Canon 7D II versus Canon 200D

The Canon EOS 7D Mark II and the Canon EOS 200D (labelled Canon SL2 in some countries) are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in September 2014 and June 2017. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with an APS-C sensor. The 7D Mark II has a resolution of 20 megapixel, whereas the 200D provides 24 MP. Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their size, their sensors, their features, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison: Canon 7D II vs Canon 200D

The physical size and weight of the Canon 7D II and the Canon 200D are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter. If you prefer, you can also use the toggle button to switch to a comparison in percentage terms (in this case, the camera on the left side – the 7D Mark II – represents the basis for the calculations across all the size and weight measures).

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Canon 200D is considerably smaller (32 percent) than the Canon 7D II. Moreover, the 200D is substantially lighter (50 percent) than the 7D Mark II. It is worth mentioning in this context that the 7D Mark II is splash and dust resistant, 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 find an overview of suitable optics in the Canon EF Lens Catalog.

Concerning battery life, the 7D Mark II gets 670 shots out of its LP-E6N battery, while the 200D can take 650 images on a single charge of its LP-E17 power pack.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, just select a new right or left comparator from among the camera models in the table. Alternatively, you can also move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. 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 69 percent) than the 7D Mark II, 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. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison: Canon 7D II vs Canon 200D

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and 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 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 200D is 1 percent smaller. 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.

Despite having a slightly smaller sensor, the 200D offers a higher resolution of 24 megapixel, compared with 20 MP of the 7D Mark II. This megapixel 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 4.10μm for the 7D Mark II). However, it should be noted that the 200D is much more recent (by 2 years and 9 months) than the 7D Mark II, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that make it possible to gather light more efficiently.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. 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"). Of the two cameras under consideration, the 200D has a markedly higher DXO score than the 7D Mark II (overall score 9 points higher), which will translate into better image quality. The advantage is based on 1.2 bits higher color depth, 1.6 EV in additional dynamic range, 0.1 stops of reduced low light sensitivity. The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, and both provide the same movie specifications (1080/60p).

Feature comparison: Canon 7D II vs Canon 200D

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The 7D Mark II and the 200D 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 following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Canon 7D II, the Canon 200D, and comparable cameras. If needed, the dpreview camera hub, for example, contains further detail on the cameras' specs.

Both the 7D Mark II and the 200D are current models that good online retailers will have in stock. You can check the latest prices, for example, at amazon. The 7D Mark II replaced the earlier Canon 7D, while the 200D followed on from the Canon 100D.

Review summary: Canon 7D II vs Canon 200D

So what is the bottom line? Is there a clear favorite between the Canon 7D II and the Canon 200D? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Reasons to prefer the Canon EOS 7D Mark II:

• Easier setting verification: Has an LCD display on top to control shooting parameters.
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (8000/sec vs 4000/sec) to freeze action.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (10 vs 5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Better sealing: Is weather sealed to enable shooting in dusty or wet environments.
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in September 2014).

Arguments in favor of the Canon EOS 200D:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (24 vs 20MP), which boosts linear resolution by 10%.
• Better image quality: Scores markedly higher (9 points) in the DXO overall evaluation.
• Richer colors: Generates noticeably more natural colors (1.2 bits more color depth).
• More dynamic range: Captures a broader range of light and dark details (1.6 EV of extra DR).
• More flexible LCD: Has 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 compact: Is smaller (122x93mm vs 149x112mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
• Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 457g or 50 percent) and is thus easier to take along.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (69 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Reflects 2 years and 9 months of technical progress since the 7D Mark II launch.

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the 200D is the clear winner of the contest (10 : 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.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras is instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it says nothing about, for example, the handling, responsiveness, and overall imaging quality of the 7D Mark II and the 200D in practical situations. 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. This is where reviews by experts come in. The table below summarizes the assessments of some of the best known camera review sites. You can find the full text of the reviews, respectively, at cameralabs.com, dpreview.com, ephotozine.com, imaging-resource.com, and photographyblog.com.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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