EOS 7D Viewfinder Dims With Battery Removed

[normadel]

I have EOS 50D, 60D, 6D and 7D bodies. Have had the 7D the shortest time. 

I just noticed that on the 7D only, the viewfinder image dims greatly with no battery in it. Full brightness with battery. This is whether the camera is turned on or off. 

Tried other lenses. Same thing.

Seems like the 7D requires a battery for the lens aperture to be wide open, regardless of the camera being powered or not.

Is this typical/normal for the 7D?

[deebatman316]

The 7D doesn't use a regular focus screen like other cameras. Also the lens aperture stays wide open at all times unless the picture is being taken. The 7D uses an LCD matrix overlay in the viewfinder display like the 5D Mark IV. This enables grid lines, electronic level & the user being able to display or not display the AF Point array in the viewfinder. It also allows AI Servo to illuminate the AF points too. What you're seeing is normal and the lens requires power for the aperture blades to stop down.

[normadel]

Thanks for the fast reply.

So, with camera turned off, the LCD matrix overlay is blocking light transmission without a battery inserted, and battery power causes it to transmit fully (again, with camera turned off)?

So the 7D is even MORE unusual compared to the rest of the DSLR lineup. The 5D Mk IV is the ONLY other body that has this LCD overlay?

[deebatman316 · Accepted solution]

Yes the battery must be in the camera for the viewfinder to brighten. Newer cameras only darken the viewfinder if the battery is removed. Most of Canon's higher end cameras use this type of viewfinder display. If the camera has grid lines that can be displayed in the viewfinder. Then the camera has the LCD overlay in it. Also these cameras don't have interchangeable focusing screens either. So other cameras use it too. Not just the 5D Mark IV that was one example of these cameras.

[normadel]

Okay. Thanks.

[deebatman316]

When I take the battery of my 5D Mark IV the viewfinder darkens by about 2 stops. So this is noticeable when the battery is removed. Newer cameras don't darken the viewfinder with the power switch off. I believe the 6D Mark II has the same viewfinder setup. Not sure about the 60D or 6D cameras if they have this or not. The 50D doesn't have it because it uses the same focusing screens as the 40D.

[normadel]

Well, I'm learning more about the 7D every time I use it and peruse the manual. Here's a question:

I did not see the AF point displayed iin red in the viewfinder when taking a picture. Only when pressing the AF Point Selection button. The manual  on page 213 shows Custom Function setting C.Fn III-8 being the way to enable it. None of it gave me the illuminated red focus point in the viewfinder, to show where it is in dim light. 

Playing around, I discovered this only works in One Shot AF mode, but not in AI Servo or AI Focus modes. Is this correct?

The manual does not point this out. Since I almost always use AI Servo, this is a pain. Would have been nice if Canon pointed this out.

[deebatman316]

Yes most cameras don't illuminate AF points in AI Servo. The 5D Mark IV has a Custom Function to enable it. I'm not sure if any other camera has that option.

[normadel]

I don't know about that. The 50D, 60D, and 6D, even a Rebel T1i, all light up the focus spot(s) when pressing the shutter button in AI Servo.

[deebatman316]

My old 40D didn't do this nor did my dad's EOS 650 Film Camera did. Even my friend's mom EOS 3 Film Camera don't light up AF Points in AI Servo.