Difference Between Canon EOS 7D Mark II and 70D

Key difference – Canon EOS 7D Mark II vs 70D
 

The key difference between Canon EOS 7D Mark II and 70D is that the Canon EOS 7D Mark II is mainly built for speed and can capture shots at 10 frames per second in HD and burst mode.  The Canon EOS 70D is a camera that mainly targets accuracy by utilizing 65 autofocus cross type sensors to zoom in and focus on images. Let us now take a closer look at both cameras in detail before comparing both to find the difference between them.

Canon EOS 7D Mark II Review –  Features and Specifications

This camera has been specially designed for professionals who require high performance. This is the topper in the cropped sensor SLR category. The price is high, and a full frame sensor could be bought for the same value. So why would anyone even consider buying a cropped sensor camera? Lets us find out the reasons.

The main reason is the ability  to boost the focal length of the telephoto lens by 1.6x. This means that the photographer could go for a cheaper lens without buying an expensive telephoto lens and boost its focal length to the same value as the expensive lens. The only downside is the limited wide angle capability and the smaller sensor adding more noise than the full frame sensor. Wildlife and sports photographer may choose this camera due to its price and their requirements.

Top Features

Canon EOS 7D Mark II is able to compete with many top cameras in the market. The body is sealed and made of magnesium alloy. The camera is also able to support Compact flash and SDXC cards for expandable storage. There are also a lot of buttons and dials to take control of many features of the camera. The maximum shutter speed supported by the camera is 1/8000. Built-in GPS and geotagging are cool features to keep track of the images that have been shot. The Interval shot has been introduced to the camera for the first time which shoots images at regular interval and converts it into a time-lapse video.

Ergonomics

The buttons alongside the top plate are easy to reach and operatable without taking the eye away from the camera.  The 65 autofocus points can be controlled using a mini-joystick available with the camera. This camera has the most AF points available in any EOS version. All these point are of cross type. Cross type means that a couple of sensors are placed right angle to each other which in turn increases the sensitivity. When using an aperture speed of f/2.8 or faster, the center AF point will be dual cross type. The camera does not come with an AF assist lamp which would have been useful in gloomy conditions.

Autofocus

Autofocus is a key feature in sport and wildlife related photography. The use of 65 AF points enables focusing on small objects precise. The auto focus and the shutter release can be assigned to different buttons. This will let the photographer individually control each setting separately. Continuous shooting can be supported at 9 to 10 frames per second. Images are saved at great speed on SDHC cards when shot in Jpeg and slow to 1.9fps when shooting in RAW. Tracking of moving objects is not as impressive as with some of the other models like Nikon. The Canon EOS 7D Mark II also supports live view autofocus powered by dual pixel technology as with the Canon EOS 70D. It is relatively faster when using the viewfinder to take shots than using live view.

Videography

Videography is also powered by dual pixel technology which also has the autofocus feature. It works on the camera in a responsive and decisive manner. It is disappointing that there is no touch screen support for moving autofocus points. Some lenses produce noise on the recording. This can be avoided by the use of an external microphone.  The camera comes with a powerful processor which is capable of saving 20 megapixel Jpeg at 10 frames per second. One of the disappointing factor in videography is that there is no 4K video. The Canon EOS 7D mark II has only the capability to support 1080p videography. The quality of detail is a bit coarse compared with some of Panasonic’s models. The camera does not support an articulated screen which is also a drawback. It seems that in this department the Canon EOS 7D Mark II has missed a few tricks.

Image Quality

Compared with the EOS 70D, many features are identical as they both make use of the same sensor. The improvement with the Canon EOS 7D Mark II is that chroma noise has been reduced at high ISO values due to improvements in processing. The improvement to 20 megapixels is not significant as previous models also have had similar resolutions. Noise level reduction has seen a modest improvement. The ISO range stands at 12800 to 51200, but the maximum value for the best image quality is at only 6400.

