Nikon D7100 VS Canon 70D
I compare the Nikon D7100 and the Canon 70D; both these camera are very close in performance. Unlike a lot of comparisons this one does not have a clear winner or loser. Both of these cameras have nearly identical image quality characteristics. Which one is highly dependent on what type of photography you do. At first glance the Nikon with it's 6 frame per second burst rate (it does 7 in it's 1.3 crop mode) appears nearly identical to the 7 frame per second burst rate of the Canon; however after a closer look things are quite different. Despite the similar drive speed these cameras differ heavily in terms of their buffer capacity (how many shots you can fire continuously before the camera slows down to write data to the memory card). All testing was done using a high-speed UHS-I SD card that was freshly formatted in each camera before testing. On the 70D it is possible to fire 38 jpeg images before the buffer fills, it manages 12 frames in raw. Things are quite different on the Nikon. In jpeg the camera manages 18 images; raw yields a drastically lower 5 frames. Things are made more interesting on the Nikon because of the 1.3 crop mode, this mode yields a smaller 15 megapixel file. In this mode the camera manages a few more frames; shooting in jpeg gives us 25 images while raw gives us 6. While it could be argued that the Nikon does better all around. For me the choice is clear; if your shooting primarily involves a need for speed the Canon is the clear choice. The Nikon does better in terms of image quality, specifically when it comes to dynamic range. This is apparent in DXO mark testing and other similar tests (I will be doing my own testing at a later date). Nikon also made the choice to eliminate the anti-aliasing filter on the D7100 which in theory allows for greater sharpness in images. Like the differences in DR this is something else we will look at in a future video. These characteristics make the Nikon a better choice for landscape/portrait photography where the slight difference in image quality will matter more than the extra speed. In terms of video capabilities both these cameras are very good in terms of quality. Usability however is quite different; the most drastic difference being the outstanding autofocus performance in video mode on the Canon. Thanks to Canon's new Dual Pixel CMOS AF system (see my full Canon 70D review for more info on this) the 70D is capable of fast phase detect autofocus in video mode. This is worlds better than the contrast detect system found on the Nikon; the Canon also sports a swiveling touch LCD and the ability to embed time code into it's video footage. It is also not necessary to switch off live view when changing aperture. Despite the deficiency in autofocus during video mode the Nikon also sports some interesting video options. Unlike the Canon it is possible to shoot up to 60 fps in 1080i (when in 1.3 crop mode); the Canon can only do 60 fps in 720p. It also outputs a "clean" signal over it's HDMI output which allow capture to an external recorder at even higher quality than what can be recorded internally. Oddly the headphone jack and dual card slots of the Nikon are missing on the Canon. Honestly I feel that any competent videographer could get good video out of either camera. For the average user the Canon is much easier to get good video out of thanks to the excellent autofocus. With the inclusing of dual cards, a headphone jack, and clean HDMI out the Nikon has more features that appeal to a higher end video user. I will be posting a video comparison between both the cameras soon. The Canon also happens to do better in terms of WiFi, it has a built in WiFi module that makes it possible to connect the camera to everything from a smartphone to another camera. When connecting to a computer or a smart device it is possible to change all the manual controls on the camera remotely through an app. This is quite a contrast to the setup on the D7100 which requires the purchase of a separate $60 device (WU-1a). The Nikon option is also fairly limited in it's operation only allowing for connection to smart devices. The Nikon app is also limited to only firing the camera and viewing live view, it is not possibly to change any of the manual exposure settings. We will also be looking at the WiFi options on these camera in a future video. Until then do not forget to subscribe! Also follow me on Twitter/Instagram @PhotogJTheGreat Sample Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/76054444@N02/sets/72157636106877966/ Nikon D7100: Body Only: $1199.99 USD With 18-105 lens: $1599.99 USD 24.1MP APS-C sensor (1.5 crop factor) 3.2" fixed LCD 51 point AF system 6 fps continuous shooting (7 fps in 1.3 15MP crop mode) Canon 70D: Body Only: $1199.99 USD With 18-55 STM lens: $1349.99 USD With 18-135 STM lens: $1549.99 USD 20.2MP APS-C sensor (1.6 crop factor) 3.0" swiveling touch screen LCD 19 point AF system 7 fps continuous shooting
