This is great and really helpful. Just the other day I sent my beloved 7D to KEH, and should be getting my 7D Mk II in a couple of days. Glad I found this!
I've never had chance to use the original 7D, but from what I've read the 7Dii is a really good upgrade, especially for the AF. I'm glad this video can be of some help to you, have fun with you new camera!
A lot of Street photography channels I know insist on Aperture priority for street, but like you in sports I tend to go by shutter priority for street and urban as I’m not very concerned with aperture in street I usually set it to f4-5.6 manual focus to 5m with a shutter speed of around 1/400 and I’m good for 90% of my shots. However where moving subjects are further away I can get away with as slow as 1/125 and still get sharp results, a lot of my low light shots are like this which keeps the ISO down. I get sharper results with this approach than aperture priority, I’d only use aperture priority in portraits and landscape
Yeah I've noticed that AV seems to be a favourite mode. I've tried it myself, but I personally prefer Manual mode with auto ISO enabled on the Canon, basically it's the same as shooting in TAV mode with Pentax, which I love also!
One thing I have learned is there are a 100 different ways to get a shot. Everyone has a work flow/set up which they are comfortable with. When I talk with other dirt bike racing photogs and all of our camera setups and selected variables are different between us. :) Liked seeing your process and logic behind your camera set up. I do need to go out and play with my AF case setting more but every time I change I find more negative then positives to changes. So I haven't touched it in years. I don't remember what I have mine set at now to be honest. Enjoy your content. Thanks for what you do here.
Very true, there's a lot of ways to do the same job if that makes sense. Everyone is going to have there go too settings. Hopefully these settings might act as a starting point for some. And thanks for the support Kevin, much appreciated mate.
Thanks Lee bought this camera used MPB . Literally used it once for some Mach loop action . Fairly pleased with my shots .finding your reviews and content very useful. Subscribed !
Thanks! While I didn't get direct answer, your video has helped me in finding why every time I hit back button focus, it switches to "one shot". It was because I set it this way :P AF for one shot, * (exp lock) for servo. Apparently I knew this at some point, but I forgot. For exp locking I got top M-fn (I wish I could use it or lever for stab on/off) and half-pressed shutter. As for me I prefer to keep preview with the front button, because if I'd set it to something else, I couldn't do aperture preview at all.
@@KrzysiuNet I definitely relate! The amount of times I've switched cameras for a while then came back & forgot my custom setup 🙃. I've referred to my own videos more than a few times 😄
Lee, Thanks so much for the detailed videos. I too have a Pentax, mine is a K-7, I bought when it first came out. But I have gotten into bird photography and after doing some research decided to get the Canon 7D mark II. I thought it was interesting how you recently decided to give the 7D a try. Anyway, I am just learning through videos like yours how to use the 7D on something besides auto. It’s slow going but I enjoy your videos. Thanks!
I'm also a Pentax shooter and I've started getting more into bird photography as well. I got the K3iii and it's delightful. Great all around camera, would be a perfect all-rounder if it had a tilt screen. The AF is miles ahead of my K3 mark 1. But I think a Canon or Nikon DSLR from 2013 onward may be the more sensible option for birding because you have more lens choices. I'm looking at the DA* 300mm f4, which is affordable used. Other than that there's really just the 150-450 which is quite expensive (which works well with the 1.4x teleconverter, so we even have a 600mm option). So Pentax has us covered but its still only 2 lenses lol. And no 3rd market telephoto support anymore.
Thanks Juli. We'll I'm glad my videos are helping you out with your recent purchase. The 7DII really is a great camera for BIF, Sports and pretty much anything that moves! Let me know if there's any topics you want me to cover in future videos and I'll do my best to help out. Cheers
@@jbp6759 I originally purchased a used Pentax 400 - 600 mm, manual focus lens from KEH and was excited to use it for birds, but sadly, it wasn’t in working order when I unboxed it. It fit on the camera but was locked in and you couldn’t take a picture. Thankfully, KEH is a trustworthy company and I was able to return it for a refund. I was bummed though because finding Pentax lenses is not easy. It was the I started looking into the 7Dii. I have also rented lenses for my Sony A6000 because the rental store doesn’t carry Pentax. It was nice finding Lee talking about Pentax and now you as well. I often felt like an oddball with my choice of purchasing a Pentax. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Lee, thanks to you I bought the canon eos 7d ii. I am a huge Pentax fan, I have the KS2, K70 and the K3iii... But the auto focus is lacking in all. I can't wait to experiment with the Canon af! Thanks for your ideas!
I think you will love the 7Dii AF capabilities, if you are able I'd recommend a fast focusing lens to pair with the 7Dii. The EF 70-200 USM I use is lighting quick to focus. I'd be really intrigued to know how the 7Dii & your K3iii match up, from what I've seen the K3iii has by far the best AF system of all Pentax cameras. Anyways that's awesome that I had something to do with you buying the Canon, hopefully you will enjoy it just as much as I am!
