EOS 70D announced!

[ljwest]

Available in September, but can be preordered.

</br>

</br>

<a href="http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/about_canon/newsroom?pageKeyCode=pressreldetail&docId=0901e0248093419a">70D Press Release @ Canon USA</a>

[ruben leal]

I wonder what this statement means:

 

"Dual Pixel CMOS AF (...) enables users to shoot video with the new EOS 70D close to the quality of a video shot with a

camcorder."

 

Could it mean that focusing in movie mode is close to the focusing of a camcorder? Or should we understand that the

new CMOS sensor has the image quality of a camcorder?

[peter_j2]

<p>Interesting specifications. What will happen to the 7D?</p>

[bobatkins]

<p>" <em>What will happen to the 7D?</em>" - It will, in time become the 7D mkII. Maybe later this year, maybe next year. It too will likely have a dual pixel sensor, but will probably also have dual Digic 5+ processors, a faster frame rate an updated AF system. Probably WiFi, maybe GPS.</p>

<p>As for camcorder quality, I assume they mean that the AF tracking in video mode will now be as good as a camcorder. That can't be said about previous EOS DSLRs in video mode. The full frame models don't have any AF tracking in video and the Rebels with hybrid sensors have limited AF tracking ability.</p>

<p>Video Image quality will probably be similar to the 6D. Very good, but not quite as good as the 5D MkIII which has more sophisticated processing to minimize aliasing.</p>

<p>It's slightly disappointing that they made this announcement a good two months before they expect to be able to ship. I guess they didn't want those waiting for a new EOS DSLR to give up and switch to Nikon!</p>

[anders_carlsson]

<p>It remains to be seen if this new sensor is any better as far as shadow and chroma noise is concerned. So let's talk specs until we know! Great camera on paper but a hard sell to those of us who don't care much about AF tracking and have gotten used to OM-D portability.</p>

[keith reeder]

<blockquote>

<p>Could it mean that focusing in movie mode is close to the focusing of a camcorder? Or should we understand that the new CMOS sensor has the image quality of a camcorder?</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>It's entirely about the focusing, Ruben - initial reports suggest that the new technology is crazy-fast focusing, and extremely accurate too.</p>

[keith reeder]

<blockquote>

<p>It remains to be seen if this new sensor is any better as far as shadow and chroma noise is concerned.</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>"Better" chroma noise performance?</p>

<p>I swear I've never had a moment's problem with my 7D's chroma noise (or that of any Canon I've owned before that) at any ISO: the default chroma NR in every converter I use deals with chroma with trivial ease.</p>

[keith reeder]

<p>Some pretty nice-looking samples here:<br>

http://canon.com.au/About-Canon/News-Events/News-Press-Releases/IMR-EOS-70D</p>

[Dieter Schaefer]

<p>What baffles me is how for the same price, Canon can provide a camera with a 16-image RAW memory buffer when Nikon only manages a paltry 6/7 with the D7100 which severely limits that camera's usability in fast action and wildlife photography. Granted, the Canon has "only" 20MP vs Nikon's 24MP - but that should not be enough to explain such a large discrepancy.</p>

[h._p.]

<blockquote>

<p>It will, in time become the 7D mkII. Maybe later this year, maybe next year.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Splendid. I'll start saving up the $50 it will cost me to buy the current version, in three years' time!<br>

:-)))</p>

[keith reeder]

<p>Dieter,</p>

<p>it's my strong suspicion that either company could put out cameras that would make the most cynical, jaded, hard-to-satisfy photographer drool at the mouth, but that they choose not to entirely for product differentiaton purposes - y'know, if you're a Nikon user and you must have a bigger-than-D7100 buffer, buy a different (read: "<em>more expensive</em>") camera...</p>

<p>As a flipside to your point, there are many Canon users who would willingly forego a deeper buffer for the perceived dynamic range advantages provided by Sony sensor-equipped cameras (I'm assuming that the D7100 has a Sony sensor), which suddenly became <strong>The Only Thing That Matters</strong>® a couple of years back.</p>

[ljwest]

 

<blockquote>

<p>Dieter,<br>

it's my strong suspicion that either company could put out cameras that would make the most cynical, jaded, hard-to-satisfy photographer drool at the mouth, but that they choose not to entirely for product differentiaton purposes - y'know, if you're a Nikon user and you must have a bigger-than-D7100 buffer, buy a different (read: "<em>more expensive</em>") camera...<br>

