Hi Morsie,
Not to get off topic, but after going though this process of mics over the last year I realized that the best option for me (and many many others) was to forget about the hotshoe/camera mics and go with the H4N hand Recorder. This is hands down one of the top 5 purchases I've made in the past 3 years (and that includes all audio/visual/photo purchases). You can review the product yourself online or PM if you have specific questions.
Basically, this is the highest quality hand recorder available currently and it would actually record a symphony with high fidelity. What you do for camera/video is to sync it with your footage by using a clap board (I use a dog training clicker) and then just splice it to your video sequence in your editing software. It comes with a handle and also a solid wind sock. It works great on the boat and even on the flats with 20-30k winds.
It also works great for doing voice-overs for tutorials and is very small and lightweight.
It does have an xlr jack, so it might be possible to connect to the 7D. Might have to call the company and ask them.
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