Canon EOS 7D Mark II Review

Canon EOS 7D Mark II Review

The Canon EOS 7D was, at its introduction, without question, the best APS-C sensor-sized DSLR Canon had ever produced. While that camera remains a strong contender even today, 5 years after its introduction, the Canon EOS 7D Mark II is a huge upgrade from this model. At a summary level: Stuff a Canon EOS-1D X into a 7D-sized APS-C body with an APS-C-sized sensor, add a few enhancements (and remove a few), cut the price by 74% (as of review time) and you get a 7D Mark II. This camera is a bargain-priced, professional-duty-ready DSLR waiting to tackle your world.

The 7D was the first model in what is now a series of cameras. Under Canon's current EOS camera model naming scheme, the number of digits in front of the "D" provides the first clue to where the camera fits into Canon's lineup. The fewer digits present in front of the D, the higher the camera line. Once a single numeric digit is reached, the lower the number, the higher-end the camera is in the lineup (this is reversed for the **D, ***D, ****D and Rebel lines). The ranking gets less clear between the 6D and the 7D lines (the 6D is a full frame model, but the 7D is more feature-filled), but Canon's current 1D-Series model remains the best camera available.

Single numeric digit camera models are given a "Mark" Roman numeral when upgraded. So in the case of the 7D II, we have a second-edition single digit line (the best), but with a higher number within the single digit lineup. While Canon’s naming scheme places the 7D II just below the 6D in the higher-end camera lineup, you’ll notice that the naming scheme doesn’t tell the whole story – in many instances, the 7D Mark II’s feature set makes it the clear winner over its full-frame cousin.

The original 7D was in Canon's lineup longer than any other EOS camera before being upgraded and the 70D had most of the 7D's features along with some significant new ones (including Dual Pixel CMOS AF) at a lower price point, bringing Canon's product segmentation into question. The 7D II solidly clears up that issue. The 7D II is today at least what the 7D was when it was introduced: "... the ultimate step-up camera for serious photographers or a second camera for professionals in the field." [Canon] While it may be a second camera for many professionals, the feature-to-price ratio of this camera is going to make it the first choice camera for many professionals.

As is frequently the case with a new camera model, never-before-seen features are introduced with the 7D II.

Summary of EOS 7D Mark II Features

• 20.2 Megapixel CMOS APS-C Sensor supporting next generation Dual Pixel CMOS sensor-based AF
• 10.0 fps continuous shooting for up to 130 JPG/31 RAW frames
• Dual DIGIC 6 Processors
• Highly customizable AF system featuring 65 All Cross Type AF Points with f/8 center point sensitive to -3 EV extreme low-light conditions
• ISO 100-16000 with expansion to 51200
• Built-in GPS receiver with a digital compass records location information (longitude, latitude, elevation, direction and UTC time) to EXIF
• Improved custom controls with built-in Intervalometer and bulb timer
• 60 fps 1080p video, speed and sensitivity-customizable Movie Servo AF, MOV and MP4 recording formats and uncompressed HDMI out
• Magnesium alloy body, shutter durability rated up to 200,000 cycles and enhanced dust and weather resistance
• EOS Scene Detection System features a new 150,000-pixel RGB+IR Metering Sensor for improved precision
• 3.0-inch Clear View II LCD monitor (approximately 1,040,000 dots)
• Flicker Mode adjusts shutter release timing to avoid flickering light issues
• Dual Memory Card Slots supporting one CF (UDMA Mode 7) and one SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) memory card
• 100% view, 1.00x magnification Intelligent Viewfinder II
• Distortion correction joins Canon's previously introduced in-camera chromatic aberration and peripheral illumination correction
• New LP-E6N Battery and Battery Grip BG-E16

Sensor and Image Quality

Reading through the Canon EOS 7D Mark II specifications will give you a great deal of information about this camera, but starting at the top, the 7D II gets a new 70D-matching, EOS APS-C category-topping 20.2 megapixel APS-C-format (1.6x FOVCF) imaging sensor. The 20.2 MP resolution is not enough of an increase over an 18.0 MP model to drive an upgrade for most people (no worry as there are many other upgrade-compelling features), but more resolution is usually better with all other aspects remaining equal. Here is a comparative look at some of Canon's more recent and/or comparable models:

With the highest density DSLR sensors available, the EOS 7D II along with the 70D lead the Canon pack for "reach". When you are lens focal length limited, a more-dense sensor can deliver more resolution in your final crop (bird photographer alert). Of course, the considerably-smaller-than-full-frame APS-C format sensor gives your lenses a narrower angle of view, making them appear to have a 1.6x longer focal length than the numbers printed on them (also welcomed by bird photographers). That shorter focal length lenses are generally less expensive, smaller, lighter and possibly available with a wider aperture is welcomed by all.

With the 7D Mark II in the lab and tested on our enhanced ISO 12233 chart, we see that the 7D Mark II is equivalent to the 70D in image quality and sharpness and that the 7D II shows higher resolution and increased sharpness in the 7D Mark II vs. 7D comparison. There are no surprises here. More surprising is the 7D Mark II's high ISO noise performance.

