It even has a full-auto shooting mode, although the idea of anyone buying a camera like this for their holiday snapshots is mildly distressing. It has the usual dual-dial and multi-function buttons, but there is also an on-screen graphical interface for main shooting and exposure settings. The ergonomic design of the body and control layout is excellent, and despite its weight the camera is comfortable to hold and operate. I have to admit I’ve always preferred Nikon’s control layout to Canon’s, but despite its complexity I actually found the 7D quite easy to get to grips with. I’ve used pretty much every digital SLR on the market including Canon’s entire current range, and even I had to spend time with the instruction manual to find out what some of the controls do. It has four dials, three switches, a joystick and no less that 17 buttons, not counting the shutter release. One glance at the control layout is enough to confirm that the EOS 7D isn’t aimed at beginners. The viewfinder has an internal transparent LCD overlay, so focus points, framing marks, grid lines, AF points and even an electronic artificial horizon with pitch and roll level can be overlaid on the viewfinder without having to swap out focusing screens. With 100 percent frame coverage and 1x magnification it is one of the clearest, largest and brightest viewfinders I’ve seen, certainly comparable with the Nikon D3X and the Sony A900, which were my previous favourites. The quality of the monitor is matched by the newly designed pentaprism viewfinder, which is also superb. It is brighter and sharper than any other camera monitor I’ve seen. This means that the image on the display appears to be much closer to the surface, and it is virtually free from glare and internal reflection even in direct sunlight. It has a viewing angle of about 170 degrees in every direction, and the gap between the surface of the display and the scratch-resistant toughened glass cover has been filled in with a special optically neutral plastic. The superb 3-inch monitor screen is the same that will be appearing on the new EOS-1D MkIV. The external components of the camera make an excellent initial impression. Canon has cut no corners, and has gone all-out to give the 7D the kind of features and specification that will tempt buyers away from rival systems. Its main competitor is of course the Nikon D300s, but the Sony Alpha A700 and Pentax K-7 are also serious contenders. The 7D has to compete with some very strong rivals at the top end of the market. The body shape and overall feel of the camera is reminiscent of the 5D MkII, and the build quality is comparable as well, with a tough magnesium alloy body shell and full environmental sealing. It is a few millimetres narrower and shorter, but its body-only weight is actually 10g heavier.

In terms of size and weight it is certainly closer to its full-frame sibling. Many commentators have characterised the 7D as an upgrade of the 50D, but I’d describe it more as a 5D MkII Lite. It offers enough of an advantage over the 50D to attract the serious enthusiasts to upgrade, while its build quality performance and versatility don’t fall much short of the 5D MkII, offering an alternative for those who can’t quite justify the leap to full-frame. With an 18-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor and a price tag of £1,500 body-only the 7D hits the mark perfectly. The 7D fills a gap that had opened up in Canon’s range between the 15.1-megapixel, EOS 50D at £700, and the 21.1-megapixel full-frame EOS 5D Mk II at £1,800. However it is the top end of the consumer range that is attracting the most attention, because Canon has just launched a new semi-pro flagship camera, the eagerly awaited EOS 7D.

For its part Canon has introduced the EOS 1000D as a new entry-level model, while the EOS 500D and EOS 50D now share the middle ground.

Nikon has introduced the D3000 and D5000, as well as the new D300s, and Sony has added a whole swathe of new models to its already impressive range. This year in spite of the difficult economic situation the main manufacturers have expanded their consumer DSLR ranges in both directions. A couple of years ago Canon’s DSLR range consisted of a triple-digit “entry-level” model such as the EOS 350D or 400D, a double-digit model for advanced amateurs and semi-professionals such as the EOS 30D or 40D, and then it was on to the professional single-digit models such as the EOS 5D and EOS-1D models. The past few years has seen a rapid growth in popularity of consumer digital SLRs, and a corresponding expansion of the ranges of cameras available from the main manufacturers.

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