It really depends on how far you want to go into this hobby. 7D is a good prosumer and there isnt really an APS-C DSLR from Nikon that competes on the same hardware/IQ level.
However, if you choose to pay a bit more, you can get a Nikon D700. It's full frame and changes the whole ball game again. I am not sure if you are familiar with the term bokeh. You might also want to consider if 1080p video is crucial to what you want to do.
Lens is also a big part of the whole scene. I find Nikons to have better and more updated premium zoom lens. However, I personally prefer Canon prime (fixed focal lens) due to the larger variety of the premium ones.