@@LeeIveson the k3iii af is pretty good, but not so great at tracking. I did get a fast lens for the Canon too. Love your videos and recommendations! Thanks!
Hey Lee. Great video again! So I was wondering if you had a preference now between the K3 and the 7D in general. I have a K5 and am thinking of upgrading to a K3 but they are hard to find here. The 7D is a little easier to come across. I have a few ok lenses for Pentax but none for canon. I was just wondering what your thoughts were. I am still leaning towards the K3 as I have had a lot of Pentax gear over the years... K10D, K20D, and now a K5. Scott from PEI Canada
Hey Scott, well they both have their strengths (K3 & 7D) the K3 I prefer for still life, the 7Dii for moving subjects. I only own the Canon 70-200mm f4 lens which covers my needs shooting action at the moment, Pentax wise I've got far too many lenses to be honest haha. But what I would say is if your looking at the 7D I'd strongly suggest looking at the 7Dii as it has the dual pixel AF system which is great! This video might help th-cam.com/video/_Fuw9ysAiKM/w-d-xo.html
Neat camera, Lee! I had no idea how many AF options there were or how customizable it was. Pentax cameras of the time couldn't touch that. I see why action photographers would move away from the brand. I feel like the k3iii is a huge improvement but maybe too late with mirrorless able to autofocus on a every kind of eyeball on planet earth now. 🤣 The Canon is super affordable now, talk about bang for your buck! I picked out a Nikon D7200 for my Dad recently. That's also a great option from that time frame.
That's the thing mate, I think I wanted to prove that you could shoot action with Pentax & I think I did an OK job at that. But I was never under the impression that my K-70 or K3 was the best tool for the job. In saying that, they both outshine the 7DII in other areas. Your right about the bargains that can be had now that all these new mirroless bodies have everyone selling there useless DSLRS 🤣. Just means I can try out all these gems that I maybe couldn't have before. BTW the D7200 looks to be a really nice camera, maybe one I will try out at some point too! Cheers
@@LeeIveson Agreed 100%. I loved my K10d, K-5iis, K-3, and now K-3iii but I was never under the illusion that they had the best continuous/tracking AF capabilities. I think the K-3iii is probably more than good enough for me with AF-C/tracking capabilities. I'm photographing hyper kids, dogs running around, and getting more into wildlife photography. But I still don't think it's the best out there... it can't detect a dragonfly eye... 😆
Just curious what was your train of thought to move on from Pentax to Canon system? It only makes sense to get the Nikon D500 instead since the price is only a hundred or two in difference. By all accounts Nikon D500 beats the 7D m2 in almost every spec(dynamic range, autofocus, fps, high iso, metering, this camera is a beast) except for maybe color science, but you shoot raw and neutral, so color science couldn't have been the reason you got the Canon 7d m2.
@@gdjaybee742 I originally picked up the Canon 7Dii to test against my Pentax K3. I wanted to see how big a difference a dedicated sports camera (7Dii) would make in the real world. If you search on my channel I made a "VS" style video for the 7Dii vs K3. I haven't switched systems.
I'm using the 70-200 f4 which is a great lens for outdoor action, it's lightweight and can be found for a good price. I'd really like to try the 300mm f4 and 100-400mm f5.6 for a bit more reach. Which lenses do you shoot with at the moment?
You can make your own menu. That's cool, because there are a few settings I change all the time and because custom menu I can have them in a single place.
se vc fotografa em RAW as configurações de cores e contraste nao funciona, você nao sabia? no modo raw a imagem sai cru,aqui no brasil só usamos jpg pela quantidade de imagen e agilidade na entrega
This is great and really helpful. Just the other day I sent my beloved 7D to KEH, and should be getting my 7D Mk II in a couple of days. Glad I found this!
I've never had chance to use the original 7D, but from what I've read the 7Dii is a really good upgrade, especially for the AF. I'm glad this video can be of some help to you, have fun with you new camera!
Thank you, this made something that seemed complicated, easy.
Really appreciate this information. For a new wildlife photography hobbyist this is extremely helpful.
Glad it helped you out 👍
A lot of Street photography channels I know insist on Aperture priority for street, but like you in sports I tend to go by shutter priority for street and urban as I’m not very concerned with aperture in street I usually set it to f4-5.6 manual focus to 5m with a shutter speed of around 1/400 and I’m good for 90% of my shots. However where moving subjects are further away I can get away with as slow as 1/125 and still get sharp results, a lot of my low light shots are like this which keeps the ISO down. I get sharper results with this approach than aperture priority, I’d only use aperture priority in portraits and landscape
Yeah I've noticed that AV seems to be a favourite mode. I've tried it myself, but I personally prefer Manual mode with auto ISO enabled on the Canon, basically it's the same as shooting in TAV mode with Pentax, which I love also!
