Who will benefit from paying for the Canon 7D?

[If you're interested in the VIDEO features of the Canon 5D Mark II, 7D, and T2i / 550D, you may also find this article helpful: Canon SLRs for Video - JMG]

This week’s introduction of the new Canon 550D / Rebel T2i raises some interesting questions.  This is a camera that clearly out-classes the Canon 50D in many regards, and has many of the features of the Canon EOS 7D, but at less than half the price (Currently $799 at Amazon.com). Will professional or semi-professional photographers be satisfied using the T2i instead of the 7D? What types of photographers will get any practical benefit from paying double for the Canon 7D?

Let’s get this out of the way first. If you’re at least a semi-pro, you’ll want to opt for the 550D designation over the “Rebel”, if it’s available. What photographer over the age of 15 wants a camera with “Rebel” in red letters across the front? Just kidding.

More seriously, though, let me do a quick side-by-side comparison of their features. If you’d like to see the whole table at once, just click use the drop-down menu at the top-left of the table: Continue reading »