Canon EOS 7D 
vs Pentax K-7 at a glance

Canon EOS 7D Enthusiast-level DSLR: Pentax K-7 Enthusiast-level DSLR:
8 million effective pixels 14.6 million effective pixels
Live View on 3in, 920,000-dot LCD screen Live View on 3in, 920,000-dot LCD screen
1920x1080p (Full HD) video recording at 30fps HD video at 640×416, 1536×1024 or 1280×720 pixels (16:9) at 30fps
Wireless flash control Moving, self-levelling sensor
Street price approx £1,250 Street price approx £944

Canon EOS 7D 
vs Pentax K-7

Canon 7D vs Pentax K7In a sea of minor updates, it’s nice to see some fresh DSLR blood 
in the form of the high-resolution Canon EOS 7D and Pentax K-7

While other manufacturers appear to be preoccupied with bringing out minor updates and variations to existing cameras, Canon and Pentax have both introduced almost completely new digital SLRs that debut new technology.

The EOS 7D, for instance, is currently the only single-number-badged digital SLR from Canon to feature an APS-C-sized sensor, and its inclusion of wireless flash technology signals something of a change of 
heart by the manufacturer. It also features Canon’s new Focus Colour Luminance (iFCL) metering system, which uses subject distance, colour and luminance information, and a new 19-point AF system that allows the photographer to customise its response to suit the subject.

Meanwhile, the K-7 is billed as Pentax’s first real high-end enthusiast DSLR and is pitched against the likes of the Nikon D300S, Canon EOS 50D and EOS 7D. Although it has the same pixel count as the K20D, the 14.6-million-effective-pixel sensor of the K-7 has a new design. There are also a few novel features on offer, such as the ability to rotate the sensor by as much as 2° to automatically correct a sloping horizon, and an 
in-camera HDR mode.

I was very impressed by both cameras when I first tested them (the EOS 7D in AP 7 November 2009 and the K-7 in AP 15 August 2009). In this head-to-head test I want to find out which is the best model for enthusiast photographers.

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