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Canon 400D vs 650D

The Canon EOS 400D (called Canon XTi in some regions) and the Canon EOS 650D (labelled Canon T4i in some countries) are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in August 2006 and June 2012. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with an APS-C sensor. The 400D has a resolution of 10.1 megapixels, whereas the 650D provides 17.9 MP.

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

Headline Specifications
Canon 400D
versus
Canon 650D
Canon 400D   Canon 650D
Digital single lens reflex Digital single lens reflex
Canon EF mount lenses Canon EF mount lenses
10.1 MP – APS-C sensor 17.9 MP – APS-C sensor
no Video 1080/30p Video
ISO 100-1,600 ISO 100-12,800 (100 - 25,600)
Optical viewfinder Optical viewfinder
2.5" LCD – 230k dots 3.0" LCD – 1040k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive) Swivel touchscreen
3 shutter flaps per second 5 shutter flaps per second
370 shots per battery charge440 shots per battery charge
127 x 84 x 65 mm, 556 g 133 x 100 x 79 mm, 575 g
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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS 400D and the Canon EOS 650D? 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.

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Body comparison

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Canon 400D and the Canon 650D is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Size Canon 400D vs Canon 650D
Compare 400D versus 650D top
Comparison 400D or 650D rear

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Canon 650D is notably larger (25 percent) than the Canon 400D. Moreover, the 650D is slightly heavier (3 percent) than the 400D. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the 400D nor the 650D are weather-sealed.

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 400D gets 370 shots out of its Canon NB-2LH battery, while the 650D can take 440 images on a single charge of its Canon LP-E8 power pack.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. In case you want to display and compare another camera duo, you can use the CAM-parator app to select your camera combination among a large number of options.

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Body Specifications
# image Camera
Model
Camera
Width
Camera
Height
Camera
Depth
Camera
Weight
Battery
Life
Weather
Sealing
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Canon 400D 127 mm 84 mm 65 mm 556 g 370 n Aug 2006 799ebay.com
2.
 
Canon 650D 133 mm 100 mm 79 mm 575 g 440 n Jun 2012 849ebay.com
3.
 
Canon 750D 132 mm 101 mm 78 mm 555 g 440 n Feb 2015 749ebay.com
4.
 
Canon 760D 132 mm 101 mm 78 mm 565 g 440 n Feb 2015 649ebay.com
5.
 
Canon 700D 133 mm 100 mm 79 mm 580 g 440 n Mar 2013 649ebay.com
6.
 
Canon G1 X 117 mm 81 mm 65 mm 534 g 250 n Jan 2012 799ebay.com
7.
 
Canon 600D 133 mm 100 mm 80 mm 570 g 440 n Feb 2011 599ebay.com
8.
 
Canon 1100D 130 mm 100 mm 78 mm 495 g 700 n Feb 2011 449ebay.com
9.
 
Canon 550D 129 mm 98 mm 62 mm 530 g 440 n Feb 2010 699ebay.com
10.
 
Canon 500D 129 mm 98 mm 62 mm 520 g 400 n Mar 2009 799ebay.com
11.
 
Canon 450D 129 mm 98 mm 62 mm 524 g 500 n Jan 2008 799ebay.com
12.
 
Canon 40D 146 mm 108 mm 74 mm 822 g 750 n Aug 2007 1,299ebay.com
13.
 
Canon 350D 127 mm 94 mm 64 mm 540 g 400 n Feb 2005 899ebay.com
14.
 
Nikon D40X 124 mm 94 mm 64 mm 522 g 520 n Mar 2007 729ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
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Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. The 400D was somewhat cheaper (by 6 percent) than the 650D at launch, but both cameras fall into the same price category. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. 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.

Sensor comparison

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels 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 tend to be more expensive and 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 650D is 1 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 650D uses a more advanced image processing engine (DIGIC 5) than the 400D (DIGIC II), with benefits for noise reduction, color accuracy, and processing speed.