I compare the Nikon D7100 and the Canon 70D; both these camera are very close in performance. Unlike a lot of comparisons this one does not have a clear winner or loser. Both of these cameras have nearly identical image quality characteristics. Which one is highly dependent on what type of photography you do. At first glance the Nikon with it's 6 frame per second burst rate (it does 7 in it's 1.3 crop mode) appears nearly identical to the 7 frame per second burst rate of the Canon; however after a closer look things are quite different. Despite the similar drive speed these cameras differ heavily in terms of their buffer capacity (how many shots you can fire continuously before the camera slows down to write data to the memory card). All testing was done using a high-speed UHS-I SD card that was freshly formatted in each camera before testing. On the 70D it is possible to fire 38 jpeg images before the buffer fills, it manages 12 frames in raw. Things are quite different on the Nikon. In jpeg the camera manages 18 images; raw yields a drastically lower 5 frames. Things are made more interesting on the Nikon because of the 1.3 crop mode, this mode yields a smaller 15 megapixel file. In this mode the camera manages a few more frames; shooting in jpeg gives us 25 images while raw gives us 6. While it could be argued that the Nikon does better all around. For me the choice is clear; if your shooting primarily involves a need for speed the Canon is the clear choice. The Nikon does better in terms of image quality, specifically when it comes to dynamic range. This is apparent in DXO mark testing and other similar tests (I will be doing my own testing at a later date). Nikon also made the choice to eliminate the anti-aliasing filter on the D7100 which in theory allows for greater sharpness in images. Like the differences in DR this is something else we will look at in a future video. These characteristics make the Nikon a better choice for landscape/portrait photography where the slight difference in image quality will matter more than the extra speed. In terms of video capabilities both these cameras are very good in terms of quality. Usability however is quite different; the most drastic difference being the outstanding autofocus performance in video mode on the Canon. Thanks to Canon's new Dual Pixel CMOS AF system (see my full Canon 70D review for more info on this) the 70D is capable of fast phase detect autofocus in video mode. This is worlds better than the contrast detect system found on the Nikon; the Canon also sports a swiveling touch LCD and the ability to embed time code into it's video footage. It is also not necessary to switch off live view when changing aperture. Despite the deficiency in autofocus during video mode the Nikon also sports some interesting video options. Unlike the Canon it is possible to shoot up to 60 fps in 1080i (when in 1.3 crop mode); the Canon can only do 60 fps in 720p. It also outputs a "clean" signal over it's HDMI output which allow capture to an external recorder at even higher quality than what can be recorded internally. Oddly the headphone jack and dual card slots of the Nikon are missing on the Canon. Honestly I feel that any competent videographer could get good video out of either camera. For the average user the Canon is much easier to get good video out of thanks to the excellent autofocus. With the inclusing of dual cards, a headphone jack, and clean HDMI out the Nikon has more features that appeal to a higher end video user. I will be posting a video comparison between both the cameras soon. The Canon also happens to do better in terms of WiFi, it has a built in WiFi module that makes it possible to connect the camera to everything from a smartphone to another camera. When connecting to a computer or a smart device it is possible to change all the manual controls on the camera remotely through an app. This is quite a contrast to the setup on the D7100 which requires the purchase of a separate $60 device (WU-1a). The Nikon option is also fairly limited in it's operation only allowing for connection to smart devices. The Nikon app is also limited to only firing the camera and viewing live view, it is not possibly to change any of the manual exposure settings. We will also be looking at the WiFi options on these camera in a future video. Until then do not forget to subscribe! Also follow me on Twitter/Instagram @PhotogJTheGreat Sample Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/76054444@N02/sets/72157636106877966/ Nikon D7100: Body Only: $1199.99 USD With 18-105 lens: $1599.99 USD 24.1MP APS-C sensor (1.5 crop factor) 3.2" fixed LCD 51 point AF system 6 fps continuous shooting (7 fps in 1.3 15MP crop mode) Canon 70D: Body Only: $1199.99 USD With 18-55 STM lens: $1349.99 USD With 18-135 STM lens: $1549.99 USD 20.2MP APS-C sensor (1.6 crop factor) 3.0" swiveling touch screen LCD 19 point AF system 7 fps continuous shooting