured now was a good time to check out "the competition". First up was the 7D.

I loved how easy the 7D is to use, despite being so used to the Nikon layout which meant it took me a bit to get the hang of almost everything being back-to-front with the Canons. After a couple of hours of play, it felt almost as comfortable as my Nikon D300s, and that was without even picking up the manual. For those newer to using DSLRs, the manual is a thick, well detailed book packed into a small enough size that you can easily tuck it into the camera bag to take with you. Everything is clearly labelled and explained in the manual, making it very easy to find your way around the camera and learn how to use the MANY different functions it has to offer. If you have a basic knowledge of DSLRs, the layout of this camera really is rather easy to get the hang of, and is pretty comfortable to handle, although rather on the heavy side. If you've only been used to Point n Shoots in the past, then be prepared: giving one of these a go will definitely give the wrists a serious workout!

While the 7D still has the trusty old full "AUTO" mode (something the Nikon D300s doesn't offer), as well as a "Creative Auto" setting which gives you the chance to control a few basic settings, for those who are still finding their way around a camera, if you're bold enough to step beyond Auto and into full manual, then this camera will give you total creative control with everything. This includes even being able to preset your favourite settings (adding extra sharpness, contrast, brightness, etc) in camera, meaning less work to do during the processing side of things (so more time out shooting rather than stuck behind the computer), and also rather handy if you have a certain "style" that you shoot in. However, with this last feature, I discovered there's no point in doing this if you prefer to shoot in RAW mode and use Lightroom as part of your "digital darkroom", as Lightroom strips out all the preset settings, unless shot in JPG format, but then you can do all the same things this preset feature allows you to do with programs like Lightroom and Photoshop anyway. So I guess it comes partly down to just how much time you want to spend on the computer, processing, and how much you'd prefer to be out in the field taking the photos as to which way you choose.

At 18 megapixels, you'll be able to get pretty high quality prints/canvases at nice large sizes without any problems, depending on your photography skills of course, so perfect for both a family portrait to go up on the wall, and a huge wall poster to help market a new movie/product etc. If you shoot wildlife or sports at all, then the 7D's 8fps in continuous shooting mode will definitely be helpful with catching all the action, and with both action and low light shots, the wide ISO range (100-6400 but is actually expandable to 12,800) and the very precise 19 cross-type focus points that this camera has will both make it easier to make sure you don't miss those "must have" vital shots.

This camera can also shoot high definition, wide screen movies at 24 fps... but this is a feature I didn't explore as I'm far more into still frame photography, not videography.

Whether you're a hobby photographer who's looking to take that big, serious step up, or a professional who maybe can't afford the cost of a full frame yet, or hasn't really found a need for it but still wants as much creative control as possible, Canon's EOS 7D is the ideal partner for a serious photographer and one I would highly recommend considering if you're looking for a new camera.