Skip to main content

Canon 7D Mark II leaks out ahead of Photokina

Canon 7D Mark II leaks out ahead of Photokina

Share this story

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

It's been five years since Canon first introduced its universally lauded 7D camera, which continues to be among the best choices for professionally minded photographers and videographers alike. Time waits for no DSLR, however, and now the first image of a purported 7D Mark II has emerged out of Japan alongside a set of specs. At the heart of the camera is an upgraded 20-megapixel CMOS sensor, which is combined with a new 65-point autofocus system and dual DIGIC 6 image processors. It'll be the quality of that new sensor, rather than any of the numbers surrounding it, that will decide whether this Mark II model lives up to and extends the legacy of the original. Looking at the weather-sealed exterior of the new camera gives little hint of the changes within. It seems to have been left pretty much unchanged.

This new launch appears to be timed to coincide with the big Photokina show coming up in Germany next week. Taking place every two years, Photokina is an event that camera makers anticipate months in advance, and it stands to reason that Canon would use it to update one of its best-loved cameras. This year's gathering will likely be much richer on high-quality mirrorless cameras than in the past, and Canon's more pressing concern may well be to figure out a proper response to the excellent new compact shooters from the likes of Fujifilm and Sony.