Canon 200D vs 90D

The Canon EOS 200D (called Canon SL2 in some regions) and the Canon EOS 90D are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in June 2017 and August 2019. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with an APS-C sensor. The 200D has a resolution of 24 megapixels, whereas the 90D provides 32.3 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Canon 200D		Canon 90D
Digital single lens reflex		Digital single lens reflex
Canon EF mount lenses		Canon EF mount lenses
24 MP – APS-C sensor		32.3 MP – APS-C sensor
1080/60p Video		4K/30p Video
ISO 100-25,600 (100 - 51,200)		ISO 100-25,600 (100 - 51,200)
Optical viewfinder		Optical viewfinder
3.0" LCD – 1040k dots		3.0" LCD – 1040k dots
Swivel touchscreen		Swivel touchscreen
5 shutter flaps per second		11 shutter flaps per second
not weather sealed		Weathersealed body
650 shots per battery charge		1300 shots per battery charge
122 x 93 x 70 mm, 453 g		141 x 105 x 77 mm, 701 g

Check 200D offers at
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Check 90D price at
amazon.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS 200D and the Canon EOS 90D? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Canon 200D and the Canon 90D is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The 200D can be obtained in two different colors (black, white), while the 90D is only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Canon 90D is notably larger (30 percent) than the Canon 200D. Moreover, the 90D is substantially heavier (55 percent) than the 200D. It is noteworthy in this context that the 90D is splash and dust-proof, while the 200D does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses. You can compare the optics available in the Canon EF Lens Catalog.

Concerning battery life, the 200D gets 650 shots out of its Canon LP-E17 battery, while the 90D can take 1300 images on a single charge of its Canon LP-E6N power pack.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.

Body Specifications

#		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Canon 200D	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	453 g	650	n	Jun 2017	549	ebay.com
2.		Canon 90D	141 mm	105 mm	77 mm	701 g	1300	Y	Aug 2019	1,199	amazon.com
3.		Canon 250D	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	449 g	1070	n	Apr 2019	599	amazon.com
4.		Canon 2000D	129 mm	101 mm	78 mm	475 g	500	n	Feb 2018	449	amazon.com
5.		Canon R	139 mm	98 mm	84 mm	660 g	370	Y	Sep 2018	2,299	ebay.com
6.		Canon 77D	131 mm	100 mm	76 mm	540 g	600	n	Feb 2017	899	ebay.com
7.		Canon 800D	131 mm	100 mm	76 mm	532 g	600	n	Feb 2017	749	ebay.com
8.		Canon G9 X Mark II	98 mm	58 mm	31 mm	206 g	235	n	Jan 2017	529	ebay.com
9.		Canon M100	108 mm	67 mm	35 mm	302 g	295	n	Aug 2017	499	ebay.com
10.		Canon 80D	139 mm	105 mm	79 mm	730 g	960	Y	Feb 2016	1,199	ebay.com
11.		Canon M5	116 mm	89 mm	61 mm	427 g	295	n	Sep 2016	979	ebay.com
12.		Canon 760D	132 mm	101 mm	78 mm	565 g	440	n	Feb 2015	649	ebay.com
13.		Canon 70D	139 mm	104 mm	79 mm	755 g	920	Y	Jul 2013	1,199	ebay.com
14.		Canon 100D	117 mm	91 mm	69 mm	407 g	380	n	Mar 2013	549	ebay.com
15.		Canon 60D	145 mm	106 mm	79 mm	755 g	1100	Y	Aug 2010	1,399	ebay.com
16.		Canon 50D	146 mm	108 mm	74 mm	822 g	800	Y	Aug 2008	1,299	ebay.com
17.		Nikon D3400	124 mm	98 mm	76 mm	445 g	1200	n	Aug 2016	499	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The 200D was launched at a markedly lower price (by 54 percent) than the 90D, which puts it into a different market segment. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the 90D is 2 percent bigger. They nevertheless have the same format factor of 1.6. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Technology-wise, the 90D uses a more advanced image processing engine (DIGIC 8) than the 200D (DIGIC 7), with benefits for noise reduction, color accuracy, and processing speed.

