The Canon EOS 7D is a new advanced cropped-sensor DSLR with a very rich feature set starting with an 18 MP sensor with ISO sensitivity range up to 12,800 and high-speed continuous drive up to 8 FPS and including many advanced features such as a 100% coverage viewfinder, a digital level,

Very low image noise; Excellent sharpness; ISO range entirely usable; up to 1600 for large prints; Super-fast autofocus speed and tacking; No shutter lag and great shot-to-shot speeds; Quick and responsive; Large 100% coverage viewfinder; 2-Axis digital level; Full choice of exposure modes for

Frequent overexposure; Poor color accuracy; Poor white-balance; both auto and preset under artificial light; Slower than average instant review speed; Slow to power-off due to sensor cleaning; LCD too bright; Several interface oddities

Canon's EOS 7D digital SLR is designed for users who want fast shooting performance. That means sports photographers, nature photographers, and anyone who needs to freeze-frame a fast-moving subject.

Solid body; Fast burst mode; Versatile focusing modes; Very good high ISO performance

Focusing not always accurate; Could use more accessible focus controls

Generally a stunning camera, but needs to be used on RAW to make full use of the excellent CMOS chip, as the JPEGs can be unreliable

So you've had your affordable DSLR camera a while now, and are looking to upgrade. You want to be able to shoot stills at machine-gun speed, not to mention silk-smooth high-definition video.

We could go on forever about the Canon EOS 7D's features and versatility, but suffice to say: if you're looking for a top class all-round performer and aren't too concerned with going full-frame, this is currently the best body around.

As soon as you pick it up, it's clear that the Canon EOS 7D means business; It's big, heavy, sturdy and packed with dials and buttons, For the well-versed in DSLR photography, the Canon EOS 7D is a dream to use.

It's certainly not a camera for the DSLR beginner, as the amount of manual options on offer will only serve to confuse; There is a fully auto mode, naturally, but why spend £1,250 on a DSLR and treat it like a point and shoot, We'd also have like to have seen a full frame option, especially at this...

A truly superb prosumer DSLR that offers a huge amount of features

Versatile; sturdy; powerful and takes top class stills and video

Not full frame

Beautiful images, a great video mode and superb build quality mean those in the market for a top-end DSLR need look no further.

Great camera....but a GBP1,699 you are about GBP400 dearer than Jessops!

Well-built, designed for serious users without the desire or budget for a full-frame model

Strong color accuracy; Very accurate white balance system; Great hardware features

Some noise issues at high ISOs

There's one ping-pong match that never ends-the battle between Nikon and Canon for DSLR supremacy. No sooner does Nikon come out with the D300S (a $1699, 12.3 megapixel (MP), 7-frame-per-second model) than Canon follows suit with the 7D, a $1699 18MP camera that shoots at a speedy 8 fps.

Great 18MP photo quality; Blazing fast 8 fps shooting; Pinpoint focusing; Just so happens to take HD videos

Expensive; Heavy-it's a commitment; Video focusing takes practice; Considerable learning curve