So I got my new Canon 7D on Sunday, and boy o’ boy is it SUH-WEET. FINALLY Canon got with it and released a worthy competitor to Nikon’s DXXX (D200, D300, etc) line. Not to say that the Canon Rebels, and the XXD aren’t great cameras, because they are. But for the longest time Canon was missing a real heavyweight APS-C sensor D-SLR in that gap between their XXD (40D, 50D, etc) line and the venerable full frame 5D/5DMkII. A gap that Nikon reigned supreme in. I am a firm believer that the camera does not make the photographer, and if you don’t understand why then you should probably turn over all of your photo gear to me and take up something else… Fishing, perhaps?

This is not to say that I do not drool over the latest and greatest technology in the world of photography. I’ve always been a gadget freak, and I will be the first to admit that I am a gear head when it comes to photography equipment. But I WILL NOT entertain the Nikon vs Canon fanboy arguments. They are ridiculous. People that think otherwise aren’t worth wasting my time or breath. This being said, both camps have their advantages and disadvantages, some of which are objective, but most of which are subjective.

For instance, for a while it was pretty well observed that the CMOS sensor that Canon employed was superior in its low light performance (evidence of this fact is clearly observed by the recent shift away from CCD sensors and towards CMOS sensors in today’s D-SLR race to higher ISO levels). However, things like ergonomics and menu systems are all subject to the particular photographer’s preferences. I myself prefer the Canon feel and menu system, however I appreciate some of the ergonomics and intricacies of the Nikons as well. I just constantly found myself contorting my hands to operate the Nikon D-SLR’s. Some people don’t feel this way. Hit the jump for more thoughts on the great Canon-Nikon debate and the Canon 7D…

When I made my decision to go Canon, it was a tough one. My dad is a Nikon Professional Services member and has oodles of Nikon bayonet mount lenses, four F4 film bodies, 4 SB-800′s, a Macro flash kit, Quantum turbo rechargeable battery packs for powering Nikon flashes, Stofen diffusers in every color imaginable, and God knows how many other Nikon flashes and flash modifiers he has. However, I was still drawn towards the Canon system, and so that’s what I went with. And let’s face it, both Nikon and Canon have a vast array of lenses in their respective product portfolios that are of relatively the same caliber. For someone to try to make an argument that Canon glass is always better than Nikon glass or Nikon glass is always better than Canon glass is just preposterous.

Since making that decision I haven’t looked back, save to lust after certain features on the D300 that weren’t available from a Canon APS-C camera. I couldn’t understand why Canon did not have weather sealing (save for the battery and CF doors) on the 40D. I also couldn’t understand why Canon couldn’t employ the same wireless flash technique found in even some of the lower-end Nikons where the pop-up flash is used as a wireless flash commander. And lastly, I didn’t understand why they couldn’t improve the viewfinder and do something similar to what is found in the D80/90 and D200/300.

Well, after lusting for quite sometime, my prayers have been answered by the great Canon Gods and the 7D has landed. They even upped the ante and increased the FPS, added video, and gave it 100% view in the viewfinder among other improvements. I love it, and while I haven’t had much time to get acquainted with it, I’m excited and eagerly await my next photo safari. I’m sure the 7D will prove a force to be reckoned with in the extremely competitive high-end prosumer/entry-level professional D-SLR market.

Now if I could just find some time to shoot…