Digital SLR Reviews Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Manual Exposure’

Canon EOS Rebel T1i 15 1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3 Inch LCD Body Only

Canon’s new EOS Rebel T1i is packed with features, both refined and new. In addition to its admirable performance with an all-new 15.1 Megapixel Canon CMOS sensor, DIGIC 4 Image Processor, a 3.0-inch Clear View LCD with anti-reflective and scratch-resistant coating, and compatibility with the EOS System of lenses and Speedlites, the EOS Rebel T1i adds remarkable Full HD video capture at resolutions up to 1920 x 1080. An HDMI port allows for quick connections to high definition TVs and monitors for easy viewing of your stills and video. The entire operation is simple and easy even if you are a beginner. You’ll have uncompromised EOS Digital performance with power and flexibility right in the palm of your hand. Exposure Control – Program AE (Shiftable), Shutter-priority AE, Aperture-priority AE, Depth-of-field AE, Full auto, Full auto, Programmed image control mode, Manual exposure, E-TTL II autoflash program AE ISO Speed – ISO 100-3200 (in 1-stop increments), H1 – 6400 H2 – 12800; Basic Zone modes – ISO 100-3200 set automatically Retractable, auto pop-up flash – E-TTL II autoflash Full HD video capture at 1920 x 1080 resolution with HDMI output for HD viewing of stills and video Live View Function for stills (Quick, Live and Face Detection AF modes) and video Auto Lighting Optimizer for superior highlight-shadow control Wide range ISO setting 100-3200 (ISO expansion – 6400, 12800) Creative Auto goes a step beyond auto allowing control over frequently-changed settings Lens Mount – Canon EF mount (compatible with over 60 Canon EF/EF-S lenses and most EOS System accessories) Battery Type – Rechargeable Battery LP-E5 Dimensions (WxHxD) – 5.1 x 3.8 x 2.4 in./128.8 x 97.5 x 61.9mm Weight – 16.9oz. /480g (body only)

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Better than the first
I have had this camera for about 3 weeks now and I must say I love it. I purchased it to replace my older Canon Rebel 6.1 mp which I also loved and still do. (though its only a still picture camera) Its a great backup. This new Rebel T1i 15.1 mp has many options but what I really like is the HD video camera feature. No more bringing a separate video camera on vacation. This is a perfect all in one camera. I also bought the Canon 18-200 mm zoom lense which truly makes the camera and all in one. Its a little smaller than my old one and a lot lighter. The only thing that might not be 5 star would be the shutter sound. It’s kind of loud but not a turn off in no way. Just have to get used to. Having said that, once I shoot with my old camera (hearing the lack of sound) and then shoot with the new camera (more sound) I am finding myself liking the new sound better. The battery is smaller and lighter and seems to last longer except when using the video mode, then it goes pretty quick. Best to get a backup battery anyway, especially if your going to be taking alot of pictures or video such as on vacation. I also purchased to San Disk Ultra 11 16GB, works great with the video BUT my card reader doesnt work with it. I have to unload the photos/video using the cable. It unloads very fast just a little inconvenient.

5 Stars this canon 500d is awesome
this is an entry level dslr but the features are comparable to a professional dslr and i’m only using an 18-200 canon lens. how much more if i am using the more expensive ones. I’m a point and shoot camera guy and i never had any problem with the shift to dslr because of the ease in operation of he camera. I did not regret buying this camera.

4 Stars Good product but bad seller!
It’s unbelievable to notice Amazon Customer service is bad! Yet another outsourced service! The rep, had no clue on matching the price-drop!

5 Stars My first DSLR, love it
I used to use point-and-shoot cameras, produced many pictures which most time looks plain. My friend recommanded this one to me. Still learning, but overall very happy with it. Love a lot features. Highly recommanded for beginners like me.

5 Stars Canon T1i 15.1 very nice camara
When I was looking at cameras I read that the lens that comes with this camera was not very good. I bought the camera with the lens anyway. I figured that if I didn’t like the lens I could always get a better one. I have had a few days of picture taking in the New Mexico and Arizona areas. This camera and lens are great. The lens takes very sharp pictures from the balloon launch at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta to petroglyphs and close ups of petrified wood. I used my 75-300 zoom lens from my old Canon EOS film camera to shoot wild life at long distance and that lens worked great as well. The camera processes each shot so quickly that it can rapid fire without hesitation. Either the people who did not like the lens are much better at photography than I am or they don’t know what they are talking about.

