The Canon 700D is a very powerful and adaptable camera that creates photographs of excellent quality. It has a wide range of features, gives enthusiast photographers the full range of control they want, and offers automatic hand-holding alternatives for less experienced users.
Advantages:
- Sensor records lots of detail
- Comprehensive feature set
- Responsive vari-angle touchscreen
- High-quality video
Disadvantages:
- No new sensor
- LCD attracts fingerprints
- No Wi-Fi
- Lags behind others for dynamic range and signal-to-noise ratio
INTRODUCTION
Canon wisely decided that the touchscreen controls should be in addition to rather than in instead of the button and dial controls, even though the Canon EOS 650D was the first DSLR to have one.
The EOS Rebel T6i / EOS 750D and EOS Rebel T7i / EOS 800D have subsequently superseded the EOS Rebel T5i (also known as the EOS 700D outside of the US). These more recent models come with a lot of enhancements, most notably 24MP sensors with improved resolution and better performance traits. This does indicate a price drop for the 700D.
As a result, both enthusiast photographers and new users upgrading from a touchscreen smartphone or compact camera found the camera to be appealing. Canon claims that as a result, the camera has sold exceptionally well.
The Canon EOS 700D, also known as the Canon EOS Rebel T5i, will now take the place of the Canon EOS 650D after less than a year. It is positioned immediately below the Canon EOS 60D, which marks the beginning of Canon’s “enthusiast” lineup, at the very top of the “consumer” lineup alongside the Canon EOS 600D.
But compared to the model it replaces, the new camera only offers a few improvements.
The majority of the specifications of the Canon 700D are identical to those of the Canon 650D. For instance, the 14-point Digic 5 CPU and the 18 million pixel APS-C sized sensor are identical. Additionally, it has a nine-point, all-cross type phase detection system for use with the viewfinder and the same hybrid autofocus system for use in live view or video mode.
The phase detection component of the hybrid autofocusing system, which is available when using Live View mode or filming HD videos, uses pixels on the sensor, like it did before.
When the Hybrid AF is in use, the central pixels are used to guide the phase detection component and bring the subject nearly into sharp focus. From there, the contrast detection component enters to bring the subject fully into focus. This indicates that you can hold the camera in your hand. When one of the new STM lenses is attached, according to Canon, the system’s performance has improved.
The Canon EOS 700D, like the Canon EOS 650D, can shoot at 5 frames per second and has a native ISO range of 100 to 12800 that can be increased to ISO 25,600 if necessary. This makes it a somewhat adaptable camera, able to take pictures in a variety of settings.
The ability to preview the effects of the Creative Filters (Grainy Black and White, Soft Focus, Fish-Eye, Art Bold, Water Painting, Toy Camera, and Miniature Effect) on the screen while shooting in Live View mode is one of the biggest changes made with the new camera, just like you can with the Canon EOS 100D and the Canon EOS M.
The only available format for these is JPEG, hence a “clean” raw file cannot be recorded with the JPEG. Applying the filter after capture with the Canon EOS 700D’s post-processing tools will give you both an unfiltered and filtered image.
The Canon EOS 700D, on the other hand, offers the typical selection of Picture Styles (Standard, Portrait, Landscape, Neutral, Faithful, and Monochrome), as well as Auto, in which the camera automatically chooses the option it determines to be the most appropriate while also allowing the user to apply three custom styles.
Both raw and JPEG files can be captured using the preset choices, which can all be customized to your preferences.
A textured coating and a 360-degree mode dial have been added to the Canon EOS 700D to give it a more upscale appearance. The latter indicates that it can be turned completely around rather than stopping and needing to be turned backward.
The entire asking price for the Canon EOS 700D/Canon EOS Rebel T5i is £619.99 (AU$849, US$749) for the body itself or £749.99 (AU$999, US$899.99) with the new 18-55 STM lens.
The 24 million pixel Nikon D5200, which was unveiled at the end of 2012, is thus its main rival.
BUILD AND HANDLING
Since the only discernible difference between the two camera bodies is a tweak to the mode dial, Canon has obviously utilised the same mould for the EOS 700D as it did for the EOS 650D.