I have created an extensive image quality comparison between the 7D Mark II and many other Canon EOS DSLR Cameras, but because of the large bandwidth requirements to load these images in their entirety, the comparison is hosted on a page separate from the review. Click on the color block image below to open this comparison in a new browser tab. Simply close the tab to return here.

If you followed the link and read the commentary on the image quality comparison page, jump down to the File Size and Media section as much of the following will be repetitive.

Prior to the arrival of the Canon EOS 7D Mark II, the EOS 70D was the image quality leader of Canon's APS-C format cameras. The 7D II arrived not too long after the 70D landed in the warehouses. As already mentioned, the 7D II shares the 70D's resolution and, with the current rate of image quality improvement combined with the fact that no image quality improvement claims were capitalized on in the 7D II press release and other marketing materials, I predicted that the 7D II's image quality would be at least as good as the 70D but not significantly better. The 7D II vs. 70D image quality comparison was the first I wanted to make as this would set the bar for the rest of the comparisons able to be made.

The colour blocks, having areas of solid colour, make ISO noise very apparent. If you can't see a difference in noise when comparing the colour blocks between cameras, you are not likely to see any difference in your images. If the difference is tiny, there are likely other camera features that will be more influential in your decision-making process.

Truth is, I expected to see practically no difference between the 7D II and 70D results until at least ISO 1600 or 3200. Canon's recent camera releases have shown most of their noise improvements at the upper range of their available ISO settings. However, after looking at this comparison many times, I see very slightly cleaner results from the 7D II starting at the base ISO of 100 with the advantage growing with ISO setting increase. This difference is slight through ISO 400.

At ISO 800 and 1600, the difference, while still not huge, is more easily recognised. The 7D II's advantage grows stronger at ISO 3200 and 6400. I have typically avoided these ISO settings on prior APS-C models, but I'm pleased to see ISO 3200 looking this good. At ISO 12800, I can almost read the numbers on the test chart ruler. As you probably expected to hear at this point, improvements are also seen at ISO 25600.

Going where no Canon APS-C DSLR has gone before, the Canon EOS 7D Mark II brings us the found-only-in-full-frame-models-until-now ISO 51200 setting. It is no surprise to me is that ISO 51200 produces a very ugly image with noise overpowering image detail and colour. Perhaps ISO 51200 will be useful for nighttime surveillance and law enforcement, but I think that Canon marketing will make the most use of this bragging-rights setting.

Note that ISO settings are available in 1/3 stop settings from 100 through 16000 (1/3 stop over the even 12800 setting). The extended H1 (25600) and H2 (51200) settings are available in addition (1/3 stops settings are not available between ISO 16000 and 51200).

Overall, I see more image quality improvement from the 7D II than I expected. I love when my expectations are exceeded.

A comparison that I am sure is on many people's minds is the 7D Mark II vs. 7D comparison. When comparing the 7D Mark II to the 5 years older original 7D, we must keep in mind that Canon has turned the in-camera sharpness level up a notch (equivalent to about a +1 "sharpness" increase). This practice started with the T4i and has been followed by all APS-C bodies released since (including the T5i, 70D and EOS M). The 7D Mark II is now included among the increased default sharpness models. I think that this is a positive change. I found the original 7D images to be somewhat soft without increasing sharpness slightly higher than I normally do, so I think Canon made the right decision here.

Increasing sharpness generally causes an increase in visible noise levels and the difference was visible when Canon first made this change. With the increased resolution factored in, a significant improvement in image quality would be shown if the 7D Mark II had noise levels similar the 7D. The good news is that the 7D Mark II has cleaner image quality at comparable ISO settings along with having a higher resolution and slightly sharper image details.

I would have been shocked if the 7D II's noise levels would have been lower than those from the full frame sensor format 1D X, 6D and 5D III models. As expected, they are not; however, it is hard to discern the difference at ISO 100 and even ISO 200 results are rather close. The differences increase as ISO settings increase. With their larger sensor advantage, full frame DSLRs have noticeably better image quality including better detail resolution, especially in low light/high ISO situations. Cost is, for most, the biggest downside to the full frame models (aside from the 6D).

I looked at the 7D II's image quality from many other angles. The results of some of these tests are included on the comparison page.

The "w/ USM" samples were processed using the default Unsharp Mask sharpness settings in DPP's Standard Picture Style. When these examples are compared with the test's standard processing examples, a significant difference in sharpness is seen. The reason why I do not use the standard sharpening most of the time is also seen. The color blocks should not have halos around them. One positive aspect of the USM sharpening is that the sharper results do not show increased noise levels.

Another set of samples show images processed in the Neutral Picture Style with a sharpness setting of "1". I use the Neutral PS in-camera because it applies a lower-contrast tone curve to images, providing a better picture of the camera's available dynamic range on the histogram shown on the LCD. These results appear more dull/less exciting. There is a time and place for the use of this setting, but I usually change my RAW images to the Standard PS immediately after importing them.

