Canon EOS R7 review: A strong start for RF-mount crop sensor cameras

Canon launched the EOS R7 and R10 APS-C RF-S mount cameras earlier this yr, lastly introducing lens compatibility between crop-sensor and full-frame mirrorless cameras. That places the way forward for its present APS-C EOS-M line doubtful, nevertheless.

At present’s evaluate is all in regards to the higher-end $1,500, 32-megapixel EOS R7. At that value, it goes up in opposition to rival APS-C fashions like Fujifilm’s X-T4 and the Sony A6600, but in addition Panasonic’s $1,700 Micro 4 Thirds GH5-II and even full-frame cameras like Nikon’s $1,300 Z5.

Very similar to it did with the pioneering EOS-R, Canon made some attention-grabbing design choices with the R7 physique, and used a non-stacked, non-backside illuminated sensor. The R7 has a powerful characteristic set, although, providing quick burst speeds, highly effective AI autofocus and powerful video capabilities. I checked it out with some assist from my professional photographer buddy, and right here’s what we discovered.

Physique and Dealing with

The EOS R7 has a basic Canon look, and whereas it’s not fairly as fairly because the X-T4, I just like the design greater than Sony’s boxy APS-C cameras. It seems to be small in hand however is definitely pretty hefty at 612 grams – not a lot lower than the full-frame R6 and significantly greater than the 503 gram A6600. The large mount helps each RF and the brand new RF-lenses designed for the R7 and R10.

It has a deep grip that’s snug and supplies stability, even with large lenses. There’s a management dial on the entrance of the grip as normal, however Canon tried a brand new strategy with the rear dial. As an alternative of placing it on the suitable the place the on/off/video swap is now positioned, it’s effectively to the left of that and in a vertical place, wrapped across the joystick.

I wasn’t too positive about that once I first noticed it. It didn’t take lengthy to get used to it, although, and Sam seen that it was simpler to alter settings or transfer the main target level one-handed whereas nonetheless holding a strong grip.

The shortage of a 3rd dial for altering issues like ISO is a matter, although. It’s definitely manageable via some devoted buttons, and you’ll reprogram the management ring on any Canon RF lens, together with the 2 new fashions, to alter the aperture or different settings. Other than that, the R7 handles almost in addition to the X-T4, and lots higher than any of Sony’s present APS-C cameras.

The 54mm RF mount additionally used on full-frame cameras seems to be cartoonishly large on the small physique, but it surely means you possibly can connect RF lenses just like the $2,300 50mm f/1.2 That’s good, as a result of Canon has solely two RF-S lenses thus far, the 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 and the 18-45mm f/4.5-6.3. Neither is quick nor significantly sharp, however they’re cheap and versatile for informal customers.

In the event you do want a quicker prime proper now, Canon’s $180 RF 50mm f/1.8 or $500 RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro are potential choices, however each have an equal 1.6 occasions focal size because of the crop issue. You may also use any EF lenses you’ve gotten mendacity round with Canon’s RF to EF adapter.

The R7 has a totally articulating, responsive 1.62-million dot show that offers you full management of the menu, playback, autofocus and different issues by way of contact. The menus are typical Canon, which Sam truly prefers to Sony. I’m much less keen on them, as I nonetheless have bother discovering settings.

The OLED viewfinder is a bit disappointing, although. You get simply 2.36 million dots of decision, in comparison with 3.68 million on the X-T4 and GH5-II. For issues like fowl taking pictures that require a pointy view to guage focus, this can be a problem.

Canon made a sensible choice utilizing the identical battery from the R5 and R6, slightly than the smaller one discovered on the R10. It permits for a strong 660 pictures on a cost, or effectively over 90 minutes of oversampled 4K 24p video recording.

It has each headphone and microphone jacks, together with a micro-HDMI port that’s unlucky however par for the course with APS-C cameras. Lastly, it has a pleasant twin UHS-II card setup for straightforward backups and comparatively quick taking pictures.

Efficiency

The R7 is a speed-demon of a digital camera, taking pictures 15 fps bursts with steady autofocus utilizing the mechanical shutter and an unimaginable 30 fps utilizing the digital shutter. These are the identical most body charges because the $6,000 EOS R3, which makes it nice for sports activities or wildlife taking pictures, significantly because it has a built-in zoom with the 1.6 occasions crop issue.

There’s a big caveat on the digital shutter mode half, although. Not being stacked, the sensor doesn’t learn out significantly shortly, so it could possibly produce skewed images in digital mode with quick topics or extreme digital camera motion. The mechanical shutter is quick sufficient to be a superb possibility, but it surely makes a loud clunking noise that might scare away that white-tailed deer or draw undesirable consideration at a high-school basketball sport.

You’ll get an honest variety of frames earlier than they kick you out, although. It delivers 100 pictures at 15 fps with the mechanical shutter or about 70 with the digital shutter earlier than the buffer fills. When you have a quick UHS-II card, the buffer clears out pretty shortly and you may get again to taking pictures once more.

Like different Canon cameras, the R7 makes use of Canon’s Twin Pixel autofocus with deep studying AI tech. In common single-point steady AF mode, it nails pictures even with fast paced topics. And the topic monitoring is top-notch, requiring little or no fussing. If you choose a topic in any AF space mode, it’ll lock on and observe it tenaciously. If the topic is a human, animal, fowl or perhaps a automotive, it’ll observe their head, physique or eyes.

It labored reliably and quickly for myself and professional photographer Samuel, holding youngsters, cats, birds and different quick-moving topics in focus. Although it could possibly fail to lock into topics like birds behind a department, Canon has a “foreground” setting that may assist. Canon additionally presents 4 AF circumstances, permitting customary images, topics which will seem shortly, topics that velocity up or decelerate shortly, and the aforementioned foreground setting. General, the AF is true up there with Sony, and superior to Fujifilm and Nikon.

The R7 is without doubt one of the smaller our bodies obtainable with five-axis in-body stabilization, as effectively. That system reduces shakes as much as 8 stops with choose lenses, which allowed me to take sharp pictures all the way down to an eighth or perhaps a quarter of a second.

Picture high quality

Whereas the brand new 32.5-megapixel picture sensor isn’t very quick, picture high quality is top-notch because of the up to date DIGIC X picture processor, high-megapixel depend and Canon’s colour science. In comparison with the same old 24 megapixels, 32.5 supplies a noticeable soar in sharpness and allows you to crop into images extra if vital.

JPEG high quality is probably the most effective of any APS-C Canon digital camera but, with sharper, extra pure photographs than the M6 Mark II, which additionally has a 32.5-megapixel processor (although not the identical one, Canon says). Samuel stated he took a number of studio images that he might have given to the shopper as JPEGs with no processing.

Canon presents each lossy and non-lossy compressed 14-bit RAW recordsdata, but it surely’s exhausting to see the distinction until you actually punch in. Each ship good dynamic vary, with the flexibility to retain element in high-contrast scenes. Dynamic vary doesn’t fairly maintain as much as Nikon’s Z fc, but it surely’s not far off.

The R7 has respectable however not nice low-light taking pictures functionality with usable photographs as much as ISO 6400 and even ISO 12800 if the publicity is nice and also you don’t attempt to enhance the shadows a lot in put up. Sony’s APS-C cameras are a bit higher in that regard, however the decision can be decrease.