7D #2 In the Cold of Winter
December 21st, 2009 | Author: admin
UPDATE (22 Dec.): I’ve done a new test with the Canon 7D today. A new video and information about the frame rate is now available.
Canon 7D in cold weather. Video filmed on Canon 5D Mark II. NB: View it in full screen mode!!
TYPE OF TEST: CFR-2 (What does this mean?)
I´ve had many questions regarding the Canon 7D’s operation in cold temperatures. Last Friday was the perfect opportunity to test the camera for 3 hours in -23 °C temperatures. I dressed warmly and prior to testing I put the 7D and its batteries out in the cold for about 1 hour. This isn’t the smartest thing to do as I always recommend removing the batteries and keeping them warm when the camera is not in use. For this test I wanted to cool down the camera and batteries.
I have some favorite shooting places close to my office and I took along my dog “Chilli”. I wanted to test how well the 7D AF-system works in the cold. My question: Is the 7D a great action camera when the weather is really cold?
AF tracking
As you can see from the images in the above video, the 7D AF follows the running dog very precisely. The situation of a light dog, surrounded by white snow and the sun as back lighting, is a challenging situation for the AF. I think the camera did a great job following the dog. A few times the AF lost track of the dog, but it was fast getting focus back and following the target dog as it approached me. The camera´s fast tracking ability was not hampered by the cold temperatures. I also tried the Canon 1DS Mark III with the same setup, and it was not faster than the 7D (1.6 crop factor) even if it is a full frame camera. The situation in sub-zero temperatures and difficult tracking situations impressed me.
Canon 7D with 70-200/2.8L IS and 1/2000 sec at f/6.3 and ISO 400. No cropping.
Canon 7D with 70-200/2.8L IS and 1/2000 sec at f/6.3 and ISO 400. 100% view.
Canon 7D with 300/2.8L IS and 1/1000 sec at f/5,0 and ISO 400. Distance: 7,37 m. No cropping
Frame rate
The Canon 7D shoots very fast in cold weather. During this test I was shooting up to 8 fps for a total of 32 images in 5 second. This is very effective when shooting fast moving subjects.
It’s very important to use the correct settings to use the high frame rates. First of all you have to select drive mode “high”, not low or single. This can be confusing since the Canon 5D Mark II has a symbol for high frame rate, that is the same as the low frame rate symbol on the Canon 7D. The symbol for the low frame rate in 1D / 1DS Mark III is marked with «L» which makes it very clear. When I´m out in the field I usually use all the 1DS Mark III, 5D Mark II and 7D, and in the heat of the moment it can be very confusing with different symbols for drive modes on each camera. This was the case during my first field test in the cold, when I didn’t get 8 fps, because it was set to low drive mode.
Secondly, you must deactivate noise reduction on high ISO. Even with a setting of ISO 400 you can only shoot 8 frames before the buffer needs a break.
Conclusion
The Canon 7D has absolutely no problems in cold conditions and works as expected. The batteries are really very good, and you can shoot for hours in cold winter weather without recharging the batteries.
OJL
Thanks to Bob Baillargeon for copy-editing!
PS: In my next blog postings I will test the 7D AF and Image Quality
39 Responses to “7D #2 In the Cold of Winter”
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1st June – Sandwich Terns
30th May – Avocets
Curious. There is a custom function setting that allows you to favor accurate AF or favor FPS. If the setting is set to auto focus, in difficult situation, the fps will slow down.
Thanks for the review. You guys give very different and practical review regarding to what a 7D can do under extreme weather. Weeks ago we went to Washington which was very cold at this time. All my friends warned me that the battery might die in cold weather, but actually my 7D didn’t give me any problem.
Thanks for this test Ole.
I’m disappointed in the slowdown you reported, and also hope for a firmware update to cope in the cold, as you are. I wonder what the result would be if you had kept the batteries warm as is normal practise?
It’s not cold enough where I live at the moment to replicate this test, otherwise I’d give it a try. Thanks again for the great blog and Twitter.
David
Hi
Could you, if possible, determin what is the best settings for AF for moving objects.
I guess there are several options for this, or I might be wrong ?