Buy/More Info

Nikon GP 1 GPS Unit for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

Correlation between pictures and maps is supported by GPS function in conjunction with ViewNX version 1.2 software (no-charge download available Autumn 2008) and my Picturetown. Manual advance and rewind Double exposure capability Center-weight metering helps you select the proper aperture and shutter speed Integrated Hot-Shoe for adding any manual electronic flash Manual ISO selection from ISO 25 to 3200 Uses All Nikkor or compatible lenses Manual exposure and manual focus Includes Battery, Case and Strap Uses 2 SR44 or LR44 batteries

User Ratings and Reviews

2 Stars Functional Geotagging – at a Price!
I bought my Nikon D-90 camera 8 months ago as my first digital SLR purchase. I was thrilled when the GP-1 attachment was released, and soon purchased it for geotagging fun. On the very first trip we took it on, we ended up spending 45 minutes sitting outside a cafe waiting for it to pick up a satellite signal. Keep in mind that this was an open plaza on a sunny day. Finally we gave up and started walking around taking pictures. About three blocks away it finally picked up a signal, so we walked back along our route taking duplicate pictures with the GPS data.

Annoying, but not insurmountable. Fast forward to our most recent trip, when we took the D-90 and GP-1 out of our carry-on bag only to find that the D-90 would no longer recognize or power the GP-1. A diagnosis revealed that the GP-1 cable which stuck out at a 90 degree angle had gotten jostled and damaged the GPS port on my camera. Many phone calls to Nikon later, I was told that any repairs to the GPS port on our camera would not be covered under warranty. My local camera repair shop is now charging $285 (more than the original purchase price of the GP-1) to repair the GPS port in my D-90 that was damaged by the GP-1 cable. This is extremely poor design on Nikon’s part, and needs to be recalled or included in the warranty coverage.

I do enjoy geotagging the pictures from my D-90, but will try to find a brace to prevent tugs on the GP-1 cable from damaging the D-90’s port. Failing that, I can expect to pay further installments of $285 as the price of using the GP-1.

1 Star Major Disappointment
This product simply did not function. I used the GPS-1 on a 15 day motorcycle trip around the NW United States and the unit found the location only once. The unit was used in extremely open areas and was given 30 minutes to register the location with no success. I would not recommend the product. Matter of fact, I have return my unit for a refund.

5 Stars Nikon GPS
Like most Nikon gear this unit is built well and works great. I have had two other cheaper off brand GPSs fail on my D300. With the Nikon name this GPS is a bit overpriced, but will last forever.

4 Stars Rugged GPS for Nikon cameras
I’ve owned two other GPS units for my D300, and although it has a few issues, the Nikon GP1 is far and away the best.

First and foremost, it’s rugged and high quality. I don’t think I’m rough on my equipment, but I went through two other (non-Nikon) units in under a year. So far the Nikon is holding up well.

The GP-1 does take a while to acquire satellites…I’d say for me it’s typically around 15 seconds. Sometimes it works indoors, sometimes it doesn’t. I don’t notice a big difference in this regard between the Nikon and other brands I’ve tried. But unlike one of my other (non-Nikon) GPS units, I never get false signals – if the coordinates are recorded, they are correct.

I tend to keep the GP-1 mounted to my camera strap (I like the Crumpler – the GPS fits on it well) and I tend to leave it connected all the time. I tend not to turn the camera on and off between shots, and as others have pointed out, it does drain the battery at a good clip. I use the MB-D10 battery grip with my D300…it has a larger battery and this helps a lot. I tend to get about 1200 pictures per charge with the GPS on (but the flash typically off).

Only other complaint is that the GP-1 creates a little contention for the 10-pin port on the camera. Sometimes I use a Nikon MC-36 (remote control) whilch also requires the 10-pin connector, and it would be nice if there were a built-in way to chain the devices together. Yes, I’ve seen various “Y” adapters, but I haven’t had luck with them – they tend to create an unwieldy tangle of wires that I’m always catching things on. I guess I’m also wondering why Nikon doesn’t just build GPS into the camera itself, as they do with one of their point-and-shoots. Hopefully the next design.

Recommended.

4 Stars Typical of previous ratings
As most reviews have previously stated, slow sync at start-up, doesn’t work well in covered areas – including trees. But once connected to satellites, works like a charm.

