Canon EOS 7D Mark II vs Nikon D5100

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      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Canon EOS 7D Mark II and the Nikon D5100, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II was introduced in September 2014 and Nikon D5100 was introduced in April 2011. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II Highlights

      • 20.2 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 16,000 Native ISO
      • 65 Focus Points (65 Cross-type)
      • 3.0" 1,040k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder
      • 10.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • 30 min Video Recording Limit
      • Built-in Flash
      • Built-in GPS
      • Wheather Sealed Body

      Nikon D5100 Highlights

      • 16.2 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 6,400 Native ISO
      • 11 Focus Points (11 Cross-type)
      • 3.0" 921k dot Fully Articulated Screen
      • Optical (pentamirror) Viewfinder
      • 4.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • Built-in Flash

      Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Canon EOS 7D Mark II and Nikon D5100.

      PROS

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II

      Nikon D5100

      •   Video Capture
      •   65 Focus Points
      •   65 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   Webcam Functionality
      •   High USB Speed
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Video Capture
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II

      Nikon D5100

      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   1 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II

      Nikon D5100

      •   Price
      •   Sensor Resolution - 20.2 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   16,000 Highest Native ISO
      •   -3 EV Min AF Detection
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 10.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 70
      •   Weight - 910 g (2.01 lb / 32.10 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 670 shots
      •   Sensor Resolution - 16.2 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   -1 EV Min AF Detection
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 80
      •   Weight - 560 g (1.23 lb / 19.75 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 660 shots

      Advantage of Canon EOS 7D Mark II

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon EOS 7D Mark II over Nikon D5100.

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II vs Nikon D5100
      Higher Sensor Resolution 20.2 Megapixel vs 16.2 Megapixel
      Higher Native ISO 16,000 vs 6,400
      Higher Boosted ISO 51,200 vs 25,600
      Max Image Resolution 5472 x 3648 vs 4928 x 3264
      Lower Min AF Detection -3 EV vs -1 EV
      More Focus Points 65 vs 11
      More Cross-type Focus Points 65 vs 1
      Higher Resolution Screen 1,040k dot vs 921k dot
      Top LCD Screen vs
      Higher Viewfinder Coverage 100% vs 95%
      Higher Viewfinder Magnification (35mm equivalent) 0.63x vs 0.52x
      Higher Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) 1/8000 sec vs 1/4000 sec
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 10.0 fps vs 4.0 fps
      Higher Flash Sync Speed 1/250 sec vs 1/200 sec
      Higher Max Flash Compensation +3 EV vs +1 EV
      Partial Metering vs
      Higher USB Speed USB 3.2 Gen 1x1 (5 GBit/sec) vs USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
      Built-in Microphone Stereo vs Mono
      Headphone Output vs
      Built-in GPS vs
      Environmental Sealing vs
      Longer Battery Life 670 shots vs 660 shots
      More Storage Slots 2 vs 1

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Canon EOS 7D Mark II.

      Advantage of Nikon D5100

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Nikon D5100 over Canon EOS 7D Mark II.

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II vs Nikon D5100
      Higher Max AF Detection +18 EV vs +19 EV
      Screen Type Fixed vs Fully Articulated
      Higher DxO Low Light ISO 1082 vs 1183
      Higher DxO Color Depth 22.4 vs 23.5
      Higher DxO Dynamic Range 11.8 vs 13.6
      Higher DxO Overall Score 70 vs 80
      Lighter 910 g (2.01 lb / 32.10 oz) vs 560 g (1.23 lb / 19.75 oz)

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Nikon D5100.

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

      STRENGTHS Canon EOS 7D Mark II Nikon D5100
        Video Capture
        Face Detection
        Live View Autofocus
        Built-in Flash
        HDMI Output Mini Mini Type C
        Orientation Sensor
      WEAKNESSES Canon EOS 7D Mark II Nikon D5100
        No Image Stabilization
        Low Video Resolution1920 x 10801920 x 1080
        No Built-In Wi-Fi via Eye-Fi
        No Built-In Bluetooth

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II and Nikon D5100 have 3.0" screens with 1,040k dot and 921k dot resolutions respectively. Canon EOS 7D Mark II has a Fixed screen Nikon D5100 has a Fully Articulated screen which makes it selfie and vlogger friendly and generally very useful for video shooting.

      Image cannot be displayed

      Nikon D5100 with Fully Articulated screen


      Viewfinder

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II has a built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinderNikon D5100 has a built-in Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder. Canon EOS 7D Mark II has 100% coverage with 1x (0.63x 35mm equivalent) magnification and Nikon D5100 has 95% coverage with 0.78x (0.52x 35mm equivalent) magnification.

      Sensor

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II features a 20.2 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 22.4 x 15 mm and a total area of 336 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 16,000 and expands to 100 - 51,200 in boosted mode. Nikon D5100 features a 16.2 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.6 x 15.6 mm and a total area of 243.4 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 6,400 and expands to 100 - 25,600 in boosted mode.


      Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

      Sensor size chart
      Sensor Dimensions Area Aspect Ratio Crop Factor
      Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
      Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
      Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.4 x 13 mm226.2 mm24:32x
      Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

      Photography Features

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II is equipped with Dual DIGIC 6 processor and can take pictures up to 5472 x 3648 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4104 x 2736 (M-Raw), 3648 x 2432, 2736 x 1824, 1920 x 1080, 720 x 480 with 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios. Nikon D5100 is equipped with EXPEED 2 processor and can take pictures up to 4928 x 3264 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3696 x 2448, 2464 x 1632 with 3:2 aspect ratios.


