X

Hands on with the Canon EOS 7D

Sydney's Cockatoo Island provided the scenic backdrop for our hands on with the Canon EOS 7D, with some Photo5 action thrown in the mix.

Lexy Savvides
Lexy is an on-air presenter and award-winning producer who covers consumer tech, including the latest smartphones, wearables and emerging trends like assistive robotics. She's won two Gold Telly Awards for her video series Beta Test. Prior to her career at CNET, she was a magazine editor, radio announcer and DJ. Lexy is based in San Francisco.
Lexy Savvides
Canon7D_1.jpg
1 of 9 Alexandra Savvides/CNET Australia

Sydney's Cockatoo Island provided the scenic backdrop for our hands on with the Canon EOS 7D, with some Photo5 action thrown in the mix.

Cockatoo Island is located in Sydney Harbour, a heritage listed island full of abandoned warehouses, industrial sights and sounds, and, of course, birds.

We had our first play with the 7D and our initial impressions were favourable — the 18-megapixel digital SLR features full HD video recording and up to 8 frames per second continuous shooting speed. Click through for images taken with the camera and some responses to the Photo5 competition.

This is the 7D with the EF-S 18-135mm lens sold as the Super Kit for AU$3499. The body is fairly chunky so the weight of the lens balances it nicely.

Canon7D_2.jpg
2 of 9 Alexandra Savvides/CNET Australia

With a view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the island is about 20 minutes from the city by boat or your nautical vessel of choice. For the record, these aren't cockatoos in the picture, they were off sick for the day.

Canon7D_3.jpg
3 of 9 Alexandra Savvides/CNET Australia

One of the briefs in the Photo5 competition this year is Practically Black, shooting an image with just enough detail but still enveloped in darkness. The 7D has a native ISO range of 100-6400 so it coped pretty well with this test, plus exposure compensation is able to be adjusted +/-5 stops.

Canon7D_4.jpg
4 of 9 Alexandra Savvides/CNET Australia

Another brief is portraiture, using the included paper glasses. There's no model here but using a high ISO shows there's little noise or discolouration.

Canon7D_5.jpg
5 of 9 Alexandra Savvides/CNET Australia

Next up is Splat, or capturing liquid in motion. Included in the Photo5 pack is a sachet of red colouring to mix in water. The aim is to use a fast shutter speed to freeze the action — let's hope his shirt was washable.

Canon7D_6.jpg
6 of 9 Alexandra Savvides/CNET Australia

Up, up and away in my beautiful (green) bucket.

Canon7D_7.jpg
7 of 9 Alexandra Savvides/CNET Australia

Now you see it...

Canon7D_8.jpg
8 of 9 Alexandra Savvides/CNET Australia

...now it's all over your clothes. The 7D can take up to 8 frames per second, ideal for capturing these sorts of shots.

Canon7D_9.jpg
9 of 9 Alexandra Savvides/CNET Australia

The controls have been tweaked a little bit from the standard Canon 5D/5D Mark II configuration — the power switch is now underneath the mode dial and the buttons have all received a bit more of a rounded treatment.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos