Speaking of the 7D's AF system, I also liked the orientation linked autofocus feature which automatically flips the focus point for vertical shooting; and the spot AF mode which worked great when I photographed a pitcher through a wire-fence backstop.

But that's just AF. Photographers who capture any type of action will love the 7D's 8fps shooting speed and 94-shot JPEG/15 shot 14-bit RAW buffer. Use a UDMA card, and the JPEG buffer jumps to 126 images. We found the 7D largely stood up to and even eclipsed those "official" numbers, with the camera quickly dumping the buffer so it could shoot again. (It really cruised when we shot with either the SanDisk Extreme Pro cards or Lexar's Pro 600x UDMA cards.) Start-up time and shutter lag were also virtually non-existent on this speedy camera.

"It's faster than the 5D Mark II," Jason reported during testing. "The focus is phenomenal and the speed I can shoot at before the buffer fills up makes it possible to get the shots I need."

Other features we liked that are long overdue on a Canon prosumer DSLR were the Mark III style prism viewfinder with 100 percent coverage; the one touch RAW+JPEG mode; the ability to trigger other strobes with the built-in flash; and the Dual Axis Electronic Level Control for making sure your shots are straight when shooting with a tripod.

THE BOTTOM LINE
There's a lot to like on the Canon 7D so if it seems like I'm being hard on the camera for its overambitious pixel count, it's mostly because I'm holding it to a higher standard. For starters, the HD video capabilities of the 7D are the best we've ever seen for a digital SLR. (The only things missing are a built-in stereo microphone and Continuous Autofocus.) Furthermore, as a still capture device, Canon has loaded the 7D with so much useful technology from its revamped and comprehensive 19-point focusing system to its fast overall speed and its new 63-zone metering, it's hard to think of anything it left out in features. If the 18-megapixel CMOS sensor disappoints when shooting at high ISOs, that doesn't change our recommendation of the 7D as an excellent second camera/dedicated video camera for a shoot. We just wish we could recommend it as an all-around first camera.

Canon EOS 7D

www.usa.canon.com

Pros: Incredible feature set for a prosumer digital SLR; great HD video versatility including a comprehensive range of frame rates; fast 8 fps still shooting with a fat buffer for extended bursts; comfy body with a rugged pro build; improved 19-point autofocus system.

Cons: High resolution CMOS sensor reduces pixel size to 4.3 microns resulting in noise at high ISOs; no built-in stereo microphone; somewhat complicated to use.

Pricing: $1,700 (body only)