As a flipside to your point, there are many Canon users who would willingly forego a deeper buffer for the perceived dynamic range advantages provided by Sony sensor-equipped cameras (I'm assuming that the D7100 has a Sony sensor), which suddenly became <strong>The Only Thing That Matters</strong>® a couple of years back.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Agreed! Just like no two photographers are alike, no two cameras will be alike. There will always be a tradeoff in features, specs, price, sensor size, etc.</p>

<p>I see the 70D as a good advancement of the XXD line, and a trickling down of some of the 7D tech. Who knows, we may see a Rebel with 19pt AF soon!</p>

<p>With this release, I'm really looking forward to the 7DII to see what Canon cram into it, as well as the price!</p>

 

[daniel_moorhead]

<p>I checked out the specs, but did not see any reference to the materials of construction of the frame and body. Anyone hazard a guess?<br>

Dan</p>

[Wouter Willemse]

<p>Keith, absolutely true and the different wishes of the market will always mean the grass is greener somewhere else. But there is a point to what Dieter said. To me, the 70D vs. D7100 seems a bit like the 5D Mk. 3 vs. D800 - the Nikons may have excellent sensors with high resolution and good DR and whatever people drool about, the Canons simply seem to have more rounded specs aimed at allround usability. Maybe they don't catch the headlines like "best sensor according to DxOMark", but their specs do not drop the ball in any major way that will alienate potential upgraders. And I think the Nikons do (low continuous speed D800, buffer size D7100). It shows slightly different visions on what "we" want from these manufacterers.</p>

<p>But, in the end, the comparison with a Nikon doesn't really matter all that much. Is the 70D going to make a lot of people switch to Canon from other brands? I doubt so; it looks very good but not crushing the competition. Is it going to convince existing owners of Rebels/xxxD and older xxD models to upgrade, and sell to first-time DSLR users? Oh yes.... it will sell just fine.</p>

[g dan mitchell]

<p>Sounds like a fine update to me. No need for grumping! :-)</p>

<p>Dan</p>

[ShunCheung]

<blockquote>

<p>As a flipside to your point, there are many Canon users who would willingly forego a deeper buffer for the perceived dynamic range advantages provided by Sony sensor-equipped cameras (I'm assuming that the D7100 has a Sony sensor), which suddenly became <strong>The Only Thing That Matters</strong>® a couple of years back.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I have been using two D7100 since April, mainly for wildlife photography. To me, its buffer is not a very serious problem. In particular, in conjunction with the Sandisk Extreme Pro cards, the D7100 can write about 3 RAW files per second so that it can empty its buffer very quickly.</p>

<p>The 70D is clearly there to compete against the D7100, as they have fairly comparable specs and exactly the same price. Like the D7100, the 70D has Canon's top-of-the-line AF module for its APS-C cameras. However, there are some design trade offs. One can also ask why Nikon managers to give you a 100% viewfinder and dual memory cards at $1200 and Canon can't. To me, it is pointless to ask such questions. Canon is not going to be able to give you everything Sony, Nikon, and Pentax have on their $1200 cameras and maintain the same price point; there are always some given and take.</p>

<p>BTW, a few months ago, some people took apart a new Nikon D5200 and found a Toshiba sensor inside. The D7100's sensor has the same specs as the D5200's. Therefore, presumably, the D7100 has a Toshiba sensor instead of a Sony sensor.</p>

<p>And as I see the D7100 to be Nikon's "flag ship" APS-C model (flag ship is a terminology Nikon USA themselves uses), I don't think Nikon has any plans to update the D300/D300S to some "D400" a lot of people anticipate. Likewise, since the 70D already has Canon's best AF system and other specs for amateur sports/action photography, I would disagree with Bob as I don't see any so called "7D Mark II" coming. IMO, for both Canon and Nikon, $1200 is the new top for their APS-C DSLRs. The $1700 to $2000 price range now belongs to low-end full-35mm-frame (Nikon FX) DSLRs such as the Canon 6D and Nikon D600. A relative of mine bought a brand new 6D body in the US for around $1500. He got that from a store that was willing to break up a 6D kit with the 24-105mm/f4 IS lens.</p>

[JDMvW]

