Canon 7D, my first new camera in 10 years. A lot to learn!

[BasilFawlty]

I'm an amateur for sure, but an amateur who wants to improve his photography skills. I have been pining for a really good DSLR for a long time. Up till now I had a Canon T-70 film camera and about 10 years ago I bought a Digital Rebel DSLR when the price finally fell to $1000. My first generation Rebel is only a 6MP camera. It's not a bad camera for single shots, but it really doesn't have many features and you have to wait several seconds between shots (not a very fast processor).

In 2010, my wife and I were invited to attend an event for which I really wanted to use a better camera than my old EOS Rebel. So, I found a local place that actually rented cameras and I ended up renting a Canon 7D. That was it - after doing a lot of research on the web, I was hooked and had to have a 7D! Well, recently I found a 1 year old 7D with the 28-135 kit lens for sale on Craig's list for $1200. The camera was in excellent condition and I was able to talk the guy down to $1100 - several hundred less than a new 7D.

I really love this camera, but I do feel a bit overwhelmed with all the settings and features! Compared to my old EOS Rebel, it's like a Ferrari compared to a VW! When I bought the camera, the guy included an after-market book titled "Canon EOS 7D Digital Field Guide" by Charlotte K. Lowrie. This book has been a big help in understanding the basics of the camera, but I really have a lot to learn with respect to really understanding what features to use when and under what circumstances. I plan to join a local camera club to hob-nob with folks who I can learn from. I'd be interested in any recommendations for good books or tutorials that might be available to help me in my quest to learn about and get the most from my "new" 7D.

 

[tedyun]

The Lowrie book is very good, and I also like David Busch's books.

BARNES & NOBLE | David Busch's Canon EOS 7D Guide to Digital SLR Photography by David D. Busch, Cengage Learning | NOOK Book (eBook), Paperback

What kind of pictures do you take? It sounds like you bought it for event photography, which I assume is a lot of candid shots? If that's the case, I'd try to experiment with the different AF modes, as that was the most profound upgrade from my previous camera (T2i Rebel).

 

[Samerr9]

Play with it as much as you can.. you will learn alot.

 

[TCampbell]

The David Busch series books (he's got one for just about every major camera model on the market) are pretty good and they're a bit better about explaining features than the owners manual. I own the electronic edition for my 5D II (you can get the books for iPad, Kindle, Nook, etc. and it's usually just a little cheaper than the print version.)

Not sure how much you're asking about using the 7D specifically vs. using shooting with a DSLR. For example, Bryan Peterson's "Understanding Exposure" is a great book for anyone who wants to learn to shoot on manual. There are entire threads here dedicated to shooting on manual... I'd say don't go overboard with this. The REASON I feel everyone should "learn" to shoot on manual is because it gives you a strong grounding in how exposure works and as you approach any shot, you'll understand how to shoot it (e.g. Would you benefit by using a faster or slower shutter speed? Would you benefit from larger or smaller aperture sizes? etc.) HAVING LEARNED THAT, I do not necessarily advocate that you then only ever shoot on manual. When you realize that you're shooting an action shot and your priority should be to control shutter speed, then you can go ahead and use "Tv" (Time value aka shutter priority mode) and let the camera take care of the aperture for you. If controlling depth of field is your priority as you approach a shot, go ahead and use "Av" (Aperture value priority mode.) But at least you'll know whether you want full manual vs. semi-auto mode using Tv or Av mode (I use these modes a lot.)

When shooting in manual mode, it's nice that the front selection wheel (next to the shutter button) is controlling shutter speed WHILE the rear selection dial (very easily controlled by your thumb) is controlling aperture, and you can do both while looking through the camera. The control layout is very nice. The rear dial is located lower on the back of the body so that if you decide to use a battery grip it will STILL be easy to reach when holding the camera vertically.

 

[Derrel]

Awesome dude!!!Fancy new Canon d-slr! Enjoy!

