Canon T4i versus Canon T7i

The Canon EOS Rebel T4i (called Canon 650D in some regions) and the Canon EOS Rebel T7i (labelled Canon 800D in some countries) are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in June 2012 and February 2017. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with an APS-C sensor. The T4i has a resolution of 17.9 megapixel, whereas the T7i provides 24 MP.

Body comparison

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Canon T4i and the Canon T7i is provided in the side-by-side display below. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter. You can also toggle the display to switch to a percentage comparison if you prefer that the measures are being expressed in relative terms (in this case, the camera on the left – the T4i – represents the basis or 100 percent 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 T7i is somewhat smaller (2 percent) than the Canon T4i. Moreover, the T7i is markedly lighter (7 percent) than the T4i. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the T4i nor the T7i 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 find an overview of suitable optics in the Canon EF Lens Catalog.

Concerning battery life, the T4i gets 440 shots out of its LP-E8 battery, while the T7i can take 600 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 comparisons there.

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The T7i was launched at a somewhat lower price (by 12 percent) than the T4i, which makes it more attractive for photographers on a tight budget. 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

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 tend to be more expensive and 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.

While the two cameras under review share the same sensor size, the T7i offers a higher resolution of 24 megapixel, compared with 17.9 MP of the T4i. This megapixel advantage translates into a 16 percent gain in linear resolution. On the other hand, these sensor specs imply that the T7i has a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 3.72μm versus 4.31μm for the T4i). However, it should be noted that the T7i is much more recent (by 4 years and 8 months) than the T4i, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that compensate for the smaller pixel size.

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.

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 T7i provides a faster frame rate than the T4i. It can shoot movie footage at 1080/60p, while the T4i is limited to 1080/30p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The T4i and the T7i 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 table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Canon T4i and Canon T7i in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras. If you need more detail on the specs, you can find comprehensive listings, for example, in the dpreview camera hub.

The T7i is a current model that online retailers, such as amazon, will have in stock. In contrast, the T4i has been discontinued (but it can be found pre-owned on ebay). As a replacement in the same line of cameras, the T4i was succeeded by the Canon T5i.

Summary

So how do things add up? Is the Canon T4i better than the Canon T7i or vice versa? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

Advantages of the Canon EOS Rebel T4i:

• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in June 2012).

Reasons to prefer the Canon EOS Rebel T7i:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (24 vs 17.9MP), which boosts linear resolution by 16%.
• Better video: Provides higher movie framerates (1080/60p vs 1080/30p).
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (6 vs 5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (600 versus 440) out of a single battery charge.
• More affordable: Was released into a lower priced segment (12 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Reflects 4 years and 8 months of technical progress since the T4i launch.

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the T7i is the clear winner of the contest (6 : 1 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.

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 T4i and the T7i 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 why expert reviews are important. The table below summarizes the assessments of some of the best known camera review sites. The detailed reviews can be accessed, respectively, on the websites of cameralabs.com, dpreview.com, ephotozine.com, imaging-resource.com, and photographyblog.com.

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. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, 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.

Other comparisons

In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make your choice using the following search menu. An an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool. If the camera you are interested in is not available, please send me an email, and I will try to update the database with the necessary infos.