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I used to shoot with a 7D 15 years ago, at the time it was a really good camera with fast AF (comparatively to what was available) and a good sensor . It's an APS-C cropped sensor, which is good for macro, even excellent for supermacro when coupled with the 100mm. I used a Canon EF100/2.8 USM lens (Canon EF100 IS/L woudl be better, watch out the Canon non USM 100mm is painfully slow) and the CAnon EFS60mm for macro. For wide angle my preferred choice was the Tokina 10-17 fisheye with a Zen 4" domeport (great for travels!). The Canon 10-22 lens didn't have a good reputation AFAIK, fisheye lenses with or without 1,4 Kenko multiplier had better results. Problem is that for 100mm macro/supermacro it definitely needs an external viewfinder such as a cheap Inon45. WHile it was a good choice this camera is outperformed by newer mirroless cameras (equivalent now would be the Canon R7 in the APSC sensor category) and its eletronic viewfinder which can give you a clearer view especially in low light as well as much faster AF. The sensor and image processor are also outdated, the 7D 24MP sensorused to wash out highlight/sunballs too easily, in the opposite range of lower light the noise at high ISOs has so much improved then. It was impossible to get clean images above 200 ISO, while now I don't see so much difference between a 100 and a 800 ISO pic with the R7's 35MP sensor. You'll find plenty of 2nd hand EF lenses for the Canon 7D however the newer RF lenses for the mirrorless R series prove to be faster and better, such as the RF100L/IS which is one the sharpest macro lens ever allowing a 1,4 magnification ratio (40% more than the older EF100). Problem is that you cannot fit R lenses on EF systems while you can use EF lenses on the R system with an adaptor.

I think it means that you can use the monitor only when the DSLR is in "live view" mode, when the mirror is panned upwards and the sensor delivers the "live view", e.g. on the back LCD (or an external monitor). Not when you view through the lens via the mirror (what is the "normal" mode of operation of a DSLR). All functions, especially AF, work only as good as they are in the "live view" mode (you can test easily by yourself with your Canon 7D, how happy you are with the "live view" mode; just use the back LCD, that would be mirrored by an external monitor, on some dives for framing and producing photos)... It is also important to note that AF of the "new" mirrorless cameras is regarded on par with the top DSLR models (e.g. Nikon D850) only since Sony A7R5, Canon R5 and Nikon Z8 and newer models. Before these models, AF was regarded to be inferior compared to the top DSLRs (I have no idea where the 7D stands in this comparison)...

IMHO useless for real WA shots

Reading the article that @Architeuthis provided the link to - I think that a monitor will work for me - but I need a bit more info on this part from the article - "Back in the DSLR days, monitors were really practical only for videographers, because you would have to rely on the camera’s “live view” autofocus, which was painfully slow and unreliable. As a stills photographer, you needed to frame your images through the optical viewfinder, for the camera’s autofocus to perform at its best. " How bad is it with a DSLR such as a Canon 7D? Having only ever used 35mm film cameras underwater, and the only digital camera I've used is on a mobile phone, so I've got no idea how bad what he is talking about actually is - or how big a problem it really is?

One more

Many thanks - will take a look!

From this video its possible to drawn some conclusions about infinity focus Infinity focus is out of focus even with AOI lens Limited focus distance 15cm to 1m, maybe 2 meters (hard to tell the exact distance) While getting closer the Barrel jellyfish, the Focus gets better, and when i stop the background behind the jellyfish is still out of focus..

Another one in the over 50's club - still going!

A little but off-topic, but here is an interesting review from an UW phorographer, who was using a monitor for 5 months: https://theunderwaterclub.com/blog/underwater-stills-photography-with-an-external-monitor-pros-cons-and-verdict/?utm_source=scubaboard.com&utm_medium=community&utm_campaign=scubaboard-2026-07-external-monitor

Many thanks - that's a pretty comprehensive reply. In my case I will be sticking with stills, but my neck issues mean that trying to get eye to viewfinder isn't as easy as it should be so a monitor will be my workaround - it doesn't sound like it will overly constrain me then.

Sure - thanks for the welcome

I make a short video to compare the close-up focusing of the Mission 1 Pro without lenses and with Inon GR140 Pro and G165II. I am not into macro so I don't have real macro lenses. In my opinion, close-up without lenses is a no go. Both the lenses are focusing well in close-up, with the GR140 Pro having a flexibility advantage.

In the last iterations, no. All new monitors are 1000+ NITS and they have sunshades.

