With the introduction of the 7D, Canon has fit a camera neatly into both the resolution and cost gaps that had formerly existed in their DSLR lineup. Now there's a smooth progression of resolution from 10 megapixels to 21 at roughly 2 or 3 megapixel increments, and a $1700 camera to fill the gap...

Good image quality; Great continuous shooting rate with JPEG files; 8 fps high speed shooting rate; HD video

Cost; 72 dpi output of images

Sent my order for the 7D + the lens on a Tuesday and it came by Friday with FedEx express shipping. The camera is great and I have had no problems with it, I have had it for about 6 months now :D

With a budget to spend on a top-end Canon DSLR body you are spoilt for choice. You may decide to go full-frame and invest all of your budget in the 21-megapixel EOS 5D mkII and shoot big files for the ultimate image quality.

After replacing my Canon 40D for this 7D, I was amazed at the feel and the image quality of my first picture. I have been using this more often... actually, all the time... ever since I bought it.

Superb Magnesium Alloy body; weather sealed; great image quality; mounts EF-S and EF lenses

Grainy at high ISO but not a big deal for me

Canon has pretty much dominated the full format DSLR arena for several years but they suffered a couple of hefty blows from Nikon in the APS-C segment during the last few years. Canon was able to respond in the low end market but they didn't really offer any direct competitor to Nikon D200/D300(s)...

outstanding build quality, high resolution combined with decent dynamic range, superb viewfinder (for an APS-C DSLR) inc; super-imposable grid lines, full HD (1080p @ 30 fps) movie mode, dual axis electronic level, excellent battery life

"average" high-ISO performance; AWB (auto-white balancing) could be better in artificial light conditions

The 7D is a spectacular camera for general use, while the 7D Mark II is much, much better for sports. For nature and landscapes I'd go the extra cost for the 5D Mark II in a heartbeat, but for action in reasonable light, the 7D is an awesome camera.