No, but it's so good that one starts to contemplate this question, which was never the case before the 7D was introduced. Both systems, crop and full frame, have their pros and cons and place in photography.

Well made, quickly intuitive to use, fleet-of-foot across most performance measures and able to produce stunning results, even at high sensitivity settings, all means the Canon EOS 7D is both a cleverly realised combination of professional specification and semi-professional pricing.

Build; image quality; viewfinder; performance and speed; AF; flash control; HD video; ergonomics; LCD

Looks pricey; purple fringing on some high contrast shots with 18-135mm kit lens

Canon's EOS 7D is the company's latest semi-pro DSLR, featuring 18 Megapixels, HD video and 8fps continuous shooting. Announced in September 2009, it represents a new product category for Canon, positioned between the existing EOS 50D and EOS 5D Mark II models.

Tough build and superb ergonomics; Zonable 19-point AF and 8fps burst shooting; Big viewfinder with graphics.

Basic 3-frame exposure bracketing; Single card slot versus dual on D300s; Flash flickers for AF illumination; Image quality surpassed by 5D Mark II

With the introduction of the EOS 7D, Canon has created a ‘pro-sumer' DSLR that is a step up from the EOS 50D but has a smaller sensor than the EOS 5D Mark II. Offering 18-megapixel resolution, the 7D is the first EOS camera outside the EOS-1 series to be equipped with Dual DiG!C 4 processors.

You want a capable DSLR camera with a 1.6x crop factor sensor for wildlife photography with telephoto lenses; You require fast burst speeds and a generous buffer capacity; You'd like the ability to shoot both still pictures and HD video clips with the same camera and would appreciate the jack for

The 7D is a camera that many Canon DSLR users will want, but as camera based on a cropped sensor design, it would appeal more to the consumer crowd than it would for the professionals.

Canon has created a proficient prosumer digital SLR with the 7D, sporting excellent specifications and performance such as burst shooting speed and HD movie recording. If you're not quite ready for the full frame 5D Mark II, or want the advantages of an APS-C-sized sensor, the 7D will serve you...

Large; bright viewfinder; Full manual controls in video recording; Superb burst rate for a prosumer dSLR; Excellent noise control

AF system still feels a little cumbersome at times; Kit 18-135mm lens isn't as impressive as expected

We take a look at Canon's new 18-megapixel APS-C flagship

The battle of the pixels is a long-running war that still shows no signs of letting up. In fact, the APS-C sensor has been continuously developed to take more pixels and ultimately allow the user to shoot larger images.

The pro-orientated, 18-megapixel EOS 7D digital SLR has a couple of minor flaws, but they're far outweighed by all the positives. Offering tank-like build quality, class-leading resolution, excellent high-ISO performance and brilliant continuous-shooting speeds, it's a fantastic camera

Hard-as-nails build quality; Ergonomic design; Impressive 8-frames-per-second shooting; Records 1080p movies; Good high-ISO performance

Mediocre detail from kit lens and JPEG processing; Occasional exposure howlers

The Canon EOS 7D is aimed at top-end enthusiasts and professional photographers and has an impressive features list

Excellent autofocus system; Exposure system; Fast continuous shooting mode; Big buffer; Raw/Jpeg button; Movie mode; Quick control idea; Battery life; Solid body

White-balance performance average; Placement of on/off switch; Bigger AF-ON button would be nice