Buy/More Info

Canon EOS 7D 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3 inch LCD and 28 135mm f 3 5 5 6 IS USM Standard Zoom Lens

Made to be the tool of choice for serious photographers and semi-professionals, the EOS 7D features an all-new 18.0 Megapixel APS-C size CMOS sensor and Dual DIGIC 4 Image Processors, capturing tremendous images at up to ISO 12800 and speeds of up to 8 fps. The EOS 7D has a new all cross-type 19-point AF system with improved AI Servo AF subject tracking and user-selectable AF area selection modes for sharp focus no matter the situation. The EOS 7D’s Intelligent Viewfinder, an entirely newly-designed technology, provides 100% coverage and displays user-selected AF modes as well as a spot metering circle and on demand grid lines. New iFCL Metering with 63-zone dual-layer metering system uses both focus and color information to provide accurate exposure even in difficult lighting. The EOS 7D also captures Full HD video at 30p (29.97 fps), 24p (23.976 fps) and 25p with an array of manual controls, including manual exposure during movie shooting and ISO speed selection. The EOS 7D features a magnesium alloy body that is dust- and weather-resistant and shutter durability of up to 150,000 cycles. Compatible with over 60 EF and EF-S lenses as well as with EOS System accessories, the creative opportunities – not just with stills but also with video – are beyond amazement. Intelligent Viewfinder with 100% field of view, wide viewing angle of 29.4 , high magnification of 1.0, intelligent viewfinder with glass pentaprism and an overlaid LCD display in viewfinder supports various shooting styles Image Sensor – CMOS sensor 18.0 megapixels Image Sensor Size – 22.3 x 14.9 mm (APS-C size) Media – CF Card Type I and II, UDMA-compliant CF cards, via external media Monitor – 3.0 TFT LCD monitor Viewfinder Type – Eye-level pentaprism Live View Functions – Still photo shooting & video Recording Image Type – Still – JPEG, RAW (14-bit, Canon original), sRAW, mRAW, RAW+JPEG; Video – MOV (Image data – H.264

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Canon’s Newest Crop SLR Packs a Powerful Punch
I’ve had the Canon 7D for about two weeks now and after about a thousand shots:

Introduction. A very impressive high megapixel count for Canon’s new professional/consumer digital SLR, but keep in mind that, as you approach higher resolutions, you need to ensure the lens on the SLR can resolve that much detail. Being that I only purchased the body, I’ll be anxious to see how the lens kit fairs with this new camera. The shots I’ve seen so far across the internet are impressive, however. The lens I’ve used with this camera so far is my Canon 24-70 f/2.8L. A huge jump in ISO performance over my XSi, but that’s to be expected. I’m having troubles with focusing, but I’ll touch on that in a minute.

Image Quality. Outstanding. Perfect Colors in comparison to my Canon G10 and XSi. No color banding, excellent sharpness.

ISO. Canon 7D’s ISO performance is great for the amateur photographer attempting to get great photos (and the semi-pros who know what their doing…I’m the former). As I said previously, I had the opportunity to take photos in a restaurant at about the same time using the same lens with both the XSi and the 7D (different days). The difference in quality and keeper rate was amazing! I am one that will stop shooting at a higher ISO once the grain starts showing more predominantly, but at an ISO3200, I found pretty nice photos in a barely lit restaurant. The LCD screen is the same as the Canon 5D Mark II (3″, 920K Pixels), clear and fully visible even in bright sunlight. In comparison, the Canon XSi SLR also has a 3″ LCD, but with 230,000 pixels.

Size/Build. This build of the camera is substantially well made. It’s supposed to be made of a magnesium body and weather proof. Either way, I have no fears of taking this camera out in the elements. It’s more substantial than the XSi, and after only a few hours of shooting with the 7D, picking up the XSi felt like a children’s toy. I have small hands (ms_ladi hands), but still have no problems carrying the 7D body with the 24-70 lens.

Video. I am not interested whatsoever in the video aspect of SLR cameras and can never understand why this feature is included. Well, yes I can understand. I tried out the video for a few minutes and here are a couple of things I did not like. I also searched a few forums and found a couple of the same opinions. When I start shooting, I have to focus prior to shooting, but if I pan somewhere else, the camera won’t focus again–did I do something wrong???? Also, while I was taking snapshots during shooting, the video paused and the sound of the picture taking was heard. Since I’m not a fan of shooting on cameras, I’m not sure this is normal. The playback, however, is pretty amazing…lifelike, very realistic colors.

