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Canon EOS 700D review: A great camera, but surpassed by the 750D

Our Rating :
£250.00 from
Price when reviewed : £539
inc VAT

A superb all-rounder with a consistency that makes it more than the sum of its parts

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Canon EOS 700D review: Image quality – Click images to enlarge

Canon EOS cameras rarely throw up any surprises for image quality. With no distinguishable difference between the 700D and 650D’s output, that’s certainly true here. In fact, the sensor’s output quality hasn’t changed much since the 550D was launched back in 2010, but the newer DIGIC 5 processor introduced in the 650D handles noise at fast ISO speeds slightly better. There was plenty of crisp detail in its 18-megapixel photos, and subtle skin textures were handled extremely well. Dense textures such as foliage looked much better in the camera’s raw output than from JPEGs though.

Canon EOS 700D sample shot ^ Subtle skin textures are handled superbly in this shot, despite the slightly raised ISO speed

Canon EOS 700D sample shot ^ JPEG output looks pixel-sharp, but raw output (developed in Lightroom 5) reveals more fine detail

Direct comparisons with the Nikon D5200 suggested that it’s actually the Canon that delivers sharper detail, despite its lower resolution. The Nikon’s JPEGs looked slightly vague in comparison. This is more down to the two manufacturers’ differing approaches to digital sharpening, though – and both cameras allow the amount of sharpening to be raised or lowered. Shooting raw revealed that the Nikon had a tiny advantage for detail, but there’s barely anything in it.

Canon EOS 700D sample shot ^ The Canon 700D appears to take a clear lead for details over the Nikon D5200 here, despite its lower resolution. This was true of many of our sample shots

Canon EOS 700D sample shot ^ The Canon’s details look slightly crisper here, too, although the more contrasted leaves suggest heavier use of digital sharpening

Canon EOS 700D sample shot ^ Comparing raw files of the same two shots, there’s very little to choose between the two cameras for detail. However, note the top of the roof just below the centre of the image – on the D5200’s shot, the individual vertical lines are visible, whereas they’re not in the 700D’s shot

Comparing their noise levels at fast ISO speeds suggests there’s nothing significant to choose between them here, either.

Canon EOS 700D sample shot ^ The 700D has no problem capturing subtle details at ISO 1600

Canon EOS 700D sample shot ^ There’s plenty of subtle detail here, too, and barely any hint of noise

Canon EOS 700D sample shot ^ Noise is creeping in at ISO 3200 but there’s little evidence of detail-slaying noise reduction

Canon EOS 700D sample shot ^ Direct comparison with the Nikon D5200 at ISO 12800 suggests there’s nothing to separate them for noise

Canon EOS 700D sample shot ^ The Nikon’s raw output scrubs up a little better in Lightroom, but there’s not much in it

Canon EOS 700D review: Verdict

We’ve always loved the look of the photos that Canon’s EOS cameras produce and the 700D is no exception. This is a consumer-orientated camera that delivers sublime quality with no significant drawbacks.

As noted at the top of this review, however, all good things must come to an end. After being beaten in the image quality and autofocus stakes by the Nikon D5500, the Canon EOS 700D has now been superseded by the Canon EOS 750D.

Although the new Canon looks largely the same as the 700D, it’s all change behind the scenes and we’re now recommending that camera instead due to its improved image quality, better autofocus and superior metering system, among other things. You can still get hold of the 700D, and it remains a tempting buy at current prices. However, you can get a better camera for around the same price and it’s Canon’s newer EOS 750D that you should be considering buying first.

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Canon EOS 700D specifications

CCD effective megapixels18.0 megapixels
CCD size22.3×14.9mm
Viewfinderoptical TTL
Viewfinder magnification, coverage0.85x, 95%
LCD screen size3.0in
LCD screen resolution1,040,000 pixels
Articulated screenYes
Live viewYes
Optical zoom3.0x
Zoom 35mm equivalent29-88mm
Image stabilisationoptical, in kit lens
Maximum image resolution5,184×3,456
File formatsJPEG, RAW; QuickTime (AVC)
Memory slotSDXC
Mermory suppliednone
Battery typeLi-ion
Battery Life (tested)440 shots
ConnectivityUSB, AV, mini HDMI, microphone, wired remote
Body materialplastic
Lens mountCanon EF-S
Focal length multiplier1.6x
Kit lens model nameCanon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM
AccessoriesUSB cable, neck strap
Weight785g
Size111x134x151mm
Exposure modesprogram, shutter priority, aperture priority, manual
Shutter speed30 to 1/4,000 seconds
Aperture rangef/3.5-22 (wide), f/5.6-36 (tele)
ISO range (at full resolution)100 to 25600
Exposure compensation+/-5 EV
White balanceauto, 6 presets with fine tuning, manual
Additional image controlscontrast, saturation, sharpness, noise reduction, Auto Lighting Optimiser, colour space
Manual focusYes
Closest macro focus25cm
Auto-focus modes9-point (all cross-type)
Metering modesevaluative, partial, spot, centre-weighted, face detect (live view only)
Flashauto, forced, suppressed, slow synchro, rear curtain, red-eye reduction
Drive modessingle, continuous, self-timer, AE bracket, WB bracket, HDR

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