Canon EOS R7 Mark II Birds in Flight Wishlist
Canon EOS R7 Mark II: Birds in Flight Photography Wishlist
APS-C Birds in Flight Photography Wishlist
The Canon EOS 7D Mark II and EOS R7 occupy two important points in the development of Canon's APS-C cameras for action and wildlife photography. The 7D Mark II established a formidable DSLR platform for fast-moving subjects, while the EOS R7 brought that concept into Canon's mirrorless EOS R system.
For a photographer interested specifically in Birds in Flight (BIF), however, the development does not necessarily end with the EOS R7.
If Canon were to develop an EOS R7 Mark II, what would I actually want from it?
This is not intended as a prediction of Canon's future specifications. It is a photographic wishlist based on the evolution from the EOS 7D Mark II to the EOS R7, combined with the particular requirements of photographing birds in unpredictable flight.
For me, the objective would not simply be a faster EOS R7.
It would be a more sophisticated APS-C BIF camera.
Canon EOS R7 Mark II Rumors: Delayed to 2027
The EOS 7D Mark II: the starting point
The EOS 7D Mark II remains an important reference point for this discussion.
Its 20.2-megapixel APS-C sensor, 65-point all-cross-type autofocus system, AI Servo AF III and 10 fps continuous shooting made it a serious action-photography camera. Canon's development of its autofocus controls also gave the photographer considerable influence over how the camera responded to moving subjects.
That is particularly relevant to BIF photography.
A bird in flight is not a predictable subject. It can accelerate, decelerate, turn, bank, climb, descend or suddenly change direction. Its wings can obscure its body and head, while backgrounds can change from open sky to vegetation, buildings, water or other birds within seconds.
Canon EOS 7D Mark II Long-Term Use and ExperienceThe 7D Mark II therefore represented more than a high-speed DSLR.
It represented Canon's recognition that an APS-C camera could be designed around the requirements of serious action photography.
Canon EOS R7 Mark II Future Use Case
Top EOS R7 Mark II Wishlist Features for BIF Photography
- Stacked APS-C Sensor: A faster sensor readout to eliminate rolling shutter distortion during high-speed electronic shutter bursts.
- Improved Buffer Depth & CFe Support: Faster card clearing times and larger buffers to handle 30+ fps raw capture without locking up.
- Enhanced Deep Learning AF: Better sticky tracking on erratic, fast-moving subjects against complex backgrounds.
- Refined Body Ergonomics: Better balance with large telephoto lenses and a quieter, dampened mechanical shutter option to avoid shutter shock
The EOS R7: the mirrorless evolution
The EOS R7 took that concept considerably further.
Its approximately 32.3-megapixel APS-C sensor provides substantially greater resolution than the 7D Mark II, while its Dual Pixel CMOS AF system and subject-detection capabilities brought a very different autofocus philosophy to the APS-C format. The camera can also shoot at up to 15 fps using its mechanical/electronic first-curtain shutter modes and up to 30 fps electronically.
Its dual memory-card arrangement, however, remains based on UHS-II SD cards.
The R7 therefore represents a considerable technological advance over the 7D Mark II.
But it also establishes the starting point for the next question.
What would an EOS R7 Mark II need to become an even more capable BIF camera?
My first wish: a stacked APS-C sensor
This would probably be my most significant hardware request.
I would like to see Canon develop a back-illuminated stacked APS-C CMOS sensor for the R7 Mark II.
I would not necessarily want a dramatic increase in resolution. Something in the region of 32–36 megapixels could be sufficient.
The priority would instead be sensor architecture.
Canon has already demonstrated the advantages of a back-illuminated stacked CMOS sensor in the EOS R5 Mark II. That camera combines a 45-megapixel full-frame stacked sensor with Canon's DIGIC Accelerator and DIGIC X processing architecture.
For an R7 Mark II, a stacked APS-C sensor could provide the foundation for much faster sensor readout.
That matters enormously for BIF photography.
A faster readout could help reduce rolling-shutter distortion during high-speed electronic shooting while also supporting faster autofocus calculations, faster burst acquisition and more responsive camera operation.
Therefore, I would not simply ask Canon for more megapixels.
I would ask for:
APS-C + high pixel density + stacked sensor architecture + substantially faster readout.
That combination could be far more valuable to a BIF photographer than a headline resolution increase.
Why sensor readout may matter more than frame rate
The EOS R7 already demonstrates that 30 fps is possible.
The next question is therefore not necessarily:
Can Canon make the R7 Mark II shoot at 40 or 50 fps?
Instead:
Can Canon make high-speed electronic shooting more reliable and geometrically accurate?
When a bird is moving rapidly across the frame, its wings, body and background can be affected by rolling shutter if the sensor cannot read the entire image quickly enough.
Consequently, I would rather have a very fast-readout 30 fps camera than an extremely high frame-rate camera whose electronic shutter introduces unwanted distortion.