 

[fjrabon]

I love the 7D, such a just rock solid camera. While I perhaps like some of the features on my D7000 more, the 7D is clearly a pro's pro crop frame. It's got everything a pro needs and nothing it doesn't. In a lot of ways it's not the easiest camera to start off with, as I don't think its auto modes are all that great. To me, Ive always felt that thing was made to shoot with big strobes and manual, or with fast glass at a football game on manual (maybe Av in good light for a day game). The only real thing I don't love about the camera is the decisions it makes in the auto modes (both the auto exposure modes and the TTL flash modes). Though in full daylight or normal lighting inside, it's perfectly fine.

It is also built like a tank, which is good if you're buying used. I've seen some of the younger jackbehinds I work with drop these things from several feet onto an ashphalt parking lot with just a couple of minor dings and no problems whatsoever.

The 28-135 is really a pretty good lens. Its build quality isn't very good (if you dropped it on asphalt it would be shattered into 1000 pieces most likely), and it's not very fast, but you get that thing between f/5.6 and f/11 and it's a really sharp lens, especially on a crop frame.

Enjoy!

If you get the cash, hook that thing up to a 70-200 f/2.8 MkII L, set it to servo and high speed burst and feel what it's like to live on the edge. Such a rush. (only half joking).

 

[sactown024]

so jealous, i am looking for one now, bout to bust out the trusty credit card

 

[fjrabon]

so jealous, i am looking for one now, bout to bust out the trusty credit card

I was thinking about this the other day, the 7D might just be my favorite Canon. What I mean by that isn't that it's the best Canon, but for what it is, I think it holds it's own better than any camera in the Canon line. It's close between it and the 5DIII, but I'd give the 7D the edge because I personally feel that the D800 is better and cheaper than the 5DIII, where the 7D and D300S are roughly the same price and the 7D is pretty much the dead on equivalent of the D300S. Additionally, with Canon's big strength being their top line telephotos, I think the 7D, which in a lot of ways is a birder/sports camera, it pairs up better than the D300S does to those lenses.

again, to emphasize, I dont think the 7D is better than the 5DIII, but for what it is supposed to do, in its category, it might be the best Canon.

 

[BasilFawlty]

Thanks for all the suggestions all! I'll definitely check out the Busch books Tim, and the "Understanding Exposure" sounds like a good choice too. I "understand" the basic concepts of exposure, just not the details of when/how/why to do what with exposure. I suppose a lot of that will just come with practice to develop an eye for what/how to adjust in different conditions.

 

[daarksun]

YouTube.com is the place to go for awesome videos using your 7D. Check it out.

 

[BasilFawlty]

Thanks for all the great feedback! Holy cow, has it been a year since I visited this forum? Anyway, I wanted to give an update. Per some of the suggestions above, I have scoured YouTube and found a lot of great videos on the 7D. I also bought David Busch's book on 7D and Digital Photography (great book). Also, I bought Michael The Maven's tutorial DVD on the 7D (Money well spent). Since I last posted I bought another lens to supplement the kit lens (28-135 IS). What I bought is the Canon "L" Series 70-200 F4! Wow Wow Wow! Love this lens!

 

[DarkShadow]

I just recently got the L Glass 70-200f4 IS and Wow Wow Wow! sums it up. Congrats on a great camera.

 

[BasilFawlty]

I just recently got the L Glass 70-200f4 IS and Wow Wow Wow! sums it up. Congrats on a great camera.

The first real chance I had to try out my 70-200 F4 "L" lens was at the BMX Bike competition up at Angel Fire NM. Here are a few of the pictures:

BMX - a set on Flickr

And here is a little slide show of some of those pics set to music.

 

[ronlane]

Download the manual and read it a couple of 3 times. It can be downloaded for free and has PLENTY to keep you busy a while.

 

[BasilFawlty]

Download the manual and read it a couple of 3 times. It can be downloaded for free and has PLENTY to keep you busy a while.

Done and done. Now making my way through the "Ultimate Canon SLR Handbook" I picked up at Costco. Very good book for a beginner like me. Lots of technical info presented in an easy to understand way.