7D worth it for photography only?

KenjiS wrote in post #13824753
Precisely, I just wish the design was better (I fully realize its working "the way its designed" i just hate that the way its designed means it chooses to focus on the edge of the leaf at the VERY bleeding edge of the AF point, using spot AF, as opposed to the bird i really want on focus, Or grabbing the VERY EDGE of my dog's ear instead of her eye, Whatever is MOSTLY in the focus point should be what the camera focuses on, and things near the very edge should not affect that the way in my experience it does..)

For instance the Nikon D300s and its 51-points cover roughly the same area (ok slightly more) as the 7D's 19, but the points themselves are much smaller.... I would rather have the D300s' array compared to the 7D's as i feel personally that its more selective...

The points themselves on the 7D are bloody -huge- imho, and while useful when tracking moving subjects are less discerning when working with precise applications...

I guess that's what the spot focus is for, but I agree, the "huge" focus sensors can really throw the focusing off sometimes. I think that, combined with the 7D's high resolution compared to predecessors, is probably a lot of what causes reports of 7D focus problems. For what it's worth, this is not confined to the 7D. The large focus sensors are a "feature" of Canon cameras in general - I first learned about how large they are from a Fred Miranda Forums re-post of an RDKirk summary of Canon's AF system from years before the 7D appeared on the scene.

For me it was soft focus beyond ~10 ft. Not ff or bf, but overall soft. A tech said it was something to do with the AF assembly.

And on a side note:

I've never understood is why Canon would engineer an 8fps camera, geared to action, and give it such a long shutter lag.

AF assembly would have nothing to do with soft focus beyond some distance. Focus is a plane, so at a very minimum, you could manually focus and get a sharp image. AF would place that focus plane either in front of the 10'-20' subject, or behind it, or directly on it, but there would be something in good focus.

If objects far off are soft with no apparent focus, then it is lens resolution to the sensor, or a filter, or shake, or something optical.

stsva wrote in post #13826372
I guess that's what the spot focus is for, but I agree, the "huge" focus sensors can really throw the focusing off sometimes. I think that, combined with the 7D's high resolution compared to predecessors, is probably a lot of what causes reports of 7D focus problems. For what it's worth, this is not confined to the 7D. The large focus sensors are a "feature" of Canon cameras in general - I first learned about how large they are from a Fred Miranda Forums re-post of an RDKirk summary of Canon's AF system from years before the 7D appeared on the scene.

the spot focus is still bigger than the focus areas on an xxD, 5-series or 1-series to my knowledge...

The best AF I ever had was on my EOS-3....Of course, it should be, being the 45pt AF that was the backbone of the 1 series...

TeamSpeed wrote in post #13826550
AF assembly would have nothing to do with soft focus beyond some distance. Focus is a plane, so at a very minimum, you could manually focus and get a sharp image. AF would place that focus plane either in front of the subject 20' out, or behind it, or directly on it, but there would be something in good focus.

If objects far off are soft with no apparent focus, then it is lens resolution to the sensor, or a filter, or shake, or something optical.

Hm, could one of the submirrors or the AF sensor itself be misaligned so that it registered correct focus at closer distances but just couldnt cut it at a distance? I remember someone on here saying they had similar problems and sent it off and Canon realigned the AF sensor and it corrected the issue...

KenjiS wrote in post #13826570
Hm, could one of the submirrors or the AF sensor itself be misaligned so that it registered correct focus at closer distances but just couldnt cut it at a distance? I remember someone on here saying they had similar problems and sent it off and Canon realigned the AF sensor and it corrected the issue...

But again, if anybody has any issues at all, they should first try manual AF/live view to make sure that they can get something sharp. If they cannot, then it wouldn't be anything with the camera but the lens resolution, etc.

If they can get sharp images in MF/live view, but cannot with AF, then yes, there is an issue between lens and body. That is when you start doing static high contrast, well lit testing and set up some MFA, etc. If nothing helps, then Canon might have to offer up their spa treatment for your equipment.

TeamSpeed wrote in post #13826587
But again, if anybody has any issues at all, they should first try manual AF/live view to make sure that they can get something sharp. If they cannot, then it wouldn't be anything with the camera but the lens resolution, etc.

If they can get sharp images in MF/live view, but cannot with AF, then yes, there is an issue between lens and body. That is when you start doing static high contrast, well lit testing and set up some MFA, etc. If nothing helps, then Canon might have to offer up their spa treatment for your equipment.

