Canon 5D Mark II vs 7D | Canon EOS 7D vs EOS 5D Mark II Features Compared
Canon is a name that comes to anyone’s mind when talking about cameras and photography. The canon 5D Mark II and 7D are two of the canon’s flagship products. These models can be considered as highly professional and sophisticated cameras, which give you the ultimate control over any light condition. Cameras like these give the photographer the technical advantage to stand out from the pack. In this article, we are going to compare the specifications, similarities, cons and pros, and ultimately the difference between Canon EOS 5D Mark II and Canon EOS 7D.
Tips to select a Digital Camera
Resolution of the Camera
Resolution of the camera is one of the main facts a user must look into when buying a camera. This is also known as the megapixel value. The 5D Mark II features a whopping 21.1 Megapixels of resolution built into a 36 x 24 mm CMOS sensor. The 7D is a bit behind in resolution, which still features a good 18.0 Megapixel sensor built into a 22.3 x 14.9 mm CMOS sensor. The 5D Mark II excels the 7D in resolution.
ISO Performance
ISO value range is also an important feature. The ISO value of the sensor means how much sensitive the sensor is to a given quantum of light. This feature is very important in night shots and sports and action photography. But increasing the ISO value causes a noise in the photograph. The canon 7D has an ISO range of 100 to 6400, and has a high ISO mode of 12800 ISO. The 5D Mark II has an ISO range of 100 to 6400 with two high ISO modes of 12800 and 25600 ISO, and a low mode of 50 ISO.
Frames Per Second Rate
Frames per second rate or more commonly known as the FPS rate is also an important aspect when it comes to sports, wildlife and action photography. FPS rate means the mean number of photos the camera can shoot per second on a certain setting. The EOS 7D has a very good 8 frames per second rate. This can be kept for up to 126 JPEG images or 15 RAW images. The EOS 5D Mark II has an acceptable frame rate of 3.7 – 3.8 frames per second. In this sense, the fps rate of 7D easily doubles that of 5D Mark II. This is because the 7D features a dual DIGIC 4 processor, while the 5D Mark II possesses a DIGIC 4 processor.
Shutter Lag and Recovery Time
A DSLR would not take the picture as soon as the shutter release is pressed. In most of the conditions, the auto focusing and auto white balancing would take place after the button is pressed. Therefore, there is a time gap between the press and the actual photo taken. This is known as the shutter lag of the camera. Both the EOS 7D and the 5D Mark II have very small shutter lag or no shutter lag at all.
Number of Autofocus Points
Autofocus points or AF points are the points that are built into the memory of the camera. If priority is given to an AF point, camera will use its autofocus ability to focus the lens to the object in the given AF point. The 5D Mark II has a 9 point AF system with 6 invisible focus assist point, the selection of AF points is very flexible. Features such as AF micro adjustment are also included in the system. The EOS 7D has a 19 point autofocus system with flexible point selection.
High Definition Movie Recording
High definition movies or HD movies correspond to movies having resolution higher than standard definition movies. HD movie modes are 720p and 1080p. 720p has dimensions of 1280×720 pixels, while the 1080p has dimensions of 1920×1080 pixels. Both cameras have 1080p high definition video recording.
Weight and Dimensions
The Canon 5D Mark II reads a dimension set of 152 x 114 x 75 mm and weighs 810 g without the battery. The Canon 7D dimensions read as 148 x 111 x 74 mm and weighs 820 g without the battery. The 5D Mark II is slightly larger than the 7D; also it is slightly lighter.
Storage Medium and Capacity
In DSLR cameras, the inbuilt memory is almost negligible. An external storage device is required to hold images. Both the cameras support UDMA cards.
Battery Life
The battery life of a camera is very important. It tells us the approximate number of photos that can be taken in a single charge. This is really important in outdoor photography where power is not readily available. The 5D Mark II can take approximately 850 shots with a single charge while the 7D can take approximately 800 shots. If you are using the live view you’ll probably run out of battery way sooner than this.
Live View and Flexibility of the Display
Live view is the ability to use the LCD as a viewfinder. This can be convenient because the LCD gives a clear preview of the picture in good colors. Both cameras have live view with fixed LCDs.
Conclusion
Both of these cameras are high end professional DSLR cameras, but the 5D Mark II excels the 7D in almost all of the aspects. Both of these cameras can be considered as good options for the price.