Canon 400D and Canon 650D sensor measures

With 17.9MP, the 650D offers a higher resolution than the 400D (10.1MP), but the 650D has smaller individual pixels (pixel pitch of 4.31μm versus 5.71μm for the 400D). Yet, the 650D is a much more recent model (by 5 years and 9 months) than the 400D, 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 650D implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the 650D for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 25.9 x 17.3 inches or 65.8 x 43.9 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 20.7 x 13.8 inches or 52.7 x 35.1 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 17.3 x 11.5 inches or 43.9 x 29.3 cm. The corresponding values for the Canon 400D are 19.4 x 13 inches or 49.4 x 32.9 cm for good quality, 15.6 x 10.4 inches or 39.5 x 26.3 cm for very good quality, and 13 x 8.6 inches or 32.9 x 21.9 cm for excellent quality prints.

The 650D has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

The Canon EOS 400D has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 1600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Canon EOS 650D are ISO 100 to ISO 12800, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-25600.

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.

400D versus 650D MP

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The Overall DXO ratings for the two cameras under consideration are close, suggesting that they provide similar imaging performance. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

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Sensor Characteristics
# image Camera
Model
Sensor
Class
Resolution
(MP)
Horiz.
Pixels
Vert.
Pixels
Video
Format
DXO
Portrait
DXO
Landscape
DXO
Sports
DXO
Overall
1.
 
Canon 400D APS-C 10.1 3888 2592none22.111.066462
2.
 
Canon 650D APS-C 17.9 5184 34561080/30p21.711.272262
3.
 
Canon 750D APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/30p22.712.091971
4.
 
Canon 760D APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/30p22.612.091570
5.
 
Canon 700D APS-C 17.9 5184 34561080/30p21.711.268161
6.
 
Canon G1 X 1.5-inch 14.2 4352 32641080/24p21.710.864460
7.
 
Canon 600D APS-C 17.9 5184 34561080/30p22.111.579365
8.
 
Canon 1100D APS-C 12.2 4272 2848720/30p21.911.075562
9.
 
Canon 550D APS-C 17.9 5184 34561080/30p22.111.578466
10.
 
Canon 500D APS-C 15.1 4752 31681080/20p21.711.566363
11.
 
Canon 450D APS-C 12.2 4272 2848none21.910.869261
12.
 
Canon 40D APS-C 10.1 3888 2592none22.111.370364
13.
 
Canon 350D APS-C 8.0 3456 2304none21.810.863760
14.
 
Nikon D40X APS-C 10.0 3872 2592none22.411.451663
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Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. The 650D indeed provides for movie recording, while the 400D does not. The highest resolution format that the 650D can use is 1080/30p.

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Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The 400D and the 650D 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 viewfinders of both cameras offer the same field of view (95%), but the viewfinder of the 650D has a higher magnification than the one of the 400D (0.53x vs 0.49x), 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 400D, the Canon 650D, and comparable cameras.

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Core Features
# image 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 400Doptical n2.5 / 230 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
2.
 
Canon 650Doptical n3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/4000s 5.0/s Y n
3.
 
Canon 750Doptical n3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/4000s 5.0/s Y n
4.
 
Canon 760Doptical Y3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/4000s 5.0/s Y n
5.
 
Canon 700Doptical n3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/4000s 5.0/s Y n
6.
 
Canon G1 Xoptical n3.0 / 922 swivel n 1/4000s 1.9/s Y Y
7.
 
Canon 600Doptical n3.0 / 1040 swivel n 1/4000s 3.7/s Y n
8.
 
Canon 1100Doptical n2.7 / 230 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
9.
 
Canon 550Doptical n3.0 / 1040 fixed n 1/4000s 3.7/s Y n
10.
 
Canon 500Doptical n3.0 / 920 fixed n 1/4000s 3.4/s Y n
11.
 
Canon 450Doptical n3.0 / 230 fixed n 1/4000s 3.5/s Y n
12.
 
Canon 40Doptical Y3.0 / 230 fixed n 1/8000s 6.5/s Y n
13.
 
