Archive for 09/13/14
Getting around the HDTV mumbo-jumbo
Now do you go for LCD or plasma? For 720p or 1080p? For 60Hz
or 600Hz? And how do you know when more is not necessarily better? Oh,
and I’ve got an even more serious one for you – what’s the best
technology your money can buy right now – OLED, LED or LED-backlit TVs?
HDTV’s have been around for quite some time now – so much that they’ve successfully replaced the older CRT variety on floor stands quite successfully. Unfortunately, few of their ground-breaking features actually make sense to the general public. I myself have been involved in advising numerous HDTV buys so I know that personally. That’s the reason why a good primer on HDTV technologies and features such as the one below didn’t escape my attention.
I really suggest you check it out if you’re in for some HDTV shopping this holiday season.
Gizmodo’s Giz Explains: The Ultimate HDTV Cheat Sheet and Buying Guides
P.S. Oh, and the personal make-or-break feature from me – viewing angles. Check those viewing angles – especially from the top (if you’re putting the HDTV in your living room) and from the bottom (if it’s headed to your bedroom).
HDTV’s have been around for quite some time now – so much that they’ve successfully replaced the older CRT variety on floor stands quite successfully. Unfortunately, few of their ground-breaking features actually make sense to the general public. I myself have been involved in advising numerous HDTV buys so I know that personally. That’s the reason why a good primer on HDTV technologies and features such as the one below didn’t escape my attention.
I really suggest you check it out if you’re in for some HDTV shopping this holiday season.
Gizmodo’s Giz Explains: The Ultimate HDTV Cheat Sheet and Buying Guides
P.S. Oh, and the personal make-or-break feature from me – viewing angles. Check those viewing angles – especially from the top (if you’re putting the HDTV in your living room) and from the bottom (if it’s headed to your bedroom).
Google offers personalized search for everyone, creeps us a little
Just because you are paranoid, it doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get
you. Since yesterday not having a Google account is not going to stop
your browsing history and web search behavior from getting recorded. But
there’s hardly anything to worry about here, Google is only going to
use that data to provide more relevant search results (and advertising,
of course).
The last 180 days of your search are linked to an anonymous cookie and are taken into account when you make your next search. You can check out how much that improves the search engine accuracy by clicking the “View customizations” link on the top right of the search results page.
In case you are all too creeped about all that history recording, you can follow the instructions here to turn the personalized search off.
And check out the video demoing the positive sides of getting your search personalized:
The last 180 days of your search are linked to an anonymous cookie and are taken into account when you make your next search. You can check out how much that improves the search engine accuracy by clicking the “View customizations” link on the top right of the search results page.
In case you are all too creeped about all that history recording, you can follow the instructions here to turn the personalized search off.
And check out the video demoing the positive sides of getting your search personalized:
Canon patents touchscreen DSLR with sweep gestures, puzzles us
We have a feeling the photo community won’t be exactly thrilled about
this but here it goes. Canon has just filled a patent for a touchscreen
DSLR that would allow changing the aperture and the shutter speed by
finger sweeps across the screen.
There are many other features described in the patent that would also be touch controlled such as metering, exposure compensation etc. but there is no saying of the exact nature of the gestures that would be used.
Now we are pretty certain that the Sony touch-driven T-series ultra compact cameras go perfectly well with a touchscreen, but a DSLR? Hm, we somehow cannot see it as the future of DSLR photography. Then again it might be just us getting old.
How about you? Any takes of a touchscreen-enabled Canon EOS 1Ds Mark IV?
There are many other features described in the patent that would also be touch controlled such as metering, exposure compensation etc. but there is no saying of the exact nature of the gestures that would be used.
Now we are pretty certain that the Sony touch-driven T-series ultra compact cameras go perfectly well with a touchscreen, but a DSLR? Hm, we somehow cannot see it as the future of DSLR photography. Then again it might be just us getting old.
How about you? Any takes of a touchscreen-enabled Canon EOS 1Ds Mark IV?
Intel readies an AppStore for netbooks, netbooks could become even more popular
Netbooks are about to make a big step in their evolution by getting
their very own AppStore. It is developed by no other than Intel, which
is behind the most popular CPU used in netbooks, the Atom (you can
almost say it’s the netbook CPU).
The new AppStore will be targeting both Windows and Moblin (Intel’s own Linux-based OS designed specifically for netbooks) with more platforms on the way (Adobe’s AIR and Microsoft’s Silverlight for example). Intel has ensured themselves support from the major netbook manufacturers who will preinstall the AppStore client on every device they sell.
But make no mistake, this here AppStore is no imaginary thing, it’s already opened for app submission.
Of course, it’s going to be a while before it launches some time in 2010. The way the store is going to work follows Apple’s AppStore quite closely – applications need to pass through an approval process first, and then the developer splits the revenue with Intel 70/30.
This approach is proven to work so it’s a good choice, though I hope the approval process is more transparent. Time will tell I suppose. Word from Intel is that a lot of developers are joining in so the AppStore won’t suffer from the same problems other stores have been experiencing. Especially since many of the initial apps will probably be just regular apps that are already been used on netbooks right now.