The dial of the Canon EOS 700D has a sharper texture around the edge and the icons are raised rather than simply painted. You don’t have to move this higher-quality dial back and forth to access the settings you want because it can be rotated through 360 degrees.
When you run your finger over the two cameras, you’ll notice that they have somewhat different textures, with the Canon EOS 700D having a more positive texture. The finger and thumb grips’ rubberized coverings are still there and provide secure grip.
Although it doesn’t have the same durability as Canon’s professional-level DSLRs, the Canon EOS 700D feels solidly constructed and there is no sign of movement at any of the joints. The LCD screen’s articulating joint, which allows it to be rotated for viewing from extremely high or low angles or from directly in front of the camera, feels high-end.
The Canon EOS 700D’s controls and menu structure are identical to those of the Canon EOS 650D it replaces. To access the Mirror lock-up, Highlight tone priority, Auto Lighting Optimizer, and Flash control choices, we found it beneficial to use the My menu option, which allows you to assign up to six functions for quick access. The menu is still divided into 11 tabbed screens in stills mode as it was previously.
The touchscreen or the button and dial controls can be used to navigate the menu and choose selections.
Additionally, there is a Quick menu that may be accessed by either physically pressing the Q button or tapping the Q icon on the LCD screen. This provides a direct path to the camera settings that are most frequently used.
Touching an on-screen symbol once brings up an explanation of the feature, while a second touch displays its available settings, if the Feature Guide is activated via Set-up Menu 3. If the Feature Guide is turned off, just one touch is needed.
A third position on the power switch, just like on the Canon EOS 650D, is used to switch on Movie mode. The button on the camera’s rear that launches Live View in stills mode will then function as the button for starting a movie when this has been done.
Although the Canon EOS 700D includes all the standard button and dial controls for a camera of this calibre, there is also a 3-inch touchscreen with 1,040,000 dots that may be used to operate the camera. As soon as you start using the touch controls, you’ll discover that you use them more and more because they’re so simple to use. This is incredibly responsive.
The ability to swipe across the camera’s screen to flip through pictures and squeeze to enlarge them is fantastic for studying details. Just regrettable that Canon tucked the rating control away in the menu.
When composing images at eye level or above head height, we discovered that the vari-angle screen offers an excellent, clear view with plenty of information apparent even in relatively bright light.
In these circumstances, the touch-shutter feature, which enables the AF to be adjusted and the shutter to be tripped with a touch of a finger on the screen, is especially useful.
But because fingerprints on the screen always accumulate and obstruct your view, it’s a good idea to always have a nice lens cloth on hand. That way, you can periodically give the screen a wipe.
Since the Canon EOS 700D is a DSLR rather than a small system camera, it features an optical viewfinder. Even though it only fills in 95% of the frame and runs the danger of adding some unnecessary components to image edges, it is colourful and enjoyable to use.
As is customary these days, we would want to construct photos in the LCD when manually focusing since the expanded view makes it simpler to be exact with the focus point.
PERFORMANCE
Given that they share a sensor, it is not surprising to learn that the Canon EOS 700D and Canon EOS 650D have very similar image quality and can resolve the same level of detail.
Although noise is effectively managed across the whole sensitivity range, photos captured at higher ISO levels do exhibit some coloured speckling, as would be expected. It’s intriguing that our lab testing show that at lower to mid-sensitivity settings, the Canon 700D delivers slightly noisier images than the Canon 650D. To bring out a little bit more detail, Canon likely changed the image processing.
The Canon 700D can create photographs with excellent detail and pleasing, natural colours straight from the camera, but as is customary, the finest results come from carefully processed raw files.
The camera’s default sharpness is a tad on the high side, and lowering the in-camera Sharpness number results in more realistic photographs when viewed at 100% on the screen.
As is customary for Canon, the white balance has a slight tendency to favour warm tones, although this isn’t particularly noticeable, and it typically produces more visually appealing photographs.
However, the performance of Canon’s evaluative metering technology remains inconsistent. It can be excellent in some circumstances, but when there is a lot of contrast, you must be careful since the brightness of the object beneath the active AF point can affect the outcome.
Dark objects can result in overexposed photos while bright ones can fool the camera into underexposing the scene. This is a problem across the whole Canon DSLR lineup, but it stands out as particularly odd in products like the Canon EOS 100D and Canon EOS 700D that the company markets to both amateur and enthusiast photographers.
