Canon M200 vs SL2

The Canon EOS M200 and the Canon EOS Rebel SL2 (labelled Canon 200D in some countries) are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in September 2019 and June 2017. The M200 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, while the SL2 is a DSLR. Both cameras are equipped with an APS-C sensor. Both cameras offer a resolution of 24 megapixels.

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

Headline Specifications

Canon M200		Canon SL2
Mirrorless system camera		Digital single lens reflex
Canon EF-M mount lenses		Canon EF mount lenses
24 MP – APS-C sensor		24 MP – APS-C sensor
4k/25p Video		1080/60p Video
ISO 100-25,600		ISO 100-25,600 (100 - 51,200)
No viewfinder, LCD framing		Optical viewfinder
3.0" LCD – 1040k dots		3.0" LCD – 1040k dots
Tilting touchscreen		Swivel touchscreen
6.1 shutter flaps per second		5 shutter flaps per second
315 shots per battery charge		650 shots per battery charge
108 x 67 x 35 mm, 299 g		122 x 93 x 70 mm, 453 g

Check M200 price at
amazon.com
Check SL2 offers at
ebay.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS M200 and the Canon EOS Rebel SL2? 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 M200 and the Canon SL2. 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 dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Both cameras are available in two different colors (black, white).

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Canon SL2 is considerably larger (57 percent) than the Canon M200. Moreover, the SL2 is substantially heavier (52 percent) than the M200. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the M200 nor the SL2 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.

Concerning battery life, the M200 gets 315 shots out of its LP-E12 battery, while the SL2 can take 650 images on a single charge of its LP-E17 power pack.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. 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 M200	108 mm	67 mm	35 mm	299 g	315	n	Sep 2019	549	amazon.com
2.		Canon SL2	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	453 g	650	n	Jun 2017	549	ebay.com
3.		Canon M50 Mark II	116 mm	88 mm	59 mm	387 g	305	n	Oct 2020	599	amazon.com
4.		Canon 250D	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	449 g	1070	n	Apr 2019	599	amazon.com
5.		Canon G5 X Mark II	111 mm	61 mm	46 mm	340 g	230	n	Jul 2019	899	amazon.com
6.		Canon G7 X Mark III	105 mm	61 mm	41 mm	304 g	235	n	Jul 2019	749	amazon.com
7.		Canon M50	116 mm	88 mm	59 mm	390 g	235	n	Feb 2018	779	ebay.com
8.		Canon SX740	110 mm	64 mm	40 mm	299 g	265	n	Jul 2018	399	amazon.com
9.		Canon T7	129 mm	101 mm	78 mm	475 g	500	n	Feb 2018	449	amazon.com
10.		Canon SX70	127 mm	91 mm	117 mm	608 g	325	n	Sep 2018	549	amazon.com
11.		Canon 77D	131 mm	100 mm	76 mm	540 g	600	n	Feb 2017	899	ebay.com
12.		Canon M100	108 mm	67 mm	35 mm	302 g	295	n	Aug 2017	499	ebay.com
13.		Canon T6	129 mm	101 mm	78 mm	485 g	500	n	Mar 2016	449	ebay.com
14.		Canon M10	108 mm	67 mm	35 mm	301 g	255	n	Oct 2015	499	ebay.com
15.		Canon T6s	132 mm	101 mm	78 mm	565 g	440	n	Feb 2015	649	ebay.com
16.		Canon SL1	117 mm	91 mm	69 mm	407 g	380	n	Mar 2013	549	ebay.com
17.		Fujifilm XF10	113 mm	64 mm	41 mm	279 g	330	n	Jul 2018	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

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. 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 two cameras under review were launched at the same price and fall into the same 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.

Sensor comparison

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. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its 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 and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.6. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

In terms of chip-set technology, the M200 uses a more advanced image processing engine (DIGIC 8) than the SL2 (DIGIC 7), with benefits for noise reduction, color accuracy, and processing speed.

The two cameras under review do not only share the same sensor size, but also offer an identical resolution of 24 megapixels. This similarity in sensor specs implies that both the M200 and the SL2 have the same pixel density, as well as the same pixel size. It should, however, be noted that the M200 is much more recent (by 2 years and 2 months) than the SL2, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time.

The Canon EOS M200 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 25600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Canon EOS Rebel SL2 are ISO 100 to ISO 25600, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-51200.