Canon EOS 70D Review – Features and Specifications

The Canon EOS 70D is one of the company’s latest models. It is an upgrade of the Canon EOS 60D with various enhancements. The Viewfinder is larger, has many single function buttons, LCD top plate, Command dial plus a rear wheel to change exposure settings are some of its noteworthy features. It performs faster than the Canon 700D and the Canon EOS  60D.

Price

The initial prices were high when the camera was released, but gradually prices have gone down considerably making it more affordable for people who have a low budget.

 Resolution

The APC- C sensor resolution stands at 20 megapixels which is the highest for such a type of sensor. Traditional sensors only have the ability to measure the intensity of the light, but the APS-C sensor on this camera has the ability to measure the direction as well. There are two photodiodes which have been placed, one to the left, and one to the right. These features enable phase detection autofocus to detect the focus as well as the distance of the focus. This enables the camera to focus directly without moving back and forth. The Canon 70D is faster as it is able to perform phase detection on the sensor itself. Another special feature is that almost every pixel is accounted for phase detection autofocus. An autofocus point can be set at 80% of the screen excluding the edges.

Screen

The live mode available on the camera is very useful compared to other camera models. The screen is articulated. The screen can be tilted up and down, can be adjusted for self-portraits by turning the screen around as well. The screen is touch sensitive, and the AF point can be set easily on the camera.

Q menu

The touch screen also allows the Q menu to work faster, and provide an array of functions than traditional buttons could. The main menu can also be navigated using the touchscreen but using the command dial or the rear wheel is quicker.

Viewfinder

The Canon 70D performs even faster when using the viewfinder. The viewfinder now comes with 19 point sensor. These 19 point sensors are all cross type which increase its sensitivity. At the same time, they are fast, accurate and perform very well even in low light conditions.

Connectivity

Built in Wi-Fi is capable of remotely accessing the phone via the iPhone or Android application. Setting like exposure and AF points can be controlled using the remote device’s touchscreen. The camera is very responsive when remotely connected. The memory card can also be accessed with information like EXIF metadata. The captured image can be viewed on the remote device’s display within 2 seconds of capture. When Wi-Fi is enabled, the video capture and the USB port get disabled leading to the remote device not being able to display the video.

Autofocus, Videography

The camera is able to respond really fast in videography, adjusting AF points in less than a second when there is movement. This camera can be considered as the most responsive amongst large sensor cameras. Although these are great features, the sharpness of the video is only decent compared to other competing models. Another disadvantage would be the unavailability of a headphone socket. The HDMI port is able to support live streaming as well. Although there are limitations in detail and sharpness relating to videography, it is not far behind by any means.

Image Quality

From a value for money point of view, the image quality is not great, but it’s not bad either. This is due to the sensor not being able to reduce the noise as effectively as some of the other APS-C sensors.

What is the difference between Canon EOS 7D Mark II and 70D?

Difference in specifications of Canon EOS 7D Mark II and 70D

Shutter Lag

Canon EOS 70D: The Canon EOS 70D shutter lag stands at 75ms

Canon EOS 7D Mark II: The Canon EOS 7D Mark II Shutter lag stand at 249ms

The shutter lag of the Canon EOS 70D is much less, and this  allows it to take photos faster.

Touch Screen

Canon EOS 70D: The Canon EOS 70D has a touch screen display

Canon EOS 7D Mark II: The Canon EOS 7D Mark II Shutter does not have a touchscreen display

This allows the camera to have fewer dedicated buttons and provides direct interaction with the camera.

 Autofocus

Canon EOS 70D: The Canon EOS 70D shutter uses phase detection

Canon EOS 7D Mark II: The Canon EOS 7D Mark II Shutter uses hybrid detection

Phase detection autofocus performs faster than hybrid detection autofocus which enable to photo to be captured quickly.

 Flip-out Screen

Canon EOS 70D: The Canon EOS 70D has a flip out screen

Canon EOS 7D Mark II: The Canon EOS 7D Mark II does not have a flip out screen

The flip out screen enables photos to be taken at various interesting angles.

