Nikon D7100 vs Canon 70D

Introduction

The Nikon D7100 and the Canon 70D are highly-capacitive enthusiast cameras that have been on the market for a fairly long period of time. Firstly introduced in February 2013, and July 2013 respectively, these cameras became a top-notch option for beginners who want to set a concrete foundation at the DSLR photography with the main goal to shape themselves into professionals!

Choosing between these cameras is definitely a challenge, and therefore, novices face difficulties mainly because of the fact that both cameras share the a performance, and that’s why, I’m entering the game to simplify everything so that you will be able to deliver the right decision!

Shall we start? Yes? I’d recommend you read this article while being focused and at the end, you be the judge and decide who is the winner of this Nikon D7100 vs Canon 70D comparison.

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Head To Head Comparison

Nikon D7100

Aesthetically speaking, the Nikon D7100 has a stylish-looking,yet durable, magnesium alloy body that employs weather sealing to withstand the dust and moisture, so that you, as a beginner or semi-professional would be able to have a freedom in capturing photos and videos in a variety of different situations!

If we take its durability aside, the Nikon D7100 looks classy and it is compact as well, since the black-finished color and the red accents that are present on the front grip do really enhance the overall appearance of this camera. On the other side, this unit measures 4.2 x 5.3 x 3″ (HWD), hence, it is compact enough to be taken with you anywhere you go, although its 1.5 pounds of weight does not make it be the lightest camera you can find on the market.

In addition, the control layout is intuitively designed and you will have an opportunity to have easy access to the controls which definitely comes handy especially when you’re shooting.

On the top-left side, you will find a mode dial, on the right, there is an information LCD display that is followed by a Metering, Exposure, Compensation, Video record and shutter release button, while on the top-center, there is a hotshoe.

On the rear, the controls are divided into three parts such as the top, left and right part, and they sit close to the viewfinder and the screen, but what’s interesting is that they do not make this camera messy.

Since I’ve mentioned the viewfinder and the screen, let’s briefly explain their advantages and how they can aid your shooting experience.

Firstly, the glass-pentaprism viewfinder is fairly large and provides up to 100% of coverage, and sight of excellent clarity which is always welcome since you will be able to have an undistracted shooting experience and capture everything properly.

Slightly below, there is a 3.2″, 1,229k-dot LCD screen which is sharp and bright enough to let you have a quality view even if you’re using it outdoors on a bright daylight. However, my remark is the lack of flexibility because the display is fixed as well as the lack of touch-sensitivity.

Moreover, the connections consist of an HDMI output, dual SD card slots, stereo microphone input, Hi-speed USB port, and unfortunately, it lacks Bluetooth/Wi-Fi/NFC connectivity, and I think that Nikon could have done a better job here.

When it comes to the performance, the Nikon D7100 packs a 24.1MP DX-format image sensor, continuous shooting rate of 6 fps, built-in HDR, ISO range of 100-6400 that is expandable to 25,600, and an impressively fast, 51-point autofocus system that will elevate your user experience to a whole new level!

Once you start shooting, you will instantly recognize the potential of the Nikon D7100, especially at the tracking speeds thanks to the 3D tracking, because this camera does an amazing job here.

In terms of the noise handling, well, shooting through ISO 100-3200 generates exceptionally strong images that are filled with excellent color rendering and well-defined details that will completely immerse you in the photos you’re looking at. Also, at this point, the noise is present, but does not decrease the overall, image quality. If you’ve been asking where the noise is more pronounced, well, this happens at ISO 6400, although the imagery is still usable and you can achieve reliable print-worthy results without any problem.

Once you reach the ISO 12,800 level, the noise is overcoming the image and I’d advise you to avoid this stage, unless you really have to.

Last but not least, the Nikon D7100 records 1080p videos at 60i/50u/30/25/24fps, and 720p videos at 60fps, and to be honest, this is awesome for novices who can experiment in the field of videography as well, since this camera produces video footage of a superb quality.

If you decide to get the D7100, i recommend you take a look at our lens picks for the Nikon D7100. We reviewed 5 different models for different purposes, so you might find that helpful too.

Nikon D7100 Sample Images:

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Canon 70D

The Canon EOS 70D boasts a black-finished, aluminum and plastic composite construction that measures 5.5 x 4.1 x 3.1″ (HWD), weighs approximately 1.7 pounds and it is a bit heavier than the Nikon D7100, whereas, its dimensions are pretty similar. In my opinion, I think that the Nikon D7100 has a better build quality.

But, interesting enough, Canon has implemented weather sealing same as Nikon did with their D7100, and here, both cameras receive credits from me.

Moving on, although the Canon EOS 70D is heavier, this doesn’t mean that you won’t have a comfortable shooting experience, due to the fact that the deep grip has a textured coating which will ensure a higher level of stability and security as you’re holding the camera in your hands, and therefore, you won’t feel fatigued even if you’ve been shooting for a longer period of time.

