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The suggested European pricing is £1699/€2000 including VAT. The suggested US pricing is $1699, sales tax excluded. As I write £1 buys $1.625 and €1 buys $1.436. Nice to know who your friends are. This idea of using a £1 buys $1 exchange rate is an utter disgrace, even after allowing for tax and duty, and no amount of weasel words from Canon about the exchange rate varying can excuse it. The music industry has applied it for years and here in the UK we hold them in contempt because of it. The "grey marketeers" will be rubbing their hands together with glee.
But don't get me wrong, the camera itself looks like a technological triumph. I see that the 28-135mm lens is being offered as a "kit" in the States (Amazon) but I also see that Park Cameras in the UK is pairing up the 7D with both of the new EF-S lenses (EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM and EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS) which seems to make more sense. But I agree with Enche that most will buy it as "body only" and pair it with top quality glass of their own choosing.
The high ISO JPEG images I've found so far on the Net look pretty good so far as noise is concerned but, though it's hard to be sure, I think there's some pretty aggressive in-camera processing going on as they also look a little soft. But some of those images were also shot at f/8 by which point diffraction is starting to have an effect. I do worry that the unsuspecting purchaser will end up shooting at f/11 and then wonder why his or her images look a little soft even at ISO 100 but Gordon's review will tell all in due time.
I think a lot of members here will find that the 7D is the perfect camera. It's got the resolution to allow for a stunning amount of detail and the speed of a serious sports shooter. To put it into context, that sensor can potentially pull in the same amount of detail at the 100% crop level at a focal length of 200mm as the 40D can with the lens zoomed in to 268mm. That's a direct saving in both cost and weight so far as long telephotos are concerned so I think the birders and sport's shooters will be all over this camera.
Indeed, if I had a need for 8 fps and/or improved AF, not to mention some of the other lovely doodads, I'd be pre-ordering my 7D from one of our
US partner stores right now and using the money saved to get a cheap flight over to New York and a couple of nights in a local hostelry. I might even have enough cash left over for a meal at Smith & Wollensky's.
Bob.
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. Up to ISO 3200, I think the 50D has an advantage. However, at ISO 6400 and 12800 the 7D's results still look very usable while the 50D's image quality takes a severe beating.
