The Canon EOS R7 and EOS R10 share quite a lot of technology, but as the flagship model, the R7 is the more advanced of the two.
In a key difference between the two cameras, the Canon R7 has a 32.5MP sensor while the R10 has a 24.2MP sensor. Canon is open about the fact that the R7’s sensor shares some similarities with the Canon EOS 90D and Canon EOS M6 Mark II, but the micro lenses and wiring have been revised to enhance the performance.
In addition, the sensor features Dual Pixel CMOS AF II technology, that’s Canon’s most advanced version of its on-sensor phase-detection focusing technology and it’s the same as in the full-frame Canon EOS R5, EOS R6 and the headline Canon EOS R3. It means that the camera always uses phase detection focusing and every pixel can be used for focus detection. The system is also claimed to be sensitive down to -5EV.
This sensor is also paired with Canon’s latest line of processing engines, the Digic X series. This combination enables a maximum continuous shooting rate of 15fps (frames per second) with the mechanical shutter and 30fps with the electronic shutter. Those rates are both possible at full resolution and with full autofocus and metering capability.
In addition, the Canon R7 has intelligent subject detection and tracking, which uses deep learning algorithms to enable the camera to detect and focus on people, animals and vehicles. It uses hierarchical detection, prioritising the eyes (when eye detection is enabled in the menu) the heads then bodies when detecting humans or animals.
As you’d expect, there’s also Touch & Drag AF, which allows you to set the AF point by touching or dragging on the screen with your finger.
The response of the R7’s AF system can also be refined to suite the subject or shooting conditions by adjusting the parameters in the Case Studies section of the AF menu tab.
The EOS R5 and R6 were the first of Canon’s cameras to offer in-body image stabilisation (IBIS) and now the R7 offers it too. It corrects camera shake across 5 axis for video and stills and gives up to 8EV shutter speed compensation and with the new RF-S 18-150mm f3.5-6.3 IS STM kit lens it gives up to 7EV compensation.
The IBIS in the R7 also enables another neat trick, horizon correction. This is a feature that is activated via the menu and it uses the sensor’s ability to move to correct a sloping horizon. You can see its impact in the viewfinder and on the screen on the back of the camera.
Canon is pitching the R7 as a hybrid camera, which means it has a good range of video features as well as stills-shooting options. The headline figures are that it can shoot 4K footage at 60p with full-sensor readout so your lenses deliver the framing you expect. If you want to slow action more dramatically, there’s Full HD at 120p and there is the to crop the 4K 60p footage if you need to frame your subject tighter..
It’s also possible to shoot 4K 30p footage oversampled from 7K and Canon Log 3 is available if you’re keen to grade the footage or need to match the output from another camera.
According to canon, the usual 29 min 59 second limit of video recording has been removed and it’s possible to shoot for around an hour before th camera needs to cool down.
Other features
Naturally, the Canon EOS R7 has booth Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technology onboard, and it’s compatible with Canon’s free smartphone apps for transferring, sharing and printing images. This connectivity can also be used to stream live from the R7 to YouTube without the need for a computer.
There’s also a panoramic mode, found in the Scene mode options, which is a first for an EOS camera. In addition, Canon has included a panning option in which the camera looks at the speed of the subject and automatically sets a shutter speed that will freeze it while blurring the background.
The Canon R7 also has a raw burst mode which enables images to be recorded from the 0.5seconds before the shutter button is fully-pressed. That could be useful when photographing unpredictable action. Plus, there’s HDR PQ mode for capturing high dynamic range (HDR) images in HEIF (High Efficiency Image File Format) or video.
The Canon EOS R7 accepts the Canon LP-E6NH battery and has dual SD/SDHC/SDXC UHS-II card slots.
I sold my 7D recently with the intent of going for the r7 when it comes. Thanks for the review. I will be one of the many r7 users who will/has never own a -s lens. Could not care. I want a crop sensor on a 400:2.8 or 600:4. Thats what the r7 is for and it sounds like they did a great job!
They other use might be the r7 and something like 24mm lens for street etc, but the whole size argument is a bit out of proportion if you ask me. For that case, r6/,r5 + 35mm also works and it is ff.
I’ve been using Canon SLRs since 1968, starting with a 35mm FT-QL, moving to DSLRs in late 2006 with a Rebel XTi, then the T4i, the 70D and now an 80D.
I’ve run in Manual mode ever since I started using Live View. Set the exposure to taste on the screen and you’re done. But in bright light, the external screen can be hard to see, so I became intrigued by having a viewfinder that worked the same way. (My PowerShot G5X gave me a taste of that.)
As an amateur, the R5 is too expensive for me, and the R6 – while 20 MP is fine for full-frame lenses – is thrown into low a resolution by crop lenses, so the R7 it is.
I’ve ordered an R7 body and the Control Ring EF to RF adapter so I can use my 3 EF-S and 2 EF lenses. I don’t need to buy the RF-S kit lens – my EF-S 18-135mm IS nano-USM lens will do just fine. I’ll even be able to use the control ring to emulate the aperture control ring on the FL/FD lenses from my old FT-QL SLR.