Canon 77D vs Contax N Digital

The Canon EOS 77D and the Contax N Digital are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in February 2017 and February 2002. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are based on an APS-C (77D) and a full frame (N Digital) sensor. The Canon has a resolution of 24 megapixels, whereas the Contax provides 6.1 MP.

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

Headline Specifications

Canon 77D		Contax N Digital
Digital single lens reflex		Digital single lens reflex
Canon EF mount lenses		Contax N mount lenses
24 MP – APS-C sensor		6.1 MP – Full Frame sensor
1080/60p Video		no Video
ISO 100-25,600 (100 - 51,200)		ISO 50-1,600
Optical viewfinder		Optical viewfinder
3.0" LCD – 1040k dots		2.0" LCD – 200k dots
Swivel touchscreen		Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
6 shutter flaps per second		4 shutter flaps per second
600 shots per battery charge		100 shots per battery charge
131 x 100 x 76 mm, 540 g		152 x 138 x 80 mm, 990 g

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Check N Digital offers at
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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS 77D and the Contax N Digital? 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

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Canon 77D and the Contax N Digital. 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 dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Contax N Digital is considerably larger (60 percent) than the Canon 77D. Moreover, the N Digital is substantially heavier (83 percent) than the 77D. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the 77D nor the N Digital 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. Hence, you might want to study and compare the specifications of available lenses in order to get the full picture of the size and weight of the two camera systems.

As can be seen in the images above, the N Digital has a battery grip built in. This facilitates image-taking in portrait orientation and gives it additional battery power. In order to provide similar functionality for the 77D, there are third party battery grips available as optional accessories (see here on ebay).

The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. 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	Street Price
1.		Canon 77D	131 mm	100 mm	76 mm	540 g	600	n	Feb 2017	US$ 899	ebay.com
2.		Contax N Digital	152 mm	138 mm	80 mm	990 g	100	n	Feb 2002	US$ 7 399	ebay.com
3.		Canon 10D	150 mm	107 mm	75 mm	850 g	500	n	Feb 2003	US$ 1 999	ebay.com
4.		Canon D60	150 mm	107 mm	75 mm	855 g	620	n	Feb 2002	US$ 2 999	ebay.com
5.		Canon M5	116 mm	89 mm	61 mm	427 g	295	n	Sep 2016	US$ 979	ebay.com
6.		Canon M6	112 mm	68 mm	45 mm	390 g	295	n	Feb 2017	US$ 779	ebay.com
7.		Canon SL2	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	453 g	650	n	Jun 2017	US$ 549	ebay.com
8.		Canon T4i	133 mm	100 mm	79 mm	575 g	440	n	Jun 2012	US$ 849	ebay.com
9.		Canon T6	129 mm	101 mm	78 mm	485 g	500	n	Mar 2016	US$ 449	ebay.com
10.		Canon T6i	132 mm	101 mm	78 mm	555 g	440	n	Feb 2015	US$ 749	ebay.com
11.		Canon T6s	132 mm	101 mm	78 mm	565 g	440	n	Feb 2015	US$ 649	ebay.com
12.		Canon T7	129 mm	101 mm	78 mm	475 g	500	n	Feb 2018	US$ 449	amazon.com
13.		Canon T7i	131 mm	100 mm	76 mm	532 g	600	n	Feb 2017	US$ 749	ebay.com
14.		Canon T8i	131 mm	103 mm	76 mm	515 g	800	n	Feb 2020	US$ 749	ebay.com
15.		Leica M9	139 mm	80 mm	37 mm	585 g	550	n	Sep 2009	US$ 7 999	ebay.com
16.		Leica M10	139 mm	80 mm	39 mm	660 g	210	Y	Jan 2017	US$ 6 599	ebay.com
17.		Leica SL	147 mm	104 mm	39 mm	847 g	400	Y	Oct 2015	US$ 7 449	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 77D was launched at a markedly lower price (by 88 percent) than the N Digital, which puts it into a different market segment. 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. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Canon 77D features an APS-C sensor and the Contax N Digital a full frame sensor. The sensor area in the N Digital is 160 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 1.6 and 1.0. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Despite having a smaller sensor, the Canon 77D offers a higher resolution of 24 megapixels, compared with 6.1 MP of the Contax N Digital. This megapixels advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 3.72μm versus 11.90μm for the N Digital). However, it should be noted that the 77D is much more recent (by 14 years and 11 months) than the N Digital, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that make it possible to gather light more efficiently.

