TCampbell
Been spending a lot of time on here!
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Another "Which camera should I choose: (a) a really good camera, (b) a really good camera, or (c) a really good camera?"
Here's the deal: All three cameras use Canon's 18mp sensor -- no change there.
The 7D is a either a high-end pro-sumer body or a low-end pro body (depending on who you talk to). But the main advantages of the 7D are it's SPEED. It's a very fast camera. It has dual DIGIC IV processors. It can shoot in continuous burst mode at 8 frames per second. It has a 19 point auto-focus sensor array and all 19 points are "cross type". Instead of using SD cards, it uses the larger CF card standard (CF cards have a data transfer speed near 100 MBps whereas SD cards top out somewhere around 20, but most are around 10.) The 7D has a magnesium alloy body (metal) and is VERY durable. It's also weather-sealed. This is a workhorse camera and particularly well suited if you are shooting scenes with fast action (action wildlife photography or sports, etc.)
The 60D is a mid-range pro-sumer body. It has controls laid out a lot like the pro bodies with a front selection wheel and a rear selection dial. It has an LCD panel on top just like the 7D has. It is weather sealed much like the 7D, but... rather than being a magnesium alloy (metal) body it uses a polycarbonate (plastic) body. It also only has a single DIGIC IV processor, a slower continuous burst rate, and uses SD cards instead of CF cards. In other words it's has the "feel" of a pro body in terms of how controls are laid out, but the weight of a Rebel body. It has the scene-based shooting modes (something pros would never use, but consumers find friendly to use.) The auto-focus array is only 9 points but all 9 points are "cross type". It has the swing-out LCD screen on the back which is nice for video (but you said you didn't really care about video.)
The 650D is a "Rebel" body. As a "Rebel" it's one of Canon's entry-level bodies... although it is the highest end of the Rebel line. This year, Canon gave it a 9 point AF array where all 9 points are "cross type" (previous Rebels only get 1 single center AF point that's cross-type and the rest of the AF points only perform phase-detect auto-focus in one axis only.) They also gave it a capacitive touch-sensive display (sort of like an iPhone) making it a bit easier to operate (also a bit easier to smudge up full of fingerprints.) Rebel bodies do NOT have rear selection dials -- they only have the front selection wheel. This means some operations which are quick and fluid to dial in on a 60D or 7D require pressing extra buttons on a Rebel body. They also switched from the DIGIC IV (which they'v been using for the past 4-5 years) to the new DIGIC V. The DIGIC V is a much faster processor but also improves the image processing. As a Rebel, it is NOT weather-sealed.
The 7D and 60D are getting close to the point where Canon should be announcement replacements soon. They announced the replacement of the 5D II a few months ago. Generally speaking, Canon won't allow a current "Rebel" to be better than a mid-range pro-sumer body (like the 60D) and they won't let a mid-range pro-sumer body be better than a pro body (like the 7D). Although from time to time, it gets pretty close. I'd say the difference between the 650D and 60D are now at that point, but the 7D is clearly a category above (especially if you need a camera to shoot action.)
Here's the deal: All three cameras use Canon's 18mp sensor -- no change there.
The 7D is a either a high-end pro-sumer body or a low-end pro body (depending on who you talk to). But the main advantages of the 7D are it's SPEED. It's a very fast camera. It has dual DIGIC IV processors. It can shoot in continuous burst mode at 8 frames per second. It has a 19 point auto-focus sensor array and all 19 points are "cross type". Instead of using SD cards, it uses the larger CF card standard (CF cards have a data transfer speed near 100 MBps whereas SD cards top out somewhere around 20, but most are around 10.) The 7D has a magnesium alloy body (metal) and is VERY durable. It's also weather-sealed. This is a workhorse camera and particularly well suited if you are shooting scenes with fast action (action wildlife photography or sports, etc.)
The 60D is a mid-range pro-sumer body. It has controls laid out a lot like the pro bodies with a front selection wheel and a rear selection dial. It has an LCD panel on top just like the 7D has. It is weather sealed much like the 7D, but... rather than being a magnesium alloy (metal) body it uses a polycarbonate (plastic) body. It also only has a single DIGIC IV processor, a slower continuous burst rate, and uses SD cards instead of CF cards. In other words it's has the "feel" of a pro body in terms of how controls are laid out, but the weight of a Rebel body. It has the scene-based shooting modes (something pros would never use, but consumers find friendly to use.) The auto-focus array is only 9 points but all 9 points are "cross type". It has the swing-out LCD screen on the back which is nice for video (but you said you didn't really care about video.)
The 650D is a "Rebel" body. As a "Rebel" it's one of Canon's entry-level bodies... although it is the highest end of the Rebel line. This year, Canon gave it a 9 point AF array where all 9 points are "cross type" (previous Rebels only get 1 single center AF point that's cross-type and the rest of the AF points only perform phase-detect auto-focus in one axis only.) They also gave it a capacitive touch-sensive display (sort of like an iPhone) making it a bit easier to operate (also a bit easier to smudge up full of fingerprints.) Rebel bodies do NOT have rear selection dials -- they only have the front selection wheel. This means some operations which are quick and fluid to dial in on a 60D or 7D require pressing extra buttons on a Rebel body. They also switched from the DIGIC IV (which they'v been using for the past 4-5 years) to the new DIGIC V. The DIGIC V is a much faster processor but also improves the image processing. As a Rebel, it is NOT weather-sealed.
The 7D and 60D are getting close to the point where Canon should be announcement replacements soon. They announced the replacement of the 5D II a few months ago. Generally speaking, Canon won't allow a current "Rebel" to be better than a mid-range pro-sumer body (like the 60D) and they won't let a mid-range pro-sumer body be better than a pro body (like the 7D). Although from time to time, it gets pretty close. I'd say the difference between the 650D and 60D are now at that point, but the 7D is clearly a category above (especially if you need a camera to shoot action.)
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