In the comparison, four sets of noise reduction samples are provided. As always: in-camera noise reduction is available (the 7D II offers 3 levels) and noise reduction is available during post processing (with far greater control). The Multi-shot Noise Reduction (MSNR) is another in-camera option.

The first noise reduction sample set was captured in RAW format using the standard noise reduction level set in camera (high and low settings are also available). The standard setting is the default out-of-the-box setting for this and many other Canon DSLRs. The "w/DPP NR" set allowed DPP to apply a default amount of noise reduction to the RAW images captured with NR turned off in-camera. These settings were slightly different than the settings that the standard NR in-camera generated. That DPP applies noise reduction to images captured with noise reduction turned off in camera appears to be either a bug in the software or an attempt to protect me from me. To avoid this problem, I instruct DPP to set noise reduction levels to 0 for all images via the preferences.

The third row of noise reduction results, "JPG w/ STD NR", shows images with standard noise reduction being applied to the in-camera created JPG images.

The first three rows of noise reduction results show slightly different amounts of noise, but I don't see a compelling reason to use in-camera noise reduction over post-processing-added noise reduction aside from perhaps a small amount of time savings.

Because noise reduction generally impacts image sharpness (often noticeable even at ISO 100) and because image details are degraded by this processing, I always turn off noise reduction in the camera by default. I generally do not add noise reduction at low and medium ISO settings and add noise reduction only sparingly to high ISO images.

The fourth-row results, captured using Multi-Shot Noise Reduction, shows a marked improvement in noise levels. MSNR merges information from multiple (four) exposures taken in a full-frame-rate burst into a reduced noise image. The concept makes a lot of sense. I see at least 1 stop of improvement and, at the higher ISO settings, I see closer to two stops of improvement over conventional noise reduction.

While MSNR has been available in EOS DSLRs for quite some time now, I still have not found the use for this feature. The downsides to Multi-Shot Noise Reduction include: MSNR is currently available only with JPG output (I would like to see this feature added to Canon's Digital Photo Pro software for RAW capture processing - perhaps as another HDR preset). Multi-Shot Noise Reduction is not so useful with moving subjects (or with a moving camera). Long exposure NR, Dust Delete Data, Multiple Exposure and HDR Mode must be set to off to enable MSNR. The 7D II reverts back to Standard NR in Auto/Basic zone modes, during video recording, in Bulb mode and when the camera is powered off. Flash is not supported in MSNR mode. After the 4 shot burst is captured, the camera remains "busy" for a relatively brief period of time while processing the merged image. So, while this feature is a nice idea, its limitations make it less useful in real-world applications.

The second set of test results on the image quality/noise comparison page utilises a fabric subject. The fine details in the fabric better-hide high ISO noise and favour larger and higher resolution sensors.

The Canon 1D X has slightly fewer pixels than the 7D II and it shows details in a correspondingly smaller size. But, the 1D X results are sharper and cleaner. The 6D and 7D II sensors are similar in megapixel count, but again, the 6D's full frame sensor provides a cleaner result. The 5D III, having the highest pixel count combined with the larger sensor size, rules the resolution challenge. The advantage of all three of these full frame cameras increases as the ISO settings are increased.

I don't see many surprises from the fabric results after reviewing the colour block set, but ... I continue to be impressed with the 7D II's improvements over prior Canon APS-C bodies. The 7D II shows off its noticeably higher resolution against the 7D and shows some high ISO noise level improvements. Though very similar to the 70D at ISO 100, the 7D II shows progressively cleaner results as ISO settings are increased. It remains unlikely that I will use the ultra-high ISO settings for any serious purposes.

The default USM sharpening example at ISO 100 shows strong over-sharpening that I find hard to look at and the Neutral PS shows a low contrast that I find most useful for creating the in-camera histogram that shows available dynamic range.

As I mentioned already, reduction of image detail is typically the collateral damage to using noise reduction algorithms. The 7D II's noise-reduced images do not appear too negatively impacted until ISO settings are increased to around 1600 (using the standard noise reduction setting), but ... ISO 1600 is also where the noise reduction becomes especially useful. Being aware of the price to be paid for using noise reduction will make you better able to determine how much noise reduction to dial into your images. If cleaner images are more important to you than detailed images, turn up NR!

Going into this review, I was thinking that there was little chance that I was going to be replacing my 70D with a 7D II. With a 1D X and a pair of 5D III bodies currently in my kit, I need APS-C cameras primarily to test EF-S and similar lenses. After seeing 7D II image quality exceeded my expectations, and knowing the huge array of other 7D II feature advantages over the 70D, I began having serious second thoughts at this point in the review process. Overall, the Canon 7D Mark II looks impressive from an image quality perspective.

