Latest Intelligence on Rumored Canon EOS 7D Successor Suggests Modest Upgrades
A lot of what you think you know about the successor to Canon’s midline EOS 7D might turn out to be wrong. And this information is coming from, of all places, competitor Panasonic.
The Lumix folks have put together a media presentation comparing their GH4 model to likely competitors — the Olympus OMD EM1, Nikon 7100 and a “Canon 7D successor.” Whether or not this is speculation is unconfirmed, but either the Canon 7D Mark II won’t be much of an upgrade or Panasonic hopes it won’t be.
Conclusions of the comparison are no surprise — Panasonic wins the race it invented — but their deets on the new Canon include a number of items that go against the grain of previously-reported rumors.
Panasonic says the 7D Mark II will have a 20-megapixel sensor, a slight bump from the current 18MP but nowhere near the projected 24MP. It’s weather-sealed, just like the original, contrary to predictions Canon would de-ruggedize the new model to save money. And, contrary to expectations Canon would put the 7D on a diet, the new model will supposedly weigh 910 grams, almost 100 grams (3.5 ounces) more than original.
Staying the same are max shutter speed (1/8,000 sec.), autofocus (19-area phase detect system), screen size (3-inch, but now 1.04M-dot and touch-sensitive) and continuous shooting speed (up to 8 fps). Max ISO will be bumped up a notch to 25,600. One surprising oversight is the lack of built-in WiFi connectivity — 7D Mark II owners will supposedly have to buy an optional transmitter for that.
No new info on video specs is included in the presentation, but if these specs are correct, then it looks like Canon will need to cover a lot of ground there to make this seem like a compelling upgrade.
