Canon 7D Mk II is announced and available for pre-order (2 Viewers)

[Colin]

Ok, I have got my hands on a 7d2 and 100-400 mk2 but as others here in the UK have said the weather over the past few days has been grey. However here is a Mandarin which is not too bad. A grey day but the vermiculations on the flanks provide a good test. This was really another point and shoot attempt. Still getting to grips with the mammoth number of menus etc. However, it has some very good potential. Roll on a sunny day.

 

[Colin]

Here are a couple of 'different' pictures. The green shed is at a distance of 1100metres and it is just possible to see the black warning triangle on the yellow sign on the wooden electric pole. The second shows a rock face at 600metres and there is a Peregrine in the centre of the picture in the first 'hole'. Yes, this second picture is getting to show its pixels but not bad at that distance. Both pictures were on a grey day and both were hand held. I am impressed with this camera.

 

[Pauhana]

Rented a 7D mkii for a couple of weeks. Put it through the paces this week including a 3 day birding trip to Miami. WOW is all i have to say. This shot taken with me in bright sun, bird back in heavy cover in shade. 1/500 sec 800 iso 400 5.6L Open at 5.6. handheld. No way I could have gotten this with 7D mk i. Tried last year and got a idable but not this good a shot. Think I am going to be buying a MKii. Is this perfect no, but given the conditions the shot was taken i am thrilled. Think i was using Case 2 when shot this

 

[Colin]

Can anyone recommend a CF card for use in the 7d2? I am working with a small capacity SD card only at the moment while I am testing the camera. Thanks.

 

[Joe52]

Can anyone recommend a CF card for use in the 7d2? I am working with a small capacity SD card only at the moment while I am testing the camera. Thanks.

Cards tested withe 7DII here - http://www.cameramemoryspeed.com/canon-7d-mark-ii/fastest-sd-cf-card-comparison/

I'm using the Kingston Ultimate 32GB 600X - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0042VSU00/ref=pe_385721_37986871_TE_item

 

[Colin]

Thanks Joe for a super fast reply. Very useful link to the comparison data.

 

[hosesbroadbill]

Thanks Joe for a super fast reply. Very useful link to the comparison data.

I use the Lexar Professional 64g 1066. They work great.

 

[davethebird]

The LPE6 battery is fully compatible with 7DII but has slightly lower mAh capacity than the new LPE6N battery that Canon recommend for the 7dII, 3.5% less mAh. Be wary of having the GPS system activated on your 7dII, it eats the juice!

I use the GPS a lot when abroad, the battery will certainly do about 800 exposures and run the GPS all day. The big power eater seems to be the GPS logger which you can disable. Disable the logger and the individual images will still be labelled.

Dave

 

[chrisj123]

hi
i also use the lexar 64g 1066 cf card and the camera at 10 frames per sec works great and down loads onto computer very quickly
chris

 

[hosesbroadbill]

A few more shots with the 7d2 and the Tamron 150-600 of flying Bonaparte's Gulls. The focus system works very well trying to capture the gulls. Problem I had was that I was close to the gulls and it was very windy. I struggled to get them in foucs as the flew past. Entirely my fault as I had just a split second or two to get on the bird, get it in foucs, framed and press the shutter. They were roosting on the beach and would fly up and leave at random times. Sometime one would go, and other times multiple would leave together, further complicating things. Winds were about 25 miles per hour with gusts over 40. Birds were leaving and flying off with the winds at their backs so they were not easy to get sharp shots of. I'm quite happy with the results but couldn't help wishing I had done a bit better. Guess there is always a next time. Take note that all shots were taken at 300mm or lower. I mean it when I say I was close and it was damn hard to get on these guys.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/120553232@N02/17035656301/in/photostream/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/120553232@N02/17010524986/in/photostream/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/120553232@N02/16829116477/in/photostream/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/120553232@N02/16848985990/in/photostream/

 

[Colin]

Thanks for info on the CF cards.

 

[Colin]

A few more shots with the 7d2 and the Tamron 150-600 of flying Bonaparte's Gulls. The focus system works very well trying to capture the gulls. Problem I had was that I was close to the gulls and it was very windy. I struggled to get them in foucs as the flew past. Entirely my fault as I had just a split second or two to get on the bird, get it in foucs, framed and press the shutter. They were roosting on the beach and would fly up and leave at random times. Sometime one would go, and other times multiple would leave together, further complicating things. Winds were about 25 miles per hour with gusts over 40. Birds were leaving and flying off with the winds at their backs so they were not easy to get sharp shots of. I'm quite happy with the results but couldn't help wishing I had done a bit better. Guess there is always a next time. Take note that all shots were taken at 300mm or lower. I mean it when I say I was close and it was damn hard to get on these guys.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/120553232@N02/17035656301/in/photostream/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/120553232@N02/17010524986/in/photostream/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/120553232@N02/16829116477/in/photostream/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/120553232@N02/16848985990/in/photostream/

At first I thought that these pictures were average or a bit less than avarage. While I was looking at the first one it suddenly sprang into sharp focus - must be a quirk of Flickr. They are excellent. Do you use back button focussing?

