Canon EOS Kiss X7i / SHOOTING REPORT

The EOS Kiss X7i (EOS Rebel T5i in Americas, EOS700D in Europe/Asia/Oceania) is the successor of the X6i (EOS Rebel T4i in Americas, EOS650D in Europe/Asia/Oceania) released about two years ago. Because this is the upper level model of Canon’s entry line, the basic performance is very high. The updates include the revised items on the mode dial and the liveview indication of the effects of creative filters. Also, the vari-angle rear LCD monitor supports stress-free touch panel operation including focusing and shutter release. This friendly operation is definitely a great appeal to the beginners who are looking for their first SLR camera. And, of course, they can enjoy the wide selection of dependable Canon EF-mount lenses. The body is lightweight, but heavy enough to mount the lenses and to be held securely. In this review, I used the one of the kit zoom lenses, the EF-18-55mm F3.5-5.6 IS STM.

( Photography : M.Ito / Text : KIMURAX )

Nothing is more dependable than an instantaneous AF

The APS-C CMOS sensor has 18 megapixels. All the nine AF points are cross-sensor, so it focuses accurately and follows moving subjects smoothly. In fact, I felt no stress in focusing on this scene. The 5fps burst mode speed is never surprisingly fast, but fast enough unless you shoot moving subjects regularly. Even though the board was flipping after it was released from his feet, the camera focused on it perfectly.

Eyes are as eloquent as the tongue, but as you see, even a hand speaks loud about his curiosity and cheering. Focusing on his hand instead of mouth gives viewers more freedom to imagine what is going on. By the way, you can always shift the AF points with a touch of finger on the liveview screen.

The front and back bokeh is unique to the large APS-C sensor. The flowers and leaves on the same focal plane look like floating in the sky.

Shot using the vari-angle LCD. It captured the great detail of the eyes and hair. And, the shining beard looks even celestial.

The 3D quality is moving. Even though this kind of scene looks relaxing, the amount of light changes rapidly and you want to change exposure setting accordingly. And you can also do it on the touch-panel.

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The tonal gradation between the bright left side and the front shadow area is very rich. I believe it also works to reproduce the smooth round shape.

A situation with a great luminance difference tends to reveal a camera’s potential. In this case, I shot a little under and it looks nice thanks to the rich tonal gradation. And, I was glad that I could shoot checking the image on liveview from such angle.

The EF-S 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 IS STM covers focal length between 29mm and 88mm (in 35mm format). And, the STM (Stepping Motor) enables quick response and quiet operation. The price is reasonable even when purchased separately, but I recommend you to get it as a kit lens because it’s a great performer and it comes in handy in a variety of situations.

The tonal gradation is neither too bright nor too dark, and this richness must be credited to the large APS-C sensor. The larger the sensor is, the mode dramatic its output becomes.

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Solid performance takes on the unique style

Shooting with the liveview is quite convenient and certain scenes were impossible to capture without it. However, some people getting their first SLR cameras must have longed for looking into the viewfinder while squeezing their underarms because they become more absorbed into shooting and feel integrated into the camera. So, in this sense, it’s good to have two shooting styles. Finally, with the 5fps high-speed burst mode, all-cross-sensor 9-point AF sensor, the regular ISO range between 100 and 12800 (25600 when extended), and seven kinds of creative filters which can now be checked on the liveview real-time, the EOS Kiss X7i isn’t just great for the beginners, but also for the middle and advanced photographers.

( 17.03.2015 )