My only problem with the focus chart ETC ETC ETC testing is that sometimes it doesnt show problems that happen...well...errati​cly

IE if i bolt my Sigma 50mm f/1.4 up to a rig and do that, it tests out perfectly fine, But in real world conditions its not 100% peachy, it has issues when theres back or side light on a subject for instance and cant "find" focus, a problem i dont have with any other lens...

KenjiS wrote in post #13826702
My only problem with the focus chart ETC ETC ETC testing is that sometimes it doesnt show problems that happen...well...errati​cly

IE if i bolt my Sigma 50mm f/1.4 up to a rig and do that, it tests out perfectly fine, But in real world conditions its not 100% peachy, it has issues when theres back or side light on a subject for instance and cant "find" focus, a problem i dont have with any other lens...

That is different than what shadows was talking about, he made it sound like any objects 10' and out just have nothing that ever gets into focus. That is a different situation than erratic AF, that is a lens resolution issue of some sort, assuming MF was attempted and the same results were obtained.

TeamSpeed wrote in post #13826729
That is different than what shadows was talking about, he made it sound like any objects 10' and out just have nothing that ever gets into focus. That is a different situation than erratic AF, that is a lens resolution issue of some sort, assuming MF was attempted and the same results were obtained.

Eh sorry...I guess I went a bit off topic

TeamSpeed wrote in post #13826550
AF assembly would have nothing to do with soft focus beyond some distance. Focus is a plane, so at a very minimum, you could manually focus and get a sharp image. AF would place that focus plane either in front of the 10'-20' subject, or behind it, or directly on it, but there would be something in good focus.

If objects far off are soft with no apparent focus, then it is lens resolution to the sensor, or a filter, or shake, or something optical.

The Mother Ship (Canon ) fixed the camera twice(electronic adjustment to the AF assembly, iirc), but both times it came back the same. The second time it came back there was a note that this repair was done as a "courtesy" since the lens was past its warranty by 2 months - BUT this was the second time and only about 3 months after it was sent in the first time under warranty. I was sick of fighting with Canon. As for my lenses, the 70-200 II was the worst offender and it too was sent to Canon twice even though it was perfect on my 5Dc (as were all of my lenses). Now the 70-200 is ok with my 5Dc and requires +12 on my 1DmkIII.

I don't remember all of the tests I performed, but I can tell you that I spent a *lot* of time testing the thing; more time than I have to devote to malfunctioning equipment.

There comes a time where you have to cut your losses and move on. Some have insisted (Rudi for one) that they would outlast Canon and keep sending the camera in. I say that is for people who have more time (and money) than I do.

Thankfully all of my lenses work well with both of my cameras again.

Sam6644 wrote in post #13762526
Well, if we're keeping all of what makes the 7D good aside... then I'd say no, it's not worth it.

Any camera will take a picture. I think it's the "Ergonomics, Mega pixel, HD video, 8 frames/sec and Magnesium Alloy body" type stuff that sets any camera apart from any other camera.

A ferrari and a bike basically do the same thing, if you set aside the engine and features and stuff.

Love the comparison!

pxchoi wrote in post #13764670
I've had my 7D since its release and in the big picture it certainly gives you the most bang for your buck. Year after year it continues to fulfill my growing needs and it doesn't disappoint.

However, I think that you should get the best thing that you can afford without having to skimp on a lens. That was my mistake in the past. If you can live without some of the features, you could get a 60D +15-85 for around the same price as a 7D with a kit lens - Just to put things in perspective.

I went from a very happy T1i user to a disappointed 7D user... And it wasn't until I got a solid lens that I realized the 7D's potential.

I'm considering getting the 7D. Is the 24-105L a good enough lens for the 7D?

gunjanx wrote in post #13762493
Keeping Ergonomics, Mega pixel, HD video, 8 frames/sec and Magnesium Alloy body aside..

The 7D makes a good paperweight.

uneek78 wrote in post #13835243
I'm considering getting the 7D. Is the 24-105L a good enough lens for the 7D?

Its a great lens for any body. Do you like the range on your current body? If so, then you'll like it on the 7D. Some people prefer a wider focal length, so I'll suggest the 17-55 or 15-85. Really, there is no right answer. Its whatever focal length works best for you and your photography.

I will most likely have a 7D for sale within the next month. If you're interested, shoot me a PM and we can keep in touch.