For BIF, the combination of:
30 fps + fast sensor readout + reliable autofocus
would be considerably more useful than simply increasing the frame rate.
A BIF-first autofocus architecture
My next major request would be an autofocus system designed with Birds in Flight as one of its principal development targets.
The EOS R7 already provides animal and eye detection. The R7 Mark II could take this further by improving the camera's ability to recognise and retain a bird when the eye temporarily disappears.
This is an important distinction.
Birds do not always present their eye to the camera.
During a wingbeat, the head may become partially obscured. The bird may turn away. It may approach directly. It may bank sharply. It may pass in front of vegetation.
An ideal BIF-oriented autofocus system should therefore understand the subject as a whole, rather than becoming overly dependent on continuous visibility of the eye.
If the eye disappears, the camera should remain intelligently attached to the bird.
If the bird briefly crosses a complex background, the system should resist immediately transferring focus to that background.
And if the photographer wants to override the automation, that override should be fast and intuitive.
Bring back the best of the 7D Mark II
One of the things I would particularly like to see in the R7 Mark II is a synthesis of the two autofocus philosophies.
The 7D Mark II gave photographers extensive control over AI Servo behaviour.
The R7 provides substantially more sophisticated subject recognition.
The next generation could combine these strengths.
I would like configurable tracking behaviour that allows the photographer to influence how aggressively the camera responds to changes in subject movement and background interference.
For example, a photographer could select a profile optimised for:
Rapid acceleration and deceleration.
Birds against complex backgrounds.
Birds approaching the camera.
Birds moving laterally across the frame.
Multiple birds in the same area.
The intelligence should be there, but the photographer should remain in control of how that intelligence behaves.
A faster and more responsive EVF
The electronic viewfinder is another critical component.
For BIF photography, the EVF is effectively the photographer's observation window.
The photographer must locate the bird, acquire it, establish the AF system and maintain composition while the subject is moving rapidly.
Canon's higher-end R5 Mark II demonstrates what is possible with a 5.76-million-dot OLED EVF and high refresh rates.
I would therefore like the R7 Mark II to have a very high-resolution EVF with minimal latency and excellent refresh performance.
The objective is simple:
The viewfinder should keep up with the bird.
Pre-capture should become a serious BIF tool
The R7 already provides pre-shooting and high-speed RAW burst functionality.
That is potentially extremely valuable for BIF photography because some of the best wing positions occur immediately before the photographer consciously presses the shutter.
I would therefore like the R7 Mark II to provide considerably more control over pre-capture.
The photographer could ideally determine how much of the sequence is retained before the shutter release and how much continues afterward.
This would turn pre-capture from an interesting feature into a genuinely configurable BIF tool.
The objective should not simply be to capture more photographs.
It should be to capture the decisive moment.
CFexpress Type B: my other major wishlist item
The storage system becomes increasingly important as camera performance rises.
The EOS R7 currently uses two UHS-II SD card slots.
For an R7 Mark II, I would like Canon to consider adopting a configuration similar to the EOS R5 Mark II:
Slot 1: CFexpress Type B
Slot 2: UHS-II SD
The R5 Mark II already combines CFexpress Type B, with CFexpress 2.0/VPG400 support, and a UHS-II-compatible SD slot.
That would make considerable sense for a high-performance APS-C BIF camera.
At 30 fps, particularly when shooting RAW, the amount of data being generated is substantial.
CFexpress Type B could therefore provide a faster path for:
sustained high-speed bursts;
rapid buffer clearing;
RAW recording;
pre-capture;
rapid return to shooting;
and potentially more demanding future camera functions.
I would not necessarily demand two CFexpress slots.
A CFexpress Type B + UHS-II SD arrangement would provide a sensible balance between performance and compatibility.
The buffer should be designed around real BIF shooting
This brings me to another relatively unglamorous but very important requirement.
The camera should have a deep RAW buffer combined with fast storage and rapid buffer clearing.
A BIF sequence does not necessarily happen once.
A photographer might photograph one bird for two seconds, stop, acquire another bird and immediately shoot another sequence.
The camera therefore needs to recover quickly.
I would rather have a camera capable of sustaining several high-quality sequences with rapid recovery than one capable of an extraordinary headline frame rate for a very short period.
This is where the combination of a stacked sensor, powerful processor and CFexpress storage could become particularly important.
Resolution: keep the APS-C advantage
I would retain approximately the current resolution rather than pursuing an extreme megapixel count.
The R7's approximately 32.3-megapixel output already provides substantial cropping potential.
For BIF photography, pixel density is useful because the bird may occupy only a relatively small portion of the frame.
The question is not simply:
How many pixels does the camera have?
It is:
How many useful pixels remain on the bird after composition and cropping?
A 32–36 MP stacked sensor with improved high-ISO performance, dynamic range and readout could therefore be more valuable than a hypothetical 50 MP sensor.
