James,
I agree. Especially when it comes to mpx, I think between 12 and 15 is going to meet 99% of the needs of most photographers. I went for the 7D primarily because I thought the autofocus system was significantly better than the 40D (and it is) and I wanted the video capability. Plus, I felt it was a much more substantial camera than the 50D. All in all, I upgraded the one piece of equipment that I felt was falling behind the technology curve -- the camera.

Now, to do so, I had to make some compromises on lenses. That was just fiscal reality. If the bulk of my business was studio/environmental portraiture, I'd have stayed with the primes. But, at the moment, it's more event-oriented so I need the flexibility of zooms and I'm willing to sacrifice some IQ to get it. Also, my products are pretty much files and prints no larger than 8X10. That's the nature of what I'm going to be shooting for the next few months. So the lenses I've selected are adequate (I hope) to meet those product requirements. By mid-year, I'll be doing more studio work and I'll revisit my studio lens but one thing I have noticed is that the primary lens I used for dog show formals and studio work had much too much barrel distortion at the wider settings in the studio and you could really see it with show shots like Stud Dog and Brood Bitch which go very wide with 4 dogs, handlers, a judge etc. The ends of the frame were noticeably bowed. So I'm planning to stick with no wider than 24mm in my primary zoom and if I have to move back further from the subject, I will.

And, finally, I've concluded that I can go with a fixed aperture of F4.0 on my telezoom as long as it has IS. The higher ISO performance of the 7D gives me back that extra stop in static situations. For indoor show candids -- which I will not be doing a lot of -- I'll rent the 135mm F2.0L. That's a great lens! And, if I can cost-justify it, maybe I'll actually purchase one before the end of the year.

But for now, what I have appears to be able to meet my requirements for what I need. If I find that it doesn't, I'll change my mind . And if I win the lottery, I'll get the Leica S2 system and retire to do landscapes and travel photography . In the meantime, back to work testing that 70-210 lens.

Jim