Few users will be OK with a drastically overexposed landscape because the focus point is under shadow, even though most users want the subject to be properly exposed.
The Canon 700D can clearly record a wide range of tones with a dynamic range of almost 12EV at ISO 200 and ISO 400. To produce a picture with greater punch and higher contrast, these are however compressed in JPEG files. Our dynamic range readings for the Canon 700D are nearly identical to those from the Canon 650D, in contrast to the results for signal to noise ratio.
Our testing show that Canon has enhanced the hybrid focusing system’s performance, which is available in Live View and video mode.
With one of the STM lenses fitted, we discovered that the Canon EOS 700D achieves focus noticeably more quickly than the Canon EOS 650D. The focusing is still not, however, really quick enough to be employed with a moving subject.
The Canon 700D switches back to its more conventional phase detection autofocus mechanism when you utilise the viewfinder to compose your shots. This is effective; even in dim light and with low contrast subjects, each cross-type point swiftly and precisely finds its target.
The one drawback is that, with “only” nine AF points, it’s frequently required to recompose the image after focusing the lens because a point isn’t directly over the subject.
When taking video, Canon’s STM lenses really shine, and the brand-new 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens’s focusing is incredibly silent and smooth when Movie Servo AF is turned on.
In some cases, it can be difficult to notice that the emphasis is gradually shifting since it is so smooth. However, the final product is very high-quality video without any sound of the focusing device in operation.
Even though monochrome photographs made from post-processed raw data typically seem better, it’s always good to envision the final images. Additionally, it’s entertaining to practice in-camera photography. The Monochrome Picture Style on the Canon 700D yields some really good images and allows for subtle coloring. The pictures are frequently prepared for printing.
IMAGE QUALITY AND RESOLUTION
We shot our resolution chart as part of our image quality tests for the Canon EOS 700D.
You can see that the Canon EOS 700D can resolve up to about 22 (line widths per image height x 100) in its highest quality JPEG files at ISO 100 by viewing our crops of the resolution chart’s center portion at 100% (or Actual Pixels).
The chart’s photos captured at each sensitivity level have the following resolution scores, expressed as line widths per picture height multiplied by 100:
JPEG
NOISE AND DYNAMIC RANGE
In order to create the data for the graphs below, we shoot a specially created chart under strictly regulated conditions, analyse the resulting photos using DXO Analyzer software.
A high signal to noise ratio (SNR) denotes an image with higher clarity and quality.
Here we compare the Canon EOS 700D with the Nikon D3200, Canon EOS 650D, Nikon D5200 and Sony Alpha 58.
JPEG signal to noise ratio
The signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the Canon 700D, which replaces the 650D, is marginally lower at lower sensitivity settings than that of the 650D, indicating a somewhat noisier JPEG output. This is likely to provide a little additional information. The SNR of the 700D is relatively similar to that of the 650D above ISO 1600, and both are outperformed by the Nikon D3200, Nikon D5200, and Sony Alpha 58.
Raw signal to noise ratio
Similar to the JPEG files, the raw files from the Canon 700D have a lower SNR than the files from the Canon 650D up to about ISO 3200 after conversion to TIFF. The 700D outperforms the Sony Alpha 58 with the exception of the lower sensitivity settings, however it is competitive with the Nikon D3200 and Nikon D5200.
JPEG dynamic range
Although it falls short of the Sony Alpha 58, Nikon D5200, and Nikon D3200 in terms of JPEG dynamic range, it appears likely that Canon did this on purpose to generate photographs with better contrast and a print-ready appearance.
Raw dynamic range
Given that they share the same sensor and processing engine, it is not unexpected that the dynamic range of the raw file from the Canon 700D (after conversion to TIFF) is extremely similar to that of the Canon 650D. When using ISO 200 and ISO 400, the greatest dynamic range is attained (from where it more-or-less matches those of the Nikon D3200 and Sony Alpha 58). It can capture the broadest range of tones in a single photo since the raw data from the Nikon D5200 (after conversion to TIFF) offer the widest dynamic range at any sensitivity setting.
SAMPLE IMAGES
Although the depth of field was limited by the extension tube, the early morning light-shot offers plenty of detail in the sharp parts. This accurate result was obtained by dialling in an additional 1/3EV exposure.