A successful app store can be huge for netbooks. They are already eating into laptop sales, but a netbook packing 3G connectivity plus an AppStore could even eat away at some of the smartphone market.
Why, not – you can buy a decent netbook for 250-350 US dollars, but you won’t get an HTC Hero for that kind of cash. Some netbooks are subsidized just like mobile phones, if you’re thinking you can just get a phone for free on a contract.
You can join the Intel Developer Program today, if you feel up to a Developer Challenge
The Intel netbook AppStore will probably increase the number of netbooks sold with Linux too – many buyers can’t tell PCI from PS/2, so they stick with what they know and buy a Windows machine. Windows really has the advantage of familiarity – many people computer knowledge hardly extends beyond Internet Explorer and Word.
But with Linux things seem quite complicated to newcomers. For example, which IM client should I use – Kopete, Pidgin or maybe Empathy? To find out which is best, I’d have to go to each of the individual sites for the application and then check a forum or two to gauge users response to the app.
An AppStore keeps this simple – search for “chat”, read the reviews of the top three rated applications, pick one, install it and enjoy. I expect this simplicity will lead to the AppStore being used on quite a few laptops and even desktop computers, not just netbooks. And did I hear somebody say “Hello, Windows 8 AppStore!”
The new AppStore will be targeting both Windows and Moblin (Intel’s own Linux-based OS designed specifically for netbooks) with more platforms on the way (Adobe’s AIR and Microsoft’s Silverlight for example). Intel has ensured themselves support from the major netbook manufacturers who will preinstall the AppStore client on every device they sell.
But make no mistake, this here AppStore is no imaginary thing, it’s already opened for app submission.
Of course, it’s going to be a while before it launches some time in 2010. The way the store is going to work follows Apple’s AppStore quite closely – applications need to pass through an approval process first, and then the developer splits the revenue with Intel 70/30.
This approach is proven to work so it’s a good choice, though I hope the approval process is more transparent. Time will tell I suppose. Word from Intel is that a lot of developers are joining in so the AppStore won’t suffer from the same problems other stores have been experiencing. Especially since many of the initial apps will probably be just regular apps that are already been used on netbooks right now.
A successful app store can be huge for netbooks. They are already eating into laptop sales, but a netbook packing 3G connectivity plus an AppStore could even eat away at some of the smartphone market.
Why, not – you can buy a decent netbook for 250-350 US dollars, but you won’t get an HTC Hero for that kind of cash. Some netbooks are subsidized just like mobile phones, if you’re thinking you can just get a phone for free on a contract.
You can join the Intel Developer Program today, if you feel up to a Developer Challenge
The Intel netbook AppStore will probably increase the number of netbooks sold with Linux too – many buyers can’t tell PCI from PS/2, so they stick with what they know and buy a Windows machine. Windows really has the advantage of familiarity – many people computer knowledge hardly extends beyond Internet Explorer and Word.
But with Linux things seem quite complicated to newcomers. For example, which IM client should I use – Kopete, Pidgin or maybe Empathy? To find out which is best, I’d have to go to each of the individual sites for the application and then check a forum or two to gauge users response to the app.
An AppStore keeps this simple – search for “chat”, read the reviews of the top three rated applications, pick one, install it and enjoy. I expect this simplicity will lead to the AppStore being used on quite a few laptops and even desktop computers, not just netbooks. And did I hear somebody say “Hello, Windows 8 AppStore!”
Android 2.0.1 SDK released, updates as much as the version suggests
The Andoid dev team has released the SDK for the version 2.0.1
of the Google mobile OS. Just as the naming suggests Android 2.0.1 is a
pretty minor update to the 2.0 including several bugfixes and behavior
changes.
There is also an update to the Android 1.6 SDK component. Revision 2 includes fixes to the compatibility mode for applications that don’t support multiple screen sizes, as well as SDK fixes.
Here’s the link to the complete changelog.
Android 2.0.1 changelog
Android 1.6 changelog
There is also an update to the Android 1.6 SDK component. Revision 2 includes fixes to the compatibility mode for applications that don’t support multiple screen sizes, as well as SDK fixes.
Here’s the link to the complete changelog.
Android 2.0.1 changelog
Android 1.6 changelog
Google quietly launches Google Dictionary, continues Internet domination
Some of the most important things in a blog writer’s toolbox
are a good dictionary and a thesaurus. A good English to English helps
me make sure a word means what I think it means or I’m off to the
thesaurus to avoid nasty repetitions.
I always thought “drake” meant dragon
Personally, I’ve been using dictionary.com and thesaurus.com (editorial: www.onelook.com is a good suggestion, as well), but now Google launched their own dictionary and I think I might jump ship.
The design of the Google Dictionary is typical Google – minimalism all the way, and that’s a good thing. It also helps a lot that it’s ad-free. Working with it is quite simple – choose a dictionary (e.g. English dictionary or Thai <> English dictionary) and type in the word you’re looking for.
Don’t confuse this with Google Translate – the Dictionary is not meant to translate texts, just single words, but it’s more accurate. Still, if you type in a phrase, it will be translated using Google Translate.
