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My reasons to hate my 7D


kamush1664878711

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<p>Yep.. Here comes another 7D hater... I own this camera for 3 weeks and and my last word is I'm disappointed and I hate it... I just can't rely on it anymore...<br>

I used 30D for 7 years... yes limited capability and many shortcomings... I thought that in 5 years (release of 7D) there must have been serious improvements in image quality... I don't do large prints yet I don't see large images in photography sites... but even in small images 5D image quality looked stunning (probably because been taken and processed by experienced and pro photographers).. I have a friend who owns 7D for 2 years now and he loves it very much... I used the camera for 1 day with 15-85 lens on it... images seemed to lack in contrast and sharpness... I blamed my lack of experience with 7D and mediocre quality lens... I respected the opinions from the big reviewers and experienced photographers' recommendations and got one... and classic story begins with soft images, focusing problems and annoying high noise levels... <br>

Yes it is possible to get good results with this camera too but it requires 3 times more effort, work and time to make it close to my photos taken with 30D. Center weighed auto focusing was much better on my 30D... the easiest and the most obvious proof is that photos taken with my 70-200 f4 L IS (the king of sharpness) are not sharp anymore... Noise at iso 100 is worse than in 30D... 9 point automatic af never focuses correctly.. absolutely never!...<br>

I took 7D to my central europe trip for 10 days... display showed cool pictures which made me very happy at first but when I uploaded to computer I faced the reality... pictures made me work too long in photoshop... still couldn't get as crisp images as with my 30D...<br>

In the end what we like about the pictures are their quality which is determined by two factors: sensor and lens... I can't doubt my 70-200 as it proved itself since many years ago... I believe that in so many years of technological improvements and innovations it is not acceptable to have a ''capable'' camera with worser (despite being larger-18mp vs 8mp) image output...<br>

I probably wouldn't buy this camera if my 30D didn't die (after 2 times mirror and 2 times shutter repairs)... <br>

I wanted to upgrade to 5D mark II or III but now I'm preoccupied with thought: what if I don't like these too if they are not much better than 7D. Tests and reviews show that they are actually good cameras but from now on I can't trust the reviewers too... In the end I need a canon camera for my canon lens lineup but very I became pessimistic and worried about canon cameras...</p>

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<p>No reason for bad manners here! Kamran, you have the top of the line currently in Canon's DX cameras. Your 15-86mm lens is very highly rated and respected for producing sharp images with good color. I think we need to look a little further for reasons for your dissatisfaction. The 7D is widely known for being one of the most complex cameras in Canon's stable with a fairly steep learning curve. Perhaps you need to go back to the basics and learn how to set up your 7D to get the kind of images I have no doubt at all that it is capable of. Maybe work with your friend who has the 7D and I assume produces sharp, richly colored images that he is proud of. For sure that 7D of yours will produce better images than your 30D when you make the effort to learn how to do it. Good luck! </p>
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<p>What's with all the recent 7D bashing? Isn't it still, as Puppy face cleverly declared awhile ago, "the King of the Crops"?</p>

<p>I'm seeking to replace my 50D with a 7D, and would love anyone who hates theirs to let me know, and I'll take it off your hands free of charge. Heck, I'll even pay the postage.</p>

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<p>Wow, that's a bummer. Apparently it's the operator error, since there are many 7D owners that really enjoy their cameras. I'd suggest you go to basics, make sure you have all the ducks in the row. Gees, if you have to, go back to P&S. Anyway, if your results still have aroma, you might want to sell any and all zooms that you have and just get prime lenses....and work with them. AF focus is not everything....I still use manual even though my lenses have AF capability. You might want to try renting couple of prime lenses and see what sort of results you get.<br>

You are not going to reach any pinnacles if you dump Canon (for whatever brand). Work out your niche....or get together with someone who has 7D or similar rig. Don't dispair, you can always get 30D if you really really need to go @ that direction. Good luck.</p>

<p>Les</p>

<p> </p>

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<p>Thank you for your replies... even being sarcastic :)<br>

Dear John, it's really tragic for me... I mean it... I work from 7:30 to 18:00 everyday and 15 days each month I'm on duty at night... I haven't been on a holiday since 18 months... I've been preparing for this trip for 2 months... bought new bag, new filters, new extra battery etc... During 7 days of my trip I slept only 5 hrs and was on my feet for at least 15 hrs a day... I climbed on hills, stayed late outside in the chill... yes it is tragic that I sacrificed for disappointing images...</p>

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<p>Kamran, you have my sympathies. Nobody would like to be in a situation like that. No one. An expensive camera should be a joy to use and give good results. We expect that today. I know how you are feeling right now, and for what it is worth: You will figure it out. Hopefully soon so that you can be happy with your equipment again.</p>

<p>Don't mind the guys that have to jump into threads where people either are very happy or very disappointed in something and start to discourage the OP. 'Drag them down, or even further down, quickly!'<br>

<br /> They don't know better than to behave like that. It happens every time...what a peculiar phenomenon. I have yet to see women behave like this in a forum. Makes me very sad.</p>

<p>Best wishes and take care, Kamran.</p>

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"What's with all the recent 7D bashing?"