High-ISO performance
This would be another significant priority.
BIF photography often requires shutter speeds of 1/2000s, 1/2500s, 1/3200s or higher.
When light levels fall, the photographer has limited options.
The aperture may already be fully open.
The shutter speed cannot easily be reduced without introducing wing or body movement.
Consequently, ISO rises.
A next-generation APS-C sensor should therefore prioritise cleaner high-ISO files and better retention of fine feather detail.
For BIF photography, ISO 3200, 6400 and beyond are not abstract numbers.
They can determine whether a photographer can maintain the shutter speed required to freeze a bird in flight.
Ergonomics: don't forget the 7D Mark II
There is one area where I would not want technological development to move backwards.
Ergonomics.
The 7D Mark II was a substantial camera with a control philosophy designed for serious photography.
The R7 is smaller and lighter, which has obvious advantages.
But an R7 Mark II aimed more directly at serious BIF photographers could benefit from improved grip ergonomics and better access to critical controls.
The photographer should be able to change important AF and shooting parameters rapidly without taking the eye away from the subject.
For BIF photography, ergonomics are therefore part of autofocus performance.
A sophisticated autofocus system is of limited value if the photographer cannot control it quickly.
The APS-C advantage remains
I would also like Canon to preserve the fundamental reason why an R7-class camera is attractive to bird photographers.
APS-C provides high pixel density and a narrower angle of view than full frame with the same focal length.
That makes the format particularly attractive when working with long lenses.
This does not mean that APS-C somehow provides more optical reach.
It does not.
But it can place more pixels on a distant subject for a given lens and framing, which can be valuable when photographing birds at considerable distances.
For a photographer working with long lenses, that remains a compelling proposition.
My ideal EOS R7 Mark II
If I could write the wishlist for Canon, my priorities would therefore be approximately these:
A 32–36 MP back-illuminated stacked APS-C CMOS sensor.
Substantially faster sensor readout.
Excellent high-ISO performance and feather-detail retention.
Highly sophisticated bird-specific subject recognition.
Improved bird-eye tracking when the eye becomes temporarily obscured.
Configurable subject-retention and tracking behaviour.
A very responsive, high-resolution EVF.
Approximately 15–20 fps mechanical/electronic-first-curtain shooting.
Approximately 30 fps electronic shooting with greatly reduced rolling-shutter effects.
Deep RAW buffering.
CFexpress Type B + UHS-II SD storage.
Highly configurable pre-capture.
Fast buffer clearing.
Excellent AF performance with long lenses and teleconverters.
A robust, weather-resistant body.
And, importantly, excellent physical control over the camera's autofocus intelligence.
Canon EOS R7 Mark II vs. Canon EOS R7From 7D Mark II to R7 — and potentially R7 Mark II
The progression is fascinating.
The EOS 7D Mark II gave Canon photographers a serious APS-C action DSLR with a strong emphasis on autofocus control and continuous shooting.
The EOS R7 moved that concept into the mirrorless era, adding substantially higher resolution, sophisticated subject detection and much faster electronic shooting. Its two UHS-II SD slots, however, reflect its position within Canon's APS-C mirrorless range.
The hypothetical EOS R7 Mark II could take the next step.
Not necessarily by becoming a miniature R5 Mark II.
Instead, it could become something more specialised:
a high-density, high-speed APS-C mirrorless camera deliberately optimised for fast-moving subjects.
A stacked APS-C sensor would provide the technological foundation.
CFexpress Type B could provide the storage performance.
Advanced bird recognition could provide the autofocus intelligence.
A responsive EVF could provide the visual connection between photographer and subject.
And configurable controls could ensure that the photographer remains an active participant rather than simply a passenger in the computational process.
Canon EOS R7 Use Case Analysis
What I would really want from the R7 Mark II
Ultimately, I would not ask Canon simply for more.
I would ask for better.
Better subject acquisition.
Better tracking.
Better sensor readout.
Better high-ISO performance.
Better buffer performance.
Better storage.
Better viewfinder response.
Better ergonomics.
And better integration between computational intelligence and photographer control.
The EOS 7D Mark II demonstrated what Canon could achieve when an APS-C camera was designed with action photography in mind.
The EOS R7 demonstrated how that philosophy could evolve into the mirrorless era.
An EOS R7 Mark II could take the next logical step.
For Birds in Flight photography, the ultimate objective is not the specification sheet.
It is consistency.
The camera needs to perform when a bird suddenly enters the frame, changes direction, banks into the light, crosses a complex background and disappears again a few seconds later.
Those moments cannot be repeated.
The ideal EOS R7 Mark II, therefore, would not simply give the BIF photographer more frames.
It would give the photographer a higher probability of capturing the right frame.
And that, ultimately, is what I would want from Canon's next-generation APS-C Birds in Flight camera.
Canon EOS R7 Mark II vs. EOS 7D Mark II