The first section of the Google Dictionary defines a word or gives its translation. It also tells you what part of speech it is, gives you the plural, synonyms and other dictionary-like stuff.
Google Dictionary provides all the info you’d expect from a dictionary
Below that is a list of related phrases and related languages, which looks for the word in dictionaries for other languages (helpful for checking if a word is a false friend). The last section is the Web definitions, which shows the results for a define: query for that word – great if you’re looking up slang unlikely to have made its way to a proper dictionary.
Definition for “petrify”: Google Dictionary vs. Wiktionary vs. Dictionary.com vs. Thesaurus.com
You can also click to hear the word spelled out, which is a great feature, but for now works only on English words. The words are spoken by humans instead of using robotic text-to-speech. It’d be a lot more helpful when it can pronounce words in languages other than English.
It’s great if you’re learning a language too – if you’re signed in, you can star words for quick lookup later, and Google Dictionary automatically pulls up images for some (though not all) images, which sometimes works better than reading the definition.
Starred words are easy to find later • Google Dictionary shows photos too
Take Google Dictionary for a spin and see what you think. Would you make the switch from your current online dictionary of choice?
I always thought “drake” meant dragon
Personally, I’ve been using dictionary.com and thesaurus.com (editorial: www.onelook.com is a good suggestion, as well), but now Google launched their own dictionary and I think I might jump ship.
The design of the Google Dictionary is typical Google – minimalism all the way, and that’s a good thing. It also helps a lot that it’s ad-free. Working with it is quite simple – choose a dictionary (e.g. English dictionary or Thai <> English dictionary) and type in the word you’re looking for.
Don’t confuse this with Google Translate – the Dictionary is not meant to translate texts, just single words, but it’s more accurate. Still, if you type in a phrase, it will be translated using Google Translate.
The first section of the Google Dictionary defines a word or gives its translation. It also tells you what part of speech it is, gives you the plural, synonyms and other dictionary-like stuff.
Google Dictionary provides all the info you’d expect from a dictionary
Below that is a list of related phrases and related languages, which looks for the word in dictionaries for other languages (helpful for checking if a word is a false friend). The last section is the Web definitions, which shows the results for a define: query for that word – great if you’re looking up slang unlikely to have made its way to a proper dictionary.
Definition for “petrify”: Google Dictionary vs. Wiktionary vs. Dictionary.com vs. Thesaurus.com
You can also click to hear the word spelled out, which is a great feature, but for now works only on English words. The words are spoken by humans instead of using robotic text-to-speech. It’d be a lot more helpful when it can pronounce words in languages other than English.
It’s great if you’re learning a language too – if you’re signed in, you can star words for quick lookup later, and Google Dictionary automatically pulls up images for some (though not all) images, which sometimes works better than reading the definition.
Starred words are easy to find later • Google Dictionary shows photos too
Take Google Dictionary for a spin and see what you think. Would you make the switch from your current online dictionary of choice?
Is Acer Aspire 8942G-728G1280TWN what gamers dream of?
Acer are obviously prepping a new gaming laptop. The new monster will
come with an 1.6 GHz Intel i7 quad-core processor, 8GB DDR3 RAM and AMD
HD5850 video with 1GB GDDR5 – all that promises full DirectX 11
support.
The amazing specs list continues with an 18.4-inch LED 1080p Full HD display, two 640GB SATA HDDs and a BluRay drive.
There is no info about the pricing just yet, but Aspire 8942G-728G1280TWN (thank goodness for copy/paste) will be surely priced at least twice as cheap as a similar spec’d Alienware mobile rig. Still that insane hardware, along with an 8-cell Li-Ion battery will weight about 4.6 kg, so as it seems mobility and gaming are hardly a good match.
The Acer Aspire 8942G-728G1280TWN should be released in the beginning of the 2010.
The amazing specs list continues with an 18.4-inch LED 1080p Full HD display, two 640GB SATA HDDs and a BluRay drive.
There is no info about the pricing just yet, but Aspire 8942G-728G1280TWN (thank goodness for copy/paste) will be surely priced at least twice as cheap as a similar spec’d Alienware mobile rig. Still that insane hardware, along with an 8-cell Li-Ion battery will weight about 4.6 kg, so as it seems mobility and gaming are hardly a good match.
The Acer Aspire 8942G-728G1280TWN should be released in the beginning of the 2010.
The Snapdragon powered projector equipped LG GW820 eXpo smartphone caught on video
When we are talking a projector-equipped handset like the newly
revealed LG GW820 eXpo words are not quite enough to give you an exact
idea of its capabilities. Luckily, here comes the first hand-on video
demonstrating what the eXpo’s all about.
Before we get you to the video, let’s refresh your memory first. The LG GW820 eXpo was announced a couple of days back and is powered by a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and runs WinMo 6.5. The smartphone comes with a 3.2″ touchscreen of WVGA resolution and sports a slide-out full QWERTY keyboard.
The eXpo features a 5-megapixel autofocus camera, inbuilt GPS receiver, microSD card slot and support for Wi-Fi, 3G, HSDPA and Bluetooth. Another goodie worth mentioning is the “Smart Sensor” fingerprint sensor which not only eliminates the need for password-protecting your device but is also used as a touch-sensitive trackpad.