File Size and Media

The size of the files generated by the 7D II is very similar to those from the resolution-matching 70D.The following table shows comparative RAW file sizes for a photo of a standard in-studio setup with a moderately-high amount of detail taken with the referenced Canon EOS DSLR body.

The EOS 7D II benefits from dual memory card slots – a first for Canon's APS-C sensor cameras. Image files can be written to a CompactFlash (UDMA Mode 7) memory card and/or a SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) memory card. Files can be written to both cards simultaneously (for redundancy) or sequentially (for increased capacity).

Don't downplay the increased capacity option. This camera can create a huge number of images in a very short timeframe – you might be filling a pair of high capacity cards in a short time span. A CF card with a 30 MB/sec. or faster write speed is recommended for full functionality including ALL-I movie recording. An SD card with a 20 MB/sec. or faster write speed is recommended.

Frame Rate, Buffer Depth, Shutter Sound

With a "newly developed mirror mechanism [that] uses motorized control to help reduce impact and enhance camera performance during high-speed continuous shooting" [Canon], the Canon EOS 7D Mark II can capture images at a rate that was not-long-ago max for the top-of-the-line EOS 1-Series DSLRs: 10 frames per second (approx. 9.5 fps when iTR AF is operating and other conditions can affect the max frame rate). With this fast frame rate combined with a 130 JPG or 31 RAW file buffer, the 7D II can capture the perfect moment of your action.

If capturing a subject in motion, shutter lag matters to you. You want the camera to respond very quickly to your shutter release press, enabling your shots to be perfectly timed. Canon has been shortening the lag time in their non-1-Series bodies and now the 7D II spec matches the normal shutter lag of the high-end 1-Series cameras. Compare the specs of the Canon EOS 7D II to the very impressive 1D IV for example. The 7D II is very responsive and ready for your fast action from a frame rate perspective.

Canon's DSLRs historically have tested very close to their specified frame rates, and with a fast memory card, often exceed the specified buffer capacities. To test the Canon EOS 7D Mark II's 10 fps drive mode and 31 RAW file buffer specs, I configured the camera to use ISO 100, a 1/8000 shutter speed (no waiting for the shutter operation), a wide open aperture (no time lost due to aperture blades closing) and manual focus was selected. The lens cap remained on (insuring a black file) and a freshly-formatted fast memory card was loaded.

Using a Sony 32GB Class 10 UHS-I (SF32UX) SDHC Card (Max. Read/Write Speed: 94/45 MB/s), the 7D II captured 30 frames in 2.9 seconds to match the rated drive speed and come within 1 frame of the rated buffer depth. After .3 seconds, two additional frames were captured .27 seconds apart and then a repeating pattern of two similarly spaced frames were captured every .5 seconds.

Put a Lexar 64GB Professional 1066x UDMA 7 Compact Flash Card (Max. Read/Write Speed: 160/155 MB/s) in the slot and the 7D II captured between 46 and 49 frames in 4.7 seconds (or less) to again match the rated speed but far exceed the rated buffer depth. With this Lexar card installed, two additional frames were captured .1 second apart every .2 seconds for a post-buffer-filled performance of 14 frames in 2.27 seconds or about 5.7 fps. This rate is faster than some cameras shoot with an empty buffer and I'm guessing that this rate continues until the card is filled. Shoot in JPG format and this card and camera combo can shoot at 10 fps for a very long period of time.

These frame rates should be considered best-possible for the referenced cards and your in-the-field results will likely vary, but a fast memory card definitely makes a difference with this camera. Note that there are faster SD cards available than the Sony I tested with and that I'm not saying that CF cards are faster than SD cards in general, but the speed of the card does matter.

A (usually minor) concern that I have for using CompactFlash cards in this camera is the ease in which an improperly-oriented card can be inserted into this camera (more easily than a 5D III for example). The concern is due to the potential damage that can be caused by an improperly inserted CF card.

Canon EOS 7D Mark II One Shot Mode

Canon EOS 7D Mark II Burst Mode

Canon EOS 7D Mark II Silent Mode

Canon EOS 7D Mark II Silent Burst Mode

Burst Comparison: 70D, 7D, 7D II and 1D X

Camera sounds are recorded using a Tascam DR-07mkII Portable Digital Audio Recorder with record levels set to 50% at -12db gain and positioned 1" behind the rear LCD.

Live view shooting can also be used to further minimalize the 7D II's audibility.

Perhaps even more beneficial for understanding what can be done with this frame rate is to look at a visual example. Drag your mouse over the labels under the following image for a visual look at the 10 fps rate. Drag your mouse completely across all of the labels in 1.3 seconds to get an idea of the speed of the approaching American Quarter Horse – approximately 35 mph (56 kph) based on previous GPS testing. I know, the labels are a bit small for that mouse move, but this approach happened very fast.

As with action capture of many subjects, there are specific positions of the horse that I like best. My favorite is all four hooves off of the ground at the same time to leave no question about the speed of the horse. That horse position is best-timed with the horse and rider nearly filling the frame.