<blockquote>

<p>I'll start saving up the $50 it will cost me to buy the current version, in three years' time!</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Dream on, the prices of old digital cameras actually stay higher longer than did the expensive film camera versions. Best bargains right now, but not cheap like $50, are in the 40D and 50D models among the non-Rebels. The very early models seem to have become attractive to somebody, though it seems a bit early for the "collectors" I would have thought.</p>

[alan_bryant1]

<blockquote>

<p>I'll start saving up the $50 it will cost me to buy the current version, in three years' time!</p>

</blockquote>

<p> <br>

JDMvW is right, a quick look at KEH shows that there are no Canon DSLRs that can be bought in EX condition for $50. The 20D, from 2004, fetches over $100. As it should - it's a fine camera.<br>

<br>

I'm wondering how long it will take this new focus stuff to get into the EOS M cameras.</p>

[nico_morris]

<p><em>"I checked out the specs, but did not see any reference to the materials of construction of the frame and body. Anyone hazard a guess?</em><br /><em> Dan"</em><br /> <em><br /></em>Yeah sure I can. The 7D was Canon's pro/semi-pro crop format and the plastic 60D took over a tweener role between that and the Rebels, trashing the confidence in the naming system they'd built up until the 50D. To me the giveaway that the 70D is the true successor of the 60D is the flip-out screen and emphasis on video capabilities. Canon seem to be lining this up as the better and pricier alternative to mobile phones which can do both stills and video. So, plastic it will be.<br>

And for those that can't see when their leg is being pulled: the rest of the internet is giggling at you.</p>

[keith reeder]

<p>Hi Shun,</p>

<p>yeah, I agree that for wildlife the shallow buffer's not necessarily a show-stopper (even when I'm shooting birds in flight I rarely rattle off more than 5 frames in a burst), but - f<em>or me</em> - it'd be a significant problem for the motor sport I shoot.</p>

<p>But I deal with that simply by using a camera that does what I need it to.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>To me, it is pointless to ask such questions.</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Absolutely - and even more pointless to take the lack of this or less of that, as <em>personally </em>as some seem to do...</p>

[keith reeder]

<blockquote>

<p>And I think the Nikons do (low continuous speed D800, buffer size D7100). It shows slightly different visions on what "we" want from these manufacterers.</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Heh! take it from me, Wouter, Canon users have <em>plenty</em> to say about allegedly "deal-breaking" shortfalls in Canon functionality and performance!</p>

<p>I agree completely with your point, but it's the same in Canon world as it is in Nikon world - some people are simply never happy.</p>

[Wouter Willemse]

<p><em>some people are simply never happy - </em>Too true, indeed..... but there will always be a 80D, a D7200 or whatever that fixes it all, just read the rumours ;-)</p>

[mark_pierlot]

<blockquote>

<p>ince the 70D already has Canon's best AF system and other specs for amateur sports/action photography, I would disagree with Bob as I don't see any so called "7D Mark II" coming. IMO, for both Canon and Nikon, $1200 is the new top for their APS-C DSLRs.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>This makes sense, given that full frame bodies can now be had as cheaply as "flagship" APS-C bodies were a few years ago.</p>

<p>So if Shun proves to be right, it will make me even happier that I picked up a 7D when I did.</p>

[Marcus Ian]

<p>The most interesting thing to me is that this appears to be the new flagship APS-C sensor. New features, and a bump in MP - maybe less tangible improvements as well? I'm actually looking forward to see how well (or badly ;-) ) it does. We'll see if another year has given Canon enough time to up their game a bit ;-).</p>

[bobatkins]

<p>I'm pretty sure there will be an EOS 7D MkII. Yes, you can get a full frame EOS 6D for well under $2000, but the 6D can't compete with the 7D when it comes to high speed shooting and AF tracking (the 7D uses two DIGIC processors), not to mention build quality and features like the built in flash, dual electronic levels, faster frame rates, faster shutter, PC sync connectivity etc. There is certainly a role for the "pro-level" APS-C camera, even if it does cost the same as the "entry level" full frame body!</p>

<p>While the 70D does seem to use the same AF hardware as the 7D (in still shooting mode), there's no indication as yet about what AF firmware is used. Whether it has all the sophisticated AF tracking features of the 7D remains to be seen. </p>

<p>Some time ago I wrote about what I'd expect to see in a 70D and 7D MkII - <a href="http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/digital/Canon_EOS_70D_7D_II_thoughts.html">http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/digital/Canon_EOS_70D_7D_II_thoughts.html</a> - so far I'm pretty much on track!</p>