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Canon 7D MII vs Canon 7D

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Canon 7D MII

20 MP | APS-C (22.4 x 15 mm) CMOS Sensor

Canon 7D MII
$1028.00

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Canon 7D

18 MP | APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) CMOS Sensor

Canon 7D
$1049.95

CHECK TODAY's PRICE
Canon 7D MII vs Canon 7D Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing 7D MII and 7D, two Semi-Pro DSLR cameras by Canon. Canon 7D MII was introduced to market in September 2014 and Canon 7D was launched in November 2009. As you can see, 7D is 5 years older than 7D MII. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Both cameras have APS-C sensors but Canon 7D MII has a 20.0 MP and Canon 7D has a 18.0 MP resolution.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Canon 7D MII and Canon 7D before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Canon 7D MII Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-09-15
  • 20MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 16000 ( expands to 51200)
  • Canon EF/EF-S Mount
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 10.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in GPS
  • 910g. 149 x 112 x 78 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Canon EOS 7D Compare

Canon 7D Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2009-11-06
  • 18MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 6400 ( expands to 12800)
  • Canon EF/EF-S Mount
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 8 fps continuous shooting
  • 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 860g. 148 x 111 x 74 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Canon 7D MII and Canon 7D compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Canon EOS 7D Mark II over Canon EOS 7D
GPS BuiltIn vs None track your location
Max Sensor Resolution 20 MP vs 18 MP 11% more pixels
Max ISO 16.000 vs 6.400 150% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points 65 vs 19 46 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution 1.040k dots vs 920k dots 13% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting 10.0fps vs 8.0fps 2 fps faster
Headphone Port Yes vs No better video control
Timelapse Recording Yes vs No creative shooting
Color Depth 22.4 vs 22.0 higher color depth
Dynamic Range 11.8 vs 11.7 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO 1082 vs 854 better High ISO performance
AE Bracketing Range ±5 EV vs ±3 EV Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
Shutter Life Expectancy 200000 cycles vs 150000 cycles Longer use without changing the shutter mechanism
Storage Slot 2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
Autofocus at f/8 aperture Center point vs none Autofocus with teleconverters
Reasons to choose Canon EOS 7D over Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Battery Life 800 shots vs 670 shots 130 more frames with a single charge
Weight 860 g vs 910 g 50 g lighter
Sensor Pixel Area 18.54µm2 vs 16.83µm2 10% larger pixel area
Common Strengths of Canon EOS 7D Mark II and Canon EOS 7D
Built-in Flash Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
External Flash Shoe Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Viewfinder Yes (Optical) vs Yes (Optical) Better framing and control
RAW Support Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Resolution 20 MP vs 18 MP Bigger prints and more details
Continuous Shooting 10.0fps vs 8.0fps Fast shooting speeds
Microphone Port Yes vs Yes High quality audio recording option
Environmental Sealing Yes vs Yes shoot at tough conditions
Top LCD Display Yes vs Yes Help viewing and changing settings easily
AE Bracketing Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Flash Sync Port Yes vs Yes Connect off-camera flash
AF Micro Adjustment (Fine Tune) Yes vs Yes Adjust each lens for accurate focusing
Shutter Life Expectancy 200000 cycles vs 150000 cycles High Shutter Rating
Dual-axis Electronic Level Yes vs Yes Level the camera easily in two axis
Common Weaknesses of Canon EOS 7D Mark II and Canon EOS 7D
Image Stabilization No vs No No Built-in stabilization
Articulating Screen No vs No No flexible viewing angles
Canon 7D MII vs Canon 7D: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Canon 7D MII and Canon 7D side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Canon 7D MII and Canon 7D. Canon 7D is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 1mm narrower, 1mm shorter and 4mm thinner than Canon 7D MII.

Canon 7D MII vs Canon 7D Camera Size Comparison - Front View


Here is the back view size comparison of Canon 7D MII and Canon 7D.

