The Canon EOS R7 is an excellent camera that has attracted many content creators, filmmakers, and audiovisual professionals due to its quality, affordability, and versatility. However, the HDMI output limitation—preventing internal recording when an external monitor is connected—is a major downside, especially for those working on structured productions like short films.
In larger productions, having both the external monitor and the camera's built-in screen functioning simultaneously is essential, just like it is on the Canon R5. This allows directors, camera operators, and assistants to monitor the image without sacrificing internal recording. The absence of this feature in the R7 is frustrating and may push professionals to consider other brands that do not impose such limitations.
I understand that this restriction might be related to power consumption and overheating. However, overheating depends on the working environment, and there could be a way to optimize this feature, allowing users to choose the best configuration for their specific situation.
One possible solution would be to provide configurable HDMI output resolutions, such as 480p, 720p, and 1080p. In most cases, external monitoring is just for reference, especially on small screens, where there is no need for 4K output with high bitrates. Offering lower-resolution options could reduce internal processing and minimize overheating while still giving users the flexibility they need.
If this limitation is purely technical, it would be helpful to have an official statement from Canon to better understand the reason behind it. And if it is something that could be adjusted via firmware, this would be a fantastic improvement that could make the R7 even more competitive in the market.
Is there any possibility that Canon will review this issue in future updates?
