Having collected the camera from Wex Photographic, Norwich last Friday, I was very keen to try it out so last Wednesday I went to West Norfolk - bright sunny weather so not ideal for low light but a test never-the-less.

First call to Thornham where 3 Rock Pipits showed in the harbour for a simple test with the 500 mk 2 lense and the 1.4 mk3 converter.

Then the usual Curlew that always frequents the harbour area

and then the Twite that I really wanted to find. Distant so I tried the 2x converter.

Not bad considering that the whole set-up would benefit from matching. I will probably drop the whole lot in to Canon Elstree next week to be matched for better sharpness.

Then on to the harbour at Brancaster Staithe. A simple Common Gull, sitll with the 2x converter and the 500 lense.

Just across the creek, the was a flotilla oF Brent Geese - still distant.

and then one started to bathe

Just for the record, a Dunlin, still with the 2x converter.

With the cropped sensor and the 2x converter, I was shooting at an effective range of 1600mm. Needless to say many shots suffered from camera shake and were deleted.

Titchwell RSPB was the next call with a fly-by Little Egret giving the opportunity of testing the camera's auto-focus.

A drake Teal swam past

and the Golden Plovers were 'resting'

Then back to Thornham on the way home. The usual Black-tailed Godwit showed well

and the Rock Pipits also made a further appearance in the setting sun

The only software to de-code the RAW images of the 7DMK2 is the new Canon DPP4. This must be downloaded from Canon, quoting the camera number, as the box cd only provides DPP3 which is useless.

Having converted to Adobe Lightroom recently, getting to grips with DPP4 is not easy but after some considerable perseverance, I have managed some decent shots.

The 7D MK2 is complicated to set up. In the next few weeks I will have become more familiar with the camera and DPP4 and the whole rig will have been matched by Canon. I will have a much better idea of the capabilities of the camera after a full trial at that stage but, following this initial brief trial, I must say that I am very impressed.