New Canon 7D From Another Forum

[TroyPhotog]

Canon 7D Specifications Revealed

As many of you know, I have a reliable source inside Canon R&D. As such, I get detailed information about new Canon models long before anyone else. Without further ado, here are the details of the Canon 7D DSLR, which is to replace the 5D.

Universal Vibration Reduction (uVR)

The new 7D incorporates an optional feature called Universal Vibration Reduction (uVR). This turns all lenses into uVR lenses, and offers a 10-stop advantage.
This means a person using a 500mm lens, who would normally have to shoot at 1/500th of a second, can shoot at 2 seconds when uVR is enabled.

The new uVR system isn't sensor based, and instead requires one of the three optional vertical battery grips (see below). In this case, the MB-7Da is required. This grip provides all the normal controls and extended battery life of a regular grip. It also holds 8 EN-EL4a batteries, along with a step-up transformer.

With uVR enabled, the combined power of the batteries sends a current through the step-up transformer. This then delivers a 110 volt shock through metal pads around the grip. The resulting electrical shock matches the shutter speed (maximum of 10 seconds).
The shock causes a very stable clenching of the photographer's muscles while the shutter is open, simulating the stability of a tripod.
Canon advise that people with rubber-soled shoes, heart problems or pacemakers shouldn't use uVR.

The uVR facility can also be controlled remotely by Canon Support, via the new Canon satellite network outlined below. This ensures Canon Support can intentionally punish users who complain about how the new 7D is missing a particular feature they expected to see.
For example, the 5D didn't feature a military-grade titanium shell with platinum casing, and some people felt this was unforgivable in a camera that costs $2800. Canon Support will now be able to give those people exactly what they deserve.

Three shooting modes...up to 14MP

The 7D can shoot images up to 14MP, a modest boost over the 5d it replaces. While everybody agrees, more megapixels is always better, the 7D provides 12MP in only one of its three shooting modes. Here's a run-down on the various modes...
1. Bog-standard Mode: 12 regular megapixels at 3 frames per second.
2. XDR Mode: Every odd pixel is underexposed by 3 stops. Every even pixel is exposed as per the meter. The two images are combined in camera to produce an extra 3 stops of dynamic range at 6MP. This mode is especially useful in law enforcement, where photographers often have to photograph shady people.
3. GTI Mode: Every odd pixel makes up image one. Every even pixel makes up image two. That makes 2 images per shutter release, making it possible for Canon's marketing material to claim the 7D shoots at 6 frames/second.

Even better in-camera editing

The new 7D builds on the 5D's popular in-camera editing functions. Rather than cannibalizing yet more features from Canon Software, Canon decided to include a full working version of Photoshop CS3 in the 7D.

We found using Photoshop CS3 on a 3 inch LCD with a 4-way controller much easier than you might imagine. Well done on a great new feature, Canon.

To save money, the CS3 licenses were bought from a Russian spammer at 1/50th the regular price, allowing Canon to keep the price of the 7D competitive. Even so, European customers will still have to pay twice as much as Americans. Canon say this is because European customers are chumps who seem willing to pay anything.

More songs than ever

The 5D included an essential feature not found in any other DSLR (as I write this). And that's 5 built-in songs you can't listen to because the camera has no speakers.

The new 7D does away with built-in songs, and includes a fully-fledged iPod. This ensures you're never short of a tune, as long as you have your 7D with you. And it's switched on. And you've uploaded some songs to it.

What's more, the lack of speakers was the one thing almost everybody complained about. It was for this reason, and this reason alone, that DPReview spurned the 5D, kneecapping it with a dreaded 'Recommended' rating.

That, and the limited choice of music included with the 5D.
Sure, Canon provided a firmware update that allowed us to add more tunes by storing them in the buffer...but that was too little, too late.
Fortunately, Canon haven't made the same mistake with the 7D. They've not only included stereo speakers in the camera itself, but also the necessary cabling for a full Dolby 5.1 surround sound setup. What's more, the 7D is capable of playing movies on the 3 inch LCD via the built-in DVD writer/player found in the second optional battery grip (MB-7Db).

But just before you rush out an get yourself an MB-7Db, you might want to consider the MB-7Dc. This version of the grip includes a sub-woofer (fully compatible with the 7D's Dolby surround). That's right, the optional MB-7Dc allows you to play music with unprecedented levels of fidelity for a consumer-level DSLR.
Let's see Canon top that!

No more shutter delays

While the 5D was pretty responsive, your reactions aren't. By the time you've realized you should have pressed the shutter, the moment is lost forever.