Autofocusing. Canon’s new 7D packs 19 AF points. I didn’t include this first because I’m still not sure if this is my lens, or my inability to learn the camera to the best of my ability. Although I’m getting excellent pictures, I fear I’m having problems with autofocusing. I point, shoot and the photo is blurry. The same picture with my Canon G10 comes out fine. After a few more attempts–concentrated, adjust, adjust, focus, focus, manual focus, manual focus, shoot (!!), the photo comes out well. I took a picture of a decorative frame and a photo. The shot came out with the frame in focus and the photo not (!!). Odd. Anyway, again, this is just an initial review as the elements are the user, the camera, and the lens.

Conclusion. For the price, the new Canon 7D is the most excellent camera that Canon has released. For the amateur like myself, by itself or coupled with a Canon G10 for the “low-pro” times, one has a one-two power combination. For the semi-pro, this is the probably the best crop to date. The camera is intuitive enough for those new to photography to pick and learn easily, yet configurable enough for advanced amateurs.

5 Stars Does the 7D beat full frame cameras?
No, but it’s so good that one starts to contemplate this question, which was never the case before the 7D was introduced. Both systems, crop and full frame, have their pros and cons and place in photography. But before I get into that let me say I have not been as excited about a camera since the introduction of the 5D MK I four years ago. That’s because the 7D raises the crop camera bar to the point where crop users will not feel at a disadvantage to full frame camera users, especially if coupled with awesome ef-s lenses such as the 17-55 f2.8.

How so? The 7D sets a new standard in four major ways.

1. It produces whopping 18MP pictures, which are just 3MP shy of the current top of the line full frame Canon cameras. Just few years ago most pros were producing stellar results using the 1Ds MKII 16MP camera. Now you have more MPs in a crop sensor, that’s a major achievement. This achievement translates into bigger prints and, perhaps more importantly, cropping power. Out shooting wildlife with a 300mm instead of 400mm? You can crop the 7D files down to 50% of their original file size and still obtain sharp pictures. It’s just not that easy with the 1D MK III 10MP files.

2. Many worried that extra MPs in small crop sensors would translate into nosier pictures, but the amazing thing is that this camera produces images with what seems to be less noise than the 1Ds MKII. The noise level is very good. At ISO 1600 I still prefer pictures coming from my 5D MKII, but below ISO1600 they are very close. Frankly, I can go with either camera because most of my professionally shot portraits and product pictures are shot at ISO100. At ISO100 both produce very clean files and are practically indistinguishable.

3. Focus is the one area that was lacking on the previous 1.6 crop Canon cameras and this camera changes that. It’s not a 1D in focus speed and accuracy, but it’s the next best thing compared to them. It’s faster than the Canon 5D MKII, which is known to be slightly faster or around the focus performance range of the 50D and 40D.

4. The drive chain is fast, so fast it’s beyond anything I needed in my professional work in portrait, commercial, and product photography. Going through pictures taken at 8fps produces very little difference from frame to frame. One probably has to shoot a very fast moving subject/object to see the advantage of such fast drive system.

There are obviously many other things that I have not covered in this review. But based on the above, all I can say is that this camera has really raised the bar for all cameras and made it much more affordable to obtain a professional level camera for all types of photography. If you were considering buying the 5D MKII as an upgrade give this camera a test because it might be all you need.

As for the advantages of crop cameras I always find it odd that casual users who shoot many things but focus on landscape think they need a full frame to realize their potential. Crop cameras such as the 7D and 50D are fine for most users and offer many advantages including:

1. greater depth of field at lower aperture for landscape photography

2. greater tilt and shift effect because of sensor size relative to effect (8 degrees in shift are greater in effect relative to a 22mm sensor compared to a 35mm sensor)

3. greater magnification with micro lenses and extension tubes because of smaller sensor (1:1 in full frame equals 35mm, 1:1 in crop equals 22mm)

4. smaller lighter lenses with wider aperture that achieve greater reach (such as the 17-55 2.8 vs the 24-70 2.8 similar reach but much lighter and smaller)

Traditionally the three areas full frame cameras outshine crop cameras are a bigger brighter viewfinder, shallower depth of field for portrait photography, and better ISO performance, which on the last point the 7D has proven not be an issue anymore.

And for the second point really, most beautiful low depth of field portraits are done around f2.8-2.0 in full frame (going wider will make depth of field too narrow to place two eyes in focus). Hence, if one is using a wide prime, a crop sensor will produce the same depth of field at 2.0-1.4. Considering an affordable 50mm f1.4 lens on crop has the same field of view as 85mm lens on full frame there is really no reason to discount a crop camera any more as the 7D levels the playing field.

