In terms of its design, the EOS 7D is outwardly very similar to the full-frame Canon EOS 5D Mark II. Sharing almost exactly the same dimensions (148.2 x 110.7 x 73.5mm) and weight (820g), the 7D is a little smaller but 10g heavier than its big brother. The 7D has a magnesium alloy body which should make it more durable in the longer term than plastic-bodied cameras, and it also adds a level of weather-sealing that the 5D Mark II notably lacks. The 7D has a proven, well-thought-out design - the most serious design flaw is the rubber cover for the extension system terminal on the bottom of the camera, which will take you about five minutes to lose as it's completely unsecured.
There's a textured area on both the deep hand-grip and around the thumb-rest on the rear of the camera, and the Canon 7D is perfect for everyone with normal to large-sized hands. Like other semi-pro cameras, the 7D offers two control wheels; a small one on the top of the handgrip, and a large, spinning dial on the back of the camera. This rear 'quick control dial' is characteristic of all high-end Canon EOS cameras. It's a bit of an acquired taste compared to more conventional control dials, but you quickly get used to it and it is easy to 'spin'. This dial can be used to apply rapid exposure adjustments, with the new Lock button preventing any further changes being made, useful if you want to maintain the current settings.
The quick control dial takes up the space where you'd normally expect to find a four-way controller, which means that for menu navigation Canon has had to incorporate an additional small joystick on the back of the camera. This joystick works well enough, but it's not as positive or as easy to use as a conventional four-way controller. On the 7D, Canon has extended the joystick's capabilities; it can be used in conjunction with the new Q button to use the Quick Control screen. Depending on which shooting mode you're using, this lets you set various parameters via the LCD screen, using the joystick to move around the options and the Set button to change them. First featured on the EOS 50D and similar to the system that Sony Alpha DSLRs have used for a while, the Quick Control screen is particularly well-suited to beginners and tripod work.
On top of the Canon EOS 7D, positioned above the large monochrome status LCD display, are three buttons, each of which has two functions. You press a button and then turn either the top dial or the rear dial to change the corresponding setting. It takes a little while to memorise which button does what, and which dial you need to turn. The 7D also shows the settings on the main LCD screen as well as the status LCD. There's also a smaller fourth button which activates the status LCD display light so that you can use it in the dark.
The EOS 7D offers a significantly upgraded auto-focus system, with some options that are completely new to the EOS system. There are still the usual three Auto focus modes (One Shot, AI Focus and AI Servo), but there's a totally new AF sensor with 19 cross-type AF points, each of which is a standard-precision cross-type sensor. The center AF point also has a separate, diagonal pair of high-precision line sensors, which provide even greater precision when used with lenses with a maximum aperture of f/2.8 or faster.