An excellent midrange dSLR, the Canon EOS 7D delivers for the money.

Very fast; excellent photo quality; flexible autofocus system; big, bright viewfinder; streamlined interface; adds wireless flash control

Single card slot; some annoying small and hard-to-feel buttons; limited to three shots for bracketing; Live View focusing still slow

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

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

Canon's new 7D looks to bridge the gap between the incredible but expensive 5D Mark II and very capable stills camera the 50D. At $3499, the 7D is midway in price between these two excellent cameras. Does it perform well enough to carve out its own niche?

I've had my 7D for a few weeks now. I've been using a 1D for the past few years but have bought my 7D for travel purposes. Still have the great shots in a more convenient size and the 7D is extremely user friendly.

If you can justify the price tag it's hard to fault Canon's new APS-C flagship. With class-leading image quality, fast operation and excellent handling the EOS 7D is everything a semi-pro model should be, and the excellent movie mode will be a welcome bonus to those that like their pictures to move.

Class-leading detail and resolution at base ISO; good per-pixel sharpness; Very good low-light performance; low noise levels and good retention of detail; 8 frames per second continuous shooting speed; Thanks to Dual Digic 4 processors very quick and responsive performance; Excellent build quality

Unreliable white balance under artificial lighting; Slight tendency to overexpose in contrasty conditions; Occasional jagged lines in 720p video; No built-in AF illuminator

At last, it appears Canon has raised its game, in response to Nikon, and introducing a new breed of camera, the EOS 7D.

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

Many photographers were a tad confused about the positioning of Canon's new 7D when it was announced to the market. Seemingly, it was considered to be an upgrade to the existing 50D range of camera, but what Canon have, actually, done is given the semi-pro market, and even some pro photographers a...

Overall, the Canon 7D should be considered, pound for pound and value for money, one of the best DSLR's on the market. Combining such a high-resolution with a frame-rate action photographers would die for, all without compromising its low-light performance, to any noticeable degree, is a major...