I had a chance this morning to test the Canon EOS R7 against the R5 and R3. All cameras were set to roughly the same menu settings. Each was used in shutter priority (TV), shutter 1250, ISO Auto, and F/11. Each had the same 100-500mm RF lens with a 1.4x converter.
My subject stayed the same as well. Lucky for me, a fledgling eastern bluebird stayed on the same branch during my test.
All images were taken while I was seated in the same chair at the same angle. The sky was partly cloudy with lighting remaining generally the same during the test.
Notice that the bird photographed with the R7 is larger in the frame. The Canon EOS R7 has a cropped sensor so the subject will appear bigger with a telephoto lens. Hence, the reason a lot of bird photographers like photographing with a crop sensor camera.
Here’s the images larger:
I was impressed with the auto focus on the Canon R7. The camera was set to Flexible Zone 1, Subject, and Eye Detect. The Canon R7 never failed to acquire focus on the small bird. (Watch for my post on camera set-up.)
I’ll compare ISO in a future post but here’s a look at the Canon R7 image enlarged to 100%.
Posts coming up will show my set-up for the R7, file size, ISO, and night photography. Stay tuned!
First impression with the Canon R7 shows that this is going to be a great camera for bird photography.
Kathy Adams Clark 
Bought one for my son, plan to use it as a second camera body on upcoming Alaska cruise. So far seems like a capable camera. My biggest complaint is the noisy mechanical shutter. The good thing is you can use the electronic shutter with a slight noise so you cn sense when you are shooting. Have not had a chance to see if rolling shutter makes the electronic shutter unusable for BIF.
LikeLike
It does make a different noise when the shutter clicks. I’ve gotten used to the sound from the R5, 6, and 3. This one is a bit different and louder. I’ll play more with it tomorrow. Thanks for the comment.
LikeLike
An interesting post, thank you. I’m currently trying to decide which top-end R-series camera to get. I’d have liked to see a comparative crop on all three cameras – with the bird filling the frame – to compare detail and noise.
LikeLike
Thanks for the post, Tamsin. Above you’ll see a comparison of the R7 to the R5 and R3 on the same bird. The bird appears much closer with the R7 because of the cropped sensor. The view with the R5 and R3 would be the same as you’d get with the R6 Mark II. My latest tests with the R6ii show me that the autofocus is amazing. Noise if great, too. I’ll post more on that shortly. Thanks for the post.
LikeLike
I am confused on whether to get the R5 or R7. The R5 is a full frame where as the R7 is a crop sensor. I do not know how to pick.
LikeLike
The R7 has a crop sensor. That means you can take advantage of the new RF-S lenses that Canon is producing. The 24-105mm f/4-7.1, for example, is a nice lens at an excellent price of $399. The 100-400mm f/5.6-8 is a great alternative as well. The R5, on the other hand, has a full sensor. That camera really needs the more expensive L lenses. In the long run, the R7 could be a super affordable camera when coupled with the less expensive lenses. Think about that while shopping for your system.
LikeLike
I currently have an R7 and use it with an RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1. I recently rented the R6ii and loved it! It felt like the autofocus was a little more reliable in low light situations, and I noticed less noise and less distortion with the smaller fast birds (I’m using electronic shutter). I’m planning a trip to Costa Rica to photograph birds and other wildlife, and now I don’t know if I should upgrade to the R6ii for the trip. If you could only bring one, the R7 or the R6ii, with the RF100-500mm what would you do? 🙂
LikeLike
If I could only bring one camera, it would be the R6ii. It is better than the R7. But, personally, I’d bring the R7 as a back-up. Costa Rica can be hard on cameras so having a back-up is always a good idea. Thanks for posting. I appreciate it!
LikeLike
Thank you for responding! A back up is such a good point. I only recently found your content and I really enjoy your perspective. Thank you! 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks for the kind words. I’ve been leading photo tours to Costa Rica for over 20 years. Cameras fail so a back-up is always a good idea.
LikeLike