      Lens Mount

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II has Canon EF/EF-S lens mount and Nikon D5100 has Nikon F lens mount. They both have APS-C sensor but because of a small size difference their crop factors (also called lens multiplier) differ from each other. Canon EOS 7D Mark II has the crop factor of 1.6x which means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.6. Nikon D5100 has the crop factor of 1.5x which means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.5.


      No Image Stabilization

      The cameras do not have image stabilization. On Canon EOS 7D Mark II it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Nikon D5100 nothing can be done. On Nikon D5100 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Canon EOS 7D Mark II nothing can be done.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      Built-in GPS on Canon EOS 7D Mark II

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II has a built-in GPS (Global Positioning System) technology which allows you to automatically tag the location where you took your photos. You can later categorize, organize, and search for photos based on location. This is very useful for travel and outdoor photographers for documenting the locations where images were captured.
        Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in GPS.


      USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

      Both models have USB inputs for data transfer. Canon EOS 7D Mark II has a Mini HDMI and Nikon D5100 has a Mini Type C HDMI connector for video signal output.


      Battery

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II comes with LP-E6N battery pack with battery life of 670 shots and Nikon D5100 comes with EN-EL14 battery pack with battery life of 660 shots.


      External Storage Slots

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II has two card slots - one for SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) and one for CompactFlash (UDMA 7). Nikon D5100 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II has Electronically Controlled Vertical-travel Mechanical Focal-plane shutter. Nikon D5100 has Electronically controlled vertical-travel focal-plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/8000 sec on Canon EOS 7D Mark II, and up to 1/4000 sec on Nikon D5100. Canon EOS 7D Mark II can shoot continuously up to 10.0 fps. Nikon D5100 can shoot continuously up to 4.0 fps.


      Focusing

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II has Dual Pixel CMOS AF system with 65 (65 cross-type) focusing points and Nikon D5100 has 11 (1 cross-type) focusing points. Canon EOS 7D Mark II has detection range from -3 to +18 EV and Nikon D5100 has detection range from -1 to +19 EV.


      Exposure

      Both cameras' exposure metering ranges from 0 to +20 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±5 EV range. You can also do exposure lock, exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS 7D Mark II and exposure lock, exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Nikon D5100.


      Flash

      Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 12.00 m on Canon EOS 7D Mark II and 12.00 m at ISO 100 on Nikon D5100. They also accept external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe or PC Terminal to Canon EOS 7D Mark II and via Hot Shoe to Nikon D5100. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/250 sec on Canon EOS 7D Mark II and 1/200 sec on Nikon D5100.

      Physical Parameters

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II body has dimensions of 149 x 112 x 78 mm (5.87 x 4.41 x 3.07") and Nikon D5100 body has dimensions of 128 x 97 x 79 mm (5.04 x 3.82 x 3.11"). Canon EOS 7D Mark II weighs 910 g (2.01 lb / 32.10 oz) and Nikon D5100 weighs 560 g (1.23 lb / 19.75 oz).

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II

      Nikon D5100

      149 mm

      112 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      128 mm

      97 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      112 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      97 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      78 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      79 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      Size comparisons of Canon EOS 7D Mark II and Nikon D5100

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II and Nikon D5100 for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II

      Nikon D5100

      EXCELLENT
      86
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      GOOD
      71
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II

      Nikon D5100

      GOOD
      71
      •   16,000 Highest Native ISO
      •   65 Focus Points
      •   65 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 10.0 fps
      •   Battery Life - 670 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      67
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   1 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.0 fps
      •   Battery Life - 660 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II

      Nikon D5100

      AVERAGE
      66
      •   16,000 Highest Native ISO
      •   65 Focus Points
      •   65 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 10.0 fps
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Battery Life - 670 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      59
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   1 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Battery Life - 660 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II

      Nikon D5100

      GOOD
      79
      •   65 Focus Points
      •   65 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      78
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   1 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II

      Nikon D5100

      GOOD
      79
      •   65 Focus Points
      •   65 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 910 g (2.01 lb / 32.10 oz)
      GOOD
      81
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   1 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 560 g (1.23 lb / 19.75 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II

      Nikon D5100

      GOOD
      79
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 910 g (2.01 lb / 32.10 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 670 shots
      GOOD
      79
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 560 g (1.23 lb / 19.75 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 660 shots

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Canon EOS 7D Mark II and Nikon D5100 and give them scores of 72 and 67 out of 100 recpectively. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


      Canon EOS 7D Mark II

      Nikon D5100

      OVERALL
      72
      OVERALL
      67

      Sensor

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II

      Nikon D5100

      AVERAGE
      68
      •   Sensor Resolution - 20.2 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   16,000 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 70
      AVERAGE
      69
      •   Sensor Resolution - 16.2 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 80

      Photo

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II

      Nikon D5100

      GOOD
      71
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 10.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      AVERAGE
      68
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec

      Video

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II

      Nikon D5100

      BAD
      32
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Webcam Functionality
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      BAD
      14
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080

      Focusing

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II

      Nikon D5100

      GOOD
      84
      •   -3 EV Min AF Detection
      •   65 Focus Points
      •   65 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      GOOD
      83
      •   -1 EV Min AF Detection
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   1 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II

      Nikon D5100

      GOOD
      73
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      GOOD
      80
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot

      Connectivity

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II

      Nikon D5100

      EXCELLENT
      86
      •   High USB Speed
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      GOOD
      75
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Canon EOS 7D Mark II

      Nikon D5100

      GOOD
      72
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 910 g (2.01 lb / 32.10 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 670 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      POOR
      43
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 560 g (1.23 lb / 19.75 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 660 shots


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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