 

[hosesbroadbill]

At first I thought that these pictures were average or a bit less than avarage. While I was looking at the first one it suddenly sprang into sharp focus - must be a quirk of Flickr. They are excellent. Do you use back button focussing?

Flickr does that sometimes. Not sure why. The pics are mostly sharp. The one where you can see the bottom of the belly more so than the others. The problem other than the wind was that I could not back up. I was at the edge of the bay and the only way to back up and keep the sun at my back was to go waste deep in freezing cold water. Think I could have done better with more space between me and the birds.

I have my AF-ON set with custom controls to servo, center zone focus and case 2 at -2,0,0. So when I want to track a BIF I always use back button focus.

 

[PeterBird]

A few more shots with the 7d2 and the Tamron 150-600 of flying Bonaparte's Gulls. The focus system works very well trying to capture the gulls. Problem I had was that I was close to the gulls and it was very windy. I struggled to get them in foucs as the flew past. Entirely my fault as I had just a split second or two to get on the bird, get it in foucs, framed and press the shutter. They were roosting on the beach and would fly up and leave at random times. Sometime one would go, and other times multiple would leave together, further complicating things. Winds were about 25 miles per hour with gusts over 40. Birds were leaving and flying off with the winds at their backs so they were not easy to get sharp shots of. I'm quite happy with the results but couldn't help wishing I had done a bit better. Guess there is always a next time. Take note that all shots were taken at 300mm or lower. I mean it when I say I was close and it was damn hard to get on these guys.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/120553232@N02/17035656301/in/photostream/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/120553232@N02/17010524986/in/photostream/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/120553232@N02/16829116477/in/photostream/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/120553232@N02/16848985990/in/photostream/

Definitely difficult conditions, Isaac, but you got some really good shots!
Peter

 

[johnf3f]

Thanks for info on the CF cards.

I use the earlier Lexar 1000x 32GB card in my 1DX = more than fast enough, at 10fps it gives me 50+ RAW files before it slows and clears the buffer in 3/4 seconds. This or the newer 1066x version should be more than you need.

 

[hosesbroadbill]

Definitely difficult conditions, Isaac, but you got some really good shots!
Peter

Thanks. The gear worked great. Focus was really good. I just wasn't as good as I needed to be with getting on the birds. It was the most challenging BIF conditions I have had and 7d2 was up to the task as was the Tamron.

 

[Colin]

I am really happy with the camera and lens. This Greylag picture had everything against it. Poor light, rather distant, me trying out back button focusing and not yet fully up to speed with it although I like the technique. I got the exposure all wrong and that was purely me. I had to do a bit of post processing but it was a reasonable picture although not great. With my old camera it would have been an instant delete or I may not have got the camera out of the bag because of the grey day. There is potential. I need a sunny day.

 

[colincurry]

I have just been playing around with a 1.4x tc on the 400/5.6 and am pleasantly surprised at the AF speed at f8 with the combo - my first thoughts are its as fast if not faster than the 5D3.
I also tried the AI servo 'near to far' test at 560mm - this involves focus on something near and then something far away without disengaging the AF (I use back button focusing), it worked very well.
I just need to get out now and take some pics to see if the AF accuracy and IQ is holding up.

Roy

Please help out an ancient technophobe. I am intrigued by your 'near to far' test. I have tried back button focusing on several occasions and for fairly long periods of time, but always found it uncomfortable, and have currently reverted to the shutter button. Could you please confirm whether or not back button focus is necessary for this test, please?

I sometimes find that I have to focus in stages when changing from near to far with my 100-400 Mk2. I have the auto focus search switched to 'off' as suggested in the 7D Mk2 manual which recommends this for 'super telephoto lenses'. I don't know if this would apply to either the 100-400 or 100-400 plus 1.4 tc.

Grateful for any help.

Colin

 

[Joe52]

Roy

Please help out an ancient technophobe. I am intrigued by your 'near to far' test. I have tried back button focusing on several occasions and for fairly long periods of time, but always found it uncomfortable, and have currently reverted to the shutter button. Could you please confirm whether or not back button focus is necessary for this test, please?

I sometimes find that I have to focus in stages when changing from near to far with my 100-400 Mk2. I have the auto focus search switched to 'off' as suggested in the 7D Mk2 manual which recommends this for 'super telephoto lenses'. I don't know if this would apply to either the 100-400 or 100-400 plus 1.4 tc.

Grateful for any help.

Colin

Hi Colin, using back button focus is purely a personal preference, so is not necessary for near to far' test, & I would have the auto focus search switched to 'ON', it will solve your focusing in stages problem.

Joe.

 

[PeterBird]

I haven't been able to go out much lately due to shoulder problems, but with the sun coming out, I couldn't resist. All were with the Tamron 150-600

1. Eurasian Sparrowhawk
2. Common Buzzard
3. Black-tailed Godwit
4. Northern Shoveler

Peter