Even at 10 fps, I do not have many captures of the ideal pose in this entire burst example. True, I have the opportunity to shoot this particular approach over and over again, meaning that I might be able to get the same image with a 5 fps camera if twice as many passes were made. But, not all subjects give you a second chance (sports and wildlife are two such examples). Also, it takes twice as much time to shoot two passes and time is a precious resource for all of us.

Here is another example showing wing positions captured in a 10 fps burst. Shown is a juvenile bald eagle chasing an adult (the adult has a fish in its talons).

Certain wings positions are more photogenic than others and in this case, there are roughly 2 frames per wingbeat in which to capture the ideal positions. A 20 fps rate would not be too fast for this use. A 10 fps rate is twice as likely to capture ideally positioned subjects than a 5 fps rate.

Autofocus

Of critical importance for most photographers, and especially for sports/action and wildlife photographers, is autofocus accuracy. A camera's image quality doesn't matter if the subject is out of focus. The first 7D received what Canon at that time called "... the most advanced AF system ever seen in an EOS SLR." While that 19 cross-type AF point system was groundbreaking, the 7D II breaks a lot of new ground.

The 7D II receives the 1D X's AI Servo AF III along with an enhanced version of the EOS 1D X's EOS iTR (Intelligent Tracking and Recognition) AF system, featuring viewfinder-based face and color detection along with a newly-developed wide-area 65-cross-type-point AF system.

Cross-type points are sensitive to lines of contrast in two directions instead of just one – for potentially significantly better focusing performance. The 1D X and 5D III both have nearly as many AF points as the 7D II (61), but at most, only 41 of their AF points function as cross-type points. The 7D II's center AF point has dual cross-type functionality with an f/2.8 or wider aperture lens.

As with the 1D X and 5D III cameras, the 7D II's AF Configuration Menu permits configuration of the AF system's tracking sensitivity, acceleration/deceleration tracking, and AF point auto switching.

An AF first for a Canon APS-C DSLR is that, like the 5D III and 1-Series bodies to date, the 7D II will autofocus with lens and extender combinations with max apertures as narrow as f/8. In this case, only the centre AF point acts as a cross-type point and only the four neighbouring AF points function in addition. Those pursuing bird and wildlife photography, two of the most common uses for extenders, will especially appreciate this feature.

Another eye-catching spec is the 7D II center AF point's low light performance. Only the EOS 6D matches this camera's -3 EV center AF point spec.

The EOS 7D Mark II’s AF Area options are Single-point AF, Spot AF (reduced size single point), AF Point Expansion w/ 4 points (single point plus 4 surrounding points in "+" configuration), AF Point Expansion w/ 8 points (single point plus all 8 surrounding points), Zone AF (one of 9 preconfigured zones), Wide Zone AF (new – a large group of center, left, or right AF points) and Auto AF point selection (all 65 AF points active). These options are illustrated below.

While I expect most photographers to favor only a small subset of these options, there is a focus configuration available for your needs. Especially notable: the large percentage of the viewfinder covered by Canon EOS 7D Mark II AF system is a big deal, at least when shooting in AI Servo AF mode and when there is no time to recompose after focusing. Here is an example:

The horse gallops toward the camera – fast. I want the rider to be in focus, but the horse's ears and mane strongly compete for the top AF point's attention as the animal quickly moves up and down. The shallow depth of field does not allow both to be in reasonable focus at the same time. Having an AF point so close to the border of the frame allows me to (better) avoid the AF point's attention moving from the rider to the horse.

Good examples of situations requiring a wide-positioned AF point include any sports that involve running (track, baseball, soccer, football, field hockey, etc.). When a person is running fast, they lean forward and the head leads the lean. If the subject's eyes are not in focus, the shot is likely a throw-away. To keep the runner's eyes in focus requires an AF point placed on them and at the oft-desired near-frame-filling distances, an AF point positioned close to the frame edge is required. The 7D II has you covered here. 

Cameras with a lower percentage of the viewfinder covered by AF points require similar subjects to be captured from a longer distance and/or with a wider focal length, meaning cropping is required to achieve the same desired frame-filling result. Cropping of course reduces final image resolution. The Canon EOS 7D Mark II's wide area AF system has you covered in these situations, allowing you to fully utilize its 20.2 MP sensor. There is little remaining need to focus and recompose and in-motion subjects are more easily captured in their final-cropped framing – this capability is a big deal.

An apparently undocumented attribute of the outer AF points (at least in single AF point mode) is that they all can use contrast information under the next AF point toward the center, causing the adjacent AF point to functionally appear as a focus assist-like point. When contrast becomes weak (or even non-existent) on a selected outer AF point and the next point down/up (for top/bottom AF points) or left/right (for right/left AF points) has good contrast, the 7D II will auto focus using the position of that particular assist point. Here is a pair of examples:

I created a white canvas in Photoshop and then created two vertical bars spaced to fall under the rightmost AF point and the next point to the left. The camera is unable to focus on the white canvas (no contrast available), but can easily lock focus onto the black bars. I then reduced the opacity of the right bar until the stronger-contrasting bar under the adjacent focus point took over the camera's attention. The 7D II was tripod-mounted and positioned at an angle to the display to better discern the camera's selected point of focus. Shown in the examples is a screen capture from DPP showing the selected AF point and the area where the LCD display's pixels are most in-focus. The bar under the right-most AF point is still visible in the "Low Contrast" example, but the camera focuses similarly on the strongly contrasting bar to the left.