Buy/More Info

Canon EOS 7D 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3 inch LCD Body Only

Made to be the tool of choice for serious photographers and semi-professionals, the EOS 7D features an all-new 18.0 Megapixel APS-C size CMOS sensor and Dual DIGIC 4 Image Processors, capturing tremendous images at up to ISO 12800 and speeds of up to 8 fps. The EOS 7D has a new all cross-type 19-point AF system with improved AI Servo AF subject tracking and user-selectable AF area selection modes for sharp focus no matter the situation. The EOS 7D’s Intelligent Viewfinder, an entirely newly-designed technology, provides 100% coverage and displays user-selected AF modes as well as a spot metering circle and on demand grid lines. New iFCL Metering with 63-zone dual-layer metering system uses both focus and color information to provide accurate exposure even in difficult lighting. The EOS 7D also captures Full HD video at 30p (29.97 fps), 24p (23.976 fps) and 25p with an array of manual controls, including manual exposure during movie shooting and ISO speed selection. The EOS 7D features a magnesium alloy body that is dust- and weather-resistant and shutter durability of up to 150,000 cycles. Compatible with over 60 EF and EF-S lenses as well as with EOS System accessories, the creative opportunities – not just with stills but also with video – are beyond amazement. Intelligent Viewfinder with 100% field of view, wide viewing angle of 29.4 , high magnification of 1.0, intelligent viewfinder with glass pentaprism and an overlaid LCD display in viewfinder supports various shooting styles Image Sensor – CMOS sensor 18.0 megapixels Image Sensor Size – 22.3 x 14.9 mm (APS-C size) Media – CF Card Type I and II, UDMA-compliant CF cards, via external media Monitor – 3.0 TFT LCD monitor Viewfinder Type – Eye-level pentaprism Live View Functions – Still photo shooting & video Recording Image Type – Still – JPEG, RAW (14-bit, Canon original), sRAW, mRAW, RAW+JPEG; Video – MOV (Image data –

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Does the 7D beat full frame cameras?
No, but it’s so good that one starts to contemplate this question, which was never the case before the 7D was introduced. Both systems, crop and full frame, have their pros and cons and place in photography. But before I get into that let me say I have not been as excited about a camera since the introduction of the 5D MK I four years ago. That’s because the 7D raises the crop camera bar to the point where crop users will not feel at a disadvantage to full frame camera users, especially if coupled with awesome ef-s lenses such as the 17-55 f2.8.

How so? The 7D sets a new standard in four major ways.

1. It produces whopping 18MP pictures, which are just 3MP shy of the current top of the line full frame Canon cameras. Just few years ago most pros were producing stellar results using the 1Ds MKII 16MP camera. Now you have more MPs in a crop sensor, that’s a major achievement. This achievement translates into bigger prints and, perhaps more importantly, cropping power. Out shooting wildlife with a 300mm instead of 400mm? You can crop the 7D files down to 50% of their original file size and still obtain sharp pictures. It’s just not that easy with the 1D MK III 10MP files.

2. Many worried that extra MPs in small crop sensors would translate into nosier pictures, but the amazing thing is that this camera produces images with what seems to be less noise than the 1Ds MKII. The noise level is very good. At ISO 1600 I still prefer pictures coming from my 5D MKII, but below ISO1600 they are very close. Frankly, I can go with either camera because most of my professionally shot portraits and product pictures are shot at ISO100. At ISO100 both produce very clean files and are practically indistinguishable.

3. Focus is the one area that was lacking on the previous 1.6 crop Canon cameras and this camera changes that. It’s not a 1D in focus speed and accuracy, but it’s the next best thing compared to them. It’s faster than the Canon 5D MKII, which is known to be slightly faster or around the focus performance range of the 50D and 40D.

4. The drive chain is fast, so fast it’s beyond anything I needed in my professional work in portrait, commercial, and product photography. Going through pictures taken at 8fps produces very little difference from frame to frame. One probably has to shoot a very fast moving subject/object to see the advantage of such fast drive system.

There are obviously many other things that I have not covered in this review. But based on the above, all I can say is that this camera has really raised the bar for all cameras and made it much more affordable to obtain a professional level camera for all types of photography. If you were considering buying the 5D MKII as an upgrade give this camera a test because it might be all you need.

