The EOS 7D Mark II, launched after nearly 5 years of development in the background, boasts specifications superior to the EOS 7D in almost every way. Steady progress has been achieved. How do the various upgraded functions change the actual shooting environment? In this series, we will explore the hidden capabilities of the EOS 7D Mark II from eight different points of view. Part 3 sees us comparing the camera's resolution, ISO speed, and low-light ranging limit. (Report: Ryosuke Takahashi)

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CHECK 4: Resolution

What does a difference of about 2.2 megapixels mean?

18mm

135mm

If you compare the image quality at 18 mm, you will find that the fine details of the buildings are slightly blurry on the EOS 7D but very clear on the EOS 7D Mark II.

70mm

200mm

At 70 mm, the depiction of the tiles and trees is reproduced in greater detail on the EOS 7D Mark II. At 200 mm, the difference in the depiction is not as perceptible.

The EOS 7D Mark II is better at reproducing fine details

The EOS 7D Mark II is equipped with a new CMOS sensor with an effective pixel count of approximately 20.2 megapixels. This is higher than that of the EOS 7D by about 2.2 megapixels. The basic structure of both CMOS sensors also differs. E.g. The EOS 7D Mark II is equipped with a dual pixel CMOS AF sensor. Because the sensor size is the same, the EOS 7D Mark II has a smaller pixel size. A number of issues have also been resolved by introducing a higher aperture ratio in the photodiode, a new refinement process and low profile technology. If you test the resolution, no large difference appears in telephoto shooting with a high magnification factor. However, when shooting wide angle scenes with a low magnification factor, the EOS 7D Mark II is better at reproducing the fine details in terms of the image quality. In particular, the improvement in the resolution is significant for subjects that consist of fine lines.

CHECK 5: High ISO Speed

What is the difference in the quality and level of noise?

ISO 800

ISO 1600

ISO 3200

ISO 6400

ISO 12800

ISO 16000

When shooting at high ISO speed with the EOS 7D Mark II, setting noise reduction to [Standard] suppresses the colour noise. In addition, the [Multi Shot Noise Reduction] function makes the luminance noise (black and white specks) even lesser. This is the difference in performance that time brings.

The EOS 7D Mark II delivers vastly superior high ISO speed image quality

The basic characteristics of the image sensor and the image processing technology determine the image quality when shooting at high ISO speed. These are subject to the most changes over time in digital cameras and even a period of about 5 years is considered a very long time. Besides having a dual DIGIC 6 image processor, the EOS 7D Mark II is also equipped with [Multi Shot Noise Reduction], making it worlds apart from the EOS 7D. In terms of the basic performance, the EOS 7D Mark II enjoys a marked advantage over the EOS 7D when shooting at a normal ISO speed of 16000 that rivals the [Standard] setting when shooting at ISO 6400 on the EOS 7D. Moreover, due to [Multi Shot Noise Reduction], the image quality of a shot taken at ISO 16000 with the EOS 7D Mark II is the same as a ISO 3200 shot taken with the EOS 7D. In other words, the EOS 7D Mark II has a capability that is about two steps higher in total than that of the EOS 7D.

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CHECK 6: Low-light ranging limit

Which AF works better in dark areas?

The AF on the EOS 7D Mark II is more stable, with markedly less instances of losing focus The focusing time is also shorter compared to the EOS 7D, allowing you to focus accurately even from a very blurred state.

The difference in true capability emerges in the central AF point

The EOS 7D Mark II’s low-light ranging limit is −3.0EV (f/2.8 sensor) for the central AF point, surpassing the values of −0.5EV on the EOS 7D and −2.0EV on the EOS-1D X. The peripheral AF points can also adapt to a brightness of −0.5EV. This figure is also higher than that on the EOS 7D. When a test was conducted, the EOS 7D Mark II, as expected, came out strong when shooting in dark areas, achieving a perfect focus up till −2.0EV. It is difficult to make out a subject even with the naked eye at a brightness of -3.0EV but the EOS 7D Mark II’s AF managed to work well in such a condition. However, in order to draw out this performance, it is necessary to use the f/2.8 cross-type sensor. Therefore a lens brighter than f/2.8 needs to be used. The obvious differences between the two cameras clearly demonstrates the capabilities of the new AF sensor.

*This design was produced using a prototype model. As a result, please note that the actual product may differ in terms of the appearance, image quality, etc.