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.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. 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 following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Canon M200	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4k/25p	24.0	13.5	1836	82
2.		Canon SL2	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.4	1041	79
3.		Canon M50 Mark II	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	24.0	13.6	1939	83
4.		Canon 250D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/25p	23.9	13.4	1791	82
5.		Canon G5 X Mark II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.2	12.4	583	65
6.		Canon G7 X Mark III	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.2	12.4	583	65
7.		Canon M50	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	23.8	13.3	1684	81
8.		Canon SX740	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	20.6	12.1	1050	51
9.		Canon T7	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	23.8	13.3	1684	81
10.		Canon SX70	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	20.6	12.1	1063	51
11.		Canon 77D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.3	971	78
12.		Canon M100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.5	12.9	1272	78
13.		Canon T6	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.0	11.7	781	66
14.		Canon M10	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.2	11.4	753	65
15.		Canon T6s	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.6	12.0	915	70
16.		Canon SL1	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.8	11.3	843	63
17.		Fujifilm XF10	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/15p	24.0	13.4	1844	83
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, but the M200 provides a higher video resolution than the SL2. It can shoot video footage at 4k/25p, while the SL2 is limited to 1080/60p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. For example, the SL2 has an optical viewfinder, which can be very useful when shooting in bright sunlight. In contrast, the M200 relies on live view and the rear LCD for framing. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Canon M200, the Canon SL2, 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 M200	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.1/s	Y	n
2.		Canon SL2	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
3.		Canon M50 Mark II	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
4.		Canon 250D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
5.		Canon G5 X Mark II	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	30/s	Y	Y
6.		Canon G7 X Mark III	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	30/s	Y	Y
7.		Canon M50	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
8.		Canon SX740	none	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/3200s	10.0/s	Y	Y
9.		Canon T7	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
10.		Canon SX70	2360	n	3.0 / 922	swivel	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
11.		Canon 77D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
12.		Canon M100	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.1/s	Y	n
13.		Canon T6	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
14.		Canon M10	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	4.6/s	Y	n
15.		Canon T6s	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
16.		Canon SL1	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/4000s	4.9/s	Y	n
17.		Fujifilm XF10	none	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
Notes: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The Canon SL2 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 M200 and the SL2 write their files to SDXC cards. Both cameras can use UHS-I cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of 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 M200 and Canon EOS Rebel SL2 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 M200	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
2.		Canon SL2	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
3.		Canon M50 Mark II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
4.		Canon 250D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	Y
5.		Canon G5 X Mark II	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
6.		Canon G7 X Mark III	-	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
7.		Canon M50	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
8.		Canon SX740	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
9.		Canon T7	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
10.		Canon SX70	-	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
11.		Canon 77D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
12.		Canon M100	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
13.		Canon T6	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
14.		Canon M10	-	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
15.		Canon T6s	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
16.		Canon SL1	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
17.		Fujifilm XF10	-	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y

It is notable that the SL2 has a microphone port, which can help to improve the quality of audio recordings by attaching an external microphone. The M200 does not feature such a mic input.

The M200 is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Canon. In contrast, the SL2 has been discontinued (but can be found pre-owned on ebay). As a replacement in the same line of cameras, the SL2 was succeeded by the Canon SL2. Further information on the features and operation of the M200 and SL2 can be found, respectively, in the Canon M200 Manual (free pdf) or the online Canon SL2 Manual.

Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Is the Canon M200 better than the Canon SL2 or vice versa? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Arguments in favor of the Canon EOS M200:

• Better jpgs: Has a more modern image processing engine (DIGIC 8 vs DIGIC 7).
• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4k/25p vs 1080/60p).
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (6.1 vs 5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• More compact: Is smaller (108x67mm vs 122x93mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 154g or 34 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• More legacy lens friendly: Can take a broad range of non-native lenses via adapters.
• More modern: Reflects 2 years and 2 months of technical progress since the SL2 launch.

Reasons to prefer the Canon EOS Rebel SL2:

• Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
• Easier framing: Has an optical viewfinder for image composition and settings control.
• More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (650 versus 315) out of a single battery charge.
• Better lighting: Features a hotshoe and can thus hold and trigger an external flash gun.
• Easier device pairing: Supports NFC for fast wireless image transfer over short distances.
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in June 2017).

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the SL2 comes out slightly ahead of the M200 (8 : 7 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 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 M200 and the Canon SL2 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera and Best DSLR Camera listings 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 incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the M200 or the SL2 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 expert reviews 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 (USD)	Street Price
1.		Canon M200	..	+	3/5	79/100	4/5	4/5	Sep 2019	549	amazon.com
2.		Canon SL2	4/5	+ +	4/5	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2017	549	ebay.com
3.		Canon M50 Mark II	4/5	..	4/5	..	4.5/5	3.5/5	Oct 2020	599	amazon.com
4.		Canon 250D	4/5	o	4.5/5	79/100	4/5	4/5	Apr 2019	599	amazon.com
5.		Canon G5 X Mark II	4/5	+	4/5	82/100	..	4/5	Jul 2019	899	amazon.com
6.		Canon G7 X Mark III	..	+ +	4/5	81/100	4/5	..	Jul 2019	749	amazon.com
7.		Canon M50	..	+	4/5	79/100	..	3.5/5	Feb 2018	779	ebay.com
8.		Canon SX740	..	+	3.5/5	..	4/5	4/5	Jul 2018	399	amazon.com
9.		Canon T7	..	o	3.5/5	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Feb 2018	449	amazon.com
10.		Canon SX70	..	+ +	3.5/5	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Sep 2018	549	amazon.com
11.		Canon 77D	4.5/5	..	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2017	899	ebay.com
12.		Canon M100	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	3.5/5	Aug 2017	499	ebay.com
13.		Canon T6	4/5	o	4/5	73/100	4/5	4/5	Mar 2016	449	ebay.com
14.		Canon M10	..	..	..	..	..	4/5	Oct 2015	499	ebay.com
15.		Canon T6s	5/5	+	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	649	ebay.com
16.		Canon SL1	4/5	+	..	78/100	4/5	4/5	Mar 2013	549	ebay.com
17.		Fujifilm XF10	..	..	4/5	75/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jul 2018	499	ebay.com
Notes: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, 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 rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

Check M200 price at
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Check SL2 offers at
ebay.com

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes 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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