With 32.3MP, the 90D offers a higher resolution than the 200D (24MP), but the 90D has smaller individual pixels (pixel pitch of 3.23μm versus 3.72μm for the 200D). Yet, the 90D is a much more recent model (by 2 years and 1 month) than the 200D, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units.

The resolution advantage of the Canon 90D implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the 90D for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 34.8 x 23.2 inches or 88.4 x 58.9 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 27.8 x 18.6 inches or 70.7 x 47.1 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 23.2 x 15.5 inches or 58.9 x 39.3 cm. The corresponding values for the Canon 200D are 30 x 20 inches or 76.2 x 50.8 cm for good quality, 24 x 16 inches or 61 x 40.6 cm for very good quality, and 20 x 13.3 inches or 50.8 x 33.9 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Canon EOS 200D has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 25600, which can be extended to ISO 100-51200. The Canon EOS 90D offers exactly the same ISO settings.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

#		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Canon 200D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.4	1041	79
2.		Canon 90D	APS-C	32.3	6960	4640	4K/30p	24.0	13.5	1848	83
3.		Canon 250D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/25p	23.9	13.4	1791	82
4.		Canon 2000D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.6	11.9	1009	71
5.		Canon R	Full Frame	30.1	6720	4480	4K/30p	24.5	13.5	2742	89
6.		Canon 77D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.3	971	78
7.		Canon 800D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.7	13.1	1586	80
8.		Canon G9 X Mark II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	21.9	12.5	522	65
9.		Canon M100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.5	12.9	1272	78
10.		Canon 80D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.2	1135	79
11.		Canon M5	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.4	12.4	1262	77
12.		Canon 760D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.6	12.0	915	70
13.		Canon 70D	APS-C	20.0	5472	3648	1080/30p	22.5	11.6	926	68
14.		Canon 100D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.8	11.3	843	63
15.		Canon 60D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.2	11.5	813	66
16.		Canon 50D	APS-C	15.1	4752	3168	none	21.8	11.4	696	63
17.		Nikon D3400	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.8	13.9	1192	86
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the 90D provides a better video resolution than the 200D. It can shoot movie footage at 4K/30p, while the 200D is limited to 1080/60p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The 200D and the 90D are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinder in the 90D offers a wider field of view (100%) than the one in the 200D (95%), so that a larger proportion of the captured image is visible in the finder. In addition, the viewfinder of the 90D has a higher magnification (0.59x vs 0.54x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Canon 200D, the Canon 90D, and comparable cameras.

Core Features

#		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Canon 200D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
2.		Canon 90D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/8000s	11.0/s	Y	n
3.		Canon 250D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
4.		Canon 2000D	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
5.		Canon R	3690	Y	3.2 / 2100	swivel	Y	1/8000s	8.0/s	n	n
6.		Canon 77D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
7.		Canon 800D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
8.		Canon G9 X Mark II	none	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/2000s	8.2/s	Y	Y
9.		Canon M100	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.1/s	Y	n
10.		Canon 80D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/8000s	7.0/s	Y	n
11.		Canon M5	2360	n	3.2 / 1620	tilting	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	Y	n
12.		Canon 760D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
13.		Canon 70D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/8000s	7.0/s	Y	n
14.		Canon 100D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/4000s	4.9/s	Y	n
15.		Canon 60D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	n	1/8000s	5.3/s	Y	n
16.		Canon 50D	optical	Y	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/8000s	6.3/s	Y	n
17.		Nikon D3400	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One feature that is present on the 90D, but is missing on the 200D is a top-level LCD. While being, of course, smaller than the rear screen, the control panel conveys some of the essential shooting information and can be convenient for quick and easy settings verification.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the 90D is one of those camera that have an additional electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Canon 90D has an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the 200D and the 90D write their files to SDXC cards. The 90D supports UHS-II cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 312 MB/s), while the 200D can use UHS-I cards (up to 104 MB/s).

