Last week, I collected my gear from Canon at Elstree after leaving it all to be matched to the 7D MK2. Surprisingly, they were unable to complete the matching as the software from Japan was not available. The technician had checked it all over but said that, with the correct software, sharper results could be obtained but with no indication of when it was available, I decided to collect it all.

Yesterday was my first time out with the gear since then so it was going to be interesting to see how it performed. I decided to take my annual trip to the local RSPB reserve at Fen Drayton Lakes to photograph the winter thrushes that had made an appearance in numbers over the past week or so.

Fen Drayton Lakes has become a magnet for dog-walkers, joggers, cyclists and Christmas shoppers - replica hublot yes christmas shoppers and several of them had parked in the reserve car park to use the guided bus into Cambridge. They reurned loaded with shopping. Not what it was designed for, I think.

Anyway, all this made the birds very flighty and patience was required due to the continual disturbance. First to re-appear after disturbance was the Redwings.

and then settle down to feed on the vast supply of berries

Then the Fieldfares made a cautious appearance

I had been checking the images on the back of the camera and, worringly they all replica chopard appeared soft, to such an extent that I contemplated switching to the 5D MK3 but decided to persevere - after all, operator error is not unknown to me.

I even tried close ups with the 2X converter on

Well, after downloading them into Lightroom, they were all sharp and crisp but still looked soft in the camera, not something I have come across before. Overall, the 7D MK2 was sharp with excellent colour rendition and the auto focus superb. The Canon engineers must have tweeked the autofocusing as the performance is undoubtedly improved since taking it in - and no charge!!!