Thanks Lee, Great upload.. Ill give your suggestions ago over the weekend..
Thanks mate. Yeah, try them out and by all means tweak them to suit your style and the subject your shooting.
One thing I have learned is there are a 100 different ways to get a shot. Everyone has a work flow/set up which they are comfortable with. When I talk with other dirt bike racing photogs and all of our camera setups and selected variables are different between us. :) Liked seeing your process and logic behind your camera set up. I do need to go out and play with my AF case setting more but every time I change I find more negative then positives to changes. So I haven't touched it in years. I don't remember what I have mine set at now to be honest. Enjoy your content. Thanks for what you do here.
Very true, there's a lot of ways to do the same job if that makes sense. Everyone is going to have there go too settings. Hopefully these settings might act as a starting point for some. And thanks for the support Kevin, much appreciated mate.
Thanks Lee bought this camera used MPB . Literally used it once for some Mach loop action . Fairly pleased with my shots .finding your reviews and content very useful. Subscribed !
That's awesome @RobBob_Wales I'm sure your going to be glued to that camera now haha. And thanks for the sub mate. Cheers
Thanks! While I didn't get direct answer, your video has helped me in finding why every time I hit back button focus, it switches to "one shot". It was because I set it this way :P AF for one shot, * (exp lock) for servo. Apparently I knew this at some point, but I forgot. For exp locking I got top M-fn (I wish I could use it or lever for stab on/off) and half-pressed shutter. As for me I prefer to keep preview with the front button, because if I'd set it to something else, I couldn't do aperture preview at all.
@@KrzysiuNet I definitely relate! The amount of times I've switched cameras for a while then came back & forgot my custom setup 🙃. I've referred to my own videos more than a few times 😄
Great video
What focus points are you using ?
Glad you liked it. I use single point 99% of the time and recompose or use the joy stick to move the point around the frame.
Lee, Thanks so much for the detailed videos. I too have a Pentax, mine is a K-7, I bought when it first came out. But I have gotten into bird photography and after doing some research decided to get the Canon 7D mark II. I thought it was interesting how you recently decided to give the 7D a try. Anyway, I am just learning through videos like yours how to use the 7D on something besides auto. It’s slow going but I enjoy your videos. Thanks!
I'm also a Pentax shooter and I've started getting more into bird photography as well. I got the K3iii and it's delightful. Great all around camera, would be a perfect all-rounder if it had a tilt screen. The AF is miles ahead of my K3 mark 1. But I think a Canon or Nikon DSLR from 2013 onward may be the more sensible option for birding because you have more lens choices. I'm looking at the DA* 300mm f4, which is affordable used. Other than that there's really just the 150-450 which is quite expensive (which works well with the 1.4x teleconverter, so we even have a 600mm option). So Pentax has us covered but its still only 2 lenses lol. And no 3rd market telephoto support anymore.
Thanks Juli. We'll I'm glad my videos are helping you out with your recent purchase. The 7DII really is a great camera for BIF, Sports and pretty much anything that moves! Let me know if there's any topics you want me to cover in future videos and I'll do my best to help out. Cheers
@@jbp6759 I originally purchased a used Pentax 400 - 600 mm, manual focus lens from KEH and was excited to use it for birds, but sadly, it wasn’t in working order when I unboxed it. It fit on the camera but was locked in and you couldn’t take a picture. Thankfully, KEH is a trustworthy company and I was able to return it for a refund. I was bummed though because finding Pentax lenses is not easy. It was the I started looking into the 7Dii. I have also rented lenses for my Sony A6000 because the rental store doesn’t carry Pentax. It was nice finding Lee talking about Pentax and now you as well. I often felt like an oddball with my choice of purchasing a Pentax. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Lee, thanks to you I bought the canon eos 7d ii. I am a huge Pentax fan, I have the KS2, K70 and the K3iii... But the auto focus is lacking in all. I can't wait to experiment with the Canon af! Thanks for your ideas!
I think you will love the 7Dii AF capabilities, if you are able I'd recommend a fast focusing lens to pair with the 7Dii. The EF 70-200 USM I use is lighting quick to focus. I'd be really intrigued to know how the 7Dii & your K3iii match up, from what I've seen the K3iii has by far the best AF system of all Pentax cameras. Anyways that's awesome that I had something to do with you buying the Canon, hopefully you will enjoy it just as much as I am!
@@LeeIveson the k3iii af is pretty good, but not so great at tracking. I did get a fast lens for the Canon too. Love your videos and recommendations! Thanks!
