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

[Roy C]

Surely you can use your thumb to focus, take your thumb off, recompose and fire the shutter. I thought this was the major benefit of back button focus?

Yes you can Peter but recomposing always runs the danger losing the critical focus point if you are fairly close to the bird. The DOF is fairly small with long lenses so you are depending on the re-composure being precisely on the same focal plane, if you move forward or back a slight amount then critical focus could be lost. Having said that this is often what I do but I always take a burst to heighten the chances of nailing one.
I would not say this is the major benefit of BB focusing though, for me it is the ability to switch between AI servo,pseudo one-shot, and manual without changing anything. It is also very good for 'pumping' the focus for flyers when you lose the bird.

 

[Farnboro John]

Yes you can Peter but recomposing always runs the danger losing the critical focus point if you are fairly close to the bird. The DOF is fairly small with long lenses so you are depending on the re-composure being precisely on the same focal plane, if you move forward or back a slight amount then critical focus could be lost.

The advantage of working on a tripod - camera stays exactly where it is relative to the bird while you recompose.

John

 

[Roy C]

The advantage of working on a tripod - camera stays exactly where it is relative to the bird while you recompose.

John

Yes, there is merit in this John and I am a great fan of tripods for long lenses :t:. Having said that I use a Gimbal head and panning slightly left or right will take the Camera closer or further away due to the arc of the panning motion. It certainly would alleviate large errors though.

 

[wardy11]

I just received my 7D2 today, can't wait to get out there and try it out!
Has anyone bought the Canon battery grip or indeed any of the third party ones? I would appreciate any feedback as I prefer to shoot with one. I'll pay Canon's price if necessary but if a third party one will do the job, I would consider that as well.
Thanks in advance

 

[dabut101]

a genuine canon battery grip is around the £200 mark but look on flea bay and you can get a third party one for £55.99 delivered.went for the cheaper option and it works fine.

 

[wardy11]

Thanks I'll have a look around then. I read that the Canon version maintains complete weather sealing which appeals - does the one you have also do this?

 

[KyleM]

Been a long time since I chimed in but this thing has been rocking my world since January and hasn't let me down on my vacation / migration time yet.

Had a least sandpiper walk up to me today, beautiful. (an amazing day all around, as they have been thus far)

Maybe pics later, blasted a bit much today, cull cull cull!

 

[David Whitaker]

Thanks I'll have a look around then. I read that the Canon version maintains complete weather sealing which appeals - does the one you have also do this?

As far as I am aware non-Canon grips are simply a box with two batteries connected. You don't get the same vertical control switches and toggle. Fairly pointless you might as well just carry a spare battery in your pocket unless you are looking for much better camera balance with a big lens fitted that a grip gives.

 

[dabut101]

As far as I am aware non-Canon grips are simply a box with two batteries connected. You don't get the same vertical control switches and toggle. Fairly pointless you might as well just carry a spare battery in your pocket unless you are looking for much better camera balance with a big lens fitted that a grip gives.

David i would suggest you have a look at third party grips as they do the same as original and more including wireless remote and all the other knobs and buttons are the same http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Meike-MK-...d=100009&rk=8&rkt=10&mehot=lo&sd=171650727087





dave

 

[Dave Williams]

I asked a friend to have a look at the images I took with my 7D2 that I wasn't happy with and he was of the impression that perhaps it was more operator error than camera weakness. I wouldn't disagree although some of the shots taken were to test features like EV whilst engaging auto -iso in manual mode, something that has really grown on me with my 1Dx.
Anyway, here's a shot at full frame, 66% crop and 100% crop which look reasonable to me and if 100% crop is the limit I will push my full frame camera bodies to suggest there might be a reach advantage with the 7D2 which initially I was dubious about.
The majority who have purchased the 7D2 will be happy I am sure.

 

[wardy11]

Thanks for all the help with the battery grip - I decided to go for the Canon original as it has all the features and I know I can be sure it will be everything I want it to be. At £199.99 from Carmarthan Cameras, I didn't think it was too expensive.