The 7D solves this problem thanks to Canon's new MindProbe technology. MindProbe scans your brain, looking for those tell-tale low amplitude beta waves that signal an imminent shutter-press. By the time your neurons react, and you actually press the shutter, the 7D has already captured 3 images (or 6 in GTI mode).
That's right folks, for the first time in the history of photography, the shutter delay is actually measured in negative time. Now that's progress.

My Canon contact tells me their R&D people are now working on a system that eliminates the photographer altogether. Canon's customer research has discovered that when a photographer takes a great image, they claim all the credit. But when a photographer takes a bad image, they blame the camera.
By eliminating the photographer, Canon plans to eliminate lousy photos altogether.

New built-in artistic-effect modes

In addition to the regular scene modes, Canon have included several artistic-effect modes. You can apply these to your image in-camera. Modes include...
• Black and white mode
• 1960s-style fast-film grain mode
• Canon long-banding effect mode
• Canon plastic skin mode
• KM7D high ISO smearing mode
• Sony Alpha 1.3-stop underexposure mode
• Point and shoot artifact mode

Memory card incompatibility solved

The 30D and 5D caused some controversy by moving Canon's consumer-orientated DSLR models away from CF cards. This lead many Canon users to resort to unseemly and ungentlemanly language in the forums (expressly forbidden under the terms and conditions of the standard Canon warranty).

In an effort to avoid such distasteful events this time around, and ensure everybody can enjoy a 7D, Canon now supports the following storage formats...
• SD
• CF
• XD
• Memory Stick
• 3.5 inch floppy
• 5.25 inch floppy
• 8 inch floppy (in MB-7Db only)
• CD/DVD (in MB-7Db only)
• High-speed paper tape to maintain compatibility with Colossus
• Punch cards

Wireless remote that works from anywhere

One of the complaints about the ML-L3 wireless remote, was that it was line-of-site. For some reason, you couldn't set up your camera in Texas, and trigger the shutter from France. Clearly, this should be well within the capabilities of a $15 remote control.
To answer these complaints, Canon has put a series of satellites in orbit that are dedicated to receiving wireless remote signals from users anywhere on the planet. These are then forwarded to your camera, allowing you to trigger the shutter no matter where you are.
How long have we been waiting for this simple addition to the feature-set? Canon have had this functionality in their DSLRs for years.

Last But Not Least, it also will print polariod pictures at 15 pics a minute.

[Abel]

hahaa..

[Wes]

ROFL!

You had me going until I saw that it would accept 8" floppy disks.

[Gambit]

I got very suspicious at the 10-stop advantage, and then the shock-delivery system clinched it. :)

Troy, did you consider waiting about 2 weeks to post this?

[JohnT]

Now anyone can be a professional photographer. LOL

[frameworthy]

I'd love to see a photoshop mock up.

[L Stegall]

Troy, you have entirely too much free time! LOL. You had me for the first few lines! Hey, don't go giving Canon any ideas here. I don't want to be mind probed!

[darktiger]

I think you forgot that it accepts all mounts, so you can use Nikon lens :)

[CobyPhoto]

I quit believing after the second sentence: Universal Vibration Reduction (uVR) That would mean Canon makes less money...they aren't in that kind of business. They want you to buy expensive IS lenses.

Just one question thou, How many photos can that 8" Floppy hold? (I have several of that I keep just for this purpose!

CJ

[Dobick]

Originally Posted by CobyPhoto

I quit believing after the second sentence: Universal Vibration Reduction (uVR) That would mean Canon makes less money...they aren't in that kind of business. They want you to buy expensive IS lenses.

Just one question thou, How many photos can that 8" Floppy hold? (I have several of that I keep just for this purpose!

CJ

I think you will need between 6 and 8 floppies per image, which really seems like it would be hard to keep track of. I think the more attractive option (at least while shooting tethered) would be to use the punch card option. by shooting tethered you could load up a whole ream of punch cards and let them autofeed.

[CobyPhoto]

Originally Posted by Dobick

I think you will need between 6 and 8 floppies per image, which really seems like it would be hard to keep track of. I think the more attractive option (at least while shooting tethered) would be to use the punch card option. by shooting tethered you could load up a whole ream of punch cards and let them autofeed.

LMAO...Darn, I won't have enough! (Though I actually have a couple of those things for ****s and grins!)

I would need more than a ream of punch cards! LOL

CJ

[AndrewCCM]

Originally Posted by CobyPhoto

Just one question thou, How many photos can that 8" Floppy hold? (I have several of that I keep just for this purpose!

CJ

Twice as much as the 4" one.

[fivegrand]

I was believing it until I read that it took Nikon batteries :lol:

[jacobzking]

this looks awesome, whats the release date?

[toverman]

Oh man, I must've been under a rock because I missed the 6D. I heard you can still wear rubber-soled shoes when using the 6D.