The resolution advantage of the Canon 77D implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the 77D for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 30 x 20 inches or 76.2 x 50.8 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 24 x 16 inches or 61 x 40.6 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 20 x 13.3 inches or 50.8 x 33.9 cm. The corresponding values for the Contax N Digital are 15.2 x 10 inches or 38.6 x 25.5 cm for good quality, 12.2 x 8 inches or 30.9 x 20.4 cm for very good quality, and 10.1 x 6.7 inches or 25.7 x 17 cm for excellent quality prints.

The 77D has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

The Canon EOS 77D has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 25600, which can be extended to ISO 100-51200. The corresponding ISO settings for the Contax N Digital are ISO 50 to ISO 1600 (no boost).

In terms of underlying technology, the 77D is build around a CMOS sensor, while the N Digital uses a CCD imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. 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 77D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.3	971	78
2.		Contax N Digital	Full Frame	6.1	3040	2008	none	21.5	10.5	1283	59
3.		Canon 10D	APS-C	6.3	3072	2048	none	21.1	10.9	571	57
4.		Canon D60	APS-C	6.3	3072	2048	none	20.3	9.8	301	47
5.		Canon M5	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.4	12.4	1262	77
6.		Canon M6	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.4	12.6	1317	78
7.		Canon SL2	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.4	1041	79
8.		Canon T4i	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.7	11.2	722	62
9.		Canon T6	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.0	11.7	781	66
10.		Canon T6i	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.7	12.0	919	71
11.		Canon T6s	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.6	12.0	915	70
12.		Canon T7	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	23.8	13.3	1684	81
13.		Canon T7i	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.7	13.1	1586	80
14.		Canon T8i	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	24.0	13.5	1873	83
15.		Leica M9	Full Frame	18.1	5212	3472	none	22.5	11.7	884	69
16.		Leica M10	Full Frame	23.8	5952	3992	none	24.4	13.2	2133	86
17.		Leica SL	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	25.0	13.4	1821	88
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 can also record movies. The 77D indeed provides movie recording capabilities, while the N Digital does not. The highest resolution format that the 77D can use is 1080/60p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The 77D and the N Digital 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 N Digital has a higher magnification than the one of the 77D (0.73x vs 0.51x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Canon 77D and Contax N Digital along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

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 77D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
2.		Contax N Digital	optical	Y	2.0 / 200	fixed	n	1/8000s	4.0/s	n	n
3.		Canon 10D	optical	Y	1.8 / 118	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
4.		Canon D60	optical	Y	1.8 / 114	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
5.		Canon M5	2360	n	3.2 / 1620	tilting	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	Y	n
6.		Canon M6	optional	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	Y	n
7.		Canon SL2	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
8.		Canon T4i	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
9.		Canon T6	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
10.		Canon T6i	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
11.		Canon T6s	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
12.		Canon T7	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
13.		Canon T7i	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
14.		Canon T8i	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	7.5/s	Y	n
15.		Leica M9	optical	n	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.0/s	n	n
16.		Leica M10	optical	n	3.0 / 1037	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	n	n
17.		Leica SL	4400	Y	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/8000s	11.0/s	n	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The 77D has one, while the N Digital does not. While the built-in flash of the 77D is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.

The Canon 77D 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.

The 77D writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the N Digital uses Compact Flash cards.