As for the advantages of crop cameras I always find it odd that casual users who shoot many things but focus on landscape think they need a full frame to realize their potential. Crop cameras such as the 7D and 50D are fine for most users and offer many advantages including:

1. greater depth of field at lower aperture for landscape photography

2. greater tilt and shift effect because of sensor size relative to effect (8 degrees in shift are greater in effect relative to a 22mm sensor compared to a 35mm sensor)

3. greater magnification with micro lenses and extension tubes because of smaller sensor (1:1 in full frame equals 35mm, 1:1 in crop equals 22mm)

4. smaller lighter lenses with wider aperture that achieve greater reach (such as the 17-55 2.8 vs the 24-70 2.8 similar reach but much lighter and smaller)

Traditionally the three areas full frame cameras outshine crop cameras are a bigger brighter viewfinder, shallower depth of field for portrait photography, and better ISO performance, which on the last point the 7D has proven not be an issue anymore.

And for the second point really, most beautiful low depth of field portraits are done around f2.8-2.0 in full frame (going wider will make depth of field too narrow to place two eyes in focus). Hence, if one is using a wide prime, a crop sensor will produce the same depth of field at 2.0-1.4. Considering an affordable 50mm f1.4 lens on crop has the same field of view as 85mm lens on full frame there is really no reason to discount a crop camera any more as the 7D levels the playing field.

5 Stars Canon’s Newest Crop SLR Packs a Powerful Punch
I’ve had the Canon 7D for about two weeks now and after about a thousand shots:

Introduction. A very impressive high megapixel count for Canon’s new professional/consumer digital SLR, but keep in mind that, as you approach higher resolutions, you need to ensure the lens on the SLR can resolve that much detail. Being that I only purchased the body, I’ll be anxious to see how the lens kit fairs with this new camera. The shots I’ve seen so far across the internet are impressive, however. The lens I’ve used with this camera so far is my Canon 24-70 f/2.8L. A huge jump in ISO performance over my XSi, but that’s to be expected. I’m having troubles with focusing, but I’ll touch on that in a minute.

Image Quality. Outstanding. Perfect Colors in comparison to my Canon G10 and XSi. No color banding, excellent sharpness.

ISO. Canon 7D’s ISO performance is great for the amateur photographer attempting to get great photos (and the semi-pros who know what their doing…I’m the former). As I said previously, I had the opportunity to take photos in a restaurant at about the same time using the same lens with both the XSi and the 7D (different days). The difference in quality and keeper rate was amazing! I am one that will stop shooting at a higher ISO once the grain starts showing more predominantly, but at an ISO3200, I found pretty nice photos in a barely lit restaurant. The LCD screen is the same as the Canon 5D Mark II (3″, 920K Pixels), clear and fully visible even in bright sunlight. In comparison, the Canon XSi SLR also has a 3″ LCD, but with 230,000 pixels.

Size/Build. This build of the camera is substantially well made. It’s supposed to be made of a magnesium body and weather proof. Either way, I have no fears of taking this camera out in the elements. It’s more substantial than the XSi, and after only a few hours of shooting with the 7D, picking up the XSi felt like a children’s toy. I have small hands (ms_ladi hands), but still have no problems carrying the 7D body with the 24-70 lens.

Video. I am not interested whatsoever in the video aspect of SLR cameras and can never understand why this feature is included. Well, yes I can understand. I tried out the video for a few minutes and here are a couple of things I did not like. I also searched a few forums and found a couple of the same opinions. When I start shooting, I have to focus prior to shooting, but if I pan somewhere else, the camera won’t focus again–did I do something wrong???? Also, while I was taking snapshots during shooting, the video paused and the sound of the picture taking was heard. Since I’m not a fan of shooting on cameras, I’m not sure this is normal. The playback, however, is pretty amazing…lifelike, very realistic colors.

Autofocusing. Canon’s new 7D packs 19 AF points. I didn’t include this first because I’m still not sure if this is my lens, or my inability to learn the camera to the best of my ability. Although I’m getting excellent pictures, I fear I’m having problems with autofocusing. I point, shoot and the photo is blurry. The same picture with my Canon G10 comes out fine. After a few more attempts–concentrated, adjust, adjust, focus, focus, manual focus, manual focus, shoot (!!), the photo comes out well. I took a picture of a decorative frame and a photo. The shot came out with the frame in focus and the photo not (!!). Odd. Anyway, again, this is just an initial review as the elements are the user, the camera, and the lens.

Conclusion. For the price, the new Canon 7D is the most excellent camera that Canon has released. For the amateur like myself, by itself or coupled with a Canon G10 for the “low-pro” times, one has a one-two power combination. For the semi-pro, this is the probably the best crop to date. The camera is intuitive enough for those new to photography to pick and learn easily, yet configurable enough for advanced amateurs.

Buy/More Info