Both camera's look good! One down side I can think of that the 7D has is the 1.6x crop factor, if you slap a fisheye lens on the 7D you get almost none of the amazing fishy look you get with a full frame sensor. So if you like the fisheye look the 7D is not the camera for you.

The fisheye observation is a good one to note, Nicholas. And you are right, both cameras look good! Easier focusing is a big plus - I struggled with that especially this past weekend with the 5D. Overall I'm leaning toward the 7D as my second cam and the money saved from returning the 5D can be applied to my first cam, which is still being decided upon. :)

I love the 5D picture, but the 7D is showing itself to be quite capable and pretty, albeit slightly different than the 5D but still excellent. I don't know that the difference is that critical for video users - especially with 24p and 60p capabilities giving the 7D a new edge over the 5D.

Just a follow up... I returned the 5D for now. I'm going to WEVA next week and will have a chance to A/B both cameras, so it made sense to wait before making a final investment.

I doubt there will be much difference at all in low-light performance between the 5D2 and the 7D. We'll find out for sure soon enough though. Meanwhile it makes perfect sense to have both, for the reasons that Ethan stated. The 1.6x crop actually works to your advantage for the times when you really need telephoto... the EF 400mm f/5.6 L with a 1.4x extender yields almost 900mm on the 7D (not that you always need that kind of reach, but it's just an example.

And the EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS will give the 7D the same coverage as the 5D2 kit lens, 24-105mm f/4 L (just a bit longer, actually -- the point is that you'd have 24mm effectively at the wide end. You can go even wider with the EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 for $800 which is less expensive than doing it with L glass on the 5D2.

the DOF has a difference. But I agree it will be a complimentary camera to the 5D2, its not a replacement but I am betting there will be a FF model with all the features of the 7D very soon. That would upset 5D2 owners (ME!!!) if the price is below the 5D (unlikely). If it is something higher I wouldnt be upset. Unless they produce is 5D3 then I'll be kicking some a**!!!

Thats why I wait a year or two before I buy the "lastest" cameras!

Chances are against it but wouldn't it be wonderful if this were an announcement for a video camera body wrapped around a DSLR chip:

Canon invites press to "most important" product launch | Electronista

HA! That would be wonderful. Eventually a Camcorder and Still Camera will be the same thing. Eventually cell phones will be able to take "professional quality" pics. Yes, the future is scary! Thank God that these are only tools and that a wrench does not make you a mechanic!! Don't you guys see Canon is only teasing us? They already had the 7D drawn up when they released the 5DMkII. I love it!

But yeah, the only people that should be bugged out about the release of the 7D are Videographers. If you are a Photographer, then you have very specific needs. To people like me (Videographers), it doesn't make much of a difference whether I am shooting with the MkII, 7D, or 50D (Though it would be AMAZING if I could capture video on my 50D). I mean lets face it, when the MkII came out, I'm sure no one was thinking this was the end of the line. When you need something, you make the purchase. No matter how you slice it, the MkII is a more capable camera, it just depends on what you need. That being said, the 7D may become a second camera for me, because I can not afford the MkII.

JS

More capable for whom? That’s the question one really needs to answer. If you are a stills photographer then yes it would be deemed a more capable camera than the 7D. But as a video guy who wants a standard 35mm format I think the 7D is a much more capable camera. Having a full sensor (2 me) does not determine how much more capable a cam is to another. There are a number of things that matter. In this case the variable frame rate, super codec and its current sensor size is it for me. The HV20 has a bigger sensor than most prosumer cams….but is it more capable? Nope. But even that depend (especially if you are one who rather a small form camcorder). If the low light on the 5Dll and 7D turns out to be similar then really the only thing the 5Dll has over the other cam is the size of its sensor. But once again that alone might be more important to another (not me).

According to an article (linked in the DVi 7D forum) this li'l bugger can shoot full res stills WHILE shooting video... that changes everything.

The 5D2 was certainly a huge shock, but this camera may even be more of a revolution. The features definitely put this closer to a usable video camera with manual control AND a high end still camera. This was pretty much what I'd hoped Sony would release in an Alpha system body... If I had Canon lenses/accessories, I'd think I'd be all over this camera... may have to start shopping...

Dave,

Just so you know, the 5d2 does this as well.

Yes, that's nothing new. The 5D Mk. II always had that function. Be aware that it causes a 1 sec. freeze-frame in the video recording though.

....and that's 30 frames of video gone right there.... So that feature would be useless for videographers. I'm not sure if the 7D works the same way however.

Sorry, the 7D works exactly the same way in this regard.

There is also the Tokina 10-17, which is a zoom FE. Not f2.8 all the way but a flexible lens. APS-C lenses don't all have to be Canon. Sigma and Tokina do make a few good lenses.