EOS 7D Mark II User experience Thread

It took one quick test shoot for me to order a UDMA 7 CF card. The older CF cards are very useable but depending on how long a series of shots you fire off, you could be waiting a bit to review the images on the LCD.

I took various photos but here is an ISO 16,000 image with the 100-400L IS in Ai-Servo mode (guys were moving around) to look at the noise. Shot in RAW and converted in DPP.

Full-frame resized.
http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/image/158050287/original

100% crop.
http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/image/158050290/original

Thanks to you both.  If the 3200ISO looks that good then my estimate would be the 1600ISO image would be usable without PP noise reduction.  Meaning a 2 stop improvement over the 7D.

Too early to say that (will wait for lab tests). These are quick and dirty shots and the subject is light in colour.  But it is ISO 16,000.  I will retest with a darker subject like the black squirrel. It will look noisier with a darker subject I think.

I got mine yesterday evening (incl. the BG-E 16 grip). Since I had sold the 7d classic a week ago, I could not compare both cameras side-by-side in unison by a "scientifically" controlled test. However, prior to the upgrade I had shot exactly the same scene inside my house with the 7d1  in the same setup with identical settings in the cameras and in DPP (noise reduction and sharpening set to zero) and the same lens, of course. Comparing the shots  it's pretty safe so say that ISO 1600 is far better for noise in the Mark II. It's too early for me exactly to quantify the improvement over the 7d1 in stopps, though. ISO 3200 still is pretty good with a bit of noise reduction in post - depending on your needs and standards. At ISO 6400 noise is more prominent, of course, but not blotchy. I didn't check higher ISOs. From what I've tried so far, I saw no banding at ISO 1600 once the shadows had been lifted. It's late at night here in Europe and I will have to do more tests in the next days including BIF and also compare the 7d2 to my MK IV and 5d3. So it's just a first impression but  I'm confident that the 7d II is  worth the upgrade regarding IQ (noise). Features and AF have been discussed at length but I could not test servo AF in the short period I had the 7d2 in Hands  before nightfall


Wolfgang

I just received my 7D II today. I shot this in my backyard in the late afternoon sun. Processing included adjustments to the RAW file in DPP (brought down the exposure a bit, set sharpening to 3, and turned off all NR. Shot with a 600 mm II, a 1.4x III, f/8, 1/640, ISO 1250, hand held. I have a 1Dx for really high ISO shooting, so if the 7D II holds its own at ISO 1600-3200 I'll be a happy camper. I'm pretty pleased with ISO 1250. Note that this a 100% RAW file crop.

Shooting a subject under direct sunlight doesn't seem to me a good way to test high ISO performance. I tend to think shooting subject in the shade or - better - under dim light would be a better way to test it. But, it could be just me.

DChan wrote:Shooting a subject under direct sunlight doesn't seem to me a good way to test high ISO performance. I tend to think shooting subject in the shade or - better - under dim light would be a better way to test it. But, it could be just me.

I got the light that I got, so that's the frame I ended up with. I'll be doing much more testing over the weekend, including early morning BIF photography in low light. But I do think this is a valid test; I was hand holding 840 mm on a 1.6 crop body. I wanted reasonable DOF and I needed enough shutter speed to pull the shot off, and ISO 1250 gave me just what I wanted.

Excellent shot is that full frame?

Coreyhkh wrote:Excellent shot is that full frame?

No. It's a 100% RAW file crop. I edited the post to include that info.

7D2 images start to flow on flick'r.

Here's a 7D/7D2 side by side comparison that is much more encouraging than dpreview's samples

https://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisbain ... 489959720/

And a good iso 500 sample : 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/35890939@N07/15674017675/

Does anyone else notice that 7DII images being posted all seem rather soft?

Does anyone else notice that 7DII images being posted all seem rather soft?

Yes, every single one of the 7D2 images is soft, giving the impression of less noise than in the 7D images.  The posted comparison is worthless.

John

It was windy and cold today. Was moments from deciding to go home. Maybe I should have. Went to a favourite location that was sheltered from the wind. Lo and behold, I see a lost glove placed on top of a fence pole. It was too dark in tone so will hide noise.  Why not. Stick a couple of random things onto it just for the heck of it. These are NOT scientific tests (like you didn't know already I wanted to use something white like a piece of fur but couldn't find any....I can maybe use my Canada Goose fur ruff. The black squirrels were NOT cooperating. The hair on these black squirrels will really show the noise. I have a few from another shoot so may post them just to show how crappy it can get at ISO 16000 at 100 pixel level.


I shot in jpeg mode. Neutral (all set to 0). In-camera Noise jpeg reduction set to 1.  I should have disabled it.  Next shoot. Gitzo tripod. Canon 400 5.6L lens. Used Photoshop CS 5.

First the full-frame resized for context shot at ISO 16,000.

http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/image/158061688/original




ISO 16,000 100% crop straight from camera. No PP.

http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/image/158061695/original




ISO 6400 100% crop straight from camera. No PP.

http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/image/158061700/original




ISO 3200 100% crop straight from camera. No PP.

http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/image/158061707/original




ISO 1600 100% crop straight from camera. No PP.

http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/image/158061712/original

Thanks for the images.  At least there is detail in the whites, re: the paper towel.

Also see the light coloured textured material lower right.

PS.  Had a junco that stayed in place for a series of high ISO shots all the way up to ISO 16,000.  Because it is moving, can't judge sharpness but good to see how the feathers hold up noise wise. 

large 100% crop, shot with the 70-200f4 with 1.4 extender, I was impressed with the AF using this combo.
I did notice though I am going to have to MFA my lenses. 

Hope to see more users of this camera here so i want to see more birds shots with it.

I have 1DX still strong for sports and anything of actions and movement including birding and wildlife, so i can't just give up 1DX yet, not even 1D3 which is not that much great in AF back days, but i can think about 7DII as a replacement for my 1D2n and 30D and even 5Dc which i still have [and hopefully willing to sell them all together].

I shot it today on backyard birds. Dark conditions and ISO 800/1600. I felt most of my images are softer than my 5D3. I am not getting the feather detail like I get with my 5D3. It could be the fact that I was shooting at slow shutter speeds and longer effective focal length or the camera just doesn't resolve the detail like my 5D3. Noise isn't as bad as the original 7D. I don't feel like I can post a usable Naturescapes photo with what I have. The awkward nature of DPP is part of the issue.

While doing some tests with other birds and waiting in vain for a black squirrel to climb up, this red cardinal popped into view on the VF. So, I shot it.

Canon 7D MK2, 400 5.6L lens, Jpeg in Neutral (all set to 0), in-camera jpeg noise reduction set to "1". I just forgot to disable it (setting of 0). Gitzo tripod. ISO 16,000.  1/800.  f8.  Aperture priority.  0EV.

100% crop from camera.
http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/image/158065762/original

After post-processing including using Neat Image. I have to find me a noise reduction software I can apply selectively unlike Neat Image, the free version
http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/image/158065738/original

For a crop camera at 16000 ISO that looks good to my eyes.