Composing pictures from difficult angles like these is simple with the variable-angle screen. Another useful feature is the ability to trigger the shutter and even set the AF point with only a touch of the finger on the screen.
Using the Monochrome Picture Style, this toned image was produced in-camera during the shooting process. Fortunately, it is possible to simultaneously capture raw photos, giving you the option of working on a clean file as well.
To capture this shot, we had to raise the exposure by 2/3EV over what the evaluative metering advised. The skin tones are perfect, but it still needs a little post-capture lightening.
The final product has a lot of punch because the camera got the color and exposure just perfect here and there is a tone of detail apparent.
When using the Standard Picture Style, colors are pleasant and colorful without being overly saturated.
SENSITIVITY AND NOISE IMAGES
JPEG
When using the Standard Picture Style, colors are pleasant and colorful without being overly saturated.
ISO 100
ISO 200
ISO 400
ISO 800
ISO 1600
ISO 3200
ISO 6400
ISO 12800
Raw
ISO 100
ISO 200
ISO 400
ISO 800
ISO 1600
ISO 3200
ISO 6400
ISO 12800
VERDICT
A fantastic camera that combines some of the best features of current digital camera technology is the Canon EOS 700D. For those who choose to use it, the camera includes a snappy vari-angle touchscreen that offers a speedier manner of manipulating the camera than buttons and dials. It also has a good sensor that can record a lot of detail.
Anyone looking to start filming movies, shoot from unique angles, or take their photography more seriously should definitely consider this camera. Owners of this slightly older camera need not feel pressured to upgrade because it is only a tiny improvement over the Canon EOS 650D.
The hybrid focus mechanism, however, is noticeably superior; it is more perceptive and quick to react when the shutter release is depressed. However, it is still too slow to be used with moving objects.
However, the Canon 700D produces high-quality video footage without hunting in bright light when Movie Servo AF is used and an STM lens is installed.
The Canon 700D switches to the more conventional phase-detection AF technique while shooting with the camera held to the eye. This system is quick, effective, and useful when photographing a variety of scenes, including sports and activities.
We liked
Photographers can utilize the Canon 700D however they see fit because it offers a comprehensive set of button, dial, and touchscreen controls.
When photographing landscapes, close-ups of objects, or still life, the vari-angle screen shines. You have time to think about the composition and make sure the point of focus is precisely where you want it. When recording video clips, it is also really useful.
We disliked
The Canon EOS 700D has primarily been criticized for being merely a very slight improvement over the Canon EOS 650D and for using the well-known 18MP APS-C format sensor. Why should a business wait to make changes to an existing model, even though this may seem like an unusual action on the part of Canon?
One drawback of using the touchscreen to operate the camera is that the LCD soon becomes coated with greasy streaks and fingerprints, making it difficult to see the photographs in direct sunlight.
It’s unfortunate that Canon didn’t incorporate Wi-Fi capability to enable wireless control of the camera for wildlife photography and cable-free image sharing or make the rating option easier to access when viewing images.
For a while, Nikon persisted with its 12MP sensors, but it has since shifted to 24MP sensors, which have gotten a lot of positive feedback. Although the image quality is excellent, Canon appears to be stuck at 18MP for its APS-C format DSLRs, which some may argue puts it a little behind the curve despite the excellent image quality.
The Nikon D5200 and Sony Alpha 58 outperform the Canon 700D in our lab tests in terms of dynamic range and signal-to-noise ratio.
Final verdict
The Canon EOS 700D is a very powerful and adaptable camera that creates photographs of excellent quality. It has a wide range of features, gives enthusiast photographers the full range of control they want, and offers automatic hand-holding alternatives for less experienced users.
Although our testing shows that they are a touch noisy, the photographs it generates are of quite similar quality to those from the Canon 650D.
With the ability to adjust noise reduction and sharpening to particular settings, the 700D once more emphasizes the advantages of taking raw photographs rather than JPEGs.
We advise against passing judgment on the vari-angle touchscreen before using one. It encourages innovation and is incredibly sensitive. It seems strange that Nikon hasn’t incorporated touchscreen control in a DSLR yet given how frequently we use the technology on various other gadgets.