 

[David Whitaker]

David i would suggest you have a look at third party grips as they do the same as original and more including wireless remote and all the other knobs and buttons are the same http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Meike-MK-...d=100009&rk=8&rkt=10&mehot=lo&sd=171650727087





dave

Interesting, It certainly was not the case when I was trying to source grips for my 7D & 5D3 a few years back. The wireless release included is a bonus.

 

[Farnboro John]

Bullet bitten now Panamoz has dropped their "normal" price below a K. No doubt I could wait six more months and save another £150, but I'd be six months older....

Now looking forward to its arrival and starting to play!

John

 

[wardy11]

I got mine from Panamoz for £959 by bank transfer and it arrived 4 days later! Very pleased with their service and the camera is great!
You won't be disappointed John.

 

[senatore]

Just wondering if anyone has heard of the problem I'm having with AF when trying to get flight shots.I use the Mk. ii with a 400 f5.6 lens.

When using Zone AF or Large Zone AF or 65 Point AF I've never been able to get the points achieving focus to show in the view finder.All I get when I press the focus button is the single spot A F mode.

Having had some advice from Roy C (Thanks Roy) I'm pretty certain I've got the AF settings OK.

Max

 

[redeyedvideo]

Bullet bitten now Panamoz has dropped their "normal" price below a K. No doubt I could wait six more months and save another £150, but I'd be six months older....

Now looking forward to its arrival and starting to play!

John

I bit the bullet in February (same source) and my old 7D hasn't been out since. You'll love it.

 

[Nick Leech]

The issue of AF problems on the 7D2 has still not gone away. See 8th May article on Canon Rumours website about Canon acknowledging (internally) there is a problem:

http://www.canonrumors.com/2015/05/canon-eos-7d-mark-ii-af-issues/

I was literally on the point of ordering a 7D2 from Panamoz. Now I am wondering whether to hold fire until the issue is resolved and a firmware update made by Canon?

Or maybe the % of units affected by the problem is very small - after all, 7D2 customers who are happy with their camera don't generally bother posting on forums to say they have a problem-free 7D2, it is the small minority of customers with dodgy cameras who are the most vocal (understandably!).

Perhaps I should just buy a 7D2 now secure in the knowledge that, even if worst comes to the worst and it turns out to be one of the "dodgy ones", there will eventually be a firmware upgrade available from the Canon website to rectify it.

Any advice folks on what to do?

And those who have recently bought one from Panamoz - can you confirm yours have no AF problems? - would be comforting to know that Panamoz has a "good batch" in stock at the moment!

 

[redeyedvideo]

Any advice folks on what to do?

And those who have recently bought one from Panamoz - can you confirm yours have no AF problems? - would be comforting to know that Panamoz has a "good batch" in stock at the moment!

I was in exactly the same dilemma. I decided not to buy based on all the negative information and then thought 'what the hell, if it's faulty I'll just send it back' I really wanted it for a photography trip to Scotland in March and I'm so glad I got it in time. The 10 fps and low light got me shots I wouldn't have got with my 7D. Ordered on Monday, arrived on Thursday from HK, amazing.

Here's one of my shots taken at ISO 1600, somewhere I'd hesitate to venture with the 7D.

 

[Graham63]

Have recently bought a 7d mark11 from Panamoz no problem a lovely camera

 

[Colin]

I am continuing to read here and elsewhere about AF issues and cannot really decide whether I have any issues with my camera. I think not. In my case it is user error and sometimes I try to get pictures of subjects that are too far away. However, I have noticed an odd thing which the attached picture demonstrates. When you zoom in on this the green background appears to have 'streaks' in it going from top right to bottom left. I know that the goose is not in focus but I am not worried about that in this particular picture. I believe the background 'diagonal blur' is due to a filter (a Kenko UV smart filter) which I have put on the 100-400 mk2. All images before the purchase date of the filter appear without this happening. Any thoughts would be appreciated.