However, the most interesting thing about the LG GW820 eXpo is it’s removable projector. It weighs good 51 grams but allows you to share your presentations, images, videos or whatsoever with the others. The maximum projection distance is 2.4 meters and based on the video below the result seems more than satisfying for a device of this caliber.
And here comes the video in question. It’s kinda short but shows what you could expect from the eXpo. Maybe the only two downsides of the projector equipped smartphone are its peculiar design and the fact that at the moment it’s is only available to AT&T’s business customers despite it’s enormous multimedia potential.
Before we get you to the video, let’s refresh your memory first. The LG GW820 eXpo was announced a couple of days back and is powered by a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and runs WinMo 6.5. The smartphone comes with a 3.2″ touchscreen of WVGA resolution and sports a slide-out full QWERTY keyboard.
The eXpo features a 5-megapixel autofocus camera, inbuilt GPS receiver, microSD card slot and support for Wi-Fi, 3G, HSDPA and Bluetooth. Another goodie worth mentioning is the “Smart Sensor” fingerprint sensor which not only eliminates the need for password-protecting your device but is also used as a touch-sensitive trackpad.
However, the most interesting thing about the LG GW820 eXpo is it’s removable projector. It weighs good 51 grams but allows you to share your presentations, images, videos or whatsoever with the others. The maximum projection distance is 2.4 meters and based on the video below the result seems more than satisfying for a device of this caliber.
And here comes the video in question. It’s kinda short but shows what you could expect from the eXpo. Maybe the only two downsides of the projector equipped smartphone are its peculiar design and the fact that at the moment it’s is only available to AT&T’s business customers despite it’s enormous multimedia potential.
Canon EOS 7D review: Bridging a gap
In terms of feature set and technology innovation, the Canon
EOS 7D is definitely a ground breaking prosumer camera in the Canon DSLR
portfolio. And it’s got a new portfolio segment all to itself.
I was anxious to get it as soon as it became available and for the past couple of months I’ve been using it extensively for various photography tasks. And here’s a spoiler for you – I’m really pleased with it. To learn more, check out the full preview.
Canon EOS 7D official photos
It might seem that we are all about phones, but most of our team members moonlight as camera addicts following every step made by the industry leaders very closely. Canon EOS cameras have often been our weapon of choice and naturally a camera as exciting as 7D couldn’t escape me without a proper test.
The new Canon EOS 7D boosts the megapixels to a new height with its brand new 18 MP CMOS sensor with an APS-C format (1.6x crop factor). Among the other new features is the AF system, 8fps continuous shooting, video recording with up to 60 FPS, wireless flash control, new buttons (the camera combo button) and the rich customization options.
Live photos of Canon EOS 7D
I’ve used all those camera bodies for the purposes of my personal hobby. It’s mostly photographing wildlife – and especially birds. That’s just my thing.
Shot by me: Canon 1Ds Mk3, 500/4 • Canon 30D, 500/4
Shot by me: Canon 1D IIn, Sigma 300-800/5.6 • Canon 5D II, Sigma 300-800/5.6 • Canon 1D IIn, Sigma 300-800/5.6
The Canon 7D is an entirely new product by Canon and couldn’t escape my interest and natural curiosity. My first impressions proved right. The camera has great ergonomics and its handling feels like a series 1 EOS camera.
The rock solid build quality certainly adds to that pleasant feeling. Fully weather sealed (when used with proper lenses, of course), the 7D feels right at home in the hardest of shooting conditions.
The addition of new controls and the rearrangement of the old keys will certain make upgraders from 50D scratch their heads from time to time but I think the new layout definitely makes sense.
The Q menu key grants quick one-stop access to almost all the features and settings, stocked in the sub-menus structure.
The one-touch RAW/JPEG key allows setting up the RAW and JPEG resolution and quality.
Through the INFO button you can set the display to show camera settings, shooting conditions and the brand new dual accelerometer electronic level indicator, which is quite useful for video shooting.
Another first is the camera/video combo rotary switch with start/stop button. I find it quite convenient. However the switch itself is a bit too tighter that I would have liked.
The new display used for the 7D is simply gorgeous. It is probably one of the best displays I’ve seen in terms of viewing angles, sunlight legibility and image quality (and I’m not talking digital cameras only here). Canon removed the air-gap between the LCD’s protective cover and the display itself, which has helped improve its performance beyond that of Canon 50D and Canon 5D Mark II.
The Orientation linked AF points is one of the new features that I appreciate in the 7D. The camera allows you to select different AF type and AF points for both portrait and landscape modes and automatically alternates them as you turn it around.
While some other manufacturers have been integrating the wireless flash transmitter feature in their camera bodies from quite a while, Canon debuts this feature in the 7D. The Integrated Speedlite Transmitter allows you to wirelessly control up to three groups of four flashes with no additional equipment needed.
