Canon 760D review

Image and video quality

The 760D and 750D are indistinguishable for video and photo quality, and there’s very little to criticise. Videos were clean and detailed, and Canon has finally put the clunky video autofocus of older Canon SLRs behind it. Its autofocus is easy to adjust via the touchscreen, reasonably swift to respond and virtually silent when shooting with an STM lens. 1080p video capture doesn’t go beyond 30fps but that’s enough for most purposes.

Photo quality is up there with the best cropped-sensor SLRs. Details were sharp and natural, without any hint of noise at low ISO speeds. Vignetting and chromatic aberrations are corrected automatically for JPEGs, and the metering – which has been upgraded in this latest generation of models – rarely puts a foot wrong. Noise levels are lower than on the older Canon 700D, with excellent results up to ISO 6400.^ Nicely exposed greenery, plenty of detail in shadows and a sky that’s just short of clipping. (1/100s, f/7.1, ISO 100, 27mm equivalent)^ The 24-megapixel sensor picks out masses of fine detail. (1/100s, f/7.1, ISO 100, 38mm equivalent)^ A big sensor means low noise, and so there’s nothing to obscure these subtle skin, hair and fabric textures. (1/125s, f/5.6, ISO 100, 64mm equivalent)^ Shooting indoors in ambient sunlight at ISO 640, there’s plenty of detail but a bit of noise in out-of-focus areas of the frame. (1/60s, f/4, ISO 640, 64mm equivalent)^ Noise remains far from intrusive at ISO 2500, and subtle textures are still reasonably intact. (1/40s, f/4, ISO 2500, 46mm equivalent)^ Even ISO 6400 produces respectable skin textures. (1/80s, f/4, ISO 6400, 104mm equivalent)

Conclusion

The 760D is part of a long line of extremely competent digital SLRs. Its image and video quality are hard to fault and there are masses of superb lenses to choose from. Its controls are elegant and it works well in both live view and optical viewfinder modes. The 0.51x (equivalent) viewfinder magnification is disappointing, though, especially when compact system cameras (CSCs) are spoiling us with significantly larger electronic viewfinders.

While there’s nothing much wrong with this camera, I’m unconvinced that the benefits over the Canon 750D are worth spending an extra £100 on. Those looking for something more upmarket are much better off with the Canon 70D. It’s currently available for around £730 body only, and includes a larger viewfinder, superior controls, 7fps continuous shooting and more than double the battery life. It’s great to see Canon offer even more choice, but at current prices this particular choice isn’t one I’d go for. For more SLR options see our regularly-updated Best cameras and buying guide article.