7D vs 7DMkII ON/OFF Switch

We currently have two 7D and one 7DMkII

At first, on the 7DMkII, I thought it somewhat of an annoyance that I had to press a button in the center of the mode dial to change modes; now, I have learned to love that button.

The 7D lack this center lock button feature.

After using the 7D quite a bit under grab-the-camera turn-it-on-quick and bring it into action, without time to be checking things out conditions, I now wish the 7D had that mode dial lock button.

The way the ON/OFF switch is made right against the mode dial, in a big hurry to get the 7D turned on, and with my large hands and therefore large thumb, I cannot count the times I have inadvertently rotated that dial while either turning the camera ON or OFF and not catch it until after the photos are already taken.

In most cases, it gets moved from M to AV.

I have had it land on TV; and, if I grab the camera, use it, turn it off and lay it on the shelf, and then later grab it again, I have had had it end up on P mode.

It took me several episodes before I figured out why my photos were not taken in the mode I intended.

Now that I know what is happening, I am careful to try and not inadvertently roll that dial as I switch the camera ON; and, I take a quick glance to make sure I see that big M on the back screen.

These scenarios have made me now have a special appreciation for that lock button on the 7DMkII.


I would look into the possibility of replacing the mode dials on our two 7D with the lock-button style; but, I can put $400 on top of what I paid for the 7D and have all the benefits of the 7DMkII; so, I guess for now I will just be always alert to the situation and ever vigilant to not let it sneak up on me anymore.

I bet I am far from being the first to have this situation with the 7D and that is exactly why the 7DMkII has the button.

I sent my 7D to Canon service for the lock dial retrofit but I don't know if Canon still does that.

There were a few homemade solutions which I tried and was still frustrated. The one I tried was electrical heat shrink tubing. Unlike the dial itself the edge is smooth so it does not catch on things as easily. You have to be careful with the hair dryer. I think I tried a few times with the dryer and didn't like the results. I purchased tubing slightly smaller than the diameter of the dial and just stretched it on. This was over 10 years go so I don't remember all the details.

https://www.homedepot.​ca …s/heat-shrink-tubing.html

digital paradise wrote in post #19309855
I sent my 7D to Canon service for the lock dial retrofit but I don't know if Canon still does that.

Thanks for your response.

Now I know that Canon did, in fact, do the retrofit; considering that, I bet the dials are interchangeable.

I am going to investigate this as it may not be too much of a nightmare to swap out the dials; and then again, it may also be Chinese arithmetic.

BuckSkin wrote in post #19309870
Thanks for your response.

Now I know that Canon did, in fact, do the retrofit; considering that, I bet the dials are interchangeable.

I am going to investigate this as it may not be too much of a nightmare to swap out the dials; and then again, it may also be Chinese arithmetic.

I never tried on my own. I really like it when I try to fix something like that and those little springs go flying. When I was 16 (and stupid) I thought I was real smart. I remember bringing the parts from my transmission in a box to the shop and asking them to put it back together.

They replaced the top cover with the new dial already there, as far as I understood. On the 7D, that is.