Another key feature, which is getting increasingly popular among the DSLR cameras is the video recording! Just like the Canon 5D Mark II, the Canon 7D has full manual control over shutter speed and aperture in video mode. The videos can be recorded in Full HD resolution (1080p) at 30 (NTSC), 25 (PAL) or 24 FPS or in 720p mode with 60 (NTSC) or 50 (PAL) FPS. Canon 7D has also a 3.5mm audio jack for plugging in an external microphone.
The amazing video quality is due to the huge sensor (by video recording standards) and the versatility granted by the vast variety of lenses available put the video camera manufacturers in a very unenviable position.
The 7D viewfinder has 100% coverage, which was retained so far for 1 series. Its magnification is 1.0 and so it is noticeably larger than that of the 50D. Needless to say that this is a real boost to the usability.
Canon APS-C cameras were never as close to Series 1 cameras in terms of features and functionality. The 7D pushes the envelope by bringing top functionality to a lower market segment. So obviously the potential of 7D is immense.
With the all-new autofocus system and auto focus modes, Canon 7D is definitely a ground breaking improvement in the Canon portfolio. It is now a highly efficient tool for getting the sharp photos you’ve been looking for. Auto focusing in scarce light is also tangibly improved and is even better in some cases compared to 1D Mark III.
The excellent AF speed and accuracy are due to the new algorithms and, of course thanks to the 19 high precision cross-type sensors. The center AF sensor is additionally sensitive with lenses boasting F/2.8 or larger.
Among the important features of the new autofocus are the Spot AF and Zone AF modes. The spot autofocus mode decreases the area on which the autofocus is measured by the sensor, which is vitally important for small object or with less “contrasty” subjects.
The Zone autofocus on the other hand is very convenient for sport and wildlife photography as it groups the points into 5 zones, allowing easier subject tracking.
The other major innovation is the running AF indication in the viewfinder when shooting in Servo mode, which combined with either Zone AF or 19-point AF works flawlessly.
I’ll not dive into bits how exactly the new AF system works, but the complete overhaul of the system has obviously produced a great result.
So far Canon cameras delivered as clean and untouched JPEG photos as possible. This hardly worries anyone who shoots RAW, but is a deal breaker for the common weekend photographer who doesn’t want to waste too much time in post-processing.
Here are several of my shots taken with Canon EOS 7D:
Sample Canon 7D photos taken in different light conditions
With 7D straight-from-the-camera JPEG files are ready for printing/publishing with well saturated and vivid colors and increased sharpening. Some noise reduction gets applied even when the option in the menu is set to off. The cleverly designed algorithm tackles the noise in out-of-focus areas quite hard, while the in-focus objects remain sharp and crisp with less noise reduction.
When it comes to dynamics and resolved detail, the EOS 7D is quite demanding on the choice of lenses. Actually, anything below the best in class will limit its output resolution. With lower quality lenses, you may not be able to notice the advantage of the higher megapixel count. But don’t get us wrong – you would get pretty decent results from cheaper lenses as well.
Besides that perk, the EOS 7D real-life performance is great despite its quite crammed 18 MP APS-C sensor. Just so you get a better idea, having that same pixel density on a full frame camera would result into the whopping 46 MP resolution – you can clearly see where this is all going. Stepping into the realm or medium format by using clever engineering and processing. We guess, that’s the challenge R&D departments are tackling right now.
The features that the cameras have in common are full manual or automatic exposures, three AF modes that can be activated before/during video capture, full-time working stabilization with stabilized lenses, built-in microphone and a 3.5mm audio jack slot for external microphones.
The major upgrades that the 7D brings are the added frame rate options and the camera/video rotary switch with stop/start button. The great bonus is the more commonly used framerate standard – it uses the unified standard of 29.97 fps rather than the 30 fps in 5D Mark II, which should allow easier synchronization with separately recorded audio in post-processing.
The new in-camera video trimming in 7D is a good idea but you can only do that in frame-by-frame increments. If you shoot at 60fps, you have to turn the Quick Control Dial 60 times just to trim a second off the video! We really would have appreciated having some varying increments.
Here’s a sample video that I took of a nice kingfisher (that’s the bird’s name):
The real-life results however are far from that and they are actually quite promising. The noise is well contained and has a more tolerable film-grain-like look – that’s way better than what most people expected from the most pixel-dense APS-C sensor on the market.
The high-megapixel sensor however turned quite taxing on the current lens designs and as far as resolved detail is concerned, you won’t be able to make full use of those 18 megapixels unless you have one of the handful lenses that can put up with the increased demand.
On the other hand, the excellent design, ergonomics, unmatched video recording, and lots of innovative features make the Canon EOS 7D a ground-breaking camera not only within the Canon portfolio but for the market in general.
Canon 7D is targeted for the prosumer photographers with high requirements that primarily use high-quality optics. It comes to fill the gap between Canon 50D and Canon 5D mark II and it’s priced accordingly (currently at about 1700 US dollars, 1000 bucks less than 5D2 and about 700 dollars more than the 50D).
I was anxious to get it as soon as it became available and for the past couple of months I’ve been using it extensively for various photography tasks. And here’s a spoiler for you – I’m really pleased with it. To learn more, check out the full preview.