Speaking of the control, there is a plethora of buttons and control dials which most of them are positioned on the top, and rear part of the body. Namely, on the top plate, you can find a hotshoe, Mode dial, Power switch that sits below the dial, one large monochrome Information LCD that is set on the top-right side, and an array of buttons including the Drive mode, ISO, Metering pattern and the Autofocus button.

On the rear side of the Canon EOS 70D, there are a few buttons that surround the viewfinder on each side, and the other dedicated buttons are set on the right side, hence, the left side remains clean, and now you will find out why.

The reason behind this is the 3″ articulating touch panel LCD screen that employs 1,040k-dots. On the contrary to the Nikon D7100 who lacks flexibility, here, the Canon EOS 70D wins the race because of its flexibility and touch-sensitivity. Also, the display is bright enough to offer you a clear view of everything you wish to record and capture under normal occurrences of daylight.

Moreover, the optical (pentaprism) viewfinder of the Canon EOS 70D delivers a magnification of 0.95x, and up to 95% coverage of the field of view. Once you start shooting, I’m sure that you will like it because of its sharpness and clarity which is a result of the coating that drastically reduces the reflections once you’re in front of the camera, and although the viewfinder outputs 2% less coverage, yet again, both cameras deserve our respect here.

Connection-wise, the Canon EOS 70D employs HDMI-out port, A/V out port, 3.5mm microphone plug for connecting with external microphones, memory card slot, built-in stereo microphone and the most important part, it is Wi-Fi enabled which is something that the Nikon D7100 lacks! However, keep in mind that you can’t record videos with the Canon EOS 70D when your Wi-Fi is enabled, but either way, its presence means a lot. Here, without a doubt, the Canon EOS 70D proves itself as a better option.

In terms of the performance, the Canon EOS 70D utilizes a 20.2MP APS-C CMOS sensor, DIGIC 5+ image processor, 19-point cross-type AF system, ISO range that stretches from 100-12,800 which is expandable up to 25,600, and a burst shooting rate of 7 fps for your ultimate user experience!

The image quality is extremely good in my honest opinion, since this camera does a truly amazing job when it comes to capturing details even at the lowest sensitivity!

At 1600-6400, the image quality is strong, however, you may notice the presence of the chroma noise which will appear throughout the ISO ranges whether more or less pronounced, but either way, I’d recommend you stay below the ISO 6400. The RAW pictures look better than the JPEGs which is great though since JPEGs have a kind of watercolor appearance that may be a problem for some photographers who are perfectionists. In comparison to the Nikon D7100, the noise is less significant throughout the 12,800-25,600 range and the Canon EOS 70D outputs a huge amount of details at the ISO 12,800 which is great!

Finally, the inclusion of the Dual Pixel AF technology makes the Canon EOS 70D be a strong performer in terms of recording videos because the footage is exceptionally sharp and you will be able to notice highly-accurate colors along with plenty of details.

Unfortunately, as was the case with the Nikon D7100, this camera also lacks 4K capability, however, since it is limited to 1080p at 30fps, clearly, the Nikon D7100 performs better because of its ability to record 1080p videos at 60 fps!

Canon 70D Sample Images:

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Nikon D7100 vs Canon 70D Feature Comparison

	Nikon D7100	Canon 70D
Camera Type	DSLR	DSLR
Megapixels	24.1	20.2
ISO Range	100-6400;50-25,600	100-12,800; 25,600
Flip-Out Screen	No	Yes
AF Points	51 AF points	19 AF Points
Viewfinder	Yes	Yes
Touchscreen	No	Yes
Video Recording	Yes	Yes
Sensor Size	APS-C CMOS	APS-C CMOS

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Conclusion

By now, you may already understand why the process of making a comparison between these cameras isn’t the easiest thing in the world. Both cameras deliver an uncompromised performance and both of them can be considered as a good start for novices who need time before they become professionals.

Regardless, let’s make a head to head comparison of the key aspects of these cameras, and after that, feel free to choose the one that you thing would contribute a lot in shaping your shooting style!

Namely, the result is a tie for sports and portrait photography, whereas for landscape photography, both cameras output an average performance, but the Nikon D7100 is a bit better.

If we dig deeper, the Nikon D7100 has 18% higher resolution screen than the Canon EOS 70D, outputs a better High-ISO performance, has two memory slots opposed to the Canon EOS 70D who has only one. Furthermore, the D7100 has a 0.2″ larger screen, has 51 focus points which is 32 more than the 70D, and let’s not forget the sensor resolution of 24MP vs Canon’s 20MP and the fact that at videos, the D7100 records 1080p videos at 60fps.

On the contrary, the Canon EOS 70D beats the Nikon D7100 with the Wi-Fi capability, the articulating touchscreen, something that the Nikon D7100 lacks, the continuous shooting rate of 7 fps, and the number of cross-type focus points ( 19 vs 15).

Personally, I think that the Nikon D7100 would be a better option for you if you don’t need a touch-sensitive screen or Wi-Fi.

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