We all love new technology, gadgets and such… So it’s no surprise that I was intrigued by the newest rumoured offering from Canon in their DSLR lineup — the Canon EOS 7D.

I’m a Nikon shooter myself, however, I always welcome the advancement of new technology from the competing brands. This means the other camera manufacturers must step up their game too, and bring something new to the table.

In this instance, it seems Canon is adopting some old technology that’s been around in Nikon cameras for years, but a very welcome addition it is for all the Canon shooters out there.

Enter the Canon CLS (Creative Lighting System, a term coined by Nikon for their range of Speedlites and accessories).

The new Canon EOS 7D is proposed to have a built in 24mm popup flash with the ability to manually control the output power and functionality of Canon Speedlites (430 and 580 series)! No longer will Canon users need to fork out $400 odd dollars on a Canon ST-E2 controller if they want the benefits of off-camera flash. Finally Canon!

The new EOS 7D is expected to be crop-sensor (damn, no cheap full-frame option!) and to have 18mp on an APS-C sized sensor (1.6x crop factor).

I gather many Canon users will be excited about this increase in megapixels… But unless Canon has bought some new sensor technology to the table, many will be disappointed to know so many pixels have been crammed into such a small sensor. Higher pixel densities — less space between the pixels — inherently leads to more heat. And that means noisier images.

I’m not expecting this camera to be a particular good performer at high ISOs… which is a shame considering they’ve decided to keep the full HD video function in there which many people will want to use in low light (nighttime) situations.

The Canon 5D Mark II only has 6 more megapixels — but the sensor is much larger, which accounts for its great low light performance.

You’re taking a risk on this one, Canon.

Of added interest, to sports shooters especially, is that the EOS 7D should have 8fps(!) which is a first in an APS-C sensor size for Canon. It’s obvious that this camera is meant to compete against the Nikon D300s (7fps + HD video). Nikon chose to keep the megapixel count down, which means better high ISO/low light performance.

Listed below are some of the other expected specifications for the new Canon EOS 7D:

1. 18MP APS-C CMOS
2. Dual DIGIC 4
3. 8 FPS (~14 Fine JPEG/ 15 RAW)
4. New eight-directional double cross central AF point, total 19 cross AF points
5. ISO 100-6400 (Exp 12800)
6. ~100% 1.0X magni VF with intelligent display, horizon assist
7. New iFCL metering (exposure and colour)
8. 3″ 920K Version II LCD, 160 deg viewing
9. Full HD video (w external mic input and HDMI output)
10. Live view with Face-priority AF
11. New switch for Live View/Video mode
12. Aero-dynamic body design, metallic shutter sound, 150K shutter life
13. New 24mm built-in flash, supports EOS intelligent Speedlite system
14. A.L.O
15. P.I.C
16. Picture style
17. EOS Integrated Dust Removal system

Dual DIGIC 4 processors should mean ultra fast processing time on the images — no doubt to keep up with the 8fps.

It’s great to see Canon opting for a full 100% frame coverage on the viewfinder, so what you see through the viewfinder is exactly the composition you will get on your final saved images.

The 7D is expected to be announced by Canon around September 4, with shipping in time for the Christmas rush. I’m sure many a photographer would love to find one of these under their Christmas tree. Australia could have stock by mid to end of October.

Pricing for the camera is hopefully going to be around the AUD$2600  mark, making a high quality professional APS-C camera with HD Video available to those whose budget doesn’t stretch to the 5D Mark II and who may already have invested in an assortment of crop sensor EF-S lenses.

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