It has great balance with lens attached.Īll the shooting controls are easily accessed with thumb and trigger finger for quick changes, while your left thumb controls the display, image review functions and the menu button that are generally used when the camera is away from your face. The grip is deep enough to wrap my fingers around and enough to loosely hold the camera at your side in between topside shots. I've owned several Canon bodies including the original 7D, and currently take two 5D Mark IIIs on every dive trip. This allows you to change the AF area with a flick of the thumb instead of the M-FN button above the shutter button. The only addition in this body is an AF Area Selection Lever built around the Multi-controller pad. The button layout is similar to the original 7D but mirrors the Canon 5D Mark III exactly. The Canon 7D Mark II is a semi-pro DSLR and the magnesium alloy body feels that way in your hands.
High ISO performance allows for more creativity in shooting underwater videoĮxcellent camera for topside use as well. Most advanced autofocus system in its class, including for videoīuilt-in flash allows you to use fiber optic cables instead of sync cords We'll explore these 7D Mark II features in this review and compare the camera with other DSLRs in the same class.ġ080p/720p video both with 60fps (30fps with All-I) While not important for underwater photos with strobes, the higher ISO capabilities will be welcome for videographers, who can push the ISO higher before image quality becomes an issue. The 7D Mark 2 also makes big improvements for shooting with higher ISOs, as this technology is changing fast in the digital camera world. Long story short, the Dual-Pixel AF opens new possibilities for using autofocus when recording video. This sensor technology allows the camera to use phase detection and contrast detection AF in the Live View mode (most DLRs rely only on contrast in Live View, which is why that AF is slow and unreliable for video, especially underwater). The Canon 7D Mark II has many upgrades you would expect: a 20.2MP APS-C CMOS sensor, faster processers, higher frames per second burst, increased ISO capabilities, intervalometer (finally, Canon!) and even a new battery.Ī major upgrade, and perhaps best reason to purchase this camera for underwater use, is the new Dual-Pixel CMOS AF first released in the Canon 70D. But how will it perform for underwater photo and video? The long-awaited 7D Mark II is a great camera with some major upgrades over the original 7D. We're starting to see the first underwater housings for the new Canon 7D Mark II - the perfect time to write our in-depth review of the camera.