 

It isn't just the 7D. It is everything anybody has an issue with these days. I'm going to sarcastically blame the Internet.

People have a problem. They Google it and find a few complaints. They make their own complaints. Once there are

maybe five to ten negative threads on a product, people start characterizing their individual problems as an

epidemic...then the oh why doesn't X stand by their product begins. You see it all the time on automotive forums, to the

extent that nowadays people struggle to accept the simple explanation, like that their battery is dead.

 

Despite the recent bashing, I actually bought a 7D on Monday due to the Cyber Monday deals that were available. I

traded in my trusty 40D (which was my primary camera, then my crop camera for birding and wildlife) and some other unused equipment (and a kit

lens) for a considerable savings on top of the deals. I got a chance to take it birding this morning with my 400/5.6L. I'm

impressed.

 

But on to the OP... Kamran, can you elaborate a little more on what extra steps you needed to get "decent" images? We may be able to help you find a way to ease that burden. A few samples would be great, too.

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<p>Anyone who "upgrades" with vague, unspecific needs which he "feels" a new camera will fix is destined to fail in exactly the same way. On a base level, image quality hasn't changed much since the perfection of color and B&W film in the late eighties - early 90's. Digital cameras extend the capability, especially in dim light, but if you weren't happy with the images camera X created in your hands, and that camera was made in the last 20 years or so, it's not the camera. </p>

<p>Too much time spent imagining the world is greener on the other side - whatever that side might be. </p>

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<p>Dear Joshua, thank you for detailed reply...<br>

The problem starts with soft images combined with noise (especially in shadows but also very noticeable at any iso on the sky) <br>

I basicly perform the same steps... saturation>levels>unsharp mask... but before that in order to do these steps I expect the image to be of appropriate quality (sharp up to a certain degree and clean)... When I reduce the size the unwanted effects such as noise are less obvious... but it is very difficult for me to sharpen the image for crispier results... wether it becomes not sharp enough or noise gets very obvious...<br>

besides that the dynamic range of photos doesn't feel superior to 30D...</p>

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<p><strong>Kamran</strong>, you might see if your lenses need to be adjusted using the AF micro-adjustment on the camera. My 100-400 wasn't at all sharp on my 7D until I made this adjustment and then it was perfect. I hope you can come to grips with your 7D because it really is a pretty amazing camera, but there are so many ways to set it up and configure it, in addition to learning all of the AF modes and settings. I moved to my 7D from my trusty 30D, a camera that I dearly loved and still like a lot, but the 7D eclipses it in every way for me. I do believe that a lot of 7Ds had some quality control issues (as did other Canon <em>and</em> Nikon cameras along the way) but the vast majority have proven their mettle and have earned the camera a pretty solid and very good reputation. Good luck getting it sorted out but if you don't and have indeed gotten a bad copy, replace it with a different body. A good copy is worth the effort to acquire it.</p>
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Kamran, I'm curious...is the noise you are experiencing present in the sky from the moment you open the RAW file, or

does it become apparent after you start processing the image? What is the lowest iso you've observed it with? How much USM are you applying, how much are you adjusting the exposure/shadows/highlights, and how much are you adjusting the saturation? Do the unsharp images look out of focus or just unsharp?

 

I'm also curious, have you done any shooting in JPEG? Did it look better to you?

 

Also, I took a look through your portfolio. You have some very nice photographs in there. If you could post a few of your

trip pictures, both ones you felt the 7D performed poorly and ones you felt it performed well (if any), and then link us to

the folder, it could really help nail down the problem. Without seeing the images it is hard to tell exactly what is

responsible for your dissatisfaction.