Canon 350Doptical n1.8 / 115 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
14.
 
Nikon D40Xoptical n2.5 / 230 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.
padding

One differentiating feature between the two cameras concerns the touch sensitivity of the rear screen. The 650D has a touchscreen, while the 400D has a conventional panel. Touch control can be particularly helpful, for example, for setting the focus point.

The 650D has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing. This characteristic will be appreciated by vloggers and photographers who are interested in taking selfies. In contrast, the 400D does not have a selfie-screen.

The 400D writes its imaging data to Compact Flash cards, while the 650D uses SDXC cards.

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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 400D and Canon EOS 650D and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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Input-Output Connections
# image Camera
Model
Hotshoe
Port
Internal
Mic / Speaker
Microphone
Port
Headphone
Port
HDMI
Port
USB
Port
WiFi
Support
NFC
Support
Bluetooth
Support
1.
 
Canon 400DY- / ----2.0---
2.
 
Canon 650DYstereo / monoY-mini2.0---
3.
 
Canon 750DYstereo / monoY-mini2.0YY-
4.
 
Canon 760DYstereo / monoY-mini2.0YY-
5.
 
Canon 700DYstereo / monoY-mini2.0---
6.
 
Canon G1 XYstereo / mono--mini2.0---
7.
 
Canon 600DYmono / monoY-mini2.0---
8.
 
Canon 1100DYstereo / mono--mini2.0---
9.
 
Canon 550DYstereo / -Y-mini2.0---
10.
 
Canon 500DYmono / mono--mini2.0---
11.
 
Canon 450DY- / ---mini2.0---
12.
 
Canon 40DY- / ----2.0---
13.
 
Canon 350DY- / ----2.0---
14.
 
Nikon D40XY- / ----2.0---
padding

Both the 400D and the 650D have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The 400D was replaced by the Canon 450D, while the 650D was followed by the Canon 700D. Further information on the features and operation of the 400D and 650D can be found, respectively, in the Canon 400D Manual (free pdf) or the online Canon 650D Manual.

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Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Is the Canon 400D better than the Canon 650D or vice versa? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.


Reasons to prefer the Canon EOS 400D:

  • More compact: Is smaller (127x84mm vs 133x100mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
  • More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in August 2006).


Arguments in favor of the Canon EOS 650D:

  • More detail: Has more megapixels (17.9 vs 10.1MP), which boosts linear resolution by 33%.
  • Better jpgs: Has a more modern image processing engine (DIGIC 5 vs DIGIC II).
  • Broader imaging potential: Can capture not only stills but also 1080/30p video.
  • Better live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
  • Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.53x vs 0.49x).
  • Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.0" vs 2.5") for image review and settings control.
  • More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1040k vs 230k dots).
  • More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
  • Fewer buttons to press: Has a touchscreen to facilitate handling and shooting adjustments.
  • More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
  • Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (5 vs 3 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
  • Longer lasting: Gets more shots (440 versus 370) out of a single battery charge.
  • More modern: Reflects 5 years and 9 months of technical progress since the 400D launch.

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the 650D is the clear winner of the contest (13 : 2 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.

400D 02:13 650D

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Canon 400D and the Canon 650D 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 comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the 400D or the 650D. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The following table reports the overall ratings of the cameras as published by some of the major 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.

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Expert Camera Reviews
# image  Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Canon 400D..+ +..+ +o4/5 Aug 2006 799ebay.com
2.
 
Canon 650D4/5+ +..77/1004.5/54.5/5 Jun 2012 849ebay.com
3.
 
Canon 750D5/5....75/1004.5/54.5/5 Feb 2015 749ebay.com
4.
 
Canon 760D5/5+..77/1004.5/54.5/5 Feb 2015 649ebay.com
5.
 
Canon 700D......76/1004.5/54.5/5 Mar 2013 649ebay.com
6.
 
Canon G1 X5/5+..76/1004/54.5/5 Jan 2012 799ebay.com
7.
 
