Canon EOS 700D review: A great camera, but surpassed by the 750D

Canon EOS 700D review: Image quality – Click images to enlarge

Canon EOS cameras rarely throw up any surprises for image quality. With no distinguishable difference between the 700D and 650D’s output, that’s certainly true here. In fact, the sensor’s output quality hasn’t changed much since the 550D was launched back in 2010, but the newer DIGIC 5 processor introduced in the 650D handles noise at fast ISO speeds slightly better. There was plenty of crisp detail in its 18-megapixel photos, and subtle skin textures were handled extremely well. Dense textures such as foliage looked much better in the camera’s raw output than from JPEGs though.

^ Subtle skin textures are handled superbly in this shot, despite the slightly raised ISO speed

^ JPEG output looks pixel-sharp, but raw output (developed in Lightroom 5) reveals more fine detail

Direct comparisons with the Nikon D5200 suggested that it’s actually the Canon that delivers sharper detail, despite its lower resolution. The Nikon’s JPEGs looked slightly vague in comparison. This is more down to the two manufacturers’ differing approaches to digital sharpening, though – and both cameras allow the amount of sharpening to be raised or lowered. Shooting raw revealed that the Nikon had a tiny advantage for detail, but there’s barely anything in it.

^ The Canon 700D appears to take a clear lead for details over the Nikon D5200 here, despite its lower resolution. This was true of many of our sample shots

^ The Canon’s details look slightly crisper here, too, although the more contrasted leaves suggest heavier use of digital sharpening

^ Comparing raw files of the same two shots, there’s very little to choose between the two cameras for detail. However, note the top of the roof just below the centre of the image – on the D5200’s shot, the individual vertical lines are visible, whereas they’re not in the 700D’s shot

Comparing their noise levels at fast ISO speeds suggests there’s nothing significant to choose between them here, either.

^ The 700D has no problem capturing subtle details at ISO 1600

^ There’s plenty of subtle detail here, too, and barely any hint of noise

^ Noise is creeping in at ISO 3200 but there’s little evidence of detail-slaying noise reduction

^ Direct comparison with the Nikon D5200 at ISO 12800 suggests there’s nothing to separate them for noise

^ The Nikon’s raw output scrubs up a little better in Lightroom, but there’s not much in it

Canon EOS 700D review: Verdict

We’ve always loved the look of the photos that Canon’s EOS cameras produce and the 700D is no exception. This is a consumer-orientated camera that delivers sublime quality with no significant drawbacks.

As noted at the top of this review, however, all good things must come to an end. After being beaten in the image quality and autofocus stakes by the Nikon D5500, the Canon EOS 700D has now been superseded by the Canon EOS 750D.

Although the new Canon looks largely the same as the 700D, it’s all change behind the scenes and we’re now recommending that camera instead due to its improved image quality, better autofocus and superior metering system, among other things. You can still get hold of the 700D, and it remains a tempting buy at current prices. However, you can get a better camera for around the same price and it’s Canon’s newer EOS 750D that you should be considering buying first.