Canon 7D MII vs Canon 7D Camera Size Comparison - Back View

Canon 7D MII vs Canon 7D Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Canon 7D is 50g lighter than the Canon 7D MII but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since both Canon 7D MII and Canon 7D have the same APS-C sized sensor, their lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will be similar in size and weight.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

7D MII
7D
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

7D MII
7D
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Both 7D MII and 7D have weather sealings in their body, making them resistant to water and dust.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Canon 7D MII and Canon 7D's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don\'t tilt or flip in directions.
Canon 7D MII vs Canon 7D: Sensor Comparison

Canon 7D MII has a 20.0MP APS-C (22.4 x 15 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features DIGIC 6 (dual) processor. On the other hand, Canon 7D has a 18.0MP APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Dual Digic 4 processor.

Below you can see the 7D MII and 7D sensor size comparison.

Canon 7D MII vs Canon 7D Sensor Size Comparison


Canon 7D MII and Canon 7D have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

Both Canon 7D MII and Canon 7D sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, 7D MII has scored 70, 4 points higher than 7D.

What types of Photography are Canon 7D MII and Canon 7D Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Canon 7D MII and Canon 7D for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Canon 7D MII for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Canon 7D for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Large APS-C (22.4 x 15 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Large APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Canon 7D MII for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Canon 7D for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Large APS-C (22.4 x 15 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details
Large APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details

Canon 7D MII for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Canon 7D for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
65 Cross Type Focus sensors
65 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 670 shots
Good Low Light ISO
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 8.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
19 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 800 shots
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Canon 7D MII for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Canon 7D for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
Large APS-C (22.4 x 15 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
910g
Body Thickness 78mm
Read the details
Large APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
860g
Body Thickness 74mm
Read the details

Canon 7D MII for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Canon 7D for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Large APS-C (22.4 x 15 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Built-in GPS
Read the details
Large APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details


Canon 7D vs Canon 7D MII Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. Canon 7D MII and Canon 7D have the same Canon EF/EF-S lens mount and currently there are 319 native lenses available for these cameras.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. None of these bodies have sensor based image stabilization so you have to buy lenses with Optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 107 lenses with Image stabilization for Canon EF/EF-S mount.

Lens Type # of Canon 7D MII Lenses # of Canon 7D Lenses
Standard Zoom 40 40
Standard Prime 18 18
Wideangle Zoom 35 35
Wideangle Prime 48 48
Telephoto Zoom 58 58
Telephoto Prime 41 41
SuperZoom 28 28
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 7 7
Macro Prime 27 27
Perspective Control Prime 16 16
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 1
TOTAL 319 319
Canon 7D MII vs Canon 7D: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Canon 7D MII and Canon 7D, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Canon 7D MII and Canon 7D scores compare:

Canon 7D MII
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #37 out of 94 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #139 out of 1190 in all Cameras
Canon 7D
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #46 out of 94 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #223 out of 1190 in all Cameras

Canon 7D MII is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Canon 7D in all criteria except one: Portability. But the size difference between these cameras are negligible in real world so it is not a big disadvantage for Canon 7D MII.

Canon 7D MII
Canon 7D MII
$1028.00

Canon 7D
Canon 7D
$1049.95

Canon 7D vs Canon 7D MII Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Canon EOS 7D Mark II Canon EOS 7D
Brand Canon Canon
Announced 2014-09-15 2009-11-06
Body Type Mid-size SLR Mid-size SLR
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size APS-C APS-C
Dimensions 22.4 x 15 mm 22.3 x 14.9 mm
Area 336.00mm2 332.27mm2
Megapixels 20 megapixels 18 megapixels
Max Resolution 5472 x 3648 5184 x 3456
Max Native Light sensitivity 16,000 ISO 6,400 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 51200 ISO 12800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 65 19
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Canon EF/EF-S Canon EF/EF-S
Number of Available Lenses 319 319
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 3" 3"
Resolution 1,040k dots 920k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.63 0.63
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed 1/8000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization No No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 12.00 m 12.00 m
Max Flash Sync 1/250s 1/250s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 10.0 fps 8.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4 H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 910g 860g
Dimensions 149 x 112 x 78mm 148 x 111 x 74mm
Battery Life 670 shots 800 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS BuiltIn Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 70 66
DxO Color Depth 22.4 22.0
DxO Dynamic Range 11.8 11.7
DxO Low Light ISO 1082 854
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