Canon 600D3/5o..77/1004.5/54.5/5 Feb 2011 599ebay.com
8.
 
Canon 1100D..80/100..69/1004/54.5/5 Feb 2011 449ebay.com
9.
 
Canon 550D..+ +..77/1004/54.5/5 Feb 2010 699ebay.com
10.
 
Canon 500D..+ +..74/1004.5/54.5/5 Mar 2009 799ebay.com
11.
 
Canon 450D..+ +..+ +4/54.5/5 Jan 2008 799ebay.com
12.
 
Canon 40D..+ +..+ +4.5/54.5/5 Aug 2007 1,299ebay.com
13.
 
Canon 350D..80/100..+ +o.. Feb 2005 899ebay.com
14.
 
Nikon D40X..79/100..+ +4/54/5 Mar 2007 729ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.
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The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. 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 would like to check on the differences and similarities of other camera models, just use the search menu below. 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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    Specifications: Canon 400D vs Canon 650D

    Below is a side-by-side comparison of the specs of the two cameras to facilitate a quick review of their differences and common features.

    Camera Specifications
    Camera Model Canon 400D Canon 650D
    Camera Type Digital single lens reflex Digital single lens reflex
    Camera Lens Canon EF mount lenses Canon EF mount lenses
    Launch Date August 2006 June 2012
    Launch Price USD 799 USD 849
    Sensor Specs Canon 400D Canon 650D
    Sensor Technology CMOS CMOS
    Sensor Format APS-C Sensor APS-C Sensor
    Sensor Size 22.2 x 14.8 mm 22.3 x 14.9 mm
    Sensor Area 328.56 mm2 332.27 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 26.7 mm 26.8 mm
    Crop Factor 1.6x 1.6x
    Sensor Resolution 10.1 Megapixels 17.9 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 3888 x 2592 pixels 5184 x 3456 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 5.71 μm 4.31 μm
    Pixel Density 3.07 MP/cm2 5.39 MP/cm2
    Moiré control Anti-Alias filter Anti-Alias filter
    Movie Capability no Video 1080/30p Video
    ISO Setting 100 - 1,600 ISO 100 - 12,800 ISO
    ISO Boost no Enhancement 100 - 25,600 ISO
    Image Processor DIGIC II DIGIC 5
    DXO Sensor Quality (score) 62 62
    DXO Color Depth (bits) 22.1 21.7
    DXO Dynamic Range (EV) 11.0 11.2
    DXO Low Light (ISO) 664 722
    Screen Specs Canon 400D Canon 650D
    Viewfinder Type Optical viewfinder Optical viewfinder
    Viewfinder Field of View 95% 95%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.49x 0.53x
    LCD Framing Live View
    Rear LCD Size 2.5inch 3.0inch
    LCD Resolution 230k dots 1040k dots
    LCD Attachment Fixed screen Swivel screen
    Touch Input no Touchscreen Touchscreen
    Shooting Specs Canon 400D Canon 650D
    Focus System Phase-detect AF Phase-detect AF
    Continuous Shooting 3 shutter flaps/s 5 shutter flaps/s
    Shutter Life Expectancy50 000 actuations100 000 actuations
    Fill Flash Built-in Flash Built-in Flash
    Storage Medium CF cards SDXC cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Single card slot Single card slot
    Connectivity Specs Canon 400D Canon 650D
    External Flash Hotshoe Hotshoe
    USB Connector USB 2.0 USB 2.0
    HDMI Port no HDMI mini HDMI
    Microphone Port no MIC socket External MIC port
    Wifi Support no Wifi no Wifi
    Body Specs Canon 400D Canon 650D
    Battery Type Canon NB-2LH Canon LP-E8
    Battery Life (CIPA)370 shots per charge440 shots per charge
    Body Dimensions 127 x 84 x 65 mm
    (5.0 x 3.3 x 2.6 in)
    133 x 100 x 79 mm
    (5.2 x 3.9 x 3.1 in)
    Camera Weight 556 g (19.6 oz) 575 g (20.3 oz)
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