Thanks Veato. Final thoughts. Gorillapod Focus with Ballhead X on Amazon for a ludicrously cheap £83, or a "real" tripod for travel use? I have a feeling that a real tripod would be better built and more stable but get less use, whilst the Gorillapod would probably get a lot more use due to it's size and ability to therefore go in a back pack/bag. But the first review on Amazon worries me slightly.

Which would you buy?

I'd rather have a proper - but compact - tripod e.g. Slik Pro 340DX (but ball head) or Benro Travel Angel.

They tend to fold down to around 40-50cms depending on model and weigh around 1.5Kg. Not too shabby for travelling.

I know someone who bought a DSLR Gorillapod, and some of the dolly skate style wheels for video work.
Broke inside 6 months.

Ignored you both and made a decision. Can you believe that [LIFTED]??

The Focus takes up to 5kg vs the 3kg of the SLR. I think the SLR has questionable build, but the Focus should be better. If I buy a tripod, I'm never gonna have it in my bag. End of.

I was looking through the threads in this section and read through this all over again.

Which camera did you buy in the end?

James went with a 7D.

Lot of good info in this thread. I've been nothing but pleased with my purchase. It suited my purposes perfectly. But I will say that my colleague managed to capture many great images with identical glass and a 500D.

I've also since recommended Nikon to people here in Italy (as Canon are often nowhere to be found, not sure how Nikon have pulled that off) and whilst a D7000 is IMO a fantastic piece of kit, a D3100 with attached kit lens is still capable of great images of Verona, girls, and the surroundings of Lake Garda...

The chief difference, of course, being the 7D is weatherproof and probably able to take the knocks better. Otherwise, yes, they're pretty identical in terms of optics and electronics.

Yeah, I can verify the knocks part. The f4L 70-200 is also bomb proof. Falling at high speed on top of the camera damaged my body more than that of the camera!

The weatherproofing is good, I'm sure. But the 500D coped with the cold just as well. And a little snow was no issue for either.

For me the deciding factor with the 7D was the speed of operation and the memory modes. As well as the nicer buttons/feel and better viewfinder as secondary factors. Oh yeah, and I find the rebels feel like toys in my hands. But that's personal preference.

I I didn't want to shoot skiers and boarders at speed, I'd probably have gone D7000.

Did you go for brand new? I'm looking at used cameras on egay.

I did. If you wanna go used, get a good deal on a D300 or D300s. You don't need anything more. But if you start having to spend upwards of £500, may as well go D7000.

A used 7D could be a good option, but shop around and new prices can approach the Bay.