Canon has today announced the long awaited Canon EOS 7D – though it may not be what everyone expected.

Built from the ground up, this new Canon EOS model appears to sit below the Canon 5D MkII in the range, sporting a lower resolution and non-full-frame 18MP APS-C sensor.

The Canon 7D boasts an impressive spec list though, with 8 frames per second continuous shooting, a maximum 12,800 ISO, Full HD video at 24fps (with the customiseable option to select 25fps or 30fps), and a magnesium alloy body. This is also the first EOS to feature an integrated Speedlite flash transmitter for creative off-camera flash control.

The Canon EOS 7D uses 19 cross-type AF sensors and on the rear houses a 3in LCD screen. Metering has taken an overhaul too, with an iFCL (intelligent Focus, Colour and Luminance) metering system with 63-zone dual-layer sensor. All of the 19 focus points provide distance
information to the metering system to determine proximity to the
subject to weigh the exposure accordingly. Typically, metering sensors are more sensitive to
red subjects which can lead to overexposure.

The Canon EOS 7D combats this with
the dual-layer sensor, where one layer is sensitive to red and green
light and the other is sensitive to blue and green light. By processing these two readings, the sensor can make more accurate exposures.

With a release date of early October, the Canon EOS 7D price will be £1699.99. The full spec is included at the bottom of this article.

For further information, watch the What Digital Camera Canon EOS 7D video preview:

Canon EOS 7D spec sheet:
Sensor type: 22.3mm x 14.9mm CMOS
Effective Pixels: 18 megapixels
Aspect Ratio: 3.2
Low-Pass Filter: Built-in/Fixed
Sensor Cleaning: EOS integrated cleaning system with fluorine coating
Colour Filter Type: Primary Colour
Image processor: Dual “DIGIC 4”
Lens Mount: EF/EF-S
Focal Length: Equivalent to 1.6x the focal length of the lens
Focusing: TTL-CT-SIR with a CMOS sensor
AF System/ Points: 19 cross-type AF points (f/2.8 at centre)
AF Modes: AI FocusOne ShotAI Servo
Predictive AF: Yes, up to 8m
AF Assist Beam: Intermittent firing of built-in flash or emitted by optional dedicated Speedlite
Manual Focus: Selected on lens, default in Live View Mode
AF Microadjustment: C.Fn III-5 +/- 20 steps Can adjust up to 20 lenses individually
Metering modes: TTL full aperture metering with 63 zone Dual Layer SPC (1) Evaluative metering (linked to All AF point)(2) Partial metering (approx. 9.4% of viewfinder at centre)(3) Spot metering (approx. 2.3% viewfinder at centre)(4) Centre weighted average metering
Metering Range: EV 1 – 20 (at 23°C with 50mm f/1.4 lens ISO100)
Exposure Compensation: +/-5 EV in 1/3 or 1/2 stop increments (can be combined with AEB).
AEB: 3 Shots +/-3 EV 1/3 or 1/2 stop increments
ISO Sensitivity: Auto (100-3200), 100-6400 (in 1/3-stop or whole stops) can be expanded to H: 12800
Shutter: Electronically-controlled focal-plane shutter
Speed: 30-1/8000 sec (1/2 or 1/3 stop increments), Bulb
White balance: Auto white balance with the imaging sensor
Settings: AWB, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, WhiteFluorescent light, Flash, Custom, Colour Temperature Setting.
White balance compensation: 1. Blue/Amber +/-92. Magenta/ Green +/-9.
Custom White Balance:  Yes, setting can be registered