Canon 7D

Color & Noise Performance

The Canon 7D did a good job in our color testing, although its color accuracy wasn't anything better than the competition. Still, the camera's bright light image offered deep colors with strong saturation levels. Click here to read our full color performance review, including color swatches and crops.

Color Accuracy Performance
Color Test Chart (above), Color Error Map (right)
The Canon 7D produced a color error of 4.21 and a saturation level of 101.6% in our bright light color testing. (The map on the right is a diagram of the color error. The length and direction of each line indicates how the camcorder processed each particular color.)

As with its color score, the 7D did quite well in our noise test, although its numbers were again not anything better than the competition. The camera managed 0.305% noise, which is quite a bit lower than your average consumer camcorder usually registers. Click here to read our full noise performance review, including crops and comparative analysis.
 

Motion & Sharpness

We were fairly impressed with the 7D's motion performance and we also admire the fact that the camera can record Full HD video in either 24p or 30p frame rates. The 7D wasn't quite the performer that the Canon 5D Mark II was, but it held its own in nearly every testing category. Click here to read our full motion performance review, including video clips.

The Canon 7D probably had its weakest performance in our video sharpness test—but it still didn't do half-bad. The camera's video image wasn't quite as sharp as the Panasonic GH1 or Canon 5D Mark II. Click here to read our full sharpness performance review.

Low Light Performance

The Canon 7D offered very good low light sensitivity in our testing. The camera registered 50 IRE on our waveform monitor with just 8 lux of light. Click here to read our full low light sensitivity performance review.

Required Illumination *

* the lower the lux required, the better the performance

Color accuracy was very good in low light on the 7D—in fact, it was even better than the camera's bright light color accuracy. The camera maintained strong colors when we dimmed the lights, and we were very impressed with its overall low light image. Click here to read our full low light color performance review, including comparative images and analysis.

Auto Low Light Color Performance
Color Test Chart (above), Color Error Map (right)
The Canon 7D produced a color error of 2.31 and a saturation level of 109.7% in our low light color testing. (The map on the right is a diagram of the color error. The length and direction of each line indicates how the camcorder processed each particular color.)

Most video-capable DSLRs have excellent low light noise numbers, and the Canon 7D is no different. It didn't have quite as low noise values as the competition, but it was still an impressive performance. Click here to read our full low light noise performance review, including crops and comparative images.

Conclusion

The Canon EOS 7D definitely has some impressive attributes for a video-capable DSLR. It can record Full HD video with either a 24p or 30p frame rate, it has a good set of manual controls that are easy to use, and it offered very good overall video performance (even in low light). With a price tag of around $1700 (body only) the camera isn't a bad deal either, although there are of a number of cheaper video-DSLR options—particularly if you look to the Micro Four Thirds cameras or models that only record 720p video. Still, if you're looking for a true DSLR that can capture 1080p video, the Canon 7D might be your best option. Its video quality is nearly as good as that of the Canon 5D Mark II, and it is significantly less expensive (by about $1000). Note For Professional Videographers If you're looking to replace your professional camcorder with the Canon 7D you are likely to run into a number of frustrating obstacles. Yes, the 7D can give you impressive video quality, and the fact that it can be used with a variety of lenses is a significant plus—but the camera simply isn't designed to handle long video shoots (its stationary LCD is of particular annoyance). One of our primary concerns is that the camera's internal temperature can cause it to shut down after extended periods of use in live view mode. To keep this from happening, the 7D's live view mode will automatically shut off after roughly 20 seconds of inactive use. This makes for a very annoying experience when you're trying to frame or setup a complicated shot. The lack of a continual autofocus may not bother some users, but it's definitely a setback when you're shooting anything on the fly (as is the camera's lousy built-in mic). There's also the issue with the 7D's rolling shutter, which will give your footage a wobble effect whenever you do a quick pan with the camera. For these reasons we can't recommend the Canon 7D as a true replacement for a dedicated professional camcorder.

Exclusive - Read the full review of the Canon 7D at DigitalCameraInfo.com, including complete, comprehensive video testing and analysis by CamcorderInfo.com.