Originally Posted by
DickLudwig
To understand why the 7D is called a semi-professional camera is to realize that the 7D was released Sept 2009, at that time compared to the other cameras in the Canon line up and cameras on the market, it was a notch above the competition. The metal body as mentioned, improved autofocus and weather sealing are some of the high points. The camera is now 4 years old and in desperate of a new sensor. Trying to compare a 4 year old camera to a new camera will produce unequal results because a new sensor should tip the scales in favor of the new camera since image quality will usually negates the better body build of the old camera unless you envision using the camera in rugged conditions on a regular basis.