If you want to have a camera set up on a tripod videoing the opening of gifts on Christmas morning for one hour straight this is not at all what you want. If you are someone who wants to and knows how to produce your projects in short segments and put them together with substantial editing effort you will be very pleased. I have experimented a little with the video capabilities and you do get awesome clips from this camera but it is not a camcorder. I also needed the 8 frames per second and substantially better autofocus that I get with the 7D. I preferred the 'cropped' sensor because of the fact that it adds additional zoom to lenses and in sports photography you can hardly ever get close enough. I upgraded from the 40D because I needed a camera that works better at the sports photography which is almost exclusively what I do. Metal frame, intuitive UI (for stills and video) and a a camera that feels really great in your hands. The noise is limited even as you crank up the ISO.What I'm saying is I couldn't be happier with this camera. I am mostly a night time photographer and I have been absolutely blown away by the range I get with this camera.

I've seen people struggle with Nikon always moving their buttons and changing their UI, and I'm really happy that Canon doesn't do that.The image quality is great, though, like all SLRs it really depends on what kind of glass you put on the front of the camera. And the UI is familiar to anyone who has used any Canon camera, even their point and shoots. I used a 20D and a 5D before picking up the 7 when it came out and as soon as I lifted it out of the box I knew where everything was and was shooting immediately. It's what I love about their brand, all the buttons stay in the same place. If, like me, you've used older Canon DSLR's you can jump right into using the 7D without a hiccup.

I assumed that I would be using the video less, but it was so convenient and the image was so good (getting me 1080p at 24fps) that I found myself using it more and more, and even purchasing a shoulder rig.Though this is the first Canon digital SLR that I have owned, I have been shooting on Canon's for years. I use the 7D for video more than for still images, though I initially bought it to replace my AE-1 SLR.

New canon 7d review