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 77D and Contax N Digital 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 77D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
2.		Contax N Digital	Y	- / -	-	-	-	FW	-	-	-
3.		Canon 10D	Y	- / -	-	-	-	1.1	-	-	-
4.		Canon D60	Y	- / -	-	-	-	1.1	-	-	-
5.		Canon M5	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
6.		Canon M6	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
7.		Canon SL2	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
8.		Canon T4i	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
9.		Canon T6	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
10.		Canon T6i	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
11.		Canon T6s	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
12.		Canon T7	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
13.		Canon T7i	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
14.		Canon T8i	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	Y
15.		Leica M9	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
16.		Leica M10	Y	- / -	-	-	-	-	Y	-	-
17.		Leica SL	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.0	Y	-	-

It is notable that the 77D offers wifi support, while the N Digital does not. Wifi can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location.

Studio photographers will appreciate that the Contax N Digital (unlike the 77D) features a PC Sync socket, so that professional strobe lights can be controlled by the camera.

Both the 77D and the N Digital have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. Neither of the two has a direct successor, so they represent the end of the respective camera lines from Canon and Contax. Further information on the two cameras (e.g. user guides, manuals), as well as related accessories, can be found on the official Canon and Contax websites.

Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Is the Canon 77D better than the Contax N Digital or vice versa? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Arguments in favor of the Canon EOS 77D:

• More detail: Offers more megapixels (24 vs 6.1MP) with a 98% higher linear resolution.
• Broader imaging potential: Can record not only still images but also 1080/60p movies.
• Better live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.0" vs 2.0") for image review and settings control.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1040k vs 200k dots).
• More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• Fewer buttons to press: Is equipped with a touch-sensitive rear screen to facilitate handling.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (6 vs 4 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
• More compact: Is smaller (131x100mm vs 152x138mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 450g or 45 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• Longer lasting: Can take more shots (600 versus 100) on a single battery charge.
• Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.
• Easier file upload: Has wifi built in for automatic backup or image transfer to the web.
• Easier device pairing: Supports NFC for fast wireless image transfer over short distances.
• Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (88 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Reflects 14 years and 11 months of technical progress since the N Digital launch.

Advantages of the Contax N Digital:

• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.73x vs 0.51x).
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
• More portrait friendly: Features an integrated vertical grip for easier portrait shooting.
• Better studio light control: Has a PC Sync socket to connect to professional strobe lights.
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in February 2002).

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the 77D is the clear winner of the match-up (19 : 5 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports 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 77D and the Contax N Digital 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 incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the 77D or the N Digital perform in practice. 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 why hands-on reviews by experts are important. 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	Street Price
1.		Canon 77D	4.5/5	..	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2017	US$ 899	ebay.com
2.		Contax N Digital	..	..	..	..	..	..	Feb 2002	US$ 7 399	ebay.com
3.		Canon 10D	..	..	..	+ +	..	..	Feb 2003	US$ 1 999	ebay.com
4.		Canon D60	..	..	..	+ +	o	..	Feb 2002	US$ 2 999	ebay.com
5.		Canon M5	4/5	+	4/5	82/100	4/5	4/5	Sep 2016	US$ 979	ebay.com
6.		Canon M6	..	..	..	80/100	4/5	4/5	Feb 2017	US$ 779	ebay.com
7.		Canon SL2	4/5	+ +	4/5	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2017	US$ 549	ebay.com
8.		Canon T4i	4/5	+ +	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2012	US$ 849	ebay.com
9.		Canon T6	4/5	o	4/5	73/100	4/5	4/5	Mar 2016	US$ 449	ebay.com
10.		Canon T6i	5/5	..	..	75/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	US$ 749	ebay.com
11.		Canon T6s	5/5	+	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	US$ 649	ebay.com
12.		Canon T7	..	o	3.5/5	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Feb 2018	US$ 449	amazon.com
13.		Canon T7i	4.5/5	..	3.5/5	80/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2017	US$ 749	ebay.com
14.		Canon T8i	4.5/5	+	3/5	80/100	4/5	3.5/5	Feb 2020	US$ 749	ebay.com
15.		Leica M9	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	..	Sep 2009	US$ 7 999	ebay.com
16.		Leica M10	4.5/5	..	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Jan 2017	US$ 6 599	ebay.com
17.		Leica SL	4/5	..	4/5	84/100	4.5/5	4/5	Oct 2015	US$ 7 449	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. 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. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

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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. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.

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