Good question and It is not either / or. The use case is overlapping and also differs photo vs video. For video the viewfinder is just a no - stability, scene control, surrounding awareness... For photography from my standpoint monitor allows for faster framing on the fly and from difficult angles. See the picture below. Taken when swimming alongside the turtle with WWL-1B so 130deg FOV. Tried to get the sunball in the frame. Now imagine doing this with viewfinder - can't swim sideways really and most likely would end up in corrals. Power draw is actually greater for viewfinder than camera monitor so it's another plus. Plus on some camera you can output over HDMI and have built in monitor disabled which further saves camera battery. The only use case I find viewfinder better is a super macro as framing through viewfinder after creature is found is more precise and faster especially if subject is not stationary. Also manual focusing there. with 3000 nits on wed5-pro not a slightest

I often wonder about reflections in shallower water? Is that an issue?

The problematic Seafrogs Mk-02 looks like this Mk-01, https://seafrogs.com/collections/underwater-video-light/products/sea-frogs-scuba-underwater-diving-torch-mk-01, except battery is 4*18650 and I think there is bit more power. This Mk-70, https://seafrogs.com/collections/underwater-video-light/products/sea-frogs-sf-70-underwater-video-light-7000-lumen, is probably the direct successor model. If they would get reliability in place these could be great (even with increased price points).

One other question about monitors - what are the disadvantages of using a monitor vs a viewfinder underwater? Obviously battery life is one, but are there any practical differences between using a monitor vs a viewfinder for composition, going through menus etc.?

Interesting! The wide lens in the setup is the Canon 10-22 - no idea how useful this lens is but I guess at its widest it is roughly equivalent to a 15mm Nikonos? I'm still learning how to read the Nauticam port charts but it looks like the 10-22 can be used with a 180mm dome which would be a little more travel friendly. The macro lens in the setup is a 100mm + appropriate port. What do I want to shoot? A bit of everything. Do they still make lenses for the Canon mount that the 7D uses + its sensor size? And are new lenses still being developed for it? Seems to be a lot of new lenses coming out of China these days!

Cameras have gotten progressively better over time, the 7D is old old now coming out in 2009. I think these days the much more compact m43 cameras like the Olympus EM-1 MkII can beat it and the lenses and domes are much smaller. You could pick up a Nauticam EM-1 MkII housing for about $1200 these days add on a fisheye and macro lens and you have a versatile little package. The other issue is the 230mm dome is a big beast to travel with and to push around in the water. Assume it's matched with either a 17-40 or a 18-55 lens or perhaps a 10-22mm? This gets into what you want to shoot with it is it macro? wide angle? a bit of everything? Do you need a rectilinear lens?

I'm getting back into underwater photography after a 30 year break. Way back then I taught underwater photo on liveaboards in the Red Sea, on Aggressor Fleet boats in the Caribbean and for Jim & Cathy Church at Sunset House on Cayman. This will be my first time using digital cameras so it will be quite... different I expect. Locally there is a Nauticam 7D setup with 230mm acrylic dome port, macro port, strobes, lenses etc at what I consider to be a reasonable price. Are the latest cameras much much better than a 7D? If so in what areas? Will I find a 7D limiting?

One thing to look out for is that, for regular users (say, diving more than once a week), Weefine and Kraken products are indeed well made and do work well (despite some design quirks like button ergonomics), but unfortunately they do not seem to last very long. I've had repeated issues with Kraken Hydras, as have a lot of other users I've met, and unfortunately they are not really reliable in the long run.The first year or year and a half is fine, but after that repeated button issues, electronics issues, and leaks are quite common. It's as if the material used for some parts is just not resistant enough for regular underwater use. And this is comming from someone who does everything he can to maintain his equipment. Seafrogs product seem very similar in design, but in a slightly lower quality tier from what I've seen, so this could be even worse. It's annoying because I really like Kraken and Weefine products, and the price is acceptable, but if you have to factor in a longevity/reliability of under two years, pricing becomes unviable unless you're sponsored by them for replacements.

As an update, I now have 2 Wurkkos DL40 for bonfire diving (I wanted beam lights to point out, Japanese "light trap" style). Quality is ok, as is power/battery life (they use two 26650 batteries per light). I contacted Wurkkos to buy from them directly but they were unable to match Wurkkos Aliexpress prices shipped. This seems to be a constant with Chinese brands btw, the "official store" on Aliexpress (eg. Seafrog) is cheaper shipped than the manufacturer's website price / direct. We'll see how long they last.