The thread was moving so very nicely, I was hoping this could fade to the back....
There is no simple answer to your question. Its a very slippery slope. It just seemed that the resolution of the D800 was putting the camera in direct competition with a different group of photo equipment than the 7D. The 7D seems like a very good DSLR and fits that niche nicely. We've had one around the house for a few years, and it has a lot of use with a variety of techniques, not as disciplined as the good habits one has to learn for MFDB.
It just seemed that the D800, with its big sensor, Nikon's cautionary notes on how to get the most from the camera, along with a users likely desire to "pull the most" out of it, led to this sense that this was a camera working in a different category than other DSLR's . So no, its not just resolution, but also how we manage our expectations.
Well the reason why I asked was because the 7D has a higher pixel density than the D800. I'm not looking to 'bash' any particular camera here - they are all capable of creating great images in the right hands.
To go back to the point you were making -
The point was rather about use of the overall package: by the time you figure the need to hold the camera up at the eye, stability and lens requirements .... the use pattern isn't that different than what is required for a MFDB. While Nikon starts with each separate aspect suggested as lighter/smaller/cheaper, etc., when considered as a whole, these things all add up. To get the most out of the D800 will likely requires a MFDB sensibility; high quality results may not be achievable with the more casual "point and shoot" technique.
For the same focal length, it's the pixel
density that necessitates stability, not overall resolution. If you're comparing equivalent fields of view, then yes - larger sensors require more stability due to the longer focal lengths required compared to smaller sensors.
Example FoV at the pixel level - same focal length lens:
50mm lens on 7D - 17.8 arc-seconds/pixel.
50mm lens on D800 - 20.0 arc-seconds/pixel.
50mm lens on IQ180 - 22.3 arc-seconds/pixel.
Example FoV at the pixel level - same FoV of the image projected onto the sensor:
31mm lens on 7D - 28.4 arc-seconds/pixel
50mm lens on D800 - 20.0 arc-seconds/pixel
80mm lens on IQ180 - 13.9 arc-seconds/pixel
The lower the number of arc-seconds/pixel, the more critical stability of the system is.
Obviously an MFDB sensibility and approach will produce higher results regardless of the equipment being used