Canon Fell off the wagon...

A few from the 5D Mkii on a sunny Seattle day
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As of last week, it had been two years and seven months since I bought my last digital camera (the Leica M9P). It is with some regret (well, not really) that I confess to having fallen off that wagon, as I have not only bought a new camera, but a DSLR at that. I am now the proud owner of a shiny new Canon EOS 7D Mk. II.

While I have been mostly a mirror-less user for the last four years (and a Leica M user for the last three), I always kept my Canon EOS 50D, particularly for work I do for the Puerto Rico Museum of Contemporary Art. The 50D has been a trusted companion for six (6) years, but I became increasingly concerned about its low light performance, and was keen to try out a more robust autofocus system for dance and theater photography. After much deliberation about whether I should go full frame or not, or whether I should switch to Nikon (had the D750 and a set of lenses in the B&H cart for a few days), I decided to go for the 7D Mk. II.

I received the camera last Thursday and took it out for its maiden voyage yesterday. I was able to put the camera through its paces in various shooting environments: street, landscape (seascape, actually), at the Museum, and at a theater troupe rehearsal.

The day started with a trip to Boquerón, Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. Cabo Rojo is a town in the Southwestern tip of Puerto Rico, and Boquerón is a fisherman´s village in the town. I walked around for a bit, and got a few shots (all with the 17-40mm 4.0L):

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JDP
by ramirezaponte, on Flickr

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JDP
by ramirezaponte, on Flickr

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Boquerón
by ramirezaponte, on Flickr

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Boquerón
by ramirezaponte, on Flickr

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Boquerón
by ramirezaponte, on Flickr

I then returned to San Juan to photograph some art pieces, and some exhibition hall photos, at the Museum of Contemporary Art for a book. I apologize for not being able to show you those shots.

Afterwards, the youth theater troupe ¨Jóvenes del 98¨ had a rehearsal at the Museum's courtyard, and I stayed and photographed it. Here are some sample shots (mostly with the 70-200mm 4.0L IS):

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Jóvenes del 98
by ramirezaponte, on Flickr

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Jóvenes del 98
by ramirezaponte, on Flickr

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Jóvenes del 98
by ramirezaponte, on Flickr

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Jóvenes del 98
by ramirezaponte, on Flickr

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Jóvenes del 98
by ramirezaponte, on Flickr

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Jóvenes del 98
by ramirezaponte, on Flickr

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Jóvenes del 98
by ramirezaponte, on Flickr

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Jóvenes del 98
by ramirezaponte, on Flickr

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Jóvenes del 98
by ramirezaponte, on Flickr

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Jóvenes del 98
by ramirezaponte, on Flickr

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Jóvenes del 98
by ramirezaponte, on Flickr

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Jóvenes del 98
by ramirezaponte, on Flickr

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Jóvenes del 98
by ramirezaponte, on Flickr

About the 7D Mk. II, I can say the following. The good: (1) The camera is extremely fast and responsive; (2) the shutter is very quiet (for a DSLR); (3) autofocus is extremely quick (near instant) and, dare I say, almost foolproof; (4) the live view implementation is light years ahead of the 50D; the dual pixel technology makes for very quick and responsive AF during live view; (5) image quality is very good; high ISO is quite a bit better than the 50D.

The bad: (1) the 10-22 EF-S (which is my only ultra-wide solution at this time) is nowhere near the quality of my 18mm ZM Distagon; it's quite soft and smeary at the corners at any aperture; (2) it's big, which shouldn't come as a surprise, but walking around with a 17-40mm mounted (which is my standard zoom lens) feels quite different from walking around with the M9P and a 35mm or 50mm. However, this is not likely to be a problem for the intended use of the camera.

All in all, I am quite happy with the purchase, and expect to get from it at least the six (6) years I got from the 50D.

Cheers,

Antonio

I just fell off the wagon too and jumped on the canon 7d mk2 as well. I had the 17/40 lens from previous canon but I now also have the 100/400L mk1 lens for birding. Looking forward to putting it through its paces.

It feels great in the hand, well balanced and super fast focus.

Look forward to more!
 
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