Corner AF points (including the corner points in the slightly enlarged center section of AF points) utilize contrast information under the two adjacent points.

Whether the outer AF points are simply larger than the point indicator or the adjacent AF point is actually being used, I cannot say. Whether this feature is beneficial or problematic is dependent on the situation you are shooting in. It was somewhat problematic in the horse example I've been showing as the bouncing ears and mane did get the 7D II's attention sometimes. The 5D Mark III's AF system does not exhibit this behavior, but the 5D III's outer AF points are farther from the borders than even some of the 7D II's next-to-outer AF points. I should also note that I could have adjusted the 7D II's AF tracking parameters to ignore the temporary interference of the ears (the default tracking settings were in use).

When the 7D Mark II was announced, the big question on my mind has been "How does the 7D Mark II AF system compare to the best-ever-prior AF system found in the 1D X and 5D Mark III?"

The 1D X and 5D Mark III AF systems are easily the best I've ever used and my in-focus hit rate when using these cameras, especially with subjects in motion, has never been higher. Then the 7D Mark II was announced with even more focus points (including a higher number of cross-type AF points) and many of the same or even improved AF features found in the 1D X/5D Mark III.

In response to my question, Chuck Westfall (Advisor, Technical Information, Canon USA) was gracious enough to prepare a detailed technical comparison for us. Chuck's information is a must-read for anyone choosing between these three DSLRs:

Chuck Westfall Compares the 7D Mark II AF System to the 1D X and 5D III AF System

I found the 70D to be Canon's best-focusing APS-C format DSLR prior to the 7D II's release and based on initially available information, expected the 7D II to easily surpass this competence.

When design meets reality is of course the real test and I've been paying very close attention to 7D Mark II auto focus performance. It is easy to measure and compare image quality, but autofocus performance and especially AI Servo AF performance is very difficult to evaluate. Multiply the infinite combination of lighting (amount, size and spectrum) and subjects (color, contrast, size, shape, speed and direction) possible by the wide range of configurable AF settings and it becomes clear that exhaustive testing of AF performance is simply not a realistic endeavor.

Predicting the point of perfect focus on a fast-moving subject at the precise moment the shutter opens in AI Servo AF mode is one of the biggest challenges for AF technology and AI Servo AF accuracy testing is one of the most-difficult camera tests to perform. Shooting a challenging scenario that is familiar to me is the best method I've found to at least get a baseline comparison and having one of the kids gallop their horses straight at me is one of the best baseline tests I've found. The 10 fps example shown earlier in the review is an example from the 1,500-or-so images captured on two different days under different lighting conditions (full clouds and direct sunlight).

In the galloping horse shoots, the 7D II performed extremely well. This camera, behind a fast-focusingCanon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens, had no trouble keeping up with the horses down to close distances. As I already mentioned, the camera liked to focus on the horse's mane instead of the rider on occasion, but that the 7D II's AF could switch between the two at such a fast rate (between frames) shows the camera's incredible AF speed. Otherwise, the 7D II appears to stay focused on this challenging subject as well as the 1D X and 5D III. And again, I could have adjusted the tracking parameters to avoid this issue completely.

A few indoor soccer matches and a running event were included in my 7D II AI Servo action testing with good results observed. The soccer matches were under terrible lighting conditions with strong light flicker and the AF hit rate was decent. The running event was outdoors and AF tracking performance was excellent.

"How well does the Canon EOS 7D Mark II perform when shooting birds in flight?" has quickly become a frequently asked question. The Canon EOS 7D Mark II, especially because of its high performance AF system, high density imaging sensor, fast frame rate and modest-for-what-you-get price, is quickly finding favor with bird photographers. And, one of the biggest challenges faced by bird photographers is maintaining focus on birds in flight. Thus, the question is getting asked.

I had the privilege of spending the larger part of a day shooting bald eagles below the Conowingo Dam in northern Maryland with the 7D II this week. My goal was to discern how well this AF system could track the often-erratic movement of these beautiful birds in flight (and to hopefully come away with some nice images).

The day's moderate-to-heavy cloud cover eliminated any harsh shadow issues, but made the sky a white canvas (white sky is OK, but is not my favorite) and provided low light to further challenge the AF system. The bottom line is that I'm really impressed with my success rate from this day.