Canon EOS 7D official photos
It might seem that we are all about phones, but most of our team members moonlight as camera addicts following every step made by the industry leaders very closely. Canon EOS cameras have often been our weapon of choice and naturally a camera as exciting as 7D couldn’t escape me without a proper test.
The new Canon EOS 7D boosts the megapixels to a new height with its brand new 18 MP CMOS sensor with an APS-C format (1.6x crop factor). Among the other new features is the AF system, 8fps continuous shooting, video recording with up to 60 FPS, wireless flash control, new buttons (the camera combo button) and the rich customization options.
Key features
- New 18MP (5184 x 3456 pixels) APS-C CMOS sensor developed by Canon
- 8 FPS (frames per second) continuous shooting
- Up to 126 JPG / 15 RAW images burst buffer
- Brand new 19-point AF system with cross-type sensors
- Dual DIGIC 4 processors, separate AF processor
- 1080p HD video recording with full manual controls; frame rates from 24 to 60 FPS
- New 3.0 inch Clear View II LCD (920,000 dots) with anti-reflection coating
- Wireless flash control with compatible flashes
- Environmental sealed body, improved ergonomics and handling
- 1.0x magnification and 100% coverage viewfinder
- Photo/Video switch with start/stop button
- New on/off switch, Q menu, RAW/JPEG keys
- Dual Axis Electronic Level indicator in viewfinder
- Orientation linked AF points
- New custom functions and menu
- MRaw and SRaw shooting modes
- Quick Live View autofocus, main AF key is now usable for Live View AF
Main disadvantages
- 18 MPs on APS-C sensor is quite demanding on lenses
- Camera dongle switch is very tight
- Buttons customization is limited to a several repeating features
- No mirror-lock indication
- Exposure mode dial still cannot be locked
- My Menu is still limited to only six entries
- Full video-related features can be accessed only in active video mode
Live photos of Canon EOS 7D
Hardware highlights
I have extensive experience with Canon DSLRs and I’ve practically owned almost all their DSLR camera bodies starting from the Canon 20D, 30D, 40D going through Canon 1Ds, 1Ds Mark III, 1D Mark II n and 1D Mark III and ending up with the more recent Canon 5D Mark II and 7D – the subject of this review.I’ve used all those camera bodies for the purposes of my personal hobby. It’s mostly photographing wildlife – and especially birds. That’s just my thing.
Shot by me: Canon 1Ds Mk3, 500/4 • Canon 30D, 500/4
Shot by me: Canon 1D IIn, Sigma 300-800/5.6 • Canon 5D II, Sigma 300-800/5.6 • Canon 1D IIn, Sigma 300-800/5.6
The Canon 7D is an entirely new product by Canon and couldn’t escape my interest and natural curiosity. My first impressions proved right. The camera has great ergonomics and its handling feels like a series 1 EOS camera.
The rock solid build quality certainly adds to that pleasant feeling. Fully weather sealed (when used with proper lenses, of course), the 7D feels right at home in the hardest of shooting conditions.
The addition of new controls and the rearrangement of the old keys will certain make upgraders from 50D scratch their heads from time to time but I think the new layout definitely makes sense.
The Q menu key grants quick one-stop access to almost all the features and settings, stocked in the sub-menus structure.
The one-touch RAW/JPEG key allows setting up the RAW and JPEG resolution and quality.
Through the INFO button you can set the display to show camera settings, shooting conditions and the brand new dual accelerometer electronic level indicator, which is quite useful for video shooting.
Another first is the camera/video combo rotary switch with start/stop button. I find it quite convenient. However the switch itself is a bit too tighter that I would have liked.
The new display used for the 7D is simply gorgeous. It is probably one of the best displays I’ve seen in terms of viewing angles, sunlight legibility and image quality (and I’m not talking digital cameras only here). Canon removed the air-gap between the LCD’s protective cover and the display itself, which has helped improve its performance beyond that of Canon 50D and Canon 5D Mark II.
The Orientation linked AF points is one of the new features that I appreciate in the 7D. The camera allows you to select different AF type and AF points for both portrait and landscape modes and automatically alternates them as you turn it around.
While some other manufacturers have been integrating the wireless flash transmitter feature in their camera bodies from quite a while, Canon debuts this feature in the 7D. The Integrated Speedlite Transmitter allows you to wirelessly control up to three groups of four flashes with no additional equipment needed.
Another key feature, which is getting increasingly popular among the DSLR cameras is the video recording! Just like the Canon 5D Mark II, the Canon 7D has full manual control over shutter speed and aperture in video mode. The videos can be recorded in Full HD resolution (1080p) at 30 (NTSC), 25 (PAL) or 24 FPS or in 720p mode with 60 (NTSC) or 50 (PAL) FPS. Canon 7D has also a 3.5mm audio jack for plugging in an external microphone.
The amazing video quality is due to the huge sensor (by video recording standards) and the versatility granted by the vast variety of lenses available put the video camera manufacturers in a very unenviable position.
The 7D viewfinder has 100% coverage, which was retained so far for 1 series. Its magnification is 1.0 and so it is noticeably larger than that of the 50D. Needless to say that this is a real boost to the usability.
