9/14/09

Really? A new autofocus system from Canon? Yay!


So, as we shake the dust off ourselves from the long project in the desert, we come back to the VERY welcome news about the new Canon 7d that will be released at the end of September. Here are the highlight specs, as reported first by Engadget:
18 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with 8 frames per second continuous shooting, 1080p 24fps HD video with full manual control, a 3-inch LCD, 19-point AF system, and wireless flash control.

This camera is not aimed at the professional, and we're disappointed it doesn't have a full-frame sensor. BUT ... and this is a huge "but" ... it DOES have a fully redesigned autofocus system, with 19 crosspoints. We've held off buying a replacement for our heavily used and increasingly battered 5D for this very reason: We won't plunk down the money until Canon makes the improvements needed for better autofocus performance in low light. The good news is that the 7D seems to be a step in that direction, and we can only hope the system will be grafted on to an upcoming version of the 5D.

The DPR review is over here.

Canon's press release is over here