I was using the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens with and without a Canon EF 1.4x III Extender behind it. Tracking these fast and erratic-moving birds with such a narrow angle of view was quite challenging, but when I kept the selected center AF point or one of the 4 neighboring AF points (based on the AF area I was using) on or even close to the bird I was tracking, most of the images were properly focused. Especially impressive was the ability of this camera to maintain focus on the birds even with backgrounds that the birds visually blended into and even more impressive was this camera's ability to maintain focus on the birds even with high contrasting backgrounds including electrical line towers and bare tree branches against a bright sky. I was using the AF Case 2 to instruct the camera to be slow to leave a tracked subject due to obstacles.

After catching its dinner, this eagle in the above picture flew directly toward the camera. I began tracking and shooting at 10 fps. I have numerous good images of this eagle, but this was the most-frame-filling that did not cut off any significant amount of the bird. This image is essentially right out of the camera. I extended the canvas slightly to the bottom, added the extreme tip of the two bottom-most feathers and removed imperfections from a couple of other feathers. I changed the Picture Style to Standard (in DPP), changed saturation to "1", white balance to "Cloudy" and added a touch of noise reduction.

This camera is a great choice for bird photography. The consensus that I'm hearing from the other photographers frequenting Conowingo Dam is that their 7D Mark II experiences mirror my own.

I expected to have no problems with the 7D II's One Shot AF mode – I rarely do with any Canon EOS DSLR cameras – and my expectations have proven true. Simply place your selected AF point on a point of adequate contrast on your subject and the camera very quickly gets the job done. One shot AF works very well even under very low light levels. From a dimly lit room, looking through a slightly cracked door into a very dark basement, the 7D II was able to auto focus on the edge of a barely-visible reflection using the center AF point when the camera's meter was selecting a 30 second exposure at f/2.8. This is a very impressive capability and event photographers shooting in cave-like venues will especially appreciate this feature.

Another AF feature I'm impressed with is EOS iTR AF (Intelligent Tracking and Recognition). Using color along with face recognition technology to help track subjects within the selected AF Area while in AI Servo AF mode, iTR definitely makes a difference when trying to track specific subjects including people's faces, yellow tennis balls and other subjects. Perhaps the biggest downside to enabling iTR is a possibly slightly reduced max frame rate. The iTR technology is not available in Live View mode (the raised mirror blacks the iTR sensor in the viewfinder), but Live View has its own face tracking technology that also works very well.

The bottom line is that I have to declare the 70D (and 7D) dethroned as king of APS-C AF. The Canon 7D Mark II is now the best-focusing APS-C DSLR available (as of review time).

The 7D II is more-directly competing with the extraordinary AF system found in the 1D X and 5D III. I'm not ready to declare the 7D II better than the 1D X and 5D III for AF performance, but I have spent a lot more time with these two bodies and there are some differences (as Chuck pointed out) between these AF systems with both sides having advantages. In use, I'm not seeing a big difference in accuracy.

Conventional DSLR phase detection AF relies on light passing through the semi-transparent main mirror and reflecting from a sub-mirror into the AF sensor below. The AF sensor, in connection with the dual DIGIC 6 processors (the most processing power ever in a Canon DSLR), performs phase detection AF with incredible speed. The extremely fast and very accurate phase detection AF system has been reason alone to select a DSLR over any another type of camera.

When the mirror is raised for Live View shooting or Movie mode, the primary phase-detection AF system becomes unavailable. Typical for recent DSLR models is that sensor-based contrast-detection AF then becomes available and that sensor-based contrast AF has been painfully slow.

Groundbreaking with the recent introduction of the EOS 70D was Canon's innovative Dual Pixel CMOS AF (DAF) system. Each pixel on an imaging sensor in a DAF implementation is dual purposed with phase detection AF being the secondary purpose. Since the imaging sensor pixels are able to perform both imaging and fast phase-detection focus measurement simultaneously, continuous AI Servo-like AF is available in Movie mode. Canon calls this feature "Movie Servo AF".

The Canon EOS 7D Mark II is the second DSLR to arrive with DAF technology and this implementation is referred to by Canon as the "... next generation of Dual Pixel CMOS AF ...". "New DAF features include user-selectable adjustments for Movie Servo AF Speed and Movie Servo AF Tracking Sensitivity. Additionally, overall focusing speed, face detection performance, and performance in low light and with low-contrast subjects have been improved over previous Canon models." [Canon]

There is likely an issue with the CPU capability in these lenses, preventing them from being fully compatible with the Dual Pixel CMOS technology. The more-conventional Live View contrast detection AF method will likely be reverted to with one of these lenses mounted. I do not currently have any of the listed lenses (though, again, that 1200 L is always calling me), so I've done no testing in this regard.

Another compatibility issue that you need to be aware of is that the Movie Servo AF Speed (focus transition) feature is enabled only for STM lenses USM lenses marketed in 2009 or later (and only in FlexiZoneAF). STM lenses are also strongly-advantaged in Movie Servo AF focusing smoothness and quietness concerns. With a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Lens mounted, Movie Servo AF steps are made in somewhat-disturbing-to-watch quick jumps with very-audible-to-the-camera-mic clicking/clunking occurring during focus changes. The STM lenses silently and very smoothly adjust focus in your choice of speed for ideal cinematic transitions from one subject to another. Note that an exception is that the EF 40mm f/2.8 STM’s focusing sound could be picked up by the in-camera mic during very large transitions (min focus distance to max), especially if the camera was set to something other than a slow transition (meaning the AF motor was working as fast as it could for a long duration of time). However, relatively speaking, the sound was minimal compared to non-STM lenses.