 Battery life

Canon EOS 70D: The Canon EOS 70D supports 920 shots per charge

Canon EOS 7D Mark II: The Canon EOS 7D Mark II supports 670 shots per charge

The Canon EOS 70 D is able to provide 40 % more shots per charge than the other camera.

 Weight

Canon EOS 70D: The Canon EOS 70D weighs 755g

Canon EOS 7D Mark II: The Canon EOS 7D Mark II weighs 910g

The Canon EOS 70D is 20% lighter than the Canon EOS 7D Mark II which means it will be easier to be taken around.

Dimensions

Canon EOS 70D: The Canon EOS 70D dimensions are 145×106×79 mm

Canon EOS 7D Mark II: The Canon EOS 7D Mark II dimensions are 149×112×78 mm

The Canon EOS 70D is smaller which is easier to be taken around.

 Price

Canon EOS 70D: The Canon EOS 70D is cheaper

Canon EOS 7D Mark II: The Canon EOS 7D Mark II is expensive

The Canon EOS 70D is cheaper than the Canon EOS 7D Mark II and might be preferred by low budget photographers.

Focus Points, Cross Type Focus Points

Canon EOS 70D: The Canon EOS 70D has 19

Canon EOS 7D Mark II: The Canon EOS 7D Mark II has 65

The Canon EOS 70D has less cross type focus points.  More focus points give the user the flexibility to focus on an image more accurately.

Shooting Speed

Canon EOS 70D: The Canon EOS 70D II can continuously shoot at 7 fps

GPS Canon EOS 7D Mark II: The Canon EOS 7D Mark II can continuously shoot at 10 fps

Faster shooting means the Canon EOS 7D mark can capture more images per second with is great for action photos.

GPS

Canon EOS 70D: The Canon EOS 70D does not support GPS

Canon EOS 7D Mark II: The Canon EOS 7D Mark II has GPS

This feature is great as it will geotag and add information automatically on where the photos were captured.

 Dynamic range

Canon EOS 70D: The Canon EOS 70D dynamic range is 11.6 V

Canon EOS 7D Mark II: The Canon EOS 7D Mark II dynamic range is 11.8 V

Higher dynamic range values mean the camera will be able to capture a wider range of dark to light.

 Lower Noise at Higher ISO

Canon EOS 70D: The Canon EOS 70D value is 926

Canon EOS 7D Mark II: The Canon EOS 7D Mark II ISO value is 1082

The higher ISO means it will capture better quality images with lower noise value

 Viewfinder

Canon EOS 70D: The Canon EOS 70D viewfinder value is 0.59X

Canon EOS 7D Mark II: The Canon EOS 7D Mark II viewfinder value is 0.62X

The higher value means a larger preview relative to the view by a naked eye.

 Storage Slots

Canon EOS 70D: The Canon EOS 70D supports one storage slots

Canon EOS 7D Mark II: The Canon EOS 7D Mark II supports 2 storage slots

More storage will let the photographer store more images without changing memory cards.

Startup Delay

Canon EOS 70D: The Canon EOS 70D II stands at 700ms

Canon EOS 7D Mark II: The Canon EOS 7D Mark II startup delay stands at 500ms

Lower value means the camera will turn on faster

 Viewfinder Coverage

CanonEOS 70D: The Canon EOS 70D II viewfinder coverage 98%

Canon EOS 7D Mark II: The Canon EOS 7D Mark II viewfinder coverage 100%

The Canon EOS 7D Mark II will view the entire image that the camera would actually capture.

The Canon EOS 70D consists of great features like autofocus which is sensor based, articulated touchscreen, video autofocus, live view and Wi-Fi, which any photographer will prefer hands down. The Canon EOS 7D Mark II, on the other hand, consists of features like GPS, fast continuous shooting, fast live view mode, interval shots and improved sensor. Both cameras are packed with great features and are similar in many ways. The deciding factors between the cameras will be the price and the features that they offer.