Hey Lee. Great video again! So I was wondering if you had a preference now between the K3 and the 7D in general. I have a K5 and am thinking of upgrading to a K3 but they are hard to find here. The 7D is a little easier to come across. I have a few ok lenses for Pentax but none for canon. I was just wondering what your thoughts were. I am still leaning towards the K3 as I have had a lot of Pentax gear over the years... K10D, K20D, and now a K5.
Scott from PEI Canada
Hey Scott, well they both have their strengths (K3 & 7D) the K3 I prefer for still life, the 7Dii for moving subjects. I only own the Canon 70-200mm f4 lens which covers my needs shooting action at the moment, Pentax wise I've got far too many lenses to be honest haha. But what I would say is if your looking at the 7D I'd strongly suggest looking at the 7Dii as it has the dual pixel AF system which is great! This video might help th-cam.com/video/_Fuw9ysAiKM/w-d-xo.html
great video yet again mate one question (sorry) what focusing points do you use have the exact same set up looking forward to trying it out
Thanks Mark. I'm almost always using the center single focus point.
Thanks for the reply
Neat camera, Lee! I had no idea how many AF options there were or how customizable it was. Pentax cameras of the time couldn't touch that. I see why action photographers would move away from the brand. I feel like the k3iii is a huge improvement but maybe too late with mirrorless able to autofocus on a every kind of eyeball on planet earth now. 🤣 The Canon is super affordable now, talk about bang for your buck! I picked out a Nikon D7200 for my Dad recently. That's also a great option from that time frame.
That's the thing mate, I think I wanted to prove that you could shoot action with Pentax & I think I did an OK job at that. But I was never under the impression that my K-70 or K3 was the best tool for the job. In saying that, they both outshine the 7DII in other areas. Your right about the bargains that can be had now that all these new mirroless bodies have everyone selling there useless DSLRS 🤣. Just means I can try out all these gems that I maybe couldn't have before. BTW the D7200 looks to be a really nice camera, maybe one I will try out at some point too! Cheers
@@LeeIveson Agreed 100%. I loved my K10d, K-5iis, K-3, and now K-3iii but I was never under the illusion that they had the best continuous/tracking AF capabilities. I think the K-3iii is probably more than good enough for me with AF-C/tracking capabilities. I'm photographing hyper kids, dogs running around, and getting more into wildlife photography. But I still don't think it's the best out there... it can't detect a dragonfly eye... 😆
Just curious what was your train of thought to move on from Pentax to Canon system? It only makes sense to get the Nikon D500 instead since the price is only a hundred or two in difference. By all accounts Nikon D500 beats the 7D m2 in almost every spec(dynamic range, autofocus, fps, high iso, metering, this camera is a beast) except for maybe color science, but you shoot raw and neutral, so color science couldn't have been the reason you got the Canon 7d m2.
@@gdjaybee742 I originally picked up the Canon 7Dii to test against my Pentax K3. I wanted to see how big a difference a dedicated sports camera (7Dii) would make in the real world. If you search on my channel I made a "VS" style video for the 7Dii vs K3. I haven't switched systems.
Really helpful 👍🏻
Glad you found it helpful
Lee, do you use a glass screen protector on de 7d?
Yes, It already had one on from the previous owner, I have one on all my cameras.
Very helpful!!!!
Glad this was helpful. Cheers
Any lenses I should try ? I do sport’s photography and looking for a nicer lens !
I'm using the 70-200 f4 which is a great lens for outdoor action, it's lightweight and can be found for a good price. I'd really like to try the 300mm f4 and 100-400mm f5.6 for a bit more reach. Which lenses do you shoot with at the moment?
If need to focus almost on full screen. what is best way?
Hi, I'm not sure what you mean? Are you talking about shooting in live view?
I am a complete noob, my mkii was delivered today. But you have taken case 2 and turned it into the polar opposite of the description for case 2.
I'm not sure what you're getting at?
What lens did you mount?

EF 70-200mm f4
So that`s what the Quick button does... Thanks for that, silly me was always scrolling horizontally through the menu like a maniac!
Haha 😄 at least you know what it does now 👍
You can make your own menu. That's cool, because there are a few settings I change all the time and because custom menu I can have them in a single place.
Moving subjects settings have changed since 2014 thanks
This made me giggle 😂
se vc fotografa em RAW as configurações de cores e contraste nao funciona, você nao sabia? no modo raw a imagem sai cru,aqui no brasil só usamos jpg pela quantidade de imagen e agilidade na entrega
Thanks for the info, yeah I find that it helps with the Jpeg preview image on the LCD while in the field. Cheers
❤👍
use battery grip or not?
Not at the moment, I may buy one in the future though.
@@LeeIveson use grip is good?
@@Dogfamily15 I'd like to think so, again I don't own the grip.