My own kit has been light on STM lenses because I am generally favoring higher grade models, but having a set of STM lenses makes a lot of sense if recording video while making use of Movie Servo AF.

Prior to Movie Servo AF and STM lenses, nearly all DSLR video was recorded using manual focus. Cinema-grade video generally involved careful focus pulling that typically utilized follow focus accessories. Not all video will be recorded using Movie Servo AF, but this feature – along with the built-in image stabilization found in many of these lenses – greatly simplifies quality video capture. Especially because the focus changes are so smooth and pleasing, impressive DSLR video is now much easier to capture by the masses.

The 7D II's sensor-based AF includes benefits over conventional phase-detection AF. First, the AF coverage area encompasses a full 80% of the frame (measured horizontally and vertically) with no limit on a "number" of focus points to select from or include in auto AF. Second, no AF Micro Adjustment calibration is needed because the actual imaging sensor is being used for AF. And, AF can function with camera and lens combinations having an f/11 or wider aperture (vs. f/8 with the 7D II's conventional center AF point) – again, using 80% of the frame.

Live View AF modes include Face Tracking, Flexizone - Multi, Flexizone - Single and Quick mode. Canon's EOS cameras are very effective at locating a subject's face and tracking that person around the frame in Face Tracking mode. FlexiZone-Multi allows one of 9 zones for auto AF to work within – similar to Zone AF mode. FlexiZone-Single allows selection of one AF point – similar to One Shot AF mode. The remaining Live View AF mode is also the oldest – Quick mode. Quick mode closes the mirror temporarily to allow conventional phase detection AF to do its job. For obvious reasons, Quick mode is the only option not allowing selection of the continuous focusing Live View menu option.

As I found with the EOS 70D, the EOS 7D Mark II's Dual Pixel CMOS AF is very fast – not so far from the speed of conventional phase detection AF.

Video

As I have already begun discussing the 7D II's video capabilities, I'll dive deeper into this feature. Incredible video quality for a low price has become standard with Canon DSLR cameras. But, the primitive AF performance in movie mode (if the camera even has AF in video mode – only recent ones do) has been a barrier to enjoyment of this feature for many. What I saw with the 70D was that, while still not as high performing as the DSLR's conventional phase detection predictive AF, Dual Pixel CMOS AF is capable of tracking anything short of high speed action. DAF made DSLR video capture as easy as with a consumer grade camcorder with far superior video quality. As expected, the 7D II performs at least as well as the 70D.

Overall, the Canon EOS 7D Mark II has received a superset of all prior EOS DSLR video features and becomes the first Canon DSLR to feature 60 fps 1080p recording. Available NTSC and PAL recording sizes and frame rates are:

1920 x 1080 (60, 50, 30, 25, 24 fps) (actually 59.94, 50, 29.97, 25, 24, 23.98 fps)

1280 x 720 (60, 50 fps) (actually 59.94, 50 fps)

640 x 480 (30, 25 fps) (actually 29.97, 25 fps)

Note that Movie Servo AF is not available when recording 1080p at 60 fps.

Once again, with the ability to start new video files during filming, the 4GB /12 min HD Movie clip limit has been surpassed. "Legal reasons" (to fall below the EU's higher tax rate video camera designation) limit the maximum total HD clip length to 29 minutes and 59 seconds (generating three files). The 7D II " ... automatically splits files greater than 4GB (FAT specifications) for extended recording without interruption." [Canon]

The typical .MOV file format (H.264, Linear PCM Audio) is now joined by a .MP4 option (H.264, AAC Audio) that is compatible with a much larger range of playback systems. IPB (Bi-directional compression) or ALL-I (Intra-coded Frame) compression methods are selectable. IPB offers a higher compression rate by compressing multiple frames together while ALL-I compresses each frame individually – allowing for more precise editing. ALL-I compressed footage will be about three times larger than IPB compressed footage, but ALL-I requires less computing power. IPB Light (vs. Standard) is selectable when .MP4 is the recording format. The mini HDMI port can be used to record uncompressed Full HD video (4:2:2) to external recorders.

Video exposure control is via Program AE or fully Manual exposure. ISO settings of Auto and 100 through 25600 are available (the expanded ISO range is not available in video mode) as well as ±5 stops of exposure compensation in 1/3 or 1/2-stop increments.

Audio recording options are the internal microphone capturing stereo sound or the 3.5mm stereo input jack. Manual audio level control is available (64 steps) as is a wind filter/attenuator. The 7D II has a headphone jack for monitoring recorded audio.