Canon APS-C cameras were never as close to Series 1 cameras in terms of features and functionality. The 7D pushes the envelope by bringing top functionality to a lower market segment. So obviously the potential of 7D is immense.
Autofocus faster than your thoughts
Canon cameras autofocus speed has always been accused of being a little below par in broad daylight and even more off the pace at unfavorable lighting conditions. Even on my previous camera – the Canon 1D Mark III the focusing system had its quirks.With the all-new autofocus system and auto focus modes, Canon 7D is definitely a ground breaking improvement in the Canon portfolio. It is now a highly efficient tool for getting the sharp photos you’ve been looking for. Auto focusing in scarce light is also tangibly improved and is even better in some cases compared to 1D Mark III.
The excellent AF speed and accuracy are due to the new algorithms and, of course thanks to the 19 high precision cross-type sensors. The center AF sensor is additionally sensitive with lenses boasting F/2.8 or larger.
Among the important features of the new autofocus are the Spot AF and Zone AF modes. The spot autofocus mode decreases the area on which the autofocus is measured by the sensor, which is vitally important for small object or with less “contrasty” subjects.
The Zone autofocus on the other hand is very convenient for sport and wildlife photography as it groups the points into 5 zones, allowing easier subject tracking.
The other major innovation is the running AF indication in the viewfinder when shooting in Servo mode, which combined with either Zone AF or 19-point AF works flawlessly.
I’ll not dive into bits how exactly the new AF system works, but the complete overhaul of the system has obviously produced a great result.
Image quality
The Canon 7D sports a new home-baked 18 MP APS-C CMOS sensor. The all-new sensor has a new photodiode and gapless microlens design (an improved version of the one found in 50D). According to Canon those should help the 18 MP sensor delivers better signal to noise ratio.So far Canon cameras delivered as clean and untouched JPEG photos as possible. This hardly worries anyone who shoots RAW, but is a deal breaker for the common weekend photographer who doesn’t want to waste too much time in post-processing.
Here are several of my shots taken with Canon EOS 7D:
Sample Canon 7D photos taken in different light conditions
With 7D straight-from-the-camera JPEG files are ready for printing/publishing with well saturated and vivid colors and increased sharpening. Some noise reduction gets applied even when the option in the menu is set to off. The cleverly designed algorithm tackles the noise in out-of-focus areas quite hard, while the in-focus objects remain sharp and crisp with less noise reduction.
When it comes to dynamics and resolved detail, the EOS 7D is quite demanding on the choice of lenses. Actually, anything below the best in class will limit its output resolution. With lower quality lenses, you may not be able to notice the advantage of the higher megapixel count. But don’t get us wrong – you would get pretty decent results from cheaper lenses as well.
Besides that perk, the EOS 7D real-life performance is great despite its quite crammed 18 MP APS-C sensor. Just so you get a better idea, having that same pixel density on a full frame camera would result into the whopping 46 MP resolution – you can clearly see where this is all going. Stepping into the realm or medium format by using clever engineering and processing. We guess, that’s the challenge R&D departments are tackling right now.
Clapperboard and … action!
One of the most fascinating new features in 7D is its ability to shoot top-quality videos at up to 60 fps. Canon 7D has all the video stuff of the 5D Mark II plus some extras on top.The features that the cameras have in common are full manual or automatic exposures, three AF modes that can be activated before/during video capture, full-time working stabilization with stabilized lenses, built-in microphone and a 3.5mm audio jack slot for external microphones.
The major upgrades that the 7D brings are the added frame rate options and the camera/video rotary switch with stop/start button. The great bonus is the more commonly used framerate standard – it uses the unified standard of 29.97 fps rather than the 30 fps in 5D Mark II, which should allow easier synchronization with separately recorded audio in post-processing.
The new in-camera video trimming in 7D is a good idea but you can only do that in frame-by-frame increments. If you shoot at 60fps, you have to turn the Quick Control Dial 60 times just to trim a second off the video! We really would have appreciated having some varying increments.
Here’s a sample video that I took of a nice kingfisher (that’s the bird’s name):
Final words
There was a lot of commotion in the enthusiast community about the Canon 7D pixel-crammed sensor. The 15 megapixel EOS 50D was not among the Canon’s most successful products and the new 18 megapixel camera made photographers fear the worse – excessive noise without noticeable increase in resolved resolution.The real-life results however are far from that and they are actually quite promising. The noise is well contained and has a more tolerable film-grain-like look – that’s way better than what most people expected from the most pixel-dense APS-C sensor on the market.
The high-megapixel sensor however turned quite taxing on the current lens designs and as far as resolved detail is concerned, you won’t be able to make full use of those 18 megapixels unless you have one of the handful lenses that can put up with the increased demand.
On the other hand, the excellent design, ergonomics, unmatched video recording, and lots of innovative features make the Canon EOS 7D a ground-breaking camera not only within the Canon portfolio but for the market in general.
Canon 7D is targeted for the prosumer photographers with high requirements that primarily use high-quality optics. It comes to fill the gap between Canon 50D and Canon 5D mark II and it’s priced accordingly (currently at about 1700 US dollars, 1000 bucks less than 5D2 and about 700 dollars more than the 50D).