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<blockquote>

<p>I <strong><em>own this camera for 3 weeks </em></strong>and and my last word is I'm disappointed and I hate it... I just can't rely on it anymore... <strong><em>it's really tragic for me</em></strong>... I mean it... <strong><em>I work from 7:30 to 18:00 everyday and 15 days each month I'm on duty at night... I</em></strong> haven't been on a holiday since 18 months... <strong><em>I've been preparing for this trip for 2 months...</em></strong> bought new bag, new filters, new extra battery etc... During 7 days of my trip I slept only 5 hrs and was on my feet for at least 15 hrs a day... I climbed on hills, stayed late outside in the chill... yes it is tragic that I sacrificed for disappointing images... <strong><em>I took 7D to my central europe trip for 10 days... </em></strong>display showed cool pictures which made me very happy at first but when I uploaded to computer I faced the reality... pictures made me work too long in photoshop... still couldn't get as crisp images as with my 30D...</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Oh no.<br>

Not correct.<br>

You did NOT prepare correctly for this (photographic) expedition, at all: in any manner or fashion.</p>

<p>You bought a new tool, which is now 3 weeks old for a trip which lasted 10 days. So at the MOST you had a NEW TOOL for about 10~11 days before you left to travel.<br>

As referenced, you work so many hours that in those ten days it is entirely UNlikely that you had adequate time to learn the new tool and adapt to it . . .</p>

<p>When I cut my Studio over to digital I took 6 months to learn the nuances.<br>

A more recent example, a few weeks after I received a 5DMkII I travelled continuously for about 30 days: on that trip I elected to take my 5D as my main camera, because I deemed I had NOT enough training on the 5DMkII for it to be an unconsciously managed extension of my hand – and that was after I had made a concerted working effort, <strong><em>training</em></strong> with the 5DMkII, for <strong><em>several hours</em></strong> per week. </p>

<p>One has every right to criticism and detailed critique of the TOOLS one uses.<br>

But if one requires those expressions to be recognised as remotely valid and even moderately respected – then one must do the work to learn the TOOL, first; and NOT just use a shotgun approach and blame the TOOL for all the other shortcomings in one’s Photography System . . . after only a few hours’ use.</p>

<p>The OP and other respondents should make no mistake. This is NOT a sarcastic response. Nor is it a testosterone charged Bloke, dragging down another Male because he doesn’t know any better manners nor has the refinement of the Female Sex.<br>

Rather it is an object analysis and response to what is a childlike spew of verbiage, predicated upon a lack of taking responsibility and ownership and the exhibition of totally UNprofessional approach to preparing for important Image Making.</p>

<p>If one takes the Art of the Samurai seriously; or even if one has any vague understanding of it: one would have prepared properly beforehand and certainly one would have NEVER spewed forth such muck, afterwards.</p>

<p>WW</p>

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<blockquote>

<p>you might see if your lenses need to be adjusted using the AF micro-adjustment on the camera</p>

</blockquote>

<p>well I did it for 70-200 f4 L IS... I was getting nuts (I didn't have an appropriate setting but tried each combination many times btw + and - 15... Finally it lead me to power restart... after that it was a bit better (but still no objective testing with DOF ruler)</p>

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<p>I own the 7D and the 5D MkIII and they're both great cameras. I assume you're shooting in Raw, but I'm not sure. Your Raw conversion of 7D images will be different from 30D or a 5D MkIII. You should have presets established in your Raw converter and PS should hardly be needed.</p>

<p>Here's a shot that I took this morning with my 7D and excellent 70-200mm f/4L IS:</p>

<p><a title="Ring-necked pheasant flies... by dcstep, on Flickr" href=" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8344/8235682024_dec51d73c8_b.jpg" alt="Ring-necked pheasant flies..." width="1024" height="683" /></a><br /> Try using a Raw convert with lots of Presets and adjusts to your specific camera/lens combination. You can try DxO Optics Pro 8.0 free for 30-days. Try some of the Raw-only Color/Contrast Presets. I think you'll be overjoyed with the 7D when your images are properly processed.</p>

<p>Compared to the 5D MkIII's AF, I complain about my 7D's AF, but that's for birds in flight, shooting with a 500mm lens. With the 70-200mm and most "normal zooms", there's no AF problem at all. (The AI Servo mode is where the 5D MkII trumps it, but even then, I can get shots as above).</p>

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<blockquote>

<p ><a href="../photodb/user?user_id=1618729">Joshua Szulecki</a></p>

</blockquote>

 

<blockquote>

<p>Kamran, I'm curious...is the noise you are experiencing present in the sky from the moment you open the RAW file, or does it become apparent after you start processing the image? What is the lowest iso you've observed it with? How much USM are you applying, how much are you adjusting the exposure/shadows/highlights, and how much are you adjusting the saturation? Do the unsharp images look out of focus or just unsharp?</p>

</blockquote>

I notice noise even at iso100 as I open the file and enlarge it to 100%... Images are sometimes out of focus even with center point focus (may be due to the handheld usage). Almost never in focus at central 9 point AF mode...

 

I would upload the images but I need them upload to flickr or something... I'll inform as soon as I do...

 

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