Im realy looking forward for youre next step of youre review
I would love to spend the money on a trip to Antartica, if I had the money.
But I would feel a bit bad, if it was 3 weeks with snow Blizzard, might got the wrong impression ?
LOL! I’m relieved to hear your test may have been mistaken! I was heart-broken to hear such a bad report! I can’t wait for the updated insight.
Hi David
I will do the same test again tomorrow. It is late evening in Norway now, but the camera took 8 fps out in the cold (-26 C) after 30 minutes.
yes, that is difficult to focus on back side, though dog’s face provides some contrast… thanks for the review.
i meant, ‘focus with back light’.
I recently changed the AI Servo tracking sensitivity on my 7D to see if it will result in improved autofocus on high speed continuous shooting (C.Fn III-1 changed to FAST). I previously found that approximately 6/8 shots were sharp and in focus with a moving subject while using a 24-70 F2.8 L. I haven’t had a chance to test it out yet, but it seems to focus much faster on my hand when I wave it back and forth in front of the camera with the shutter button depressed halfway.
Have you left your settings in their default mode or have you changed any of the C.Fn III 1-13 on the 7D? If so, what settings do you like to use?
Hi Jack
I did a new test yesterday with the 7D in -22 C with no problems! The info about the frame rate is now updated
Hi Viking
In the next blog post I will write about the AF, and I think some of your questions will be answered..
It was snowing every day in South Georgia, but not much on the Antarctic continent. NB: If the Antarctic expeditions are to expensive you should do a one week photo expedition to Svalbard instead. 80 degree north and lot of wildlife, like polar bears, walrus etc..
Hi Ole,
Thanks for interesting and useful information again on the 7D. With regard to disabling the High ISO NR on the 7D to maintain the maximum frame rate, does this NR still affect the cameras frame rate or buffer speed when one is taking only RAW images? Conversely, if you take only RAW images, do any of the High ISO NR (Disable, Low, Standard, Strong) settings affect the noise on RAW images processed in Adobe Camera Raw or Lightroom at all.
Thanks again
Grant
I’m so relieved! Thank you for re-testing this body Ole, and thank you for being honest and admitting a mistake! It didn’t quite make sense to me that you had used it successfully for three weeks on South Georgia Island, only to have problems in your own back-yard.
Thanks man! You’re awesome.
Nice update, video was a great addon.
Canon should be paying you for this review.
Ill start saving for 7D.
Have a great christmas
Thanks for the video, and you have a BEAUTIFUL dog!
Thank you for posting this comprehensive test. I like seeing the real-world action.
Regarding noise reduction:
I agree that it is best to turn off noise reduction. In fact, I am of the opinion that noise reduction in-camera destroys image detail and is best avoided. If noise reduction is desired, it is preferable to use dedicated software for that function.
Once more it is proven that the Canon EOS 7D fulfills the expectations of the most discriminating users. It is above all very impressive to get that much in a low-cost package.
Per Inge Oestmoen, Norway
Jorgen,
The video is out of the world, very professional presentation with impressive shoot and very lovely dog.
Jay
As far as I can see, the reduced burst size only take effect at the high setting of high iso noise reduction on the 7D, not at the default standard setting. Do you have other experience or information?
Erik
aahhh. man and his best friend. so nice to see the video. i’m loving my 7D more and more because of your reviews. thank you so much! greetings from the Philippines!
Great post on the Canon 7D.
I’ve just purchased a Canon 7D and a few new lenses and can’t wait to put it to the test.
Looks like I made the right choice.
Thanks for the post.
Ole, thank you for these updates. I just returned from Yosemite with my new 7D. Your reviews helped me make the decision to purchase the 7D. The results for both landscape and action (Sledding) exceeded my expectations. Thank you again for these reviews.
Hi Ole,
I wonder about the “Distance” information in the picture above (http://canonfieldreviews.com/7d-cold-winter/). How you can get these exact information? After the Canon D30 I have never seen this information in EXIF-data with ExifViewer or any other EXIF-Reader.
Thanks for answering
Rainer
Hi Rainer
With 7D and 70-200/2.8L IS you get the excact info about distance in the meta data..