Bing Maps impresses with Bird’s eye view, Map apps
Google Maps was probably the first free map service that
allowed you to zoom in to street level and view aerial photos, not just
an abstract map, for pretty much the entire world. Sure, maximum zoom
level varied but for the all the major cities, you can get close enough
to see cars and people.
Google then went on to add many other cool features, like Street View, but now Microsoft is catching up. Bing Maps now matches most of the functionality of Google Maps but has one more ace up its sleeve – the Bird’s eye mode, which is pretty amazing.
Go over to www.bing.com/maps and choose to try out the Explore Bing Maps beta. It requires the free Silverlight plug-in to work, but it performs better than the other version and offers more features.
Bing Maps has three map modes – Road (standard road map), Aerial (like Satellite View in Google Maps) and Bird’s eye. There’s also an Automatic option, which switches between the three depending on the zoom level chosen.
Explore Bing Maps uses Silverlight
The Bird’s eye view is similar to Aerial but the key difference is that the photos are taken at an angle. Think SimCity – you can actually see the facades of the buildings instead of just staring at their roofs. You can also rotate the viewpoint by 90 degrees so you can view buildings from all four sides.
London’s Tower Bridge from all four sides
Regardless of which mode you choose, you can add Map apps, which are similar to Google’s Layers. The Current traffic app, for example, shows you how congested the traffic is, marking the streets green for normal traffic to black for slow traffic.
There is also a restaurant finder, business finder and so on. There are interesting ones like the Twitter Maps – it shows tweets on the maps as small blue pins, clicking on a pin shows the tweet. It’s particularly impressive in Bird’s eye mode – you can see the building from where each tweet originated. Call me paranoid, but that is as creepy as it is impressive.
Twitter Maps is cool (and creepy), huh? • The other available Map apps
The Twitter Maps application uses blue pins but the Photosynth app uses green – in fact, the different apps are color coded so even if you layer on several of them simultaneously, it’s s till reasonably easy to find what you’re looking for.
Photosynth is amazing in its own right. It uses user-generated photos of an object to generate a sort of 3D look. It matches up photos, so when an alternative viewpoint is available you can view those and if enough are available you can even rotate the view around the object.
Photosynth is amazing
There’s much more to be explored in Bing Maps – like Streetside, Bing’s answer to Street View – or 3D view (with 3D buildings and all), but that requires yet another plug-in and the buildings are not very detailed, so it didn’t impress me as much as the Bird’s eye mode. I’ll leave it up to you to explore the rest.
One final note – the non-Silverlight version of Bing Maps has Bird’s eye mode too but because it relies on standard HTML and JavaScript, it isn’t as smooth.
Google then went on to add many other cool features, like Street View, but now Microsoft is catching up. Bing Maps now matches most of the functionality of Google Maps but has one more ace up its sleeve – the Bird’s eye mode, which is pretty amazing.
Go over to www.bing.com/maps and choose to try out the Explore Bing Maps beta. It requires the free Silverlight plug-in to work, but it performs better than the other version and offers more features.
Bing Maps has three map modes – Road (standard road map), Aerial (like Satellite View in Google Maps) and Bird’s eye. There’s also an Automatic option, which switches between the three depending on the zoom level chosen.
Explore Bing Maps uses Silverlight
The Bird’s eye view is similar to Aerial but the key difference is that the photos are taken at an angle. Think SimCity – you can actually see the facades of the buildings instead of just staring at their roofs. You can also rotate the viewpoint by 90 degrees so you can view buildings from all four sides.
London’s Tower Bridge from all four sides
Regardless of which mode you choose, you can add Map apps, which are similar to Google’s Layers. The Current traffic app, for example, shows you how congested the traffic is, marking the streets green for normal traffic to black for slow traffic.
There is also a restaurant finder, business finder and so on. There are interesting ones like the Twitter Maps – it shows tweets on the maps as small blue pins, clicking on a pin shows the tweet. It’s particularly impressive in Bird’s eye mode – you can see the building from where each tweet originated. Call me paranoid, but that is as creepy as it is impressive.
Twitter Maps is cool (and creepy), huh? • The other available Map apps
The Twitter Maps application uses blue pins but the Photosynth app uses green – in fact, the different apps are color coded so even if you layer on several of them simultaneously, it’s s till reasonably easy to find what you’re looking for.
Photosynth is amazing in its own right. It uses user-generated photos of an object to generate a sort of 3D look. It matches up photos, so when an alternative viewpoint is available you can view those and if enough are available you can even rotate the view around the object.
Photosynth is amazing
There’s much more to be explored in Bing Maps – like Streetside, Bing’s answer to Street View – or 3D view (with 3D buildings and all), but that requires yet another plug-in and the buildings are not very detailed, so it didn’t impress me as much as the Bird’s eye mode. I’ll leave it up to you to explore the rest.
One final note – the non-Silverlight version of Bing Maps has Bird’s eye mode too but because it relies on standard HTML and JavaScript, it isn’t as smooth.