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS 200D and Canon EOS 90D and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

#		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Canon 200D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
2.		Canon 90D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	Y	-	Y
3.		Canon 250D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	Y
4.		Canon 2000D	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
5.		Canon R	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.1	Y	-	Y
6.		Canon 77D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
7.		Canon 800D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
8.		Canon G9 X Mark II	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
9.		Canon M100	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
10.		Canon 80D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
11.		Canon M5	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
12.		Canon 760D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
13.		Canon 70D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
14.		Canon 100D	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
15.		Canon 60D	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
16.		Canon 50D	Y	- / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
17.		Nikon D3400	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	Y

It is notable that the 90D has a headphone jack, which makes it possible to attach external headphones and monitor the quality of sound during the recording process. The 200D lacks such a headphone port.

The 90D is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Canon. In contrast, the 200D has been discontinued (but can be found pre-owned on ebay). As a replacement in the same line of cameras, the 200D was succeeded by the Canon 250D. Further information on the features and operation of the 200D and 90D can be found, respectively, in the Canon 200D Manual (free pdf) or the online Canon 90D Manual.

Review summary

So how do things add up? Which of the two cameras – the Canon 200D or the Canon 90D – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Arguments in favor of the Canon EOS 200D:

• More compact: Is smaller (122x93mm vs 141x105mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 248g or 35 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• Easier device pairing: Supports NFC for fast wireless image transfer over short distances.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (54 percent cheaper at launch).
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in June 2017).

Reasons to prefer the Canon EOS 90D:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (32.3 vs 24MP), which boosts linear resolution by 16%.
• Better jpgs: Has a more modern image processing engine (DIGIC 8 vs DIGIC 7).
• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/30p vs 1080/60p).
• Better sound control: Has a headphone port that enables audio monitoring while recording.
• More complete view: Has a viewfinder with a larger field of view (100% vs 95%).
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.59x vs 0.54x).
• Easier setting verification: Features a control panel on top to check shooting parameters.
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (11 vs 5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
• Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (1300 versus 650) out of a single battery charge.
• Better sealing: Is splash and dust sealed for shooting in inclement weather conditions.
• Faster buffer clearing: Supports a more advanced SD data transfer standard (UHS-II vs UHS-I).
• More modern: Reflects 2 years and 1 month of technical progress since the 200D launch.

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the 90D is the clear winner of the contest (15 : 5 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Canon 200D and the Canon 90D place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the 200D or the 90D. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is where reviews by experts come in. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

#		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Canon 200D	4/5	+ +	4/5	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2017	549	ebay.com
2.		Canon 90D	4/5	+	4.5/5	85/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2019	1,199	amazon.com
3.		Canon 250D	4/5	o	4.5/5	79/100	4/5	4/5	Apr 2019	599	amazon.com
4.		Canon 2000D	3/5	o	3.5/5	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Feb 2018	449	amazon.com
5.		Canon R	4/5	o	4/5	79/100	4.5/5	4/5	Sep 2018	2,299	ebay.com
6.		Canon 77D	4.5/5	..	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2017	899	ebay.com
7.		Canon 800D	4.5/5	..	3.5/5	80/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2017	749	ebay.com
8.		Canon G9 X Mark II	4/5	..	4/5	75/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2017	529	ebay.com
9.		Canon M100	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	3.5/5	Aug 2017	499	ebay.com
10.		Canon 80D	4/5	+ +	4.5/5	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2016	1,199	ebay.com
11.		Canon M5	4/5	+	4/5	82/100	4/5	4/5	Sep 2016	979	ebay.com
12.		Canon 760D	5/5	+	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	649	ebay.com
13.		Canon 70D	5/5	+ +	..	83/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jul 2013	1,199	ebay.com
14.		Canon 100D	4/5	+	..	78/100	4/5	4/5	Mar 2013	549	ebay.com
15.		Canon 60D	5/5	+	..	79/100	4/5	4.5/5	Aug 2010	1,399	ebay.com
16.		Canon 50D	..	+ +	..	+ +	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2008	1,299	ebay.com
17.		Nikon D3400	4/5	+	4/5	76/100	4/5	4.5/5	Aug 2016	499	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make your choice using the following search menu. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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