I used Adobe Lightroom 2.6
Ole,
Stumbled upon your cold weather review for the 7D, after having issues with mine in sub-zero (-5 F) temperatures today and doing a Google search. After about a half hour, the frame rate dropped to about half. I shoot a lot in cold temps, and while I’ve had cameras fail (error 99 — usually frost buildup between lens and body), I’ve never experienced anything quite like this. Battery was fresh, settings all correct for high burst rates, etc. — after returning to the truck and letting it warm up, the frame rate returned to normal. I seem to also have noticed a decrease in focus accuracy in colder temps. Any thoughts about what might be going on?
Thanks for your great site and reviews…
Mike Furtman
http://www.michaelfurtman.com
Very nice review and you have an amazing dog
Hey this is really fun video. I posted about this on my blog. I agree your dog is amazing.
You can see it here:
http://fsmphoto.blogspot.com/2010/01/cold-weather.html
Hallo Ole.
I’ve just spent some days around Alps between Italy and France with my 7D.
The weather was snowy, windy (-10°C) and sunny.
In every circumtance my 7D worked great.
I took my camera “on” for several hour a day, ever on my neck (out of vests), but I never needed to change the batteries (even if I had other in the backpack). I shot about 6 Gb of Raw pics every day. Many pictures had been taken with the built in flash, and all with Canon IS lens (obviously with IS on).
And also I had not any trouble with snow. I just noticed some decrease in USM velocity at lowest temperature (-16°C) and once, some ice on the viewfinder (my be from my breath).
Also I entered wormest places twice a day, without using any precautions. No trouble, again.
The lenses I took with me in this winter walk were Canon EF-S 15-85 is and Canon EF 70-300 is. I didn’t have trouble of any kind, unless a slower focusing in the coldest conditions (may be because these lenses are not weather sealed?).
Hallo.
Hi Luca
Interesting to read your experiences with the 7D in the cold winter!
Thanks for the great info.
One thing I’m curious about though.. how well does the internal (transmissive) lcd display work when it’s very cold outside? If the display does stop working, does it go clear or dark?
I do a lot of ski racing photography in the winter, typical shooting conditions are -25c and I can be outdoors for up to 6 hours.
I currently take 2x 40d’s with me, each with their own lens and extra batteries. The cameras stay outside (unheated) for the entire day and so far, the 40d’s have been working great.
The only reason I’m considering a 7d is the extra focus points might be useful.
Thanks
Rob
Hi Rob
The LCD display is working slower (short delay) in temperatures below -20 C. It is still working in -37 C wich I had today..
Battery capasity is no problem in the cold, unless you are filming alot…
[...] at all because it seems to slow down the tracking ability of the AF system. When shooting the running dog in snow I did some of the shots with “AI Focus” by accident. Big gloves with cameras may cause problems [...]
Hi,
I recently bought a 7D, and am going to take it on a trip to Antarctica in a few weeks. I’ve read that when taking the camera from a warm to cold environment (and vice versa) I should put it in an airtight bag to prevent condensation from forming. Is this a real concern? I find it hard to believe people actually do that…
Thanks!
what about 400D in cold weather..like -20degrees?
Hi Klara
I have tested the 400D in -25 D on Svalbard in march 2008, and it worked…
hey thanks for replying. Do i have to do anything to prevent my camera from getting too moistured?
just started learning photography (:
thanks for your tips..excellent
If you have the chance, whenever you go from cold environs to hot (and usually humid because you have winter gear thawing), put your camera in a plastic bag until it has gotten (almost) to room temperature. Humidity is carried better in warm air and condenses on cold surfaces.
Shouldn’t be much of a problem on the single digit Canons, but I’d try to do it for the double digits. I did with my 30D, now I don’t care much (waiting for an excuse to upgrade to the 7D).
Even with the more rugged cameras, don’t change lenses just when getting that frozen camera inside in the humid cabin air…
Your dog rules. But since this is about the camera, great job about the tests. Planning on buying a 7